Rap song structure
A rap song is built from 16-bar verses and 8-bar hooks: an intro, a verse, the hook, another verse and the hook, often a third verse and a last hook. Hip hop songs follow the same shape.
90 BPM · 80 bars · 3:33
A rap 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 90 BPM. Every section is in bars of four beats; at 90 BPM, 8 bars is about 21 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 | 0:11bar 5 |
| HookThe catchiest idea; in rap, the chorus. | 8 | 0:53bar 21 |
| Verse 2Tells the story: new words each time over the same music. | 16 | 1:15bar 29 |
| Hook 2The catchiest idea; in rap, the chorus. | 8 | 1:57bar 45 |
| Verse 3Tells the story: new words each time over the same music. | 16 | 2:19bar 53 |
| Hook 3The catchiest idea; in rap, the chorus. | 8 | 3:01bar 69 |
| OutroEnds the song, winding it down. | 4 | 3:23bar 77 |
How rap songs are built
The beat usually stays the same through the song, so the change comes from the voice: verses carry the bars, the hook is the part everyone repeats. Producers drop the drums or the bass for a bar before a hook or a new verse, so it hits.
Many rap songs start on the hook instead of a verse, and a guest verse is often 16 bars, sometimes 8. Two verses make a shorter song; three, a longer one.
The sounds, chords and tempos are on the Rap page.
Questions about rap song structure
How many bars is a rap verse?
Usually 16: about 43 seconds at 90 BPM. Short verses are 8 or 12 bars, long ones 24 or 32.
How many bars is a hook?
Usually 8, often a 4-bar line said or sung twice: about 21 seconds at 90 BPM.
How long is a rap song?
This map is 80 bars, 3:33 at 90 BPM. With two verses instead of three, it is 2:29.
Make a rap song
The free editor opens on this map: a rap 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.
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