---
last-updated: 2026-04-10
genre: Ballad
aliases: [Power Ballad, Acoustic Ballad, Piano Ballad, Slow Jam]
bpm-range: 60-85 BPM
---

# Ballad - Song Structure Template

## Standard Structure

**AABA** -- Verse / Verse / Bridge / Verse (verse-driven, chorus may be absent or minimal)

Alternative: **ABACDC** -- Verse / Chorus / Verse / Bridge / Climax / Resolution

Ballads are verse-driven. The narrative weight is carried by the verses, not the chorus.

## Section Flow

### 1. [Intro]
- **Suno metatag:** `[Intro]`
- **Content:** Sparse instrumental -- piano, acoustic guitar, or strings
- **Lines:** 0-2
- **Delivery:** `[Soft]`, `[Gentle]`
- **Notes:** Sets an intimate atmosphere. Less is more.

### 2. [Verse 1]
- **Suno metatag:** `[Verse 1]`
- **Role:** Opens the story, establishes the emotional landscape
- **Lines:** 6-10
- **Delivery:** `[Soft]`, `[Emotional]`, `[Breathy]`
- **Notes:** Ballad verses are longer than in other genres -- they carry the narrative weight.

### 3. [Verse 2]
- **Suno metatag:** `[Verse 2]`
- **Role:** Deepens the emotional arc, reveals more of the story
- **Lines:** 6-10
- **Delivery:** Slightly more intensity than Verse 1
- **Notes:** Builds on Verse 1 without repeating it. The story progresses.

### 4. [Chorus]
- **Suno metatag:** `[Chorus]`
- **Role:** Emotional anchor -- summarizes the core feeling
- **Lines:** 4-6
- **Delivery:** `[Emotional]`, building toward `[Belted]`
- **Notes:** Optional in pure AABA form. When present, it is the emotional distillation.

### 5. [Bridge]
- **Suno metatag:** `[Bridge]`
- **Role:** Emotional climax or turning point
- **Lines:** 2-4
- **Delivery:** `[Belted]`, `[Powerful]` -- the peak of the track
- **Notes:** The bridge is where the emotion breaks through. Often the most intense moment.

### 6. [Verse 3] or [Final Chorus]
- **Suno metatag:** `[Verse 3]` or `[Final Chorus]`
- **Role:** Resolution -- the story concludes or the emotion settles
- **Lines:** 4-8
- **Delivery:** Can return to `[Soft]` for a quiet ending, or stay `[Powerful]` for a climactic finish
- **Notes:** Resolution depends on the narrative arc. Quiet or powerful -- both work.

### 7. [Outro]
- **Suno metatag:** `[Outro]`
- **Content:** Instrumental fade, final vocal line, or silence
- **Lines:** 0-2
- **Delivery:** `[Soft]`, `[Whispered]`
- **Notes:** Let the emotion breathe. `[Fade Out]` is common for ballads.

## Variations

| Variation | Structure | When to Use |
|-----------|-----------|-------------|
| Power ballad | Verse / Chorus / Verse / Chorus / Bridge / Final Chorus | Full chorus present, builds to orchestral climax |
| Stripped acoustic | Verse / Verse / Bridge / Verse / Outro | Minimal production, voice + one instrument |
| Epic ballad | Verse / Chorus / Verse / Bridge / Key Change Chorus / Outro | Builds from intimate to orchestral, cinematic |
| Spoken intro | Spoken / Verse / Verse / Bridge / Verse | Opens with spoken word before the song begins |

## Densite Syllabique Cible

Plafonds par ligne pour la ballade (60-85 BPM). Le tempo lent permet plus de syllabes mais demande des voyelles tenues. Voir `reference/linguistic/{french,english}/flow.md`.

| Sous-genre | BPM | Verse rec/max | Chorus rec/max |
|------------|-----|----------------|------------------|
| Ballade piano-voix | 60-80 | 8 / 10 | 6 / 8 |
| Ballade orchestrale | 70-90 | 9 / 11 | 7 / 9 |
| R&B contemporain (slow) | 80-100 | 10 / 13 | 7 / 10 |
| Soul classique | 90-110 | 9 / 12 | 7 / 9 |

**Note specifique ballade :** les voyelles tenues sur les notes longues exigent **/a/, /o/, /ø/, /e/** ouvertes. Les /i/, /u/, /y/ ferment la gorge sur les notes hautes -- a eviter en finale de ligne en ballade lente.

## Patterns de Flow Caracteristiques

3 patterns rythmiques typiques de la ballade :

1. **Phrases longues qui respirent** : lignes de 8-10 syllabes avec cesure mediane, separees par des silences de 1-2 mesures. La respiration est expressive, pas un manque.

2. **Climax progressif au Bridge ou Final Chorus** : verse en delivery soft, chorus monte d'un cran (emotional), Bridge culmine en belted/powerful. La courbe dynamique est obligatoire, pas optionnelle.

3. **Vocal tenu sur les fins de phrases** : les notes longues en finale (/a/, /o/) tenues 2-4 temps. Suno gere bien `[Belted]` + voyelle ouverte sur fin de ligne longue.

## References Auditives Canoniques

5 artistes / tracks de reference pour la ballade :

- **Adele — "Someone Like You"** (power ballad, voix dominante, climax au bridge, voyelles tenues)
- **James Blake — "Retrograde"** (electronic ballad, intimite, dynamic range extreme, vocal a nu)
- **Bon Iver — "Skinny Love"** (acoustic ballad, falsetto signature, breath audible, raw)
- **Sam Smith — "Stay With Me"** (gospel-tinged ballad, hook simple repete, climax progressif)
- **Frank Ocean — "Pink + White"** (R&B contemporain, ballade nuancee, harmonies, melodisme)

**Note FR :** pour la chanson francaise, ajouter Dominique A ("Le Courage des Oiseaux"), Bashung ("La nuit je mens"), Stromae ("Formidable" pour la ballade contemporaine).

## Hook

Voir `reference/linguistic/hooks-punchlines.md` pour la procedure complete.

**Specifique ballade :**
- **Hook plus long acceptable :** la ballade peut soutenir des hooks de 4-6 lignes voire 8 (atypique en pop). Le tempo lent permet la complexite.
- **Punchline avant le Bridge ou en debut de derniere strophe :** pre-climax, prepare la rupture emotionnelle.
- **Climax au Bridge :** la ballade exige une montee emotionnelle perceptible. Le hook s'amplifie en derniere repetition (final chorus).
- **Voyelles longues sur les notes tenues :** la ballade tient les notes -- voyelles ouvertes obligatoires (/a/, /o/, /ø/), eviter clusters consonantiques.

**Anti-patterns ballade :**
- Hook trop concis (en ballade, l'inverse du probleme courant : le hook peut respirer)
- Hook sans contraste avec les verses (la ballade exige une montee emotionnelle nette)
- Punchline trop conceptuelle dans un track narratif (la ballade prefere l'emotion brute a l'abstraction)

## Notes

- Slower BPM (60-85) allows more syllables per line without rushing -- take advantage of this
- Ballads benefit from dynamic range: start soft, build to the bridge climax, then resolve
- Suno tip: use delivery tags aggressively to shape the emotional arc (`[Soft]` -> `[Emotional]` -> `[Belted]` -> `[Soft]`)
- Keep total lyrics moderate (1500-2500 chars) -- ballads breathe through space, not density
- Piano and strings are the classic ballad palette; specify in style prompt
- `[Instrumental]` breaks between verses add emotional weight
