Verses set up the foundation for where the chorus sits on top. If you can make the verses of your songs flow towards a killer chorus then you are halfway there in creating a song that people will gravitate to.
Verses lay down the foundation of a song by allowing the songwriter room to tell the story or set the scene of what is happening. Character development can happen in the verses as well.
Always remember that the chorus is the main focal point of the song. It can be likened to the answer of a question. If that's the case then the verses are the questions themselves.
Verses set up the arrival of the chorus both lyrically and melodically so therefore they are repetitious in their nature. The melody generally stays the same while the lyrics change underneath.
I like verses to be flowing and full of purpose. You dont want to detract the listener from the chorus that is about to arrive.
Verses should create a good contrast for the chorus to stand out more. If you have a chorus that is anthemic in it's nature then your verses need to be almost understated. The listening public will inherently know that a chorus is coming up and the more anticipation you can build up the better. Just make sure that you have a chorus that is able to release the anticipation you are building.
Verses are not meant to be complete in themselves. They are meant to be leading somewhere, generally to a pre-chorus (which I will talk about in a later article) or the chorus. It's important for songwriters to realise that verses and choruses are very different to each other.
Whilst judging song competitions I have heard many songs that suffer from a lack of distinction between a verse and a chorus. Its almost like they were arbituary terms. It's like the songwriter was saying to the listener "This must be a chorus because it comes after a verse". You need to understand the relationship that verses and choruses have with each other. I believe that verses are just as important as choruses. A great chorus can be spoiled by a grandstanding verse so the balance needs to be in the writing.
Verses are the roadmaps of your song. Start giving your listener the directions that they need to get the most out of your songwriting.
Until next time, happy writing,
Corey Stewart
Songwriter/Musician
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