We all know that choruses are the part of your song that really need to shine. So, this post will try and help you with that. There are several things you can do, combining songwriting, arranging, and production.
The process focuses on one anchoring thought:
Low on the verse; high on the chorus.
That’s going to be the mantra throughout this post.
And obviously, there aren’t really real rules for songwriting and production, so don’t for one second take these tips as gospel. Use your ears and focus on what sounds good!
Also, I can’t read or write music. So, rest assured, these tips will have precisely zero to do with music theory
Writing choruses
Firstly, you can write songs in a way that will bring out the chorus.
When songwriters write, it’s usually just them and an instrument – guitar, piano… whatever.
So, it’s here at this base level that you should start working out how that chorus will lift. Try these:
- Play low-end power chords on verses, then open chords on the chorus: for example, just play power chords on the bottom three strings of a guitar during verses; this alone will create a dynamic to lift your chorus; particularly useful if you’re a three-chord player
Watch my left hand in the video performance below of 1 Diva + 2 Liars = 2 Idiots. It starts with the verse, where I play power chords. Then the chorus starts 12 seconds in, where you can see me change to open chords.
That’s what I’m talking about!
- Work out a higher vocal: again, this is a useful one for three-chorders; so, if both your verse and chorus are in G, you should find a different key within the scale to sing it.
For example, in Fingering Taylor Swift(‘s Signature Model Guitar), the verse and chorus are in G, but the verse is sung in G, while the chorus is sung in the next C up.
- Minor key in verses; major key in choruses: obviously, this will depend a lot on the song. But, one of my go-to approaches for lifting a chorus is playing with that.
If I’m struggling, a verse in Em and a chorus in G, is my go-to within that go-to.
But, if you check out Shoot The Glass below, you see the verse is in Em, while the chorus get lifted in C.
Did I ever mention that there’s a YouTube channel you can subscribe to?
Arrangement
I’ll keep leaning on guitars and vocals.
- Let your gear do the work: as I have shown in the post about why we need so many guitars, different guitars have different natural tones; so, playing things in a different way on different guitars can really bring out your chorus.
But, remember: the same principles can be applied to any other instrument.
For example, in the video below, you’ll see my go-to for such things involves…- Solid body guitar with humbuckers: power chords on verses; open chords on choruses
- Solid body guitar with single coils: I’ll usually play some basic melody in the middle of the fingerboard in the verses; then, I’ll shoot up to the higher frets to get a lead melody over the chorus
- Solid body guitar with single coils: barre chords, specifically played through my Smokey amp
- Backing vocals: try singing a harmony – think later Oasis tunes like Lyla; even some oohs and aahs are simple, but can give your chorus a welcome lift – play with them, have fun, make a choir!
- Percussion: as I have noted, probably in all my posts about percussion, I lean into shaker on verses and tambourine on choruses; in addition to harmonies, it’s another one strongly inspired by Oasis
The jangle of the tambourine is brighter than the shaker, and claves and most other percussion toys you might have round; therefore, it’s the right choice for the chorus.
Production
Finally, when you’ve tracked everything, and you’re bringing it all together in the mix, here are a couple of tips to make sure it sounds cool.
- Follow the tips above: a good song that’s been tracked properly will mix itself; I absolutely promise you
Ideally, you should feel it sounding sounding complete as soon as you import your micro-mixes into the your complete project and press play…
… and that includes the chorus shining
- Be subtle: particularly with things you’ve recorded explicitly for the chorus, so backing vocals, tambourine, and barre chords through a solid body guitar with single coil pickups through a Smokey
Personally, I find I can be a little heavy with where they sit in a mix; when I go back to mixing after a break, I generally need to take them down – these elements are to boost the foundation of the track… not overshadow them
Bringing out your choruses: conclusion
So, there you have it.
As I have noted at the start, these shouldn’t be taken as hard rules. But, in light audio recording, we like efficiency, so, having a go-to idea of how to bring out choruses can save you some time.
Go forth; write, arrange, produce; and let those choruses shine!
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