Songwriting
Steal this structure
The shape of “Before I Learned the Words” — its sections, bar counts, and chord logic in D minor — is a complete container for a new song. Fill your own words into the same bars, and keep the same degree motion so it stays singable.
Verse 1
28.8s · 9.6 bars · 6 lines
cadd9 → em7 → am7 → fmaj7
Pre-Chorus 1
13.9s · 4.6 bars · 4 lines
g → em7 → cadd9 → dm7
Chorus 1
28.3s · 9.4 bars · 8 lines
cadd9 → f → am7 → g
Verse 2
29.4s · 9.8 bars · 6 lines
cadd9 → em7 → am7 → fmaj7
Pre-Chorus 2
14.5s · 4.8 bars · 4 lines
g → em7 → cadd9 → dm7
Bridge
25.6s · 8.5 bars · 6 lines
am → f → c → g
Final Chorus
28.4s · 9.5 bars · 9 lines
Outro
7.3s · 2.4 bars · 2 lines
em → c → fmaj7
Why this shape works
- The verse circles VII → ii → v → III — dominant-side and subdominant chords only, so it feels like walking, never resolving.
- The pre-chorus lifts through IV (G) and lands on i (Dm7), handing the chorus its home position.
- The chorus keeps the same family (VII → III → v → IV) but starts on the brightest chord of the verse, which is what makes it feel like arrival.
Your song — notes
autosaves on this deviceSaved in your browser's local storage only — nothing is uploaded. The degree in each parenthesis tells you which emotional role the bar plays, so your lines land in the right place.