Can someone tell me when to bring in the bridge of a song? I always end up with chorus and verse, no bridge.
http://www.myspace.com/bonarro

Songwriters often use the word ‘bridge’ to describe a part of the song. Roughly speaking, a bridge is the only part of the song (apart from the solo), which doesn’t repeat itself. The purpose of the bridge is to build the tension leading up to the climax of the song or to lead a song to its conclusion.

A song usually follows the verse-chorus/verse-chorus form that can make the listener loose interest in the song pretty quickly. Hence the songwriter inducts a bridge to break away from the monotony of the set pattern and inject some excitement into the song.

When it comes to writing pop/rock songs, songwriters usually place the bridge right before the instrumental solo/break. The bridge is a pathway that leads the song to a new level with the aim of bringing it smoothly back to the chorus.

this is a stock definition \p.s. welcome to the forum

Well put. Sometimes the stock definition is the best fit.

Pretty much the same as the previous reply, I use a bridge to allow a change up in the mood or texture of a song. If a verse is going to be used for a lead, it'll usually follow the bridge, but my live stuff doesn't often use lead verses because I don't think or play in terms of leads. But for studio pieces, with the right people to play them, leads are pretty much non-optional.

As for bridges, a friend once used a short bridge to join two similar but very short songs, and then added a verse he had written but was unable to build a song around to make an  ending for the song. It was then titled Earth Song Trilogy but it definitely wasn't pop music.

bonarro, welcome to the forum from another newbie-

Well, not all songs have to have bridges, not all rock/pop music has to have bridges, and there are a lot more genres that use bridges than those two. I use bridges to make my songs less repetitive and all around boring, because who wants to listen to the same crap over and over, in one song? Because most rock, punk, pop, and heavy-metal uses the same stuff over and over until the bridge. My question is, what is a bridge with a solo in it called? My bridge I wrote for this new song has a mini, very simple solo that mimics the vocals (w/o the vocals), then goes off to verse 1, chorus x2, outro. But the bridge section also includes many different parts of the song that weren't there before. So, is it a solo, a bridge, or a Sridlo? Lol

im all about using bridges or break downs or whatever you want to label them
i usually bring them in after the second chorus cause if you loose the audiences attention
before then the song was to long to slow or just not well constructed.

during the bridge i pick a new chord pattern usually adding or subtracting from
the chord progression and when im feeling super lazy which is often
i will just change the timing or reverse the progression.

so if each measure has four beats my bridge will have 2 or 8 per measure
and or go backwards playing the first 3 or 4 chords from the verse progression

and ill let the lead guitarist solo over top of it so keep people focused
on the rockosity its pretty effective

Bridges i think...bridge the song from the body to the ending I like to tink...most of my songs are like intro verse chorus verse chorus bridge solo breakdown chorus outro...lol not always I try to stay away from strict formulas.  But the bridge usually at least for me switches to a realtive key like the if the song is in G then the Bridge switches to Em  or something like that so its related but different.... it should have a different feel than the rest of the song....

I think a 'bridge' is more like taking a short detour off the main road.  It breaks up the main flow just for a short time, but then ya make your way smoothly back to the main road without hitting any pot holes by using a obscure turn-around chord or phrase...
Just a thought..

j