The AAA Song
The AAA, or “triple A,” is one of the oldest song structures in existence. The first song was probably a single A, then some early songwriting genius figured out how to copy the melody and meter of “A” and expand his or her song with a similar section. At this point, song structure was born. An AAA doesn't always refer to a song with three sections; it can be a term to describe any song with only one basic lyric section that repeats, so you could call an AAAAA song an AAA for short.
Some of the best-known songs are AAA format and the AAA can cover a variety of genres, everything from “Old MacDonald” and “Amazing Grace” to “The Thrill Is Gone.” The advantages of an AAA are that it is almost instantly familiar and easy to learn for a sing-along. AAA songs are great for the campfire, theme songs for organizations, anthems, and children's songs. Since an AAA only has one melodic section, that melody must be incredibly strong.
If you're not an established artist or writer, an AAA song can be an impossible pitch to get past a publisher. An easy fix is to take the hook and fashion a short chorus. Even a two-line chorus, like that of the Stephen Foster song “Oh, Susannah,” can increase your song's earning potential significantly.
Figure 7-1
In modern radio markets, the AAA is almost nonexistent. Occasionally, though, an AAA will come seemingly out of nowhere to scale the charts. Such was the case with Gordon Lightfoot's “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald,” an old-time story song in the style of a sea chanty that caught the public ear in 1976 by adding a modern-day true story and some electric guitar for spice.
“The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” is actually an AAAAAAA song, where each of the seven sections consists of a double verse. Even though it's basically an AAA song, there are several subtle differences in certain sections, including extra measures. There are also three kinds of instrumental “tags,” which are all variations on the intro. One of the tags is different enough that it must be charted as a separate entity. These little touches help the song overcome the prime drawback of the AAA: It tends to get boring to the ears after two or three “A” sections.
In charting this song, you could choose to express the main song section as either an “A” or with a “V” for verse. The chart for this song might look like the one in FIGURE 7-1. Don't worry about deciphering the notation system just yet. For now, just look at how the sections are laid out and notice that the patterns of numbers, indicating chords and measures, vary slightly, even between some of the sections marked “A.”
