Country song structure
Country songs are story songs: long verses that carry the story, a chorus with the title, a bridge that turns the story, and often an instrumental intro on guitar or fiddle.
110 BPM · 80 bars · 2:55
A country beat across all 80 bars, with a marker at each section, to change part by part. No account needed to start.
The song map
Section by section, at 110 BPM. Every section is in bars of four beats; at 110 BPM, 8 bars is about 17 seconds.
| Section | Bars | Starts |
|---|---|---|
| IntroOpens the song and sets its tempo, key and mood. | 4 | 0:00bar 1 |
| Verse 1Tells the story: new words each time over the same music. | 16 | 0:09bar 5 |
| ChorusThe same words each time: the song’s main idea and biggest part. | 8 | 0:44bar 21 |
| Verse 2Tells the story: new words each time over the same music. | 16 | 1:01bar 29 |
| Chorus 2The same words each time: the song’s main idea and biggest part. | 8 | 1:36bar 45 |
| BridgeComes once, late on, with new chords and words, before the last chorus. | 8 | 1:53bar 53 |
| Final chorusThe same words each time: the song’s main idea and biggest part. | 16 | 2:11bar 61 |
| OutroEnds the song, winding it down. | 4 | 2:46bar 77 |
How country songs are built
The verses do the telling, so they are often 16 bars; the chorus sums the story up in its title line. The last chorus is often played twice, sometimes with its words changed to finish the story.
The sounds, chords and tempos are on the Country page.
Questions about country song structure
How long is a country song?
This map is 80 bars, 2:55 at 110 BPM. Most country songs run about three to four minutes.
Make a country song
The free editor opens on this map: a country beat across 80 bars, a marker at each section. Change any section part by part: mute the drums in the intro, add a melody, each part its own lane.
Keep going
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