understanding what is meant by 16 bar verse

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rurokenji

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Hey guys,

Quick question. Time after time, i have heard the saying "rap a 16 bar verse". I have never quite understood what they mean by this. From my understanding and what i have seen online, this is my idea of a 16 bar rap verse;

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxS (line 1 - bar 1)
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxZ (line 2 - bar 1 )
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX (line 3 - bar 2)
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX (line 4 - bar 2)
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxV (line 5 - bar 3)
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxA (line 6 - bar 3)
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxB (line 7 - bar 4)
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxB (line 8 - bar 4)
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxZ (line 9 - bar 5)
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxN (line 10 - bar 5)
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxF (line 11 - bar 6)
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxG (line 12 - bar 6)
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxH (line 13 - bar 7)
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxE (line 14 - bar 7)
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxY (line 15 - bar 8)
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxY (line 16 - bar 8)
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxY (line 17 - bar 9)
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxK (line 18 - bar 9)
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxL (line 19 - bar 10)
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxL (line 20 - bar 10)
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxO (line 21 - bar 11)
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxE (line 22 - bar 11)
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxP (line 23 - bar 12)
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxW (line 24 - bar 12)
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxR (line 25 - bar 13)
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxM (line 26 - bar 13)
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxK (line 27 - bar 14)
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxM (line 28 - bar 14)
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxM (line 29 - bar 15)
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxL (line 30 - bar 15)
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxO (line 31 - bar 16)
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxB (line 32 - bar 16)


Somebody please correct me if, i am worng. It would be much appreciated!

Thanks!
 
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a bar is when you count to 4 four times then a new bar starts. example 1234 1234 1234 1234 then bar 2 do it all over again
 
1...2...3...4...(5) = Bar

Take a loop at 90 BPM for example. Set the beat for 4/4 Turn on the metronome and hit play each time you hear 4 beeps/ticks "better known as measures" and it repeats back to 1 again its a bar "assuming its a loop"....if you were putting the song together your 5th = bar, 9th = bar, 13 = bar, 17 = bar...that's 4 bars. Continue that until you reach 16. Even below you can count the numbers themselves to see if your on the right bar.

1...2...3...4...1...2...3...4...2...2...3...4...3...2...3...4...4...2...3...4
If you were the rapper/singer this is no different it just may be easier to not lose count.
See the pattern? Keep that up until you you have 16 of those bold numbers representing bars.

If I was not clear.
 
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rurokenji said:
Hey guys,

Quick question. Time after time, i have heard the saying "rap a 16 bar verse". I have never quite understood what they mean by this. From my understanding and what i have seen online, this is my idea of a 16 bar rap verse;

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxS (line 1 - bar 1)
...
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxB (line 32 - bar 16)


Somebody please correct me if, i am worng. It would be much appreciated!

Thanks!
Click to expand...

essentially a rap bar and a rap verse is about time and how many words you can get into the bar, and therefore the verse

a slow beat (sub 72bpm) will let you get more words per bar (and therefore per verse) than a quicker verse (84bpm-96bpm)

put another way: there is no set amount of words or lines that fit into a single bar or a verse for that matter

16 bars is a chunk of time for the words to flow through no more no less, if you can get 32 lines out cool, if you can only get 8 lines out cool too - density (quantity) of words, and therefore, of ideas, is not a criteria I would be judging the effectiveness of a rapper or a rap by
 
I think this might be a good time to learn some very basic music theory. "Counting to four" is the super-simplified way to understand bars/measures, but it's both not always correct (depending on the time signature - even rap isn't always 4/4) and, as witnessed over the years here, not always clear what to count.
 
Wow. I didn't know that people lacked such basic knowledge about music.

You guys should be charging for the advice you are providing. That is the only way people take it seriously.

There are a bunch of threads on music theory that people could search to find out these things. But they read a few lines and get easily confused. The advice is free so they just complain that the advice is "complicated" and still beg for more advice.
 
All the responses above are accurate, different ways of expressing counting measures/bars-- _except rokbanga's_! Sorry my man, must correct inaccuracies so that all the folks reading herein don't go away with the wrong idea.

Assuming that your music is in 4/4 time, and that the meter doesn't change anywhere within the piece, then yes, you would count to four (over and over until the song is finished). However, your example, rokbanga, would actually be _four_ bars long (same as "measures;" the words are interchangeable)... When you get to "2 bars" in your counting system, then you would actually be at _8 bars_!! (according to standard Western music norms/concepts).

One count of 1234 in 4/4 time is one measure/bar. This does not necessarily translate to "stanzas," or individual lyric lines, although obviously the concepts are related. Music is counted by actual beats/pulses in the music, not lyric lines or anything else (and of course there is instrumental music, so that's how that would have to be).

One bar of music in 4/4 time = one count of 1234. Most popular music styles are in 4/4 time, and are based on verse/chorus/bridge formats of 8, 16, and 32-bar cycles. Of course there are also 12, 16-bar blues forms, 12 or 16 bars with 8 bar bridge, and many, many other variations. But these tend to be the most common forms.

GJ

PS-- Sorry, I take it back, 'cause I just watched that video, and that "Howcast" guy was wrong too. Way wrong (see above). I mean, you can count any way you want to that works, I suppose, and if Hip-Hoppers want to reinvent the wheel, it's all good. But in standard musical understanding (meaning you want to communicate with others and be understood?) It is as outlined above...
 
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yeah, wow - would not have thought that it could be so wrong (that video) - it starts good and then fails real fast

he obviously meant beats but as with most things probably didn't realise that was the word to use as most folks think beats is what they produce, not what they count

every bar (or measure) is 4 beats if you are in 4/4 and you count

1-2-3-4

or

1-&-2-&-3-&-4-&

if you are in 12/8 then every bar (measure) is still 4 beats but counted as

1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12,

if you are in 6/8 then you count 2 beats

1-2-3-4-5-6

and if you are in 3/4 then you count 3 beats

1-2-3

or

1-&-2-&-3-&

If you think that you are in 2/4 then you can count in 2 or 4 (double the length of your bars and you are in 4/4)
 
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I have seen people do it that way in the howcast video with hip hop it confuses me personally. Me myself I usually can just feel it when the song should change and the counting bars come after to make sure its right.

Oh I see what you guys mean I didn't even catch that haha...
 
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