Chorus Differentiation - tips & tricks

[Mark Kaufman]

Seems like I go the opposite order of Milfus, usually...I start with feel, then tweak the beast into shape.

[devin]

"time of your life" by Greenday happens to break a whole bunch of guidelines...I wonder if any of us submitted that song today if it would get any love?I think I'm closer to Mark...I just notice "hey, that sounds right". Then I have to hammer out where the song should have started from, and where it should go after the part that I stumbled across. Not having enough theory at my disposal makes it a longer process, I'm sure.Would it be safe to say:- for the modern Taxi country posting, start with making the strongest chorus hook (lyric, melody, music) you can dream up, and then write a song to point to that?

[Mark Kaufman]

Jun 20, 2008, 4:14am, devin wrote:Would it be safe to say:- for the modern Taxi country posting, start with making the strongest chorus hook (lyric, melody, music) you can dream up, and then write a song to point to that?It wouldn't be safe for me. I find it liberating to be open to several different approaches to songwriting. I think if I fell into one particular method or formula, even for Country, I would begin to stagnate and become predictable.Maybe that's not such a bad thing, predictability...But my point is based on being open to whatever smacks me on the head and then running with it. Sometimes it's a riff, sometimes it's a concept, sometimes a bit of lyric. The important thing for me is to recognize the possibility of a song, and then draw the rest of the picture. Here's a foot...now draw the woman.

[edteja]

Write the song, record it and become a star--that will draw the women.

[Casey H]

Jun 21, 2008, 5:33am, edteja wrote:Write the song, record it and become a star--that will draw the women.Are there groupies for NON-PERFORMING songwriters? I mean, the money isn't great, there must be something!! Casey

[Mark Kaufman]

I think that just draws non-performing women.

[Casey H]

Jun 21, 2008, 10:24am, lyle wrote:I think that just draws non-performing women.ROFLMAO!! I guess that's kinda like marriage...

[hummingbird]

Jun 21, 2008, 11:06am, hurowitz wrote:Jun 21, 2008, 10:24am, lyle wrote:I think that just draws non-performing women.ROFLMAO!! I guess that's kinda like marriage... well they say you have to "lift" to the payoff of the chorus

[edteja]

Actually, the best way to differentiate the chorus is to have everyone sing "ONE MORE TIME!" like in Henry the Eighth.

[linziellen]

This is interesting. When I write a song the chorus tends to be even damper than the verse. So I often sit at the piano wondering how on earth I'm going to wrap it up and keep it catchy. I admit 99% of the time I go with what feels right and while I try to be merry with my melodies they do tend to veer toward the dark side. Little by little I'm developing a signature without actually trying. I'm happy with that but I also long to write something a little sweeter on the ears. Though I keep reading that a song/lyric should not be forced, so I guess I gotta go with the flow and hope that it works for others as well as myself. It's not an easy balance. Have I side tracked?!? Linzi