Song writing tips: Writing a good verse

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As we mentioned in the lesson "song components", the verse is the part of the song that comes after the intro and before the 1st chorus. This part is where the vocals start, that's why it's a very important part, today we're going to learn the right songwriting techniques to write a wonderful Verse.

We've said in the "take care of your intro" lesson that the intro mint to grab listeners attention and sets the mood for them, so by the end of the intro you should already have your listener's attention.

The verse works the same way, you have to keep your audience's expectations on, so they always expect more and better. If you can do that, your verse will be great as well as your song.

The other aspect, is that the verse has an increased energy level comparing to the intro, so you have to build your verse along with your energy increase, until it reaches the chorus. The beginning of the verse represents it's lowest energy level, and the end of it represents the highest. So try to begin with low energy and by the middle of the verse you should increase loudness in your instruments as well as your vocals until the end of it.

The length of the verse usually is 8 bars, but you could find some that are 4, 12 or even 16 bars. You should choose a verse length according to your lyrics and song theme.

Usually most songs have 2 verses, whether there are ones that have 3 and require a bridge to connect the 2nd chorus and the 3rd verse. You can choose between maintaining the same energy level between verses or an increased one gradually from the 1st verse to the last.