Choruses (of the arrangement kind)

[professorlamp]

what are you guys doing to yours to make sure there's impact?

currently I'm working on a mix and theres just no impact when the chorus hits, it sounds too cohesive with the rest of the track, when really I want it to stick out and nudge the listener.

I know that extra guitar layers are usually a good start but any other things?
I'd like to add some layers underneath but am unsure of what, also I feel that a lot of automation will have to be done for this to get where i want it.

Any pointers?

 

[shadowmac]

Consider that less is often more, which in this case may mean that you take something off of the verse / segue coming into the chorus OR you make the chorus less busy musically and let the voices do the talking. In HEDDA, we strive to make each and every song grow / evolve from beginning to end - if you start off with everything you've got, or get to everything you've got to early in the song, there is no where for you to go. Without hearing your song, it is impossible to make specific suggestions about it, but perhaps looking at what you've got before the chorus is the key. Changing levels with automation is an effective tool, but use it only as icing on the cake - to bring out flavors that are already present and have been refined. I've said this before and I'll say it again, "Pull Me Under" by Dream Theater is a great example / tutorial in songwriting; it has movement, it evolves and it's catchy. Give it a listen.

Good luck,

Mac

 

[koalamo]

I know its impractical to do this now since its already been recorded but for future reference Make the chorus a few bpm faster than the verses or at least the one before it you could also automate the volume of the whole chorus to be louder than the rest of the song


Alot of making the chorus more defined should be done during tracking though like recording multiple layers of extra guitar and vocal harmonies etc you don't want to make it too overbearing though just enough to stand out

 

[DanLights]

I know its impractical to do this now since its already been recorded but for future reference Make the chorus a few bpm faster than the verses or at least the one before it you could also automate the volume of the whole chorus to be louder than the rest of the song

This is what I was gonna suggest, plus extra vocal harmonies/backing synths always help

 

[Skinny Viking]

push the tempo a few bpm .. or pull it back a few depending on the effect you're trying to achieve with the chorus

add an acoustic guitar doing a single strum of each main guitar chord change and drop it in below everything as a sweetener

a very light keyboard sound very far under everything can work wonders, just need to find the right sound and place it volume wise right at the point where you're not sure you hear it or not

additional heavy guitar layers can be cool but also try adding a completely different guitar sound in there to really separate it from the verse or whatever

that should get you started. If its one thing I know I can do, its write a great chorus with a lot of impact

EDIT - also in regards to vocal harmonies ... try adding a VERY low one under everything and double it. I mean as low as the singer can go and if you have to tune it thats fine but just get something deep and resonating. Double it up and like all the other things, drop it very far under everything ... combination of several of those ideas will make for some much more exciting chorus parts and the listener may not even be sure why it sounds more exciting

 

[jipchen]

Cool advice here. I'd say add some subtle snyths that fuse with the distorted guitars (if there are any)..
I heard a song today where this was done and it sounded ridiculously awesome.
I only realized it after listening with a lot of attention to it because the guitars in the chorus sounded so cool.

(just realized our viking already said it. damnit )

 

[AntonioPetrole]

Cool advice here. I'd say add some subtle snyths that fuse with the distorted guitars (if there are any)..
I heard a song today where this was done and it sounded ridiculously awesome.
I only realized it after listening with a lot of attention to it because the guitars in the chorus sounded so cool.

(just realized our viking already said it. damnit )

insomnium does this ALOT and you don't notice it if you don't listen for it. Its a cool trick

Edit: Im gonna try and go 5 days without talking about them

 

[Paulie!]

Catchy guitar overdubs can often do the trick as well, ie. a semi-repetative lead or octave chord progression.... (this depends alot on the band's style, though)

I also +1 the pushing/dropping the tempo during tracking it really adds something to make the transition pop.

 

[Morgan C]

insomnium does this ALOT and you don't notice it if you don't listen for it. Its a cool trick

Examples of some parts in some songs? so I don't have to search through their whole discography. However, judging from what I'm listening to on YouTube that wouldn't be a bad thing at all..

 

[jeid]

There's some great advice here. I'm always trying to find ways to make chorus' pop. The amount of singers that can't harmonise, baffles me though. I'll even sit and teach them the harmony and they still struggle to get it, or they phrase it totally differently!

I'll be trying some of these ideas out.

On the chorus tempo jump, how many BPM do you usually bump it? 5bpm? Less?

Thanks guys

 

[DanLights]

more than 5 bpm would be a bit risky, but it could work depending on the situation, sometimes as high as 10 bpm can really give life to a song, but as I said, that's risky

 

[Skinny Viking]

There's some great advice here. I'm always trying to find ways to make chorus' pop. The amount of singers that can't harmonise, baffles me though. I'll even sit and teach them the harmony and they still struggle to get it, or they phrase it totally differently!

I'll be trying some of these ideas out.

On the chorus tempo jump, how many BPM do you usually bump it? 5bpm? Less?

Thanks guys

REALLY depends on the effect you're going for but for me personally in MY type of music writing, I've never pushed or dropped more than 6 bpm ... and that was drastic sounding but it was the result I was looking for. If you're just trying to add excitement, usually 3-4 is more than enough, especially if you combine with some of the other exciter elements. A lot of times you'll need to check your vocal melody for a chorus ... try doing the melody faster AND slower than the original and see what sounds better ... you might be surprised. I've actually dropped bpm on a couple choruses I fully intended to push because after trying it a little slower it suddenly made a new vocal idea and, in one case, a brand new bassline pop into my head

experiment experiment experiment