Comments on: Why The Beatles Didn’t Write As Many Great Choruses As You Think https://tonyconniff.com/why-the-beatles-didnt-write-as-many-great-choruses-as-you-think/ Songwriter, Producer, and Coach, based in New York City. Fri, 08 Mar 2019 04:13:49 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 By: Tony Conniff https://tonyconniff.com/why-the-beatles-didnt-write-as-many-great-choruses-as-you-think/#comment-7544 Fri, 08 Mar 2019 04:13:49 +0000 http://tonyconniff.com/?p=4131#comment-7544 In reply to Daniel McBrearty.

I agree; it is a shame. Things do have to change but it’s nice to keep the things that work and use them when it feels right.
Thanks, Daniel!
Best wishes,
Tony

]]> By: Tony Conniff https://tonyconniff.com/why-the-beatles-didnt-write-as-many-great-choruses-as-you-think/#comment-7543 Fri, 08 Mar 2019 04:11:52 +0000 http://tonyconniff.com/?p=4131#comment-7543 In reply to wayne somerville.

Wayne,
Thanks! I’m going to take a look at mine too.
Best wishes,
Tony

]]> By: Tony Conniff https://tonyconniff.com/why-the-beatles-didnt-write-as-many-great-choruses-as-you-think/#comment-7542 Fri, 08 Mar 2019 04:10:51 +0000 http://tonyconniff.com/?p=4131#comment-7542 In reply to Ricardo Temporao.

Me too.
Thanks, Ricardo!
Best wishes,
Tony

]]> By: Tony Conniff https://tonyconniff.com/why-the-beatles-didnt-write-as-many-great-choruses-as-you-think/#comment-7541 Fri, 08 Mar 2019 04:10:08 +0000 http://tonyconniff.com/?p=4131#comment-7541 In reply to Rich Meitin.

Thanks, Rich! You’ve helped me deepen my understanding of this.
Best wishes,
Tony

]]> By: Daniel McBrearty https://tonyconniff.com/why-the-beatles-didnt-write-as-many-great-choruses-as-you-think/#comment-7540 Fri, 01 Mar 2019 10:33:29 +0000 http://tonyconniff.com/?p=4131#comment-7540 It was a transition time in pop music. Let It Be, Penny Lane and the like are verse/chorus – just that the chorus actually has some harmonic structure and contains a few words other than the title. AABA is great for many songs, lends itself to a more narrative style. Shame it has mostly fallen by the wayside these days.

]]> By: wayne somerville https://tonyconniff.com/why-the-beatles-didnt-write-as-many-great-choruses-as-you-think/#comment-7539 Thu, 28 Feb 2019 23:08:03 +0000 http://tonyconniff.com/?p=4131#comment-7539 Speaking of form, it’s interesting how many songs start with the title. On your lists I counted 13. I also read that it was George Martin who advised The Beatles to start Can’t Buy Me Love with the chorus. It seems obvious and inevitable that the chorus comes first but of course these are all decisions that the songwriter makes. I’m trying to think if any of my songs start with the title and I’m pretty sure none of them do. Interesting. I’m going to give that a try.

]]> By: Ricardo Temporao https://tonyconniff.com/why-the-beatles-didnt-write-as-many-great-choruses-as-you-think/#comment-7538 Thu, 28 Feb 2019 20:15:45 +0000 http://tonyconniff.com/?p=4131#comment-7538 Excellent post… always nice to challenge the conventions we take for granted. Now if you’ll excuse me I’ve got some A’s to write.

]]> By: Rich Meitin https://tonyconniff.com/why-the-beatles-didnt-write-as-many-great-choruses-as-you-think/#comment-7537 Thu, 28 Feb 2019 16:50:42 +0000 http://tonyconniff.com/?p=4131#comment-7537 My favorite composition subject!

There are certain kinds of storylines that beg for AABA, in particular where your narrative would feel “disrupted”’by the jumpy energy or hype of a chorus. Imagine how disastrous it would be to add a chorus to “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” for example.

]]>