Structure: In this piece the structure I used was – Intro, Verse, Chorus, Verse, Chorus, Middle 8, Solo and then an outro. This structure is good for this genre of music as it is quite like indie rock so it is a quite catchy structure due to the repetition of the chorus with the same riff throughout. The intro shows that this song is quite rocky as it starts with a riff and then adds in the main lead part of this riff. This is then the main motif for the choruses. This is quite usual for a piece of this genre. This can be seen as a verse chorus structure as there is a distinctive chorus that is played after every verse. However, it could also be seen as free form as it combines some of the other types of song structure, this is quite usual in modern popular music. This is combined with rondo form, as there is a development part in this piece with the middle 8 and the solo. You could also suggest that it is slightly arch form, as intro is the same as the outro.

Variation: I used variation quite a lot in this piece; this is because I had one main riff and then changed it in the solo to give it a bit of variation. I also used this in the verses too where I took the main chords of the chorus but changed the ordering so that it was slightly different. This was also applied to the outro where I used the same rhythm as the intro but changed a couple of the notes/chords. Also from the main guitar riff I varied it to create a solo, I started with the main riff but added and took away notes and then developed it into a bigger solo, but this was still over the verse rhythm. This is to make the piece a lot more interesting to listen to and keeps the listener eager to hear more, as there is more variation to come from the piece. Aside from the main drumbeat the intro and outro have different where it builds up to start the song or to end it. This is good as it gets the listener excited to hear what’s coming.

Repetition: This piece has quite a lot of repetition. First of all there is a main riff throughout the song that it often goes back to and repeats; this makes the piece unforgettable as it gives it something to always return to. It also repeats the verse twice and also the chorus. Then the intro is also the same as the outro, which is repetition too. This is very useful in compositions as it gives the song a catchy feel and makes it quite memorable. The main guitar riff really makes this piece the repetitive song it is (based on the original starting point), it stays the same pattern for a lot of the sections in the song, also the main solo riff on the guitar higher up on the guitar stays the same for the whole of the piece except for the solo. The drum pattern stays the same for the most of the song, this is because it is quite straightforward but works well with how repetitive the song is. The drumbeat is the same in all the verses, all the choruses, and also in the intro and outro. However, this is good as it gives the song an appealing rhythm to tap your feet to.

Joel Stafford College