What makes a good bridge?

[Diverdown]

Is there a thoery behind what makes a bridge fit ?
for instance if there is a three chord progression is there a logical bridge that
fits?
Is there a generic description of what the vocal melody is doing in comparison to the body and chorus of a song that could be used?

Please feel free to use a popular song as an example
I seem to need to understand the nuts and bolts of how things work before i can apply them properly
thanks
DD

 

[dementedchord]

for me a bridge is a pause where i distance myself from the primary tune and can make observations about it...


verse:guy's wife cheats on him...

chorus: but damn it he needs her anyway...

possible bridges:could he have done something to prevent?
dont give your heart to a slut with "your name here"tatooed on her ass...

 

[Diverdown]

That sounds like a hit!
but seriously, I understand the lyrical aspects of it but its the composition of the melody that intrigues me.

 

[Nightfire]

I always start the bridge with a chord you werent expecting at all. A chord that doesnt really go with the chord progression before.
The bridge needs to stand out, and be completely different.


Mike

 

[DAS19]

I always start the bridge with a chord you werent expecting at all. A chord that doesnt really go with the chord progression before.
The bridge needs to stand out, and be completely different.


Mike

A bridge mainly uses adifferent starting chord then the rest of the song. In theory I odnt really no if there is a formula for finding the perfect bridge starting note because im sure there are different choices you can make.

 

[Whale Bone]

I think of bridges as typically creating tension or releasing tension, depending on what the song does in its verses and choruses. It might create tension by pedaling a bottom note under chord changes or pedal a chord throughout, or it might release by moving through easily resolving chords after verses and chorus of tension. It might release or create tension by switching to a major or minor mode or to a different key or diffferent chord movement.

I recently heard Neil Finn or Crowded House responding to a compliment about their bridges. He said that he always tried to make the bridges really pop out from the song. I realized that I like alot of their bridges. Elvis Costello and Elliott Smith, two writers that really like/liked chord changes also write/wrote very good bridges.

 

[Diverdown]

lets use crowded house U better be home soon

verse if im correct is
C Am
Em G7
C Am
Em G7

Chorus
C C7
F or some derivative
G
C

now the bridge starts:
Bb D G
Bb A7 D

Absolute classic bridge but why ?
Whats the relationship between C and Bb thats makes such a nice
transition ?

 

[Whale Bone]

I think the bridge is more like:
(Coming from the final C of the chorus before it)
C D/B
Bb D/A G
Bb A7 D
into verse changes for solo

The tune up until the bridge is solidly in C
C in the I chord
Am is the VI chord
Em is the III chord
G7 is the V chord
There are a couple F chords too, which are the IV chords.

My take:
Bb doesn't belong in the key of C. It feels like the bridge is kind of in D with the Bb still being out of key, but it is a funky half step above the V chord, A7. The bridge at least ends with a strong resolution to D from the A7. Either way the Bb sticks out and grabs you as soon it appears. Like it was said above (paraphrasing a couple people) the first chord of the bridge is often different and pulls you some where else - and in this ambiguously. I would say this a bridge that creates tension because it pulls you out of a strong key center that you are comfortable upon returning to.

 

[dementedchord]

i generally do a new key entirely for bridges as well...

 

[famous beagle]

I think the bridge is more like:
(Coming from the final C of the chorus before it)
C D/B
Bb D/A G
Bb A7 D
into verse changes for solo

The tune up until the bridge is solidly in C
C in the I chord
Am is the VI chord
Em is the III chord
G7 is the V chord
There are a couple F chords too, which are the IV chords.

My take:
Bb doesn't belong in the key of C. It feels like the bridge is kind of in D with the Bb still being out of key, but it is a funky half step above the V chord, A7. The bridge at least ends with a strong resolution to D from the A7. Either way the Bb sticks out and grabs you as soon it appears. Like it was said above (paraphrasing a couple people) the first chord of the bridge is often different and pulls you some where else - and in this ambiguously. I would say this a bridge that creates tension because it pulls you out of a strong key center that you are comfortable upon returning to.

I think you meant G/B coming out of the final C chord of the chorus.

I'd never heard this song before. It's an interesting choice to demonstrate a bridge because it certainly does elude a strong tonic.

To me, the Bb - D - G sounds like the key of G to me (with Bb being a bIII chord) because of the vocal melody.

The next phrase, Bb - A7 - D, is clearly in the key of D, with Bb being a bVI chord.

The key change back to C is kind of strange because it's neither abrupt or a clear change. He sings an "ohhh" melody over it (or at least he did in the live version I just heard) that sounds as though it's an extension of the bridge's last line, and not the start of the new verse. I didn't realize I was back in the verse until several chords in. This is all my first impression obviously, because it's the first time I've heard the song.

To illustrate a classic bridge, I'd use an early Beatles tune, like "From Me to You." That uses the classic move of starting on the minor v chord, which ends up being the ii chord in a ii-V of IV.

So, the song's in C, and when they get to the bridge ("I got arms that long to hold you"), it goes to Gm. That seems like a minor v chord in C, but then it continues to C7 and then to F, so we see in retrospect that the Gm was a ii in the ii-V of IV progression. The bridge then continues with D7-G7, an extended II-V (with a dominant II chord) leading back to C.

So the basic elements of a classic bridge are leading away from the home key and then leading back to it.

 

[Whale Bone]

I think you meant G/B coming out of the final C chord of the chorus.

Yes, thanks.

The key change back to C is kind of strange because it's neither abrupt or a clear change. He sings an "ohhh" melody over it (or at least he did in the live version I just heard) that sounds as though it's an extension of the bridge's last line, and not the start of the new verse. I didn't realize I was back in the verse until several chords in. This is all my first impression obviously, because it's the first time I've heard the song.

