Most records you know are one of four shapes. Pick the shape first, count the bars, then write into it. On a 140 BPM beat one bar lasts about 1.7 seconds, so a 16-bar verse is 27 seconds and a whole song of 64 bars lands near 1:50. The calculator on this site does that maths for any tempo.
| Shape | Sections, in bars | Total | Hear it on |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hook first | Hook 8 · Verse 16 · Hook 8 · Verse 16 · Hook 8 | 56 bars | Most trap and drill singles |
| Intro, then hook | Intro 4 · Verse 16 · Hook 8 · Verse 16 · Hook 8 · Outro 4 | 56 bars | Melodic rap, R&B leaning records |
| Short and hard | Hook 8 · Verse 12 · Hook 8 · Verse 12 · Hook 8 | 48 bars | Sub-two-minute records built for replays |
| With a bridge | Verse 16 · Hook 8 · Verse 16 · Hook 8 · Bridge 8 · Hook 8 | 64 bars | Singles that need a third idea |
Rules of thumb
- Hook by 30 seconds. On streaming the first skip decision happens early; an 8-bar hook at 140 BPM arrives at 0:14 if you open with it, 0:41 if you open with a 16-bar verse.
- Verses in multiples of four. 8, 12 or 16. A 14-bar verse feels like a stumble unless the beat itself turns there.
- Let the beat’s sections tell you. Most beats here switch something every 8 bars: a drop, a new melody, drums out. Write your section changes where the producer already put them and the song will feel arranged rather than rapped over.
- Second verse shorter than the first is a legitimate choice. 16 then 12 keeps the record moving.
- Outros are optional. Ending on the last hook, cold, is how most modern records end.
A quick way to block a song
- Play the beat once through and write down where it changes, in bars.
- Choose a shape from the table whose sections land on those changes.
- Write the hook first. If the hook works with nothing under it, the song will.
- Fill the verses last, and cut any verse that runs past 16.