TRANSCRIPT:
I'm Mark Rapp and this is Rapp on Jazz.
When we talk about jazz standards, we’re really talking about a shared songbook—a common language that musicians use to connect. Most standards follow a structure borrowed from popular songs of the 1920s through the 1950s. The most familiar is the 32-bar AABA form.
That means the song is divided into four sections, each eight measures long.
The first “A” introduces a melody, the second “A” repeats it, often with a slight twist, the “B” section—sometimes called the bridge—offers contrast, and the final “A” returns us to familiar ground.
This form has powered countless jazz tunes, creating a map for musicians, a framework that guides improvisation while still leaving room for creativity. That’s what makes standards endlessly fresh and alive.
This has been Rapp on Jazz, a co-production of ColaJazz and South Carolina Public Radio, made possible by the ETV Endowment of South Carolina