Structure Theory
With experience, structuring a track becomes almost second nature but when you are starting out it can be difficult to assess what works best. One of the best ways you can learn is to copy the structure of an existing track and put your own elements in to replace those that are there already. We will be providing two complete projects for you to use in this way.
here is an example of a 'classic' Trance track structure:
Classic Trance Track Structure
· 32 bars intro, mainly drums.
· 32 bars track with bass line on the same note, start introducing the riff (or parts of it).
· 16 bars transition into the drop.
· 32 bars drop section with strings, main riff etc, chord changes, build-up with snare roll at the end.
· 64 bars main track with all the elements in, bass follows the chord changes.
· 32 bars outro, bass is on one note again.
Songwriting Structures
Songwriting is the place to look for traditional templates. A typical song has a core set of 'ingredients' including all or some of the following:
· Intro - usually an instrumental section to get people ready for the verse.
· Verse - where the main story is told, this develops with each verse lyrically but musically it remains the same.
· Pre-Chorus - a build up to the chorus - sometimes quite repetitive and not always necessary.
· Chorus - the catchy 'hook' - usually related to the story told in the verse.
· Bridge/Middle Eight - a 'link' between the verse and chorus.
· Coda - an ending section, also called an 'Outro'.
Trance tracks that are more song based can follow quite closely the type pf structure described above but instrumental releases will often be more simplistic and repetitious. On the next page we will take a look at some of the most common structure used in songs. When discussing structure, it is common practice to label the sections alphabetically, such as AABABCA. The first melodic section you hear is designated 'A', the second 'B', third 'C' and fourth 'D', etc.
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