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What is a chorus in a song?

The chorus is the part of a song that comes back with the same words each time. It carries the song’s main idea, often its title, with the catchiest melody and the most going on. It is the part people remember and sing along to.

Usually 8 bars · 8 bars, sometimes 16; the last chorus is often played twice

Where the chorus goes

After each verse, or each pre-chorus: usually three times, the last one after the bridge.

The chorus, lit on a pop song map at 110 BPM.

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A pop beat across all 72 bars, with a marker at each section, to change part by part. No account needed to start.

How long is a chorus?

A chorus usually runs 8 bars (8 bars, sometimes 16; the last chorus is often played twice). In seconds, that depends on the tempo:

How long a chorus of 8 bars is at three tempos
Tempo8 bars16 bars
90 BPM21 s43 s
110 BPM17 s35 s
128 BPM15 s30 s

How to make a chorus

  • Bring everything in: the full drums, the bass, the chords and the top line, or a part the verse did not have.
  • Put the title, or the main line, at its start or its end.
  • Lift the melody above the verse’s.
  • Make the last chorus bigger: play it twice, add a harmony, or move it up a key.

Questions about the chorus

How long is a chorus?

Usually 8 bars, 16 seconds at 120 BPM. The final chorus is often played twice, 16 bars.

What is the difference between a chorus and a hook?

The chorus is a section of the song. The hook is its catchiest idea, which can be in the chorus, a riff or a sound. In rap, the chorus itself is called the hook.

How many times does the chorus come back?

Three times in most pop songs: after the first verse, after the second, and after the bridge.

Other parts of a song

IntroVersePre-chorusPost-chorusHookRefrainBridgeBreakdownDropOutro

Song maps with a chorus

Pop song structureRock song structureMetal song structureR&B song structureCountry song structure

Map out a song

The free editor opens with a pop beat laid out as a whole song, a marker at each section. Change any part, add one, or take one away.

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