IAN PEEL‘S A TO Z of POP
B IS FOR…TAKE IT TO THE BRIDGE!
What is a bridge exactly? To the more musically-minded it’s usually referred to as the middle eight, simply because it comes in the middle of a song and is usually eight bars long. But what is its actual purpose? I remember a great series on Radio 2 from a few years ago called Sold On Song which summed it up perfectly.
“Its purpose is to break up the simple repetition of verse, chorus, verse, chorus structure by introducing new elements into the song,” they explained. “This can be a new chord sequence and melody, maybe a big change in the arrangement of the song, or even an instrumental solo.” The net effect? A middle eight or bridge that “helps to keep the listener interested in what’s happening, much like a subtle twist in the plot of a novel or movie.”