R&B arrangement (odd number of bars in a section)

[vaboi]

I'm trying to get to making some R&B type tracks... so part of my learning process is picking apart songs I like. Well, I noticed on one, that the chorus goes 8 bars, then the bridge is only 7. an ODD number... with the first few words starting in the last part of the chorus. The entire song is basically intro>chorus>bridge>chorus>bridge>chorus.

So the first question is about the odd number of bars/measures. I mean, the song is great to me... why I decided to analyze it in the first place. But I've always thought "by the numbers".. 4 bars, 8 bars, 16 bars, even numbers when I'm making beats. I guess the odd number thing would be little more tricky to get away with in traditional rap beats. Is the odd number thing commonly done in R&B (and other genres more geared to singing) and just not noticed much?

2nd question is about the chorus>bridge>chorus style of song arrangement with no verse 1 and 2. I've heard a few, I think some of them rock songs actually. Does anyone have any more examples of successfully done songs in this style?

Thanks..

 

[MadTiger3000]

First, I just want to clarify:

Arrangement, contrary to what many think, is much, much more than the length and order of the various sections.

Arrangement is basically everything but the melody and lyrics.

To illustrate:

Say we had a contest to see who could come up with the best arrangement of "Mary Had a Little Lamb." We aren't really concerned with the length of the sections or their order, because they are already proscribed. We are concerned with harmonization, instrument choice, etc.

Oh, yeah, your question. haha

Question 1: It is not common, but there are no rules.

Question 2: If it seems to be chorus/bridge/chorus, then what you are calling the chorus is actually the theme, or the verse.

 

[vaboi]

thanks madtiger. By chorus in that example I mean its what you think would be the chorus normally.. catchy part, same thing repeated in place of verse 1 and 2.. but of course you already know what I mean.

 

[Project Girl]

First, I just want to clarify:

Arrangement, contrary to what many think, is much, much more than the length and order of the various sections.

Arrangement is basically everything but the melody and lyrics.

Right - producers seem to use the word "arrangement" to refer to the order of the sections of a song, whereas traditionally in music it means just about everything you do to "flesh out" and "decorate" a song.

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Question 2: If it seems to be chorus/bridge/chorus, then what you are calling the chorus is actually the theme, or the verse.

Yup, that's what I'd say too - it's really Intro-Verse-Chrorus-Verse-Chorus... etc.

If those sections are great-sounding and catchy-enough to be be choruses and bridges, I'd consider adding some verse sections..

Project Girl

... the odd number of bars/measures.

It's not uncommon to have an odd number of measures in an R&B song section.. sometimes a song just works out that way. It's nice to not have every single song use groups of 4 measures (even though, like you, most of my songs are like that!)

Similarly, there are sometimes measures in a 4/4 time signature song with 5 or 2 or 3 beats. Just another way to keep things interesting..

Project Girl

 

[vaboi]

If those sections are great-sounding and catchy-enough to be be choruses and bridges, I'd consider adding some verse sections..
Project Girl

Yeah, on the song I'm breaking down theres like almost two minutes in the end just the instrumental, so there's definitely room haha. But I guess they knew what they were doing cause hey they got me likin it. I would post it, but its not even in english lol... if ya'll can look past that and listen to it, I'll post it

Similarly, there are sometimes measures in a 4/4 time signature song with 5 or 2 or 3 beats. Just another way to keep things interesting..

Yeah I've seen that too... hemiola I think is the term for something like that.. i think.

 

[Darko]

When people expect things to happen in certain spots it's nice to mess with their expectations and drop stuff early or late. Maybe that's it.