3. Pre-Chorus
What is a Pre-chorus?
The pre-chorus section of a song is found in a lot of popular music today. Its function is to build to a chorus.
Verses are usually pretty stable, meaning that don't pull us away from a sense of a musical home.
A pre-chorus can provide the tension necessary to pull us towards the chorus.
If you think of it as a story, the verse would be home. A character prefers to stay in their home environment and is comfortable there. There has to be some tension or problem that forces the character out of their home, toward an adventure that will challenge them and make them into a hero.
The pre-chorus works the same way as a problem in a story. It provides the tension that we want to be resolved.
A pre-chorus:
doesn't usually start on the I chord (That is home)
Often uses the IV chord and ends with the V chord (the V chord makes us long for home in the I chord)
uses different motifs than the verse
Uses a different chord progression
builds intensity to a chorus
For example, take "Billy Jean" by Michael Jackson
After the Introduction, there is the first verse:
She was more like a beauty queen from a movie scene
I said don't mind, but what do you mean, I am the one
Who will dance on the floor in the round
She said I am the one, who will dance on the floor in the round
She told me her name was Billie Jean, as she caused a scene
Then every head turned with eyes that dreamed of being the one
Who will dance on the floor in the round
Instead of gong to the chorus, the song builds with a pre-chorus:
People always told me be careful of what you do
And don't go around breaking young girls' hearts
And mother always told me be careful of who you love
And be careful of what you do 'cause the lie becomes the truth
This section serves is function as a pre-chorus as it builds the tension, harmonically towards a resolution in the chorus. The I chord is home and for this song that chord is F# minor. This prechorus does something interesting: it starts on a D major chord, which is the VIth degree of the scale. It then alternatives back to the I (F#minor).
Most importantly, the pre-chorus ends with these two chords: Bm (iv) followed by C# major (V).
Going to the V chord, makes the listener long for the I chord or home.
If the song went directly from the verse to the chorus, there wouldn't be any tension. It would be like the protagonist staying home. The pre-chorus offers the sense of movement and tension.
This pre-chorus meets the above criteria for this part of a song:
doesn't usually start on the I chord
Often uses the IV chord and ends with the V chord (the V chord makes us long for home in the I chord)
uses different motifs than the verse
build intensity to a chorus
In "Billy Jean, " the pre-chorus does not begin on I, but on VI. The last line of the pre-chorus uses the IV followed by the V. The motifs are different and the melody and chords build intensity to a chorus.
