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A 'refrain' (from Vulgar Latin refringere, "to repeat", and later from Old French refraindre) is the line or lines that are repeated in music or in poetry — the "chorus" of a song. Poetic fixed forms that feature refrains include the villanelle, the virelay, and the sestina. In popular music, the refrain or chorus may contrast with the verse melodically, rhythmically, and harmonically; it may assume a higher level of dynamics and activity, often with added instrumentation. Chorus form, or strophic form, is a sectional and/or additive way of structuring a piece of music based on the repetition of one formal section or block played repeatedly. In music, a refrain has two parts: the lyrics of the song, and the melody. Sometimes refrains vary their words slightly when repeated; recognizability is given to the refrain by the fact that it is always sung to the same tune, and the rhymes, if present, are preserved despite the variations of the words. Such a refrain is featured in "The Star-Spangled Banner", which contains a refrain which is introduced by a different phrase in each verse, but which always ends: O'er the land of the free, and the home of the brave. A similar refrain is found in the "Battle Hymn of the Republic", which affirms in successive verses that "Our God", or "His Truth", is "marching on." Refrains usually, but not always, come at the end of the verse. Some songs, especially ballads, incorporate refrains (or burdens) into each verse. For example, one version of the traditional ballad "The Cruel Sister" includes a refrain mid-verse: There lived a lady by the North Sea shore, Lay the bent to the bonny broom Two daughters were the babes she bore. Fa la la la la la la la la. As one grew bright as is the sun, Lay the bent to the bonny broom So coal black grew the other one. Fa la la la la la la la. . . (Note: the refrain of 'Lay the Bent to the Bonny Broom' is not traditionally associated with the ballad of "The Cruel Sister" (Child #10).

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Refrain

Popular music

Popular music is music with wide appeal that is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. These forms and styles can be enjoyed and performed by people with little or no musical training. It stands in contrast to both art music and traditional or "folk" music. Art music was historically disseminated through the performances of written music, although since the beginning of the recording industry, it is also disseminated through recordings.

Musical form

In music, form refers to the structure of a musical composition or performance. In his book, Worlds of Music, Jeff Todd Titon suggests that a number of organizational elements may determine the formal structure of a piece of music, such as "the arrangement of musical units of rhythm, melody, and/or harmony that show repetition or variation, the arrangement of the instruments (as in the order of solos in a jazz or bluegrass performance), or the way a symphonic piece is orchestrated", among other factors.

Structuring Music: Form and Functions

Delves into music structuring through hierarchy, repetition, and form principles, illustrating coherence and organization in musical pieces.

Musical Form and Perception

Delves into the perception of musical form, exploring expectations, tensions, and multidimensional structures in musical works.