Fleshing Out The Structure

My next step for Didn’t Feel Safe was to flesh out the structure, using a common pop song structure we studied in Popular Music Theory this semester:

• Intro
• Verse
• Pre-Chorus
• Chorus
• Verse
• Pre-Chorus
• Chorus
• Bridge
• Verse
• Pre-Chorus
• Chorus
• Outtro

I thought a key change would help lift the energy in the Chorus, so I’ve put the Verse in G major. This is my other favourite key because it generally suits my G2-G4 vocal range and is easy to play on guitar, which was the first instrument I learned to play; if you discount my failed attempt to learn piano as a child.

For the bridge, I used a descending minor cycle of 5^ths in the parallel key of C natural minor, to represent the uneasiness I often felt in my parent’s house as a child, and my ever-reducing sense of self-esteem growing up there. Using 7th chords gives a jazzy flavour, Jazz being my mother’s favourite style of music, and helps propel the progression forward. The resulting chord progression is:

I use descending and ascending diatonic sequences on the synthesiser to effect the key changes between the verse and chorus, and chorus and bridge; rather than using a pivot chord or common tone modulation, because you can get away with anything in pop music.

I’m still working on the vocals for the verses, describing these scenes:

1. Typical Saturday morning with tension in the house
2. A Sunday with an explosive argument after returning from church
3. Having lunch with my mother 40 years later, still afraid of her

The bridge functions to indicate the passage of time between verses 2 and 3.

The drums drop out in the final chorus to provide contrast.

I haven’t finalised or recorded the vocals for the verses yet.

Here’s what the project looks like:

And here’s what it sounds like:

Continue reading about Didn’t Feel Safe in: I Changed My Mind About The Key Changes