What's the term for the introductions common to songs written in the 1920's thru 1940's. Quite often, these intros would have engaging lyrics and a tune wholly different from the song itself. Examples would include intros to songs like "Stardust." Often, the intro would not accompany a particular recording. Thus, it's possible to know a song verbatim, without ever having heard the intro.

I am sorry that I can't provide the answer, clearwrite, but may I welcome you Aboard? When I read the subject line, I wondered whether you were going to sing hello to us all. I am confident that you will find the answer you seek here, and a whole lot else. Enjoy.

i vaguely recall "interstitial" being used in the pit to indicate a musical introduction, particularly one that was vamped while a scene was developing onstage in preparation for a song. perhaps wow can confirm this???

i'm not sure, regardless, if this is what you had in mind. when i read your post, i immediately thought of my Frank Sinatra christmas sheet music; he loved to add seemingly unrelated tunes and lyrics as introductions to all of the old favorites. the term used by the sheet music publisher, as indicated on the score, is simply "intro."

welcome a-Board, clearwrite... glad to have you

Welcome aBoard, clearwrite! I think you really need paulb,
lusy(where are you, Darling?), or musick for this; maybe even Jazzo., he likes some of that I think. But will throw in my 2¢' worth and say that for some reason the word
"leader" came to mind.

Maybe the word you're looking for is "verse". The main body of the song, at least the part everyone is familiar with is the "chorus".

Welcome, Clearwrite!

I've just been checking random copies of my sheet music collection (19th century through to 1950s), and the 'introductions' are labelled "verse" (as Kupatchka noted). The other part of the song was labelled, variously, "chorus" or "refrain".

And I agree that many "intros/verses" are gems (Stardust, in particular, and most of the Gershwin songs).

I think Kupatchka (Welcome aboard) is probably correct. The classic popular song of the 20's to the 50's has a format as rigid as a Mozart sonata; the first section is the verse, followed by the chorus. Many songs which nearly everyone recognizes by the chorus have verses which are practically unknown.

the first section is the verse

Isn't the chorus known as the "bridge" in pop songs? (Any sympathetic vibrations?)

I don't think the bridge and the chorus are the same, but I'm not an expert on the subject. We need to hear from Musick.

paulb beat me to the stack of sheet music, if only to verify that "verse" was correct. Well done and welcome "kupatchka" and "clearwrite". The bridge is a third or "c" section, where verse = "a" and chorus = "b". It (usually) has a different structure, tone center and harmonic tempo, and often can act as a bridge back to either the "a" or the "b" sections. This description works better for 20ctry popular music that it does for "serious" forms, and I use the term lightly (and in direct refusal of using the term "classical" here - "Classical" refers to a historical period of music - not a specific form).

[rant]I was busy the last time posters in the "Love of Music..." started whipping around the word classical (as if they were a radio station looking for sponsors)... especially those who clearly know better.[end rant]

It's all about that thing we call "'merican beauty".

Musick notes: ..."serious" forms, and I use the term lightly...

Or, as I like to put it: "that which we laughingly refer to as serious music"

Thanks to all for the warm welcome and great information. I'm going with "verse"--as the clear consensus. For some reason I was expecting something much gaudier.

":For some reason I was expecting something much gaudier."

Dear Clearwrite ... welcome!
We are really quite down to earth around here ...

(Now, I can hear that irreverent, yea, I could say ribald laughter from all you regulars. Stop it at once ... you will terrify dear clearwrite. They are very sensitive souls, our neighbors down Maine.)
wow
High Priestess

Stop it at once ... you will terrify dear clearwrite.

Hear, hear!! I discovered recently that I am so terrifying that one of the regulars here has trouble sending me a PM because the thought of doing so induces cold, shaking fingers. Way cool!!

Maxatilla Genghispleen

Dear Max~

perhaps it's the vision of you donning your wolf suit and making mischief of one kind and another... transmogrified into one of the wild things, roaring your terrible roar, gnashing your terrible teeth, rolling your terrible eyes and showing your terrible claws.

just a thought.

bridget idly checks the thermostat, blows on her fingers and presses 'continue'