A song feels like it's going somewhere when each part changes something from the one before it: one more instrument, one fewer, a busier beat, a new sound.

  1. First verse: sparse — the voice and one or two instruments.
  2. First chorus: fuller, but not everything yet.
  3. Second verse: a little fuller than the first.
  4. Second chorus: one new layer — a harmony, strings, a shaker.
  5. Bridge: drop down, or go somewhere new.
  6. Last chorus: the biggest moment of the song.
  7. Outro: wind down, or stop on purpose.