The Lyric Writer's Workroom
Songwriting tips, techniques, and ideas
17 Killer Intro Ideas for Your Songs
This article is part 3 of a series on song sections that I call “Dividing Space.” You can read this article on its own or begin at the beginning.
An Introduction to Introductions
The introduction of a song may build anticipation. It may acclimate the listener’s ear to the music. It may seize the listener’s attention with aural pleasures or oddities.Actually, the intro can serve any function you like. But to select the type of introduction that’s best for any one song, it helps to have an idea of the range of possibilities.
If you want to grab the listener by the ears from 0:01 on, try any of the ideas below.
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1. Sound effects or general atmosphere. For a great
example, check out the introduction to Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On?”
Or, for something a little stranger, try “Everything You Can Think” by
Tom Waits.2. Play the chord progression of the chorus or verse a few times. This will acclimate the listener’s ear to your song. If you’ve got something else interesting happening over the chords at the same time, even better!
3. Use dramatic contrast that gets the attention of your listeners. Duke Ellington does this with staccato horn blats at the beginning of “Solitude,” which soon gives way to a beautiful, slow cascade of piano chords.
4. Beginning Outside. Start in a different key from the one you’ll land on for the first verse.
5. Begin with an instrumental hook from any section of the rest of the song.
6. Sing a few notes a capella. Or a few lines. Or an entire section. There’s something about a naked human voice singing that commands attention—and then you have the supreme pleasure of renewing their interest yet again by bringing the band crashing down.
7. Count it off. Especially fun with weird time signatures. 1! 2! 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10…!
8. Hooks. Absolutely anything that’s fetching to the ear.
9. Filters. Cut a 78rpm of your intro and play it through a Victrola at the beginning of your song. Or do anything else that adds texture to your recording.
10. Begin with a common chord progression from whatever key you’re playing in.
11. Skip it altogether. Begin the first verse immediately. This can be a powerful approach, immediately immersing your listener in your sounds.
12. Say Something! You can speak unaccompanied or with the rhythm section behind you. What you say is totally up to you—you could share an anecdote, the story behind the title of the song… you could even recite poetry! But please, if you pick that latter one, make sure you know what you’re doing first.
13. Fade in. Slowly turn up the fader, bringing in the sounds of a piece in progress.
14. Begin with the title. If you’re feeling sleepy, check out “Blast Off” by The Birthday Party. Did Nick Cave get your attention?
15. Have an instrument play a vocal melody that we’ll hear later in the song. This is a great way to introduce the sound of the chorus at a time when the lyrics might not have proper context yet.
16. Play rubato, or very loosely. Have your musicians play freely or with very loose tempo toward the beginning of the piece, then pull it all tight just in time for the first verse.
17. Compose it. For any and all instruments that appear later in the song… or even more. String intros can sound great, even on songs that otherwise don’t use them. For an example, check out George Benson’s “The World is a Ghetto.”
What other interesting intro ideas can you think up?
Let us know in the comments! There must be more than 17 possibilities.
—In part 4, the last part of this series, we’ll explore outros. How fitting!
Hey, while you’re waiting, why not subscribe?
Great recommendation–this list can definitely be used as a spice rack. Season to taste.
And if any of y’all have got the budget to hire the London Bach Choir, you’ve earned my awe. And respect. And seething jealousy.
It's kinda like, I could have had a V-8…
At least you’ve supplied some choices in addition to my usual skip it altogether…
(One of my favorite intros is the acceptance of cash handed to me by adoring audience members, though. )
Whoa, really? That’s a new one to me, because I’ve always loved writing (or improvising) introductions.
I haven’t had the good fortune of that latter intro.
One of my least favorite intros is telling a wandering drunk to leave my guitar/amplifier/soundboard the hell alone. Agh!
Thanks for giving me the much-needed prodding.
Love it
here’s some of mine
watching the drummer fall off his bass drums (don’t ask) right through the middle of his kit and seeing the rest of the kit fall on top of him
Accidentally play the intro in 7/8 cos you were thinking of a similar riff you’d been writing earlier in the day (“why the hell is the rest of the band staring at me like that?”)
plug in a borrowed amp after yours has blown a fuse 30 seconds before you’re due to start.
watch 50% of your sheet music fall through a gap in the stage 30 seconds before you’re due to start (this was during a theatre production)
re – 12 , check out From The Ritz To The Rubble by Arctic Monkeys – awesome
I particularly like the concept of #15. As a overly-devoted fan of Bill Frisell I have a very strong appreciation for grounding a song in the melody (even in his case if it’s an entirely instrumental version of a song with a well-known vocal melody).
I’ve been playing for years, but have only recently begun to work on composing my own pieces. Thanks for the great advice in many of these articles.
“ONE!TWO!THREE!FOUR!”
I love the Ramones! I just finally heard Richard Hell and the Voidoids for the first time, too. Thanks for the awesome comment. Not sure how I missed the Dee Dee-style intro here.
I’ve had some good Frisell experiences. His tracks on Masada Guitars were rad. And have you heard the two-disc album he did with Jim Hall? I love guitar duo albums.