Writing a Song Where the Verse and Chorus Melodies are the Same

Writing a chorus melody that works as a verse requires keeping things simple.

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You can fill a book with ways that verses and choruses differ from each other. But while the differences we talk about are clear, they’re also usually subtle. It doesn’t take a lot to make a melody sound more like a chorus than a verse. Proof that the differences are slight is that there are a good number of songs that use the same melody for both sections – “Born the the USA” (Springsteen), “Hound Dog” (Leiber & Stoller), even “Puff the Magic Dragon”.

A melody that sounds great for a chorus will have a good chance as a verse melody as well, but good verse melodies don’t necessarily make good chorus melodies. That’s because there is a lot more leeway in verse construction than in chorus construction. Therefore, good song structure demands that you defer to the requirements of the chorus if you’re going to use the same melody you used for the verse.

Songs that use the same melody for verse and chorus will naturally use a different lyric for each section, since lyric (in addition to instrumentation) is the main difference between the two.

If you want to write a song that uses the same melody throughout, you need to get it working well as a chorus first. Here are the things you should consider to make a chorus melody work well:

1. It should usually see the tonic chord as a goal. Your chorus chords need to be worked out in such a way that the tonic chord is the last chord.
2. Chord progressions should be tonally strong. Avoid overuse of altered chords (i.e., chords that come from outside the song’s key).
3. The melody should make good use of repetition. Phrases melodic shapes that repeat are a hallmark of a good chorus.

There are other aspects as well. Chorus melodies often use the tonic note in addition to the chord as an important goal (though not always, as “Born in the U.S.A.” shows).

To write a song that uses the same melody for verse and chorus, start by thinking of your melody as a chorus melody. Create a chord progression that ends on the tonic chord. The progression should be simple but strong. Don’t wander off into odd key areas. Make the progression basic and musically undemanding. The majority of songs that use the same melody for both sections also start on the tonic chord, so think of the tonic as an important beginning and ending of your progression.

Once you’ve got a progression, create a melody that ends on the tonic note. Sometimes it helps to work backwards – get the last phrase working, then try composing a phrase that leads into that one, and so on.

Now you’ve got a melody that works well as a chorus. To make it appropriate for a verse, you need to come up with a different set of lyrics for each section. When it comes to performing or recording your song, the two main elements that make the verse and chorus sound different from each other are:

1. Instrumentation. Verse instrumentation is usually much lighter than chorus.
2. Background vocals. Save them for the chorus.

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Written by Gary Ewer. Follow on Twitter.

Download “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” 6-eBook Bundle, which includes “Essential Chord Progressions” – tons of progressions you can use in your songs as is, or modify to suit your needs.