What Is a Bar in Rap? How to Count Your Verse and Hook

A producer asks for "16 bars", everyone in the studio talks about an 8 bar hook, and you're wondering what that actually means. Here's what a bar is, how to count bars on a beat and how long a 16 bar verse lasts.

A bar is one measure

A bar is the same as a measure. In almost all rap and hip hop, a bar has four beats. Count along on a beat: 1, 2, 3, 4, and then the next bar starts.

When you write, a bar often comes down to one line of lyrics. That's not a fixed rule. A fast flow packs in more words, a laid-back flow fewer. But when someone asks for 16 bars, they usually mean around 16 lines.

How to count bars on a beat

Listen for the snare or clap. In hip hop it lands on beats 2 and 4. So two snares is one bar.

Trap and drill work the same way if you count by feel. Those beats are often around 140 BPM, but feel like 70. At that feel, the snare lands on 2 and 4 again. Two snares is one bar.

Don't know the tempo of a beat? Find it with Beat Lab or tap along with the tap tempo and metronome.

How many bars is a verse, hook and intro?

There's no law, but you'll run into these lengths a lot:

• Intro: 4 or 8 bars
• Hook: 8 bars
• Verse: 16 bars

Plenty of songs do it differently. A 12 or 24 bar verse works fine too. Listen to the beat itself: something often changes every 4 or 8 bars, like a drum dropping out or a new melody coming in. Those are the natural spots to start a new section. How to write a hook that sticks? Read how to write a hook. Want to rap tighter on the beat? Read how to improve your flow.

How long are 16 bars?

That depends on the tempo. A four-beat bar lasts 240 divided by the BPM, in seconds. At 90 BPM that's about 2.7 seconds per bar. For 16 bars you get:

• 70 BPM: about 55 seconds
• 80 BPM: 48 seconds
• 90 BPM: about 43 seconds
• 120 BPM: 32 seconds

For trap and drill, use the tempo you feel. So a trap beat at 140 BPM counts as 70. Which tempo goes with which genre? See BPM by genre, or check what BPM hip hop is and what BPM trap is.

Why is my verse 32 bars long in my DAW?

Your DAW numbers the bars at the top. With trap and drill that can be confusing. If the project is set to 140 BPM with the snare on beat 3, your DAW counts every snare as a new bar. Your 16 bars by feel then take up 32 bars there. Both are right, you're just counting at a different tempo.

How long should the whole song be? Read how long a rap song should be. About to record on a beat you bought? Also read how to set up a bought beat for recording. Need a beat? Browse all beats.

FAQ

How many lines is 16 bars?

Often around 16, one line per bar. With a fast flow it can be more.

How long is a 16 bar verse?

That depends on the tempo. On a 90 BPM beat it's about 43 seconds. On a 140 BPM trap beat, counted as 70, about 55 seconds.

How many bars is a hook?

Often 8 bars. But a short 4 bar hook that you repeat twice happens too.