Examples of AABA Structure: Melody Examples for Songwriters

Before we talk theory, let’s start with songs you probably know. These are some of the best examples of AABA structure: melody examples for songwriters who want to hear the form in action.

Think of AABA like this: three related melodic sections (A, A, and A again at the end) with one contrasting middle section (B), often called the bridge or middle eight.

Some classic and modern examples include:

• “Over the Rainbow” – Judy Garland (Harold Arlen & Yip Harburg)
  The A section (“Somewhere over the rainbow…”) has that famous octave leap and a long, arching line. The B section (“Someday I’ll wish upon a star…”) shifts harmony, tightens the rhythm, and gives you a more flowing, stepwise melody before returning to the original A idea.

• “Yesterday” – The Beatles
  The A melody (“Yesterday, all my troubles seemed so far away…”) is gentle, mostly stepwise, and repeats with slight variations. The B section (“Why she had to go…”) jumps higher, adds emotional tension, and then falls back to the safety of the A melody.

• “Somewhere Only We Know” – Keane
  This early‑2000s hit is a great modern example of AABA structure. The verse functions like an A section, and the contrasting bridge (“And if you have a minute, why don’t we go…”) works like the B, with a more intense melodic climb and harmonic lift.

• “Blue Moon” – Rodgers & Hart
  A textbook AABA standard. The A section’s melody moves in smooth, lyrical arcs. The B section (“And then there suddenly appeared before me…”) uses a different chord progression and a more urgent melodic contour, then drops you back into the familiar A.

• “I Want It That Way” – Backstreet Boys
  The verse and pre‑chorus sections can be heard as A ideas that repeat and vary, while the contrasting bridge (“Now I can see that we’ve fallen apart…”) acts like a B section in classic AABA fashion, especially in stripped‑down acoustic versions.

These real examples of AABA structure show that the format isn’t just for old jazz standards; it still shows up in pop, rock, and singer‑songwriter tracks well into the 2020s.

Breaking Down A vs. B: Melody Shapes Songwriters Can Copy

When people ask for examples of AABA structure: melody examples for songwriters, what they really want is: What makes the A melody feel like “home,” and what makes the B melody feel like a journey?

Here’s how they typically differ:

A Sections: The “Home Base” Melody

In most songs, the A sections:

• Use a singable range
  “Over the Rainbow” starts with a big leap, but then settles into comfortable territory. “Yesterday” stays mostly within a narrow range, which makes it easy to remember.

• Rely on repetition and small variations
  The first A introduces the core idea. The second A often repeats that idea with small tweaks: a slightly different ending, a higher note on a key word, or a rhythmic twist.

• Follow the main chord progression of the song
  If the song is in C major, the A section might lean heavily on chords like C, F, and G. The melody tends to land on notes from those chords, which keeps it feeling stable and resolved.

Listen to “Blue Moon.” The A melody gently outlines the chords with simple, stepwise motion. That predictability is exactly what you want in an A section: something listeners can latch onto quickly.

B Section (Bridge): The “Adventure” Melody

Now compare that to the B section in these examples of AABA structure. Melody examples for songwriters often show the B doing at least two of these things:

• Change in range
  The B might jump higher to create intensity, like the bridge in “Yesterday,” or drop lower for a more reflective tone.

• Change in rhythm
  If your A is long and legato, your B might use shorter, more rhythmic phrases, or vice versa. In “Somewhere Only We Know,” the bridge phrases feel busier and more urgent than the verse.

• Shift in harmony
  Many AABA songs use new chords in the B section. You might move to the relative minor or introduce a ii–V progression. That change in harmony naturally pushes the melody in a new direction.

The key: the B should contrast but still feel like it belongs in the same song. You’re not starting a new track; you’re taking a short trip away from home before returning to the A.

Step‑by‑Step: Writing Your Own AABA Melody

Let’s turn these real examples of AABA structure into a simple process you can actually use.

1. Build Your A Melody

Start with a short, singable idea. On piano or guitar, pick a key you’re comfortable with—say, G major.

• Create a 2‑bar melodic phrase that starts on G or B (notes from the G chord). Keep the rhythm simple: quarter notes and eighth notes.
• Repeat that phrase, but change the last bar slightly. Maybe you end higher the second time, to create a little lift.

You’ve just created the bones of your first A section. In many examples of AABA structure, melody examples for songwriters show the A section lasting 8 bars, built from a couple of 2‑ or 4‑bar phrases repeated and tweaked.

2. Clone and Vary for the Second A

For the second A:

• Keep the first half almost the same. This locks the melody in your listener’s memory.
• In the second half, change the ending notes or rhythm to keep it from feeling like a copy‑paste.

If you listen closely to “Yesterday,” you’ll hear how Paul McCartney repeats the core idea but plays with the exact notes and rhythms, especially near the phrase endings.

3. Design a Contrasting B (Bridge)

Now create your B section:

• Shift the starting chord. If your A leaned on G major, try starting the B on Em or C.
• Begin your melody on a different scale degree. If A started on G (the root), start B on D (the fifth) or E (the sixth) to give a fresh color.
• Change the phrase length. If your A phrases were long and flowing, try shorter, call‑and‑response phrases in B.

In many of the best examples of AABA structure, melody examples for songwriters show the B section climbing higher to peak emotionally, then stepping down gracefully into the return of the A.

4. Return to A and Land the Plane

When you come back to the final A section:

• You can repeat the first A almost exactly, to give a strong sense of return.
• Or you can slightly heighten it—maybe by raising one key note, adding a harmony line, or extending the last phrase.

“Over the Rainbow” is a great model here. The final A feels familiar but a touch more emotional, partly because of the journey you’ve taken through the B.

