I'm stuck! Pre-chorus confusion...

[faintron]

Hi, I'm trying to write a pre-chorus section of a song for bass and I'm new to this.

The verse is following a "i, I, II, IV" progression, specifically the notes Am, C, D, F. But I don't know how to continue.

Based on that, what is a good way to figure out where to go from there? It should be building right? But from the IV chord, how do I figure out the best next step?

[scruffles]

Hi, I'm trying to write a pre-chorus section of a song for bass and I'm new to this.

The verse is following a "i, I, II, IV" progression, specifically the notes Am, C, D, F. But I don't know how to continue.

Based on that, what is a good way to figure out where to go from there? It should be building right? But from the IV chord, how do I figure out the best next step?

What you've got is actually a i-III-IV-VI, and as far as the prechorus goes, you want to add tension (dissonance). Something as simple as a V-VII (E-G) could do.

[Padawan]

e- G ist good, you could also play something like G - F - e - G7

[sixstrings121]

From Am-Cmaj-Dmaj-Fmaj, i would make the prechorus Gmaj-Fmaj-E7, like Gmaj for 1 bar, Fmaj for one bar, and E7 for 2 bars. The E7 leads back to the Am (V7-i).

[UKRuss]

I'm not sure the progression is diatonic if it includes the Dmajor. In Am/C it should be Dmin...

[scruffles]

I'm not sure the progression is diatonic if it includes the Dmajor. In Am/C it should be Dmin...

Meh, progression works. . . it's the House of the Rising Sun progression.

[UKRuss]

That's fine, but doesn't tally with the progression you were suggesting or in fact the OPs understanding of his progression.

[sixstrings121]

I see Dmaj as the V of V, which is commonly used, or you can also view it as coming from A melodic minor scale.

[faintron]

Thanks for your help everyone, good advice.:D