From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A
refrain
is a
verse
or group of verses that is repeated at intervals in a piece of
music
or
poetry
. In
song
, it is often called the
chorus
. The refrain is often very different from the
verse
in
melody
,
rhythm
, and
harmonics
. It usually has a higher level of
dynamics
and activity, often with added
instrumentation
.
In music, a refrain has two parts: the
lyrics
of the song, and the melody. Sometimes refrains use slightly different words as they are repeated. Such lines are still able to be recognised as part of the refrain by the fact that it is always has the same tune or melody. The
rhymes
, if present, are also kept even if the words are sometimes different. In
popular music
, the chorus contrasts with the verse, which leads into it, while the
bridge
contrasts with and leads into both. Many popular songs from the middle of the 20th century consist only of a chorus.
[1]
The word comes from the
Vulgar Latin
word
refringere
, and later from the
Old French
refraindre
, both of which mean "to repeat".
[2]
- ↑
Benward & Saker (2003).
Music: In Theory and Practice
, Vol. 1 (7th ed.), p. 317.
ISBN
978-0-07-294262-0
.
- ↑
"refrain"
.
The Free Dictionary
. Farlex
. Retrieved
12 October
2013
.