What Makes a Great Intro?
While it’s okay to start a song with little fanfare, history shows what a difference a well-conceived introduction can make
Facing a notorious home run hitter in the ‘80s baseball film Bull Durham, upstart pitcher Nuke LaLoosh waves off catcher Crash Davis’s request for a curve, stating that he’d rather lead with his fastball in order to “announce my presence with authority.” The idea backfires when a miffed Davis tells the hitter that a belt-high heater was on its way, permanently setting the rookie straight.
Still, there are times when it really pays to announce one’s presence with authority, particularly when it comes to presenting a new song to the public. That’s the job of the intro—a brief but ear-grabbing burst of sound that could be an extract from the chorus, a captivating guitar riff, or even just a few bars of drums or percussion. Here we look at some notable examples of classic song-starters, and the almost endless array of intro ideas you can explore.
The riff intro. One of the best ways to make listeners take notice is having a repeating musical phrase at the top of the song. This intro riff can be the foundation for the body of the song (like the Beatles’ “Day Tripper,” White Stripes’ “Seven Nation Army” and numerous others), or it could be something that you conceive once the song is complete. Take the time to experiment not only with various musical ideas, but also different types of instrumentation. And don’t overdo a good idea—in most instances, eight bars of intro should be sufficient.
The no-riff intro. On the other hand, sometimes it behooves you to just get to the point—that is, having the vocal come right in on the first downbeat, and off you go. Remember, the main idea is to pique the listener’s interest as quickly as possible, and if you haven’t got a good enough introductory piece of music, then the no-riff intro is often the next best thing. As you may have noticed, when using this approach, you have the option to start with the chorus rather than the first verse, which can be particularly effective if the chorus hook is a strong one. If you don’t like the idea of jumping right in with the vocal, you can simply lead with a few bars from the song’s main chord progression.
The rhythm intro. A set of drums laying down a straight groove is yet another way to create an infectious beginning—just ask the zillions of stadium goers who helped turn Blur’s “Song 2” into one of the most unlikeliest of jock-jams in history. Nor does it hurt if the drum part itself has a unique feel, such as on Paul Simon’s hit “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover,” or the Aerosmith/Run-D.M.C. premier rap-rocker “Walk This Way.” You can always make the decision to lead with drums retroactively; all you need to do is isolate several bars of the mixed track and copy that to the front of the song.
Other openers. There are numerous other things you can try when launching your song—these include gradually fading up the beginning of the track; applying an ear-catching effect like tremolo or repeat echo to the instrumental opening; or perhaps using a single, stripped-down guitar rhythm that abruptly erupts into the full band track, a la Foo Fighters’ dynamic “All My Life.” In short, if you’ve got a really good track, spending some extra time on those first few seconds can help keep listeners from straying.
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