What are the typical layers in a pop-rock or rock song's chorus?

R

ronz.ombie

New member
Hello. I would like to ask what the layers in a typical pop-rock (or rock) song's chorus are. (Like, what are the instruments that are usually played during the chorus of a pop-rock song or a rock song.)
Usually when the chorus comes it becomes really full and loud so it's quite difficult for me to pin down all the sounds. I know there's usually the electric guitar sound and a lot of drum sounds. So I'd also like to know the basic/typical pattern (esp about the rhythm) of the electric guitar part and the drum part. I tried to play around with some drum patterns for the chorus part but I just couldn't quite get it right. (It doesn't sound very full.)
Thanks
 
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You are trying too hard to make something that has been done millions of times IMO. Let's go away from genre:

A song "chorus/drop" Should at the basics have:
Melodies, Harmony(chord progressions), Percussion, Bassline, Ambience(floaty airyness to fill). Now get creative, I listed 5 things. The best produced tracks have a lot of tracks no one ever hears but is perceived by the listener by and overall fuller and more complete sound
 
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But to actually answer the question...

It's hard to tell anything about "pop-rock/rock" as it's a very broad definition, any links of the style?

But just to give some guesses...
As far as I've heard during all the modern rock songs I've listened to:
- Electric guitars - often quad-guitars or even more overdubs - meaning you record the same guitar performance 4 times or more (or even less if thats suits the song better) and pan the hard left/right and either create a massive wall of rock guitars, or a nice, steady and wide guitar riff
- More electric guitars that complement the main fundamental guitar riff
- Acoustic guitar
- Piano
- Vocals with a bunch of overdubs to make it all wide + vocal harmonies and eventual backing vocals
- Subtle synth sounds
- Bass guitar
- Drums recorded with dozens if mics

Again, just some guesses as it's hard to give some good info without knowing the desired sound.
 
Thanks for the replies. When I said pop/rock, what I had in mind was songs like Kelly Clarkson's Stronger or Pink's So What or even One Direction songs like What Makes You Beautiful. And can you please tell me more about the drum pattern for the chorus? I notice there's kick-snare-kick-snare sound with a lot of hats but other than that I'm not sure what other drum sounds the pop/rock chorus usually has.

Also wapiti can you tell me how to make or where to get the ambience sound?
 
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ambience is room sound reverbs and so on, it can also mean any environmental sounds

as for what is typically found in a chorus it differs from song to song and even sometimes within the same song - I was initially going to respond with "how long do you want that piece of string? again" because it really is that different for every song/situation

wapiti nailed the idea of

melody - the vocal line?
counter-melody - strings, brass, woodwind, whatever takes your fancy
harmony - keys, bass, guitar, strings
rhythmic impetus - drums, percussion, bass

I'll have a look at the songs you mentioned and give a you a breakdown of each chorus in them later on (maybe Thursday)
 
Try googling Gary Ewer Chorus. He has some simple ideas for differentiating verse and chorus. But I think you've received a great primer so far.
 
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