More Modern Examples of AABA Structure in Melody

A lot of songwriters assume AABA is only for old standards, but there are plenty of more recent examples of AABA structure. Melody examples for songwriters in the 2000s and 2010s often hide the form under modern production.

Some interesting cases:

• “Someone Like You” – Adele
  The song leans heavily on verse‑refrain and bridge ideas, but if you strip it down to melody and chords, you can hear an A‑like verse idea that returns after a contrasting bridge. It’s not a textbook AABA, but it borrows the feel of that return.

• “All of Me” – John Legend
  The verse and pre‑chorus can be grouped as repeating A‑like ideas, with the bridge (“Cards on the table…”) acting as a B section that shifts harmony and melodic contour before returning to the main material.

• “Photograph” – Ed Sheeran
  The song uses a more modern pop form, but the way the bridge contrasts the main melodic idea and then returns to it is very much in the AABA tradition.

If you check out songwriting courses or theory pages from universities like the Berklee College of Music or MIT’s music theory resources, you’ll see AABA discussed as a classic form that still influences how we write today, even when we layer on verses, pre‑choruses, and huge choruses.

Melody Tricks Borrowed from the Best AABA Examples

To squeeze more value out of these examples of AABA structure, melody examples for songwriters can be boiled down into a few repeatable tricks.

Use “Question and Answer” Phrases in A

In many standards, the A section works like this:

• First phrase: feels like a question, ending on a note that doesn’t fully resolve.
• Second phrase: feels like an answer, landing on a more stable note.

“Blue Moon” and “Over the Rainbow” both do this beautifully. Try writing a 4‑bar phrase that ends on the second or fifth scale degree (unstable), then answer it with a phrase that ends on the root or third (more resolved).

Save Your Highest Note for B

If your A sections are living in a mid‑range, save your highest note for the B section. This is all over the best examples of AABA structure. Melody examples for songwriters like “Yesterday” show how that higher note in the bridge instantly signals, “This part matters emotionally.”

After B, when you return to A, you don’t need to go that high again. The contrast is what makes the journey feel satisfying.

Let Harmony Guide Your Melodic Contrast

A lot of writers try to force a new melody over the same chords and wonder why the B doesn’t feel different enough. Look at jazz and pop standards in AABA form, and you’ll see the B section often:

• Moves to the relative minor (C major to A minor, for example)
• Uses a circle‑of‑fifths progression
• Introduces a new dominant chord that creates tension

Sites that cover basic harmony, like OpenStax Music Appreciation or university theory pages, outline how changing chords nudges your melody in new directions. Use that to your advantage.

Practice Plan: Turning AABA Theory into Songs

If you want these examples of AABA structure: melody examples for songwriters to actually change how you write, here’s a simple practice routine you can revisit weekly.

Day 1: Study and Sing

Pick two classic AABA songs—say, “Over the Rainbow” and “Blue Moon.”

• Sing the A section a few times until it’s stuck in your head.
• Then sing only the B section and notice how your body feels the contrast: range, rhythm, and emotional color.

Day 2: Copy the Skeleton, Not the Notes

Write an A section where:

• Phrase 1 and 2 are almost the same, with a small twist at the end of phrase 2.
• Phrase 3 and 4 repeat that idea with slight variation.

You’re copying the structure of those examples of AABA structure. Melody examples for songwriters don’t need to steal notes; they can borrow phrase shapes and repetition patterns.

Day 3: Build Your B Section

Now:

• Change your chords for 4–8 bars.
• Start your melody on a different scale degree than your A.
• Aim for a higher peak note.

When you’re done, play A–A–B–A back‑to‑back and ask: does the B feel like a journey that makes the final A more satisfying?

FAQ: AABA Melody Questions Songwriters Actually Ask

What are some famous examples of AABA structure in popular music?

Some of the best‑known examples of AABA structure in melody include “Over the Rainbow,” “Blue Moon,” “Yesterday,” and many other mid‑20th‑century standards. More modern songs often mix AABA ideas with verse‑chorus formats, but you can still hear AABA‑style contrast in tracks by artists like Adele, Ed Sheeran, and John Legend.

How long should each section be in an AABA melody?

Traditionally, each A and B section is 8 bars, giving you a 32‑bar form. That’s what you’ll find in a lot of jazz standards and Broadway tunes. Modern writers sometimes stretch or shrink sections, but if you’re starting out, 8‑bar A sections and an 8‑bar B section are a solid template.

Can I add a chorus to an AABA song?

Absolutely. Many contemporary writers use an AABA‑style verse and bridge, then add a big, repeating chorus on top. You might end up with something like: verse (A), verse (A), bridge (B), verse (A), chorus. These hybrid forms are common in current pop and singer‑songwriter music.

What’s one simple example of turning a verse into AABA?

Take a verse you’ve already written and treat its main melody as your A. Repeat it with small variations for a second A. Then write a contrasting 8‑bar bridge using different chords and a higher melodic peak for B, and finally return to your original verse idea as the final A. You’ve just created a basic example of AABA structure without rewriting your entire song.

How can I study more real examples of AABA structure?

Listen to classic jazz and pop standards, especially songs from the Great American Songbook. Many university music departments and online courses, such as those from Berklee or MIT’s OpenCourseWare, break down AABA in detail. You can also explore open educational resources like OpenStax to strengthen your understanding of melody and form.

If you treat these songs as living textbooks, the patterns will start to jump out at you. The more you sing and dissect these examples of AABA structure: melody examples for songwriters, the easier it becomes to write your own A sections that hook people, and B sections that take them somewhere they didn’t expect—but absolutely wanted to go.