Bridge

What it means

The bridge is a distinctive transitional section in jazz, pop, and rock that stands apart from the rest of the piece melodically, harmonically, and often rhythmically. It usually appears only once in the form and creates a point of contrast before the verse or chorus returns.

In the jazz standard's AABA form, the bridge corresponds to the B section, the so-called middle eight, which differs harmonically from the A section, often through a change of key or a different chord progression.

Musical use

In pop music, the bridge builds new harmonic or melodic tension after several passes of verse and chorus, before the song moves into a final, often heightened chorus. It should be distinguished from the instrumental interlude, which carries no vocals, whereas the bridge often still includes singing, and from the chorus, which recurs, while the bridge usually appears only once.