Methods, systems, and devices for wireless communication are described that provide for uplink common burst symbol waveform selection and configuration. A waveform for the uplink common burst symbol may be selected to be a single-carrier frequency division multiplexing (SC-FDM) waveform, an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) waveform, or combinations thereof, based at least in part on information that is to be transmitted. A pattern for SC-FDM sequences may be selected to provide enhanced channel estimation through common pilot tones across different sequences, wideband or narrowband sequences may be selected based at least in part on information to be transmitted, and acknowledgment feedback may be transmitted in an end portion of the uplink common burst symbol in some cases to provide additional processing time for determining the acknowledgment feedback.