What Is a Pre-Chorus? (And How to Write One)
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A pre-chorus is a short section between the verse and the chorus that builds toward the chorus. It is usually two or four lines long, comes back before most choruses with the same or nearly the same words, and often feels unfinished on purpose, so the chorus sounds like the answer. Some writers call it the build or the lift. Plenty of songs don’t have one.
Below is the same verse and chorus, first without a pre-chorus and then with one. After that, this guide covers what a pre-chorus does, how it differs from a bridge, and how to write one in six steps.
Without a pre-chorus (example written for this guide)
With a pre-chorus (same verse, same chorus)
What a pre-chorus does
A pre-chorus has three jobs, and most do more than one at once.
- It builds energy. The melody climbs, the lines get shorter or the rhythm gets busier, and the listener can feel the chorus coming.
- It holds back the resolution. The melody and chords stop somewhere that wants to move, so the first note of the chorus feels like a release.
- It separates the verse from the chorus. When the verse and chorus melodies sit close together, a few bars of something different between them makes each one easier to hear.
Pre-chorus vs bridge vs post-chorus
These three are easy to mix up, since all of them sit next to a chorus. The difference is where and how often.
| Section | Where it comes | How often | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-chorus | Right before each chorus | Before most choruses, often skipped after the bridge | Builds into the chorus |
| Bridge | Usually after the second chorus | Once | Breaks the pattern before the last chorus |
| Post-chorus | Right after a chorus | After some or all choruses | Keeps the energy up with a repeated word, sound or riff |
For more on the one that comes once, see what a bridge is and how to write one. For where all the sections sit in a full song, with bar counts, see pop song structure explained.
How to write a pre-chorus
1. Check whether the song needs one
Sing the end of your verse straight into the chorus. (If the verse itself isn’t settled yet, start with how to write a verse.) If the chorus already feels like an arrival, you may not need a pre-chorus. Add one when the switch feels too sudden, or when the chorus doesn’t lift because the verse has already used up the same notes.
2. Keep it short
A pre-chorus is a ramp, so it should be shorter than the verse. Two or four lines, often four bars or so, is enough. If it grows as long as the verse, the listener starts hearing it as another verse and the build is lost.
3. Make the melody climb
Start the pre-chorus around where the verse sits and move upward, step by step or in small leaps, toward the first note of the chorus. You don’t need to reach the chorus’s highest note. Save that for the chorus itself. Stopping one step below where the chorus starts, as in the example above, makes the chorus feel like the next step up.
4. Change the rhythm of the words
Contrast with the verse makes the build easier to hear. If the verse is wordy, try short lines with a gap between them in the pre-chorus. If the verse is spacious, try packing the pre-chorus with quicker syllables. Either way, the listener notices that something has changed.
5. End on something that wants to move
The last note and chord of the pre-chorus should feel unfinished. In practice that means ending on a note other than the home note of the key, and often on the chord built on the fifth note of the key (G in the key of C), or holding a note right before the chorus starts. The pull toward resolution is what makes the first beat of the chorus land.
6. Set up the chorus with the words
Pre-chorus lyrics usually lead into the title without saying it. A question, a turn or a line that ends on a cliffhanger works well. Since the pre-chorus repeats, keep its words the same or nearly the same each time, so the listener learns it along with the chorus.
Common pre-chorus problems and quick fixes
| Problem | Try this |
|---|---|
| It sounds like another verse | Shorten it and change the rhythm of the words, so it moves differently from the verse |
| It is more exciting than the chorus | Lower its highest note, or move its best idea into the chorus |
| The chorus still feels sudden | End the pre-chorus on a held note, or on a chord that wants to resolve |
| The song feels long before the first chorus | Cut the pre-chorus to two lines, or shorten the verse. The section length guide shows how to count the wait |
Keep going
A pre-chorus only works if the chorus delivers, so read how to write a chorus next. If the song needs a change before the last chorus, see what a bridge is and how to write one. To lay out your own verse, pre-chorus and chorus and hear them together, start a free trial of Mouta Studio on a desktop browser.
Common questions
How long is a pre-chorus?
Usually two or four lines, which is often four or eight bars. At 120 BPM, four bars last 8 seconds. It should be shorter than the verse.
Does every song need a pre-chorus?
No. Many songs go straight from verse to chorus. Add a pre-chorus when the jump between them feels too sudden or the chorus doesn’t lift.
Can the pre-chorus lyrics change each time?
They can, but most pre-choruses keep the same or nearly the same words, like a smaller chorus. Changing one line is a common middle ground.
Is a pre-chorus the same as a bridge?
No. A pre-chorus comes before most choruses and builds into it. A bridge comes once, usually after the second chorus, and breaks the pattern.