Chorus Differentiation - tips & tricks

[Mark Kaufman]

No Linz, you're right on. You made me think about how easy it is to get a good idea for beginning a song...so you work on the verse...but then when it's chorus time, there isn't always a good idea yet...so the differentiation doesn't happen. I'm just saying this as an illustration of what CAN happen.One thing to keep in mind if this happens is to a) slow down...don't settle until that chorus sparkles. And b) remember that it's USUALLY best to have the chorus more exciting than the verse. Not always, but usually. It definitely needs to be understood to be the chorus, so it should be very memorable.

[edteja]

If you have a great verse, one that is catchy and makes you want to sing it, consider making it the chorus.

[milfus]

that or a good technique, is to finish the verses, before making the chorus, cause then you can progress your story to its conclusion, and use the chorus to sum the whole thing up, the extra perspectives narrow your options and make it easier *shrug*

[lcmemusic]

Have a listen to my song "For The Money" at www.soundclick.com/jeffmyers . The Chorus is only two lines sung once each time, but very effective for the song; no need to really dwell on the chorus as the message is in the verses.Jeff

[lcmemusic]

Oh yeah, another thing about "For The Money" is the verse is built on three 3/4 measures and one 4/4 measure segueing into the chorus which is 4/4.Jeff

[zoom]

I'll finally chime in here with a thought... and don't think that it's been said in this thread yet... though maybe someone touched on it.Lyrical content is also a way to differentiate verse from chorus... The verses are the details, the personal story, the nuance, etc. while the chorus is the overall statement -- usually with some sort of twist on the words or strong image to lock it in place.And as far as what to write first... well, I agree with a couple of others that do the Zen songwriting thing... It depends! Though whenever I'm outside of the studio, I usually stumble into a good hook that I can't get out of my head until I get back... and when I'm in studio, I usually start with verses... must have something to do with my concentration level at the time.

[cameron]

Jun 22, 2008, 8:31am, edteja wrote:Actually, the best way to differentiate the chorus is to have everyone sing "ONE MORE TIME!" like in Henry the Eighth.LOL, actually that's the verse. I'm not sure the song has a chorus, because he says "second verse same as the first, gotta get better cause it can't get worse!" and then repeats the same hook about a million times as I recall.

[Mark Kaufman]

Sometimes just the title is the chorus...happens a lot with riff-fueled songs. I'm working on one now where the main riff works as both verse and chorus, but there is a lift before slamming into the chorus with the title. Coming out of the chorus and into the verse is sort of cool, because it's the same chords and melody, yet different backing and production. I'll post it here when it's done just for kicks...I kept worrying about this very thread while writing it, too.

[Mark Kaufman]

Here's that song I'm working on in which the chorus has the same chords and melody as the verse...what differentiates them?http://www.soundclick.com/bands/page_so ... 680723This thing is a work-in-progress...but it seems like a good weird example to toss into this discussion.

[edteja]

Jun 28, 2008, 9:15am, cameron wrote:Jun 22, 2008, 8:31am, edteja wrote:Actually, the best way to differentiate the chorus is to have everyone sing "ONE MORE TIME!" like in Henry the Eighth.LOL, actually that's the verse. I'm not sure the song has a chorus, because he says "second verse same as the first, gotta get better cause it can't get worse!" and then repeats the same hook about a million times as I recall. I think that was poetic license. Or Peter lied to us. I don't think it has a verse. Or it is an endlessly repeated 1st verse/chorus. See? He didn't differentiate them properly after all or we would know!!! Good thing he never got any record royalties for the tune.