Making your chorus beg for another key?

[cj31387]

I have noticed in a lot of good songs the chorus's first chord is a perfect fifth from the last chord of the verse that proceeded it. It makes the chorus explode and be in a different key. I've tried replicating this but It just isn't working, is there more to it than ending the last chord of the verse a 5th below or above the choruses first note? Please explain it simply also. I don't know music theory well at the moment.

For example this isn't a perfect 5th it actually goes from the verse to chorus by a minor third but the chorus just explodes and sounds so catchy because of it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7kqx0FMMMo&feature=kp

It sounds like it all resolves or something to the chorus, which I want to master doing.

Thanks in advance.

[Doug1978]

Buy and read this:

http://zenchamusic.com/electronic-music ... nt-course/

It's an excellent 63-page pdf booklet by Zac Citron (Zencha) outlining the reasons why and how certain creative decisions (as well as energy, emotion and tension etc) can benefit your songs.
It's reasonably cheap ($19.99) and I found it to be a refreshing alternative to other excellent nuggets of advice, both here on KVR (for instance by jumpingjackflash) and also in other places, such as this free and detailed research by Daniela and Bernd Willimek:
http://www.willimekmusic.de/music-and-emotions.pdf

As to the choice of chord, and therefore harmony/disharmony/tension/release etc, between verse and chorus: well there are many possibilities depending on what emotion you wish to try to convey (though the listener may not feel this in the same way as you).

I could blabber on further, but I genuinely believe that a read of those two pdfs, and particularly zenchamusic's pdf, will assist you better.
Cheers.

[JumpingJackFlash]

The following post might be of some help:

An introduction to modulation (changing key)

[MadBrain]

I think it doesn't have to be a perfect 5th apart... for instance, the song you linked to does bIII bVI Im bVI in its chorus which is a minor 3rd from Im at the end of the verse... Just having the chorus have different chords than the verse is like half the effect, and starting the chorus on a different chord than the verse helps a lot with that... whatever that different chord is.

[jancivil]

- goes from the verse to chorus by a minor third but the chorus just explodes and sounds so catchy because of it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7kqx0FMMMo&feature=kp

It sounds like it all resolves or something to the chorus, which I want to master doing.

Well, this, it 'begs' for that change, is your feeling for it but there is nothing particular as far as a device setting it up or a particular tension being resolved. It simply does that move; what that is however is a move to the relative major which apparently really happens for you. In terms of key, that relationship won't even be a change in key signature, it's not a dramatic change in key. There is talk here, go see about 'modulation' which is going to typically involve 'preparation', and such devices, but it doesn't apply to this track actually. IE: you already understand what there is to understand about that particular thing technically, just note that move to the major form of what boils down to the same 7 notes 'brings light' to it or whatever.