Striking The Right Chord
One kind of "creative
rut" that songwriters can easily fall into is when the chorus section of all their
songs starts to sound the same. Some songwriters get into the habit of using the same
chord to begin the chorus of every song they write. In this column, we'll take a look at
some of the many chords you can use to start your chorus and the successful songs that
have used them in the past .
 The I
(one major ) chord. Contrary to popular belief, there's nothing wrong
with starting the chorus to your song (or bridge in an AABA song) on the "I"
chord. Be careful though, to make sure your chorus contrasts from the verse - either
rhythmically or melodically. For example, both the chorus and verse to hit song "She
Believes In Me" (songwriter - Gibb) begin on the I chord, but the melody soars
high in the chorus in contrast to the melody in the verse. Similarly both the verse and
bridge to song "Somewhere Over The Rainbow" (songwriter - Howard/Arlen)
start on the I chord, but the 8th note rhythm of the bridge makes it stand out in contrast
to the half note feel of the verse.
 The iim (two minor) chord. The iim chord is similar
in structure to the IV chord, but, like the iiim and vim chord, it is a minor chord with a
different sound quality than the IV chord. It is not used very frequently to begin a
chorus, but is used more often as a starting chord of a bridge section in an AABA song
as
in the old standard "I'm In The Mood For Love" (songwriter -
Fields/McHugh).
The iiim
(three minor) chord. Another chord which is similar in structure to the
I chord is the iiim chord. It is not used as frequently to start a chorus as the vim chord
but has a similar sound quality. The adult contemporary hit, "All I Have"
(songwriter - Chapman/Kaz) has a chorus which starts on the iiim chord, and the bridge of
the Elvis Presley AABA classic, "Can't Help Falling In Love" (songwriter
- Weiss/Peretti/Creatore) starts on a iiim chord as does the grammy nominated song "The
Greatest Man I Never Knew" (songwriter - Leigh/Martine).
The IV
(four major) chord. Another common chord choice for starting the bridge
or chorus of a song is the IV chord. Probably the reason it is such a popular choice among
songwriters is because of it can be set-up easily. By ending a verse on a I chord, you
automatically have set up the chorus to begin on a IV chord. This is because of the
natural "pull" the I chord has toward the IV chord (technically speaking, the I
chord acts as the dominant of the IV chord). Some of the many songs which use the IV chord
to start the chorus (or bridge), include: "Lucille" (songwriter -
Bowling), "Timber, I'm Falling In Love" (songwriter - Kostas), "Nobody
Loves Me Like You Do" (songwriter - Dunne/Phillips-Oland/), and "Fallin'
Out Of Love" (songwriter - Ims).
 The V (five
major) chord. A common chord used to begin a chorus in a song is the V
chord. The V chord is a naturally unstable chord and the I chord is a naturally stable
chord. So when you end the verse on the I chord and start the chorus on the V chord, you
create a contrast. The chorus in both, "Rumor Has It" (songwriter -
Burch/Dant/Shell) and "Guardian Angels" (songwriter -
Schlitz/Jarvis/Judd) starts on the V chord.
 The vim
(six minor) chord. The vim chord is a chord which is fairly close in
structure to the I chord. In fact, two of the three notes that make up these two chords
are the same. The one note difference between these two chords results in the vim chord
having a more "somber" quality as opposed to the "brightness" of the I
chord. Starting the bridge on the vim chord can result in a change of mood in a song as
in, "Through The Eyes Of Love" (songwriter - Hamlisch/Sager) or "What
I Did For Love" (songwriter - Hamlisch). The grammy winning song, "Wind
Beneath My Wings" (songwriter - Henley/Silbar) begins its soaring chorus on a vim
chord as does the bridge in "Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue"
(songwriter - Leigh).
That gives you seven different
approaches you can try the next time you're looking for a different sound for that chorus
you're working on. Maybe one of them will spark something in you that will help you create
a standout chorus.
 Hope to see you
on the charts.
Danny
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