It is from a rather recent musical era, that songs start with the hook, that most older tracks only reveal after a huge build up of verse and pre chorus.

Probably this is rooted in the way many of us consume music these days - it is the golden age of singles, Spotify and YouTube. We need to be hooked a lot faster than some years ago, when artists used to have a 5 minute Intro to a 9 minute track. The competition for your attention is just one click away.

If you have the right bait on your hook, you can not be deep in your listeners ears soon enough. Here are some ways to do that!

Tip 1: pitch your vocals

If you have a vocal sample or a real singer on your drop/chorus, extract the main phrase from the melody and pitch up or down an octave, to just give a hint on what is coming. That way you introduce the catchies part of the song first and get peoples attention. Especially useful for producing future bass or trap.

Tip 2: alternate the main sound

If your lead sound is a cool Serum patch with a heavy super saw, take the melody and play it with a plucky mallet and a lot of reverb. You expose just a little sequence without getting naked ;).

Tip 3: filter the master

Oldest trick in the book, but not often used for the introduction of a hook. Cut out a phrase of your drop/chorus and apply high or low pass and let the filter dive right into the “real beginning” of your composition.

Tip 4: cut and repeat

Just cut out a fragment of the main hook and let it repeat in the beginning. Effectwise you can apply all of the above mentioned methods.

 

 

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Sound Design, How to create unique sounds, Learn Music Production, Improve Productivity, How to overcome Writers Block,