How to Create an Interesting Bridge for a Song

A bridge is a way to extend your song. You will often hear a bridge later on in a song, to add variety and tie the rest of the song together. Think of the purpose of a real bridge, the one that connects two separate areas. It is a new place that offers a really nice view of the scenery. The bridge of a song functions the same way. It provides a new perspective, a change.

In this video, I create a bridge to provide release from a tense chorus. I show how to incorporate change both lyrically and musically in a bridge. Starting with the lyrics. Since there is more to tell about how I’m feeling, I use the bridge to offer new insight, to finish what I was saying in a different tone.

The song is in the key of Ab. To incorporate change musically, I start the bridge on a different chord from the chorus. I use an out-of-key chord. This is unpredictable, so to make the transition smoothly I end the chorus on the five chord (Eb), a cadence chord, also an ‘open’ chord, to give a sense of leading to another point, and then, I start the bridge on the secondary dominant of the six chord (C7). This completely changes the feel and direction of the music.

Notice what happens to the energy leading into the bridge. Keep in mind that the chorus is loud and repetitious. Now, the way a bridge ends is important too. It can make the listener feel a sense of closure or not quite finished. I end the bridge on the five chord (Eb), because I’m not quite finished. I’m using an ‘open’ chord to draw the listener back to the chorus.

There are other interesting changes happening in the bridge, as in tempo and rhythm, that I talk more about in the video. Don’t worry, the video is super short and gets to the point : ) Chords also provided, bottom right corner. #musicproduction #songwriting #musictheory