Free tool · Song structure template

Song structure template

Pick a starting form, change the names and bar counts to fit your song, and copy it or print it. The total number of bars updates as you go.

How to use it

Write the sections in the order they play. Give each one a bar count and a short note: what changes, what the lyric does, where the energy rises. Then read down the list as if you were the listener and look for a verse that runs long, a chorus that arrives late, or a bridge with nothing new in it. For the parts of a song and the common forms, see the song structure guide.

Common questions

How do I use the song structure template?

Pick a starting form, change the section names and bar counts to match your song, and the total updates. Copy it as text for your notes, or print it.

How many bars should each section be?

There is no rule. Verses and choruses are often 8 or 16 bars and bridges 4 or 8. Use the bar counts as a map for your own song.

Is anything saved?

No. It works in your browser only and nothing is sent or stored. Copy or print it before you leave the page.

Keeping a song? songdrafts keeps the key, tempo and lyrics on every song, next to every take of it.