Do You Use A Middle-Eight or Bridge In Your Song?
I actually KNOW for a fact that many songwriters don’t bother to incorporate a ‘bridge’ or a ‘middle-eight’ into their songs. Let’s talk about what exactly they are and if you should even bother with it.
In modern day popular music, a middle-eight would typically sit after the second chorus …and in theory it would consist of 8 bars. Many great pop ballads would illustrate a good use of a middle-eight, such as Mariah Carey’s Hero…
…or Elton Johns I Want Love
Sometimes, the song will have an additional bar at the end of the middle-eight, just to maximise the climax. A great example of this would be Aerosmith’s I Don’t Wanna Miss A Thing.
The job of a middle eight would be to take the listener to new grounds …away from the verse and chorus. It can be to somehow escalate the track while retaining the original feel for the song. A middle-eight also takes away the monotony of the song. This is great if your song has en extremely repetitive chord progression or lyrical/melody line. Which let’s face it, can be quite often! 
Now, the middle-eight doesn’t always have to be eight-bars. Like all rules in life, some were just bound to be broken. Music is no exception. Many (if not MOST) songs of today don’t follow the ‘eight-bar’ pattern and often just have just 4 bars - or sometimes odd numbers, such as 5 or 7. This is totally fine.
So what about a bridge? Well, according to Wikipedia, a bridge is a contrasting section which also prepares for the return of the original material section. So, a middle-eight CAN be perceived as a bridge too. This is why there can be some confusion over the definitions.
But I’ll add to that. A bridge can also be a ‘link’ between a verse and chorus. Some of us know this as a ‘pre-chorus’.
So here’s the point. If you aren’t including a middle-eight or a bridge into your songwriting, than you may be doing an injustice to your song. I’m not saying ALL songs must have this …what I’m saying is that many songs come alive because of it.
Are you making the use of these components?
You should start incorporating a middle-eight into your songs, don’t you think? 
Shamir
July 21st, 2008 at 5:29 pm
yeah I love using bridges in my music. The only problem I run into sometimes is that bridges and middle eight’s seem to work well in slower songs, so I end up making the song “too long” when it is complete.
July 21st, 2008 at 5:59 pm
That makes a lot of sense, really. To tell you the truth, after reading this, I feel like my songwriting skills have increaed a little, at least in the knowledge sense. I really learned something.
July 21st, 2008 at 6:00 pm
I hardly ever use a middle eight or a bridge. Three reasons I guess. One is b/c since I primarily make hip hop tracks, alot of times there isn’t a need to. Yes, I do hear them in hip hop but there not used as much as say in an R&B song. Second reason is b/c I can’t come up with one. And thirdly, it’s probably b/c I don’t think of adding it while I’m producing. It’s just not something I don’t automatically consider when composing a track.
July 21st, 2008 at 6:04 pm
i’ve read alot about that lately and am going to try it. but i didnt’t really know what it was so this helps alot!!! thanx so much!!!!!
July 21st, 2008 at 6:33 pm
I ALWAYS put bridges in my songs. But what is is called after the second chorus when a writer repeats lines from a verse? Diane Warren does it a lot. Like in Unbreak My Heart by Toni Braxton.
July 21st, 2008 at 8:57 pm
Hi everybody,
we can’t speak about middle-8’s without mentioning the true masters of this particular aspect of songwriting: Lennon & McCartney.
I think Sting has made some great briges, too. “Englishman in New York” (Bm) comes to my mind with that wonderful shift up to the relative major (D), leading to the climax on Bm’s dominant-9 (F#9), or maybe its a dim-chord, not sure…
This is a great example of how a middle-8 can give a new dimension to the song in terms of
melody,
range,
harmony (new chords, not just “dorian feel” Em, Am, Bm as in verse/chorus),
instrumentation (cembalo playing Alberti bassline = Englishman!, Walking Bass under Jazz Improvisation + Ghetto Beat Solo = New York)
and last but not least: LYRICS!
Waht do you think about giving a new spin to your song LYRICALLY using a middle-8? I always find it hard to come up with a convincing idea at this point…
vocal rhythm (bars don’t begin with pause as in verse/chorus)
July 21st, 2008 at 9:46 pm
Okay first of all i ADORE Mariah Carey!! So i know exactly what a middle 8 is now!! Thanks so much!! “Hero” is the perfect example!!
Shamir thank you so much for the tips. You are a great help!! The ones where you go to see a movie every week, and think of the title first (etc…) its such a help and very much appreciated!!
YES! i love using middle 8’s! Thanks again!!! xxx
July 21st, 2008 at 11:43 pm
Looking back I think every song I’ve written has some type of bridge or breakdown as I’ve called it before - depends on what you are trying to achieve. I call it a breakdown if you actually slow the song down or quiet it down to make the last chorus or verse seem that much more powerful. I kind of look at songs like a long road. If there isn’t any change in the road or drive on that road it can get boring and put you to sleep. If there are some bumps in the road and then maybe a curve or fork in the road, it makes it much more exciting and can take you into unexplored territory - enter the “bridge”. If you want to get a kick out of how to get unstuck from a song listen to Led Zeppelin’s The Crunge - “where’s that confounded bridge?”
July 21st, 2008 at 11:56 pm
I thought prechoruses were normally shorter than eight bars. Anyway, there’s usually a bridge in my tunes. I created a myspace group with about 150 members on music composition called “Music Composition, Songwriting and World Music” Last time I checked it was the only group like it on myspace.
