Linking Verse and Chorus

Q: Arash asks… I have written a good chorus but the verse I wrote for it sounds like it doesn’t belong to that chorus musically.. What can I do?

A: There could be a few things causing this…

1. In today’s successful songs, the chords in both the verse and chorus are usually very similar. Check to see if your chords have changed too much, if you’ve moved too far outside the key, if you’re changing chords too frequently in your verse.

From Inspiration to Finished Song

Q: “I find that I have an easy time finding a first verse and chorus (or rather, it finds me) but I’ll have trouble coming up with two more verses or a verse and bridge. The lyrics tend to sound forced and I feel trapped. Is that just how it goes when you’re trying to stick to a form?”

A: For a lot of songwriters, this is how a song gets started. The first verse or chorus of a song may come to you full-blown, music and lyrics together. But what happens next? That rush of inspiration has exhausted itself and now you have to finish your song. Try this tip for expanding an inspired lyric idea into a complete song.