Yeah, I like the change back into the verse that happens before you realize it, too. The other thing I like is that it slides down a whole step to start the bridge, and then at the end, again slides down a whole step to get back into the verse. Like a Escher staircase.

In the Beatles tune, the bridge does what a lot of choruses do, moves, like you said, to the IV. I hear it moving up a step to G with the D7 G7, and then restating the G7 with a b13 helps turn the G7 from a 'tonic' to a V chord that wants to resolve back to C finally.

 

[Whatmysay]

Is there a theory behind what makes a bridge fit ?

Engineering and Newtonian physics.

I love bridges and try to put one in most songs I write. To my knowledge there is no musical formula to a bridge only the need for variation of a kind not experienced in the Vs and Ch.

Lyrically it is often introduces a perspective, or voice not yet heard; that maybe summartive of the song's narrative or picks up a single idea and develops it.

Both lyrical and/or musically it should add momentum to the final section of the song - key change in Bridge may lead to the Ch in a higher key or pattern/tempo changed may increase intensity.

In the words of James Brown . . . Take it to the bridge

 

[Xeries]

I think there are very few hard and fast rules regarding writing a bridge, but this might be one of them. They always resolve to the tonic.

Let's say you have a 6 7 8 progression going on, say C, D, E. E is the tonic, right? Now if you have a bridge, say Bm G Bm C D (rest) Bm G Bm C D - what chord would you expect to resolve the progression? Naturally E, the tonic.

Then the progression would continue - E . . . C D E, E . . . C D E

Make sense? Probably not. Oh well, I tried.

 

[Whale Bone]

"From Me to You" just came up on iTunes and I realized the last chord of the bridge is probably a G7 alt, not a G b13.

 

[famous beagle]

"From Me to You" just came up on iTunes and I realized the last chord of the bridge is probably a G7 alt, not a G b13.

Yeah I think it's just a G augmented (G+), which the Beatles made use of frequently. It can also be heard in "She Loves You," which is in G, so the augmented V chord is D+.

They used it a lot on their headshaking falsetto "hoo" bits ("From Me to You" and "She Loves You"), but in "She Loves You," it's also used at the end of the chorus: And with a love like that, you know you should be glad.

 

[Whatmysay]

Why do we only ever get (outside of recent monthly challenges) 2 or 3 people commenting on lyrics when posted - but every one piles-in with 'fire side diatribes' on chord progressions?

I am not critical of the support and development that such discussions brings I am just trying to understand the disparity between the responses to music and lyrics post in this forum.

Do we feel the lyrics are too personal to critique and that at least if we offer a chord or two here and there, then we have the 'math of music' to defend ourselves with if someone takes offense?

I know this is not about 'bridges', but maybe it is a bridge in itself??

 

[famous beagle]

Why do we only ever get (outside of recent monthly challenges) 2 or 3 people commenting on lyrics when posted - but every one piles-in with 'fire side diatribes' on chord progressions?

I am not critical of the support and development that such discussions brings I am just trying to understand the disparity between the responses to music and lyrics post in this forum.

Do we feel the lyrics are too personal to critique and that at least if we offer a chord or two here and there, then we have the 'math of music' to defend ourselves with if someone takes offense?

I know this is not about 'bridges', but maybe it is a bridge in itself??

That's a good question. I posted a new song in here a month ago or so called "Freedom of Youth" and didn't get one reply! I think that's the first time that's ever happened.

 

[Oancient1]

Why do we only ever get (outside of recent monthly challenges) 2 or 3 people commenting on lyrics when posted - but every one piles-in with 'fire side diatribes' on chord progressions?

I am not critical of the support and development that such discussions brings I am just trying to understand the disparity between the responses to music and lyrics post in this forum.

Do we feel the lyrics are too personal to critique and that at least if we offer a chord or two here and there, then we have the 'math of music' to defend ourselves with if someone takes offense?

I know this is not about 'bridges', but maybe it is a bridge in itself??

Many lyrics posted here (and other internet sites) don't seem very good to me, but I do not have the lyrical talent to give advice on making them better. So I comment only when I see something that I think is good, sometimes suggesting minor changes that I would make. My impression is that in general good lyric writers are rare compared to good music writers.

 

[famous beagle]

Many lyrics posted here (and other internet sites) don't seem very good to me, but I do not have the lyrical talent to give advice on making them better. So I comment only when I see something that I think is good, sometimes suggesting minor changes that I would make. My impression is that in general good lyric writers are rare compared to good music writers.

I'd also add to this by saying that I hate judging lyrics outside of their musical setting, so I rarely read them if there's not a recording to listen to.

Lyrics and music are inseparable to me. The corniest line can end up sounding amazing if set to the right music with the right mood, etc. By the same token, lyrics that read well on a page can be made much less effective by a poor musical setting.

 

[Epicureous]

verse if im correct is
C Am
Em G7
C Am
Em G7

Chorus
C C7
F or some derivative
G
C

now the bridge starts:
Bb D G
Bb A7 D

Absolute classic bridge but why ?
Whats the relationship between C and Bb thats makes such a nice
transition ?

That is one of the oddest chord progressions I have ever seen... I'm all for key changes, but going from a Major to a Minor key usually doesn't fair well, but whatever floats the composers boat...

But to the original question; there is no standard rule to a bridge... a bridge is a way to transition between two parts; typically (todays standard) between chorus and verse or vise-versa. bridges work well to switch to a progression and sometimes, if done correctly, to a different key,tempo, timing change, etc...

Heres a simple example:
Cm -Verse
Bb -Bridge
Fm Cm -Chorus

or

Cm -Verse
Bb -Bridge (retarding the bridge helps with the change)
Abm -Chorus

Hope that helps