From the course: Music Theory for Songwriters: The Fundamentals

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The refrain

The refrain

From the course: Music Theory for Songwriters: The Fundamentals

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The refrain

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- In the era of American songbook, the term refrain was synonymous with chorus. In today's music, we see the refrain most often in simpler verse-based song forms. Bob Dylan is one of the greatest users of refrains. "Blowin' in the Wind" and "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right" are two excellent examples. Typically the verse is 16 bars, the refrain will come in the final four bars of the verse. Whereas the hook is merely catchy, the refrain differs as it will inform the song, give it new meaning. The refrain, and the hook for that matter, is often confused with the chorus because sometimes it is the chorus. When Mick Jagger sings, "I Can't Get No Satisfaction" it serves as the refrain and the chorus at the same time. But while the chorus and the verse are structural elements of a song, the refrain and the hook are functional elements.

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