What is a Line ?
A Line in the context of this tutorial is a musical phrase
that is 4 bars in length - It is derived from rhythmical use of words such as
a line of poetry.
Consider the 12 Bar Blues - this is a song structure which uses 3 lines of 4
bars each;
| G / / / | G / / / | G / / / | G / / / |
Woke up this morning looked round for my shoes
| C / / / | C / / / | G / / / | G / / / |
Woke up this morning looked round for my shoes
| D / / / | C / / / | G / / / | G / / / |
You can tell by that I got them mean old walking blues
Or consider a traditional song structure like Amazing Grace which is a 16 bar pattern divided into 4 lines of 4 bars each
| A / / / | A / / / | D / / / | A / / / |
Amazing grace, how sweet the sound
| A / / / | A / / / | E / / / | E / / / |
That saved a wretch like me!
| A / / / | A / / / | D / / / | A / / / |
I once was lost, but now am found,
| A / / / | E / / / | A / / / | A / / / |
Was blind, but now I see.
I find that writing out chord sequences in 4 bar lines helps a great deal in
memorizing tunes and is also a good way to approach instrumental music i.e.
you can have lines of music even when there is no vocal line.
Like most musical theory this concept is a useful guideline
not a hard and fast rule - there are many examples where a line of vocals
does not occupy 4 bars.
Exercise
Write out and memorize any tune in 4 bar chunks - 4 bars to the line.