Listening for Form in Popular Music

This course explores how the music of popular songs is organised. It focuses on ‘Be My Baby’, ‘Suspicious Minds’, ‘Midnight Special’ and ‘It’s Only a Paper Moon’. It also looks at ways of communicating form – through the use of specialist terms (such as ‘chorus’ and ‘bridge’), alphabetic designations (for example AABA), and visual diagrams. Along the way, you will consider how the form of a song works together with its lyrics to create meaning.

You do not need to play an instrument or sing or have any prior musical knowledge to be able to complete the course. However, in order to get the most out of it, you will need access to six recordings and a media player that allows you to keep an eye on track timings while you listen.