Editing Thirty-two-bar form (section)

== Terminology ==

=== Sectional verse ===
Some [[Tin Pan Alley]] songs composed as numbers for musicals precede the main tune with what was called a "[[Section (music)|sectional]] verse" or "introductory verse" in the terminology of the early 20th century. This introductory section is usually 16 [[Bar (music)|bars]] long and establishes the background and mood of the number, with a free musical structure, speech-like rhythms, and rubato delivery, in order to highlight the attractions of the main tune. Some verses contained a second set of lyrics intended to be sung between repeated performances of the main chorus. The sectional verse is often omitted from modern performances.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://parlorsongs.com/insearch/lostverses/lostverses.php |title=The Lost Verses, Songs you Thought you Knew |last=Beil |first=Richard |date=January 2009 |website=parlorsongs.com |publisher=The Parlor Songs Academy |access-date=29 July 2018 |quote="Although the Tin Pan Alley song-type continued to include verses, these most often were much shorter, sometimes serving as little more than introductions. The song became, in most cases and for most purposes, coextensive with the chorus. And, as was quickly learned within the time-restrictive environment of recording in the 1920s, the new Tin Pan Alley song, uprooted from the stage, worked best without its verses, as a fragment of expression that was somewhat fluid."}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.northernhighlands.org/cms/lib5/nj01000179/centricity/domain/260/ch4_stud.pdf |title=The golden age of Tin Pan Alley song, 1920s |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=n.d. |website=www.northernhighlands.org |publisher=Northern Highlands Regional High School |access-date=29 July 2018 |quote=Verses were regarded as mere introductions by the 1920s, and today the verses of Tin Pan Alley songs are infrequently performed.}}</ref> It is not assigned a letter in the "AABA" naming scheme.

The introductory verse from "[[What'll I Do]]" by Irving Berlin is as follows:
<blockquote>
Gone is the romance that was so divine,<br>'tis broken and cannot be mended<br>You must go your way, and I must go mine,<br>but now that our love dreams have ended...
</blockquote>

=== {{anchor|Middle eight}} Bridge ===
{{see also|Bridge (music)}}
In [[music theory]], the ''bridge'' is the B section of a 32-bar form.<ref name="Music">{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wpP0xMm7ivMC&pg=PA125 |last=Parkinson |first=Alice |year=2006 |title=Music |page=125 |publisher=Lotus Press |isbn=978-81-89093-50-1}}.</ref> This section has a significantly different [[melody]] from the rest of the song and usually occurs after the second "A" section in the AABA song form. It is also called a ''middle eight'' because it happens in the middle of the song and the length is generally eight [[bar (music)|bars]].

=== Terminological confusion ===
In early-20th-century terminology, the main 32-bar AABA section, in its entirety, was called the "[[refrain]]" or "chorus". Accordingly, jazz players improvising on the 32-bar sections may still speak today of "blowing for a couple of choruses".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.jazzinamerica.org/lessonplan/8/2/203 |title=lessonplan/8/2/203-Musical Elements |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=n.d. |website=www.jazzinamerica.org |publisher=Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz |access-date=24 January 2024 |quote="In a nutshell, the format of the performance of a jazz tune is: head for one chorus - improvised solos for several choruses - head for one chorus."}}</ref> This is in contrast to the modern usage of the term "chorus", which refers to a repeating musical and lyrical section in [[verse–chorus form]]. Additionally, "verse", "chorus", and "refrain" all have different meanings in modern musical terminology. See the below chart for clarification:

{| class="wikitable"
!Early terminology
!Modern terminology
!Definition
|-
| align="center" | Introductory verse ''or''<br/>sectional verse
| align="center" | Introductory verse ''or''<br/>sectional verse
|The opening section, often 16 bars in length, which resembles [[recitative]] from [[opera]].
|-
| align="center" | Refrain ''or''<br/>chorus
| align="center" | Verse-refrain form ''or''<br/>AABA form
|The 32-bar section, composed of four separate 8-bar sections, taking the form AABA.
|-
| align="center" | ''None''
| align="center" | Verse
|Any of the three individual 8 bar "A" sections
|-
| align="center" | Bridge
| align="center" | Bridge ''or''<br/>middle 8 ''or''<br/>release ''or''<br/>primary bridge
|8-bar "B" section
|-
| align="center" | ''None''
| align="center" | Refrain line
|This recurring lyric line is often the title of the song (e.g. "[[Yesterday (Beatles song)|Yesterday]]", "[[Let's Face the Music and Dance]]", "[[Luck Be a Lady Tonight]]").
|}