I have the basic chord structure for a chorus - Em C G D.
Now im find it difficult coming up with a progression for my verse. I guess I could just reorder the chords. Anything else I can try?
Help me chord progression variations in my song
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Marc Schonbrun Marc Schonbrun https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=168538
- KVRer
- 17 posts since 18 Dec, 2007 from San Francisco, CA
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- KVRAF
- 4692 posts since 28 Jan, 2003 from In these very interwebs
You've got a flat 6 (C) and flat 7 (D), and three major chords countering your tonic E minor in your chorus. These add a certain colour to the harmonic structure. Try moving it in a slightly different direction for the verse. Maybe hang around the 4th (A) and 5th (B), maybe add some more minor chords in there.
Another thing you can do is try adding chord extensions in the verse. For example, add a (note) D to the Em to make it Em7, or add F# (note) to G to make it G^7. This can add richness to the harmonic structure in the verse, which will make the chorus sound more solid and consolidated by contrast. Taken to extreme, it can make the verses more harmonically ambiguous and less grounded.
If you've got one chord per bar in the chorus, you could also try varying the pace of harmonic change in the verse. For example - two bars per chord, slowing down the verse. This will make the chorus seem more exciting (faster pace of change) by comparison. Also, think about using more irregular rhythms of change in the verse. For example - first chord is a bar and a half, and the second cord is half a bar. This will make the chorus sound more regular and predictable by comparison (not always a bad thing, just a compositional tool). Again, taken to extreme these will make the verses seem more unstable or unpredictable.
-Kim.
Another thing you can do is try adding chord extensions in the verse. For example, add a (note) D to the Em to make it Em7, or add F# (note) to G to make it G^7. This can add richness to the harmonic structure in the verse, which will make the chorus sound more solid and consolidated by contrast. Taken to extreme, it can make the verses more harmonically ambiguous and less grounded.
If you've got one chord per bar in the chorus, you could also try varying the pace of harmonic change in the verse. For example - two bars per chord, slowing down the verse. This will make the chorus seem more exciting (faster pace of change) by comparison. Also, think about using more irregular rhythms of change in the verse. For example - first chord is a bar and a half, and the second cord is half a bar. This will make the chorus sound more regular and predictable by comparison (not always a bad thing, just a compositional tool). Again, taken to extreme these will make the verses seem more unstable or unpredictable.
-Kim.