Also, go to http://www.myspace.com/gongchime and click on my Snocap hosted tunes for samples of my world music composed without guitars, basses, drum kits, keyboards or chords!!! Several have been forwarded and accepted into music libraries. World Music artist of the year in both Korea and India sings on my tune River of Stars.
July 22nd, 2008 at 2:06 am
Thanks for the info. I have tried to incorporate this “middle eight”, into a song I am presently sending to a contest. I really didn’t know what it was called, but I know many songs that do it. Sometimes, just listening to good songs, give you an insight into the writing style, no matter what it’s called.
July 22nd, 2008 at 3:05 am
well thank u for ever thing i still am writing songs i did my frist song for my sister i well sent it to u thank u
July 22nd, 2008 at 3:54 am
I’m a big fan of pre-chorus’ and middle-8’s. I have been forever
July 22nd, 2008 at 4:30 am
YEAH THAT IS GOOD ADVICE.. I USE A BRIDGE SOMETIMES BUT NOT AS OFTEN AS I SHOULD OR A MIDDLE 8..TY 4 YOUR WELL EXPLAINED INFO!!
July 22nd, 2008 at 6:52 am
Thanks shamir. I’ve always followed ur advice and mails and now ur new blogs. I’m still and will always keep writing songs. However this days, i’m finding it hard to write proper lyrics cuz deep down i get scared of melody, which just gets me nervous and den won’t concentrate on writing good lyrics.
I prefer writing lyrics at the same time with melody, since i play little piano. When i write just lyrics, im always afraid how/what to do to create melody to it. Please help, i write lyrics every night and i wanna elevate to d next level.
July 22nd, 2008 at 11:55 am
Well, I mostly like prog rock. So…
The whole 10 minute song consists of mostly these elements
July 22nd, 2008 at 5:00 pm
I just finished a song and I put the middle 8 after a two bar guitar solo witch comes after the second verse, which is followed by a second and ending chorus. The song is 3:00. I found that doing “out of the box” techniques like this not only keep away the monotony, it also makes your songs unique and different.
July 23rd, 2008 at 12:59 am
i,m interested in the song writing,
July 23rd, 2008 at 1:17 am
at first i didnt quite know what it was but after reading it ill use it.
July 23rd, 2008 at 1:54 am
I like using bridges because it gives the song a chance to say something in a new way instead of another verse. And it’s habit! ; )
July 23rd, 2008 at 2:10 am
thankk you a lot i never really used them that much but then after this i did and it made things way easier
July 23rd, 2008 at 2:13 pm
Awesome
July 23rd, 2008 at 4:04 pm
Hi Shamir - yes I do use bridges and middle 8’s too - thanks for explaining it and the importance of them to make the songs less boring and makes them longer - needed in my case!! Fab site tho - thanks
July 24th, 2008 at 3:48 am
I too use bridges and etc to give a different feel to the music and help elevate the overall experience! Would love to collab and etc. with more artists and producers! Always into building bridges…no pun intended! lol!
July 24th, 2008 at 4:08 am
Shamir
Very well done. Think of a bridge or Middle 8 as a breather for the ear. Just like the heart needs to rest in-between beats the ear needs a rest also. Sound waves are like water waves on a lake. I believe that is why we cringe when a piece of music art is not played well. The waves hits our mostly water bodies and we have a reaction even to the untrained ear.
Just a thought!
Tom
July 25th, 2008 at 7:32 pm
OMG! so helpful, thanks! I never thought about adding one of those….
July 25th, 2008 at 8:25 pm
Hi Shamir,
I always try to incorperate a bridge in my songs. I think it gives more life and interest to the song.
July 28th, 2008 at 5:44 pm
I need a free book on bridge sheet. thanks
August 20th, 2008 at 2:00 pm
thanks very much for the massages you have been sending me i love them
September 1st, 2008 at 11:30 pm
Don’t complicate songwriting by making it a science. Just write what you hear and feel. If there is bridge or mid 8 section it will write itself naturally.
September 5th, 2008 at 8:01 pm
i always use them
very nice
or i just use the chorus and strip it down
September 11th, 2008 at 1:08 pm
hi everybody i what to get to know the signs of music,how they make bridges,verses,chorus,introduction and every thing that can be used in making a song[lyrics] and its beat.every thing that can make Avery good music.
October 27th, 2008 at 8:32 pm
This is great info to know.
December 5th, 2008 at 2:13 pm
I used to be scared when it came to writing a bridge, I’d go as far to avoid them because I didn’t know how to handle the contrast. I took time, lots of practise and a ton of listening.
Now I embrace the change of scene or idea, just as it keeps me entertained while I write, it will hopefully entertain the listener. So, I think it’s a good thing to have handy!
Linzi
May 3rd, 2009 at 11:40 am
i call it friday, we feel more nervous on friday, and i learned this from obama’s speech
July 2nd, 2009 at 5:58 pm
intro, verse chorus verse chorus middle8 solo over verse chorus chorus outro. you can’t go wrong with this and people have done it for years. If you want some interesting forms listen to some middle-period steely dan!
you can divide the chorus in two, making the first half a bridge. gives you more to play with
July 27th, 2009 at 12:33 am
What about Colin’s comment above? Is this formula widely used? It only allows for two instances of the verse, unless I misunderstood it and the solo is played while the third verse is sung?