# 5 ways to end a song



## Cyril (Jul 2, 2011)

Random thing I had floating through my head that I feel like typing down.

I personally feel that there are only 5 ways to end a song, no less, no more.

*1. Fading Out*
Self-explanatory. The song keeps repeating a progression/melody, and slowly fades out to silence. This type of ending has always been popular, and is used quite often. I personally don't like this type of ending, simply because in most cases what it seems to mean is that the songwriter couldn't think of a proper ending for a song, so they just had it fade out instead.

*2. Long Ending Chord*
The song ends on one long, drawn out chord. Most of the time, this chord is the same as the root chord of the song. The final chord gradually gets softer until it fades to silence, but it differs from fading out in that there is a definite end to the song instead of a progression that doesn't stop. This is usually a very effective way of ending a song, as it gives a great sense of closure.

*3. Short Ending Chord*
The song ends on one brief chord. Very similar to the long ending chord - the chord is, again, usually the root chord, and ending a song in this manner also gives a great sense of closure.

*4. Cliffhanger Ending*
The easiest way to explain this is that it is the same as ending with a short chord, except that the final chord never comes - the song ends with the completion of its last progression, and doesn't provide the closure that a listener would expect. Occasionally, the song will end even earlier, in the middle of the progression. This can either be very effective or it can lead to an unsatisfactory ending, depending on how it's pulled off. It can give the same sense of closure as the above two endings, or it can leave the listener without that closure. I'm actually unsure as to why this type of ending can be so effective.

*5. Segue*
The song never reaches a true end - the song simply flows right into the next song, joining the two songs into one, in a sense. Some would argue that a song segueing into another unifies the two as one song, making it not an ending at all, but if the two songs are musically different enough, it'd be tough to call them the same song. Segueing doesn't work if the two songs have absolutely nothing in common, though - it's a bad idea for composer to make a slow song suddenly segue into a faster song.

These are just my thoughts, and if anyone feels I've missed anything you could consider different enough from the 5 I've listed here, I'd be glad for their response.


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## CynicalCirno (Jul 2, 2011)

I've heard songs end with percussion, end unrefined(continuing the same pattern, sudden stop).
I've heard songs that end with a certain instrument amplified over others.
I've heard many songs end by removing any sort of bass instrument.
I've heard long chords, fading out.
I've heard songs that could be repeat without notice, by a similiar starting and ending.
I've heard songs that end by raising the pitch of all instruments.
I've heard songs that end through a completely different pattern that covers the leading one.
I've heard songs that end through a phase that sounds like a big addition rather than a change, like most Cave Story songs.

I'm not expert, but I listen.


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## Mr_Fox (Jul 2, 2011)

The thing with a segue is, eventually one of the songs will have to come to a non-segue end.

However, there's also endings via effects, not so much seen with live bands but definitely in the DJ business at the end of a liveset, whether they be the slowing down of a track until it becomes noise, applying distortion until it becomes unrecognisable, repeating a loop and speeding it up until it meshes together into one singular noise with vibrato, etc.


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## Kuraku (Jul 2, 2011)

I've heard a song that ends with silence. Well actually, the whole song was just rest notes lol.


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## Cyril (Jul 2, 2011)

Satellite One said:


> I've heard songs end with percussion, end unrefined(continuing the same pattern, sudden stop).


I guess this is probably different enough from the others that it can be considered a different type of ending.


Satellite One said:


> I've heard songs that end with a certain instrument amplified over others.
> I've heard many songs end by removing any sort of bass instrument.
> I've heard songs that end by raising the pitch of all instruments.


Okay, but what is the definite end of the song like?


Satellite One said:


> I've heard long chords, fading out.


Yeah, this was on my list.


Satellite One said:


> I've heard songs that could be repeat without notice, by a similiar starting and ending.


So it segues into itself, basically? 


Satellite One said:


> I've heard songs that end through a completely different pattern that covers the leading one.
> I've heard songs that end through a phase that sounds like a big addition rather than a change, like most Cave Story songs.


The former sounds like a segue but I may not be sure what you're talking about.
I have absolutely no clue what you mean by the latter 


Mr_Fox said:


> The thing with a segue is, eventually one of the songs will have to come to a non-segue end.


What if you have two songs that segued into each other? Would required the music player to be on repeat, but it'd probably work.
I now have an urge to try something like that.


Mr_Fox said:


> However, there's also endings via effects, not so  much seen with live bands but definitely in the DJ business at the end  of a liveset, whether they be the slowing down of a track until it  becomes noise, applying distortion until it becomes unrecognisable,  repeating a loop and speeding it up until it meshes together into one  singular noise with vibrato, etc.


I have nothing to say to this, mainly because I don't listen to any form of electronic music.


Kuraku said:


> I've heard a song that ends with silence. Well actually, the whole song was just rest notes lol.


  You mean this song?


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## Askari_Nari (Jul 3, 2011)

For The Love of God by Steve Vai ends with a spoken part by Vai, I'm sure other songs have done something like this.

Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd ends with ambiance, notably blowing wind, before fading out.

Then there was this vinyl record that was produced to endlessly loop the last few seconds of the song. The album was Metal Machine Music by Lou Reed, although I would recommend being familiar with the project before intentionally attempting to copy it in any way.


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## Mr_Fox (Jul 3, 2011)

That's a really creative use of vinyl mechanics.  I applaud Lou Reed.


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## Cyril (Jul 3, 2011)

Askari_Nari said:


> For The Love of God by Steve Vai ends with a spoken part by Vai, I'm sure other songs have done something like this.


My god I'm a dolt. <_<
How did I miss this?


Askari_Nari said:


> Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd ends with ambiance, notably blowing wind, before fading out.


Eh, I'd probably count that under fading out, thought the ambience does segue into the next song...


Askari_Nari said:


> Then there was this vinyl record that was produced to endlessly loop the last few seconds of the song. The album was Metal Machine Music by Lou Reed, although I would recommend being familiar with the project before intentionally attempting to copy it in any way.


That sounds exactly like the vinyl of Godspeed You! Black Emperor's F# A#âˆž. Though Loud Reed obviously did it first.
Technically, that's not an ending, since it means the song never ends, right?


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## Plantar (Jul 3, 2011)

In this one performance of Tapes by Alanis Morissette, she stops playing guitar, puts it down, and gradually everyone else except the keyboard player stops. It's like they took away drums, guitars, vocals gradually, and just leaves the keyboardist to repeat the rhythm. Not sure what that could be classified as.


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## Mr_Fox (Jul 3, 2011)

That wouldn't really be an ending per se, more or less just a minimal approach at the end of the song.


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## DaftPhox (Jul 6, 2011)

There are songs that end up with a sort of "Chaos-intermission" as well. Examples could be the end of "Rock n' Roll [Will take you to the mountain]" by Skrillex.


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## Evan of Phrygia (Jul 8, 2011)

There are songs that segue themselves. Portugal. The Man's It's Difficult Being a Wizard provides an ending that creates a loop. It is in essence an endless loop.


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## Leostale (Jul 15, 2011)

XD sometime i end my songs so abrputly
Sometimes just adding a crash at the end


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## Mr_Fox (Jul 15, 2011)

That's about the same as ending with a chord that fades away.  Just with a percussion as the source of sound rather than a string. (inb4 guitars are percussion.  You know what I mean.)


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## Leostale (Jul 15, 2011)

OK since the *Ends* has be discussed How about the *opening or the Start of the song* eh?


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