Help with chordal intros and spicing up middle instrumental sections

Okay, I’m a competent intermediate player with sophisticated chord ability and a half way decent voice in terms of blues and country singing. I need help with intros and spicing up middle sections in your basic three or four chord country songs. By middle sections I mean after you’ve sung a few verses and you want to bring some variation to your three chord song, something your lead player can play over, or something that will give your solo playing some break from the basic three chord progression, some variation.

I have Lil’ Rev’s Intro book and that’s been a help. I’ve searched the Internet and found ideas but I’m wondering if someone out there can help more.

I have a pretty good grasp of basic music theory and understand that an intro will basically end with a dominant chord that pulls into the tonic that begins the song.

I watched a guitar intro lesson and the guy sounded like one of those guys you might find at Guitar Center showing off speed demon licks as intros. Definitely not what I’m looking for. I wouldn’t mind throwing in some single note licks as intros. That would be fine. Back in the day when Asleep at the Wheel were just beginning I saw them several times at a little club in Berkeley, Jerry’s Stop Sign. That guitarist blew me away but no way do I expect to come close. I just want some nice ways to lead into my Three Chords and the Truth country songs and my Rock Around the Clock Rockabilly tunes.

Thanks

Lots of options for an intro, but this is what I think of: https://liveukulele.com/lessons/jazzy-intros-and-outros/. Kimo Hussey taught me that style progression at least a decade ago. His advice was: if it sounds good, play it!

If you've got some references you could post of what you want to be able to do, it would help narrow down what is now kind of a broad search.

You could let the song show you an intro.
Take a key part of the melody and play those chords as an intro. Pick out the melody notes with your chord playing as well.
For example, the song "Crazy"; play the chords for the last two lines of the third verse -
"I'm crazy for trying and crazy for crying
And I'm crazy for loving you"
add a V7 chord and you have a little preview tease of what is to come.
If your audience recognizes the song from that they will feel excited about what's to come
(unless they hate the song of course, then they will run a mile - but at least they got fair warning!)

Thanks for great idea

Good ideas, Strumdaddio. I appreciate it. I was just speaking with a close friend of mine who’s been a professional musician for 60 years and he says one trick he uses on keyboards for the bridge, what I called the middle section, is to just step up or down the progression. If you’re playing in C jump to Bb. I asked why not F. He says moving two spots on the cycle of fourths just sounds better.

I like your idea of priming the audience with a taste of the melody for the intro, getting them excited. Also, it helps get my ear in tune for singing.

Thanks

QUOTE=Strumdaddy;2188509]You could let the song show you an intro.
Take a key part of the melody and play those chords as an intro. Pick out the melody notes with your chord playing as well.
For example, the song "Crazy"; play the chords for the last two lines of the third verse -
"I'm crazy for trying and crazy for crying
And I'm crazy for loving you"
add a V7 chord and you have a little preview tease of what is to come.
If your audience recognizes the song from that they will feel excited about what's to come
(unless they hate the song of course, then they will run a mile - but at least they got fair warning!)[/QUOTE]

Ah, now I see what happens when you move from the key of C to Bb in your bridge. The five chord of Bb is F and that F moves easily back to C.

If I’m missing something theory wise please let me know.

And I’m not forgetting the basic rule which is that if it sounds good it is good.

Will check it out. Went out with my friend for Halloween and he was telling me he goes from the key of C to a Bb chord and then to play the progression in Eb. I hadn’t quite understood. I’ll work with him and post my results. Basically he’s moving counterclockwise on the Cycle of Fifths which is the Cycle of Fourths in that direction, the more common movement.

Thanks for this thread. Giving me things to think about and play around with.

You’re welcome. Comes a time in one’s playin’ when one decides to make it more pleasing for the audience. I think that’s called making it more musical.