Chorus Differentiation - tips & tricks

[Casey H]

I decided it might be good to make a thread just about chorus differentiation and sectional contrast, in general. The most common reasons for TAXI returns as well as rejections in general are (1) Off-target and (2) Chorus not strong enough. A lot has all ready been discussed on the boards about item 1.Some of the most common techniques for making the chorus stand out as different are:(1) Melody: The melody is definitely different than that of the verses(2) Lift: The chorus hits notes that are higher than those of the verses. Many times the chorus can start on a higher note, but in can "center" or "peak" there too.(3) Length of notes: The verse uses short notes (ah ah ah ah) and the chorus uses long ones (aaaaahhhhhhh) or vice-versa. (4) Rhythm/Phrasing/Meter: Can overlap with item 3 and performance but basically anything that works... pauses, change of drums/beat, different meter, etc. (5) Interval: Use of an interval jump in the melody.Sometimes a different rhyming pattern in the chorus helps too.These techniques can be used individually or in combination with each other. The same concept can apply to making a bridge stand out as different, but I'm sticking with choruses for now.Are there songs that are great and don't do any of these things? Yes. many. A favorite of mine is "Hey Jealousy" by the Gin Blossoms. The chorus melody and phrasing is very similar to the verses' and you can barely tell that the chorus starts on a different chord than the verses. However, we are new songwriters and we are held to high standards to break in. So, citing exceptions doesn't buy us much.Does production help? Yes, it does. But it is best to use production to make existing good contrast sound even stronger as opposed to trying to create it.What might be a good exercise for this thread would be for people to post names of successful songs and talk about how the song uses one of more of these techniques. Posting links to your own songs to discuss the chorus differentiation might also be worthwhile. Anything goes. In a songwriting seminar I went to, the speaker used Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You" as an example. If you download the tune (or already have it), notice the change to the long drawn out notes in the chorus. I----------- will always love youuuuuuuuuu... OK, I gave one example... So, do you have any songs we can learn from? Casey