Tag: intro

Tip #127 – Cheat-Sheet for Harmonic Lead-Ins

Say that you have a repetitive chord progression in your composition. Everything sounds good, but you want an introduction that is harmonically new… but at the same time leads into the main chord progression harmony.

Below, I have included a condensed “cheat-sheet” of options on what chords you begin a composition with and what are the best lead-ins before it:

Of course, these are just options that I have read about in discussion. They may or may-not work with your composition. Still, it is worth a try.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read! Feel free to comment, share, and subscribe for more daily tips below! Till next time.

Tip #126 – Checklist for a Well-Crafted Introduction

When composing an original composition or adapting a pre-performed piece of music as a new arrangement, the writer must consider how to deal with “free areas,” otherwise known as: the into, the ending, and the turnarounds.

When writing an introduction, there are certain aspects – think of it as a checklist – of things that the introduction should accomplish in order to make it an affective beginning statement for your work.

Some of these aspects would be having the introduction…

  • Be interesting and captivating to the audience
  • Harmonically lead into the first chord of the main structure
  • Function harmonically and stylistically as the main body of work
  • Preview some segment of the composition for thematic continuation

Of course, these are suggestions. None of these have to be followed, but they do pose critical features for making a strong introduction. Regardless, a composition must be deliberate with everything you write – even if conventional rules are not followed.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read! Feel free to comment, share, and subscribe for more daily tips below! Till next time.