What is an intro of a worship song?
The intro is the opening section of a song. It establishes the key, tempo, and energy before the lyrics start.
The intro sets the mood of the song from the start and frames the energy of the song and let's you know roughly how the rest of the song will sound and feel. It locks in the tempo, establishes the key, and sets up the vocalist before they start to sing. For the congregation, it helps them recognize the song and prepare to engage.
Most worship intros are instrumental without vocals, though some can have vocal melodies without any true lyrics. Some songs skip the intro altogether and open directly with the first verse or chorus.
A song can repeat the intro throughout the song and even be played as the outro, but you may see different labels like Turn and Outro.
What to play
Intro chords are almost always the same as the chorus or verse of the song. As a guitarist, you're usually not playing new chords or a new chord progression during the intro.
There are three common approaches depending on what song section comes after the intro:
- Play the verse chords You establish the harmonic feel of the song without giving away the chorus. Volume and energy are low as a setup for the verse.
- Play the chorus chords Used when the worship leader wants the room ready for the first verse. You'll play these on songs built around a single powerful idea.
- Play minimal chords Sometimes intros include minimal chords that revolve around the key of the song, for example playing G or G and C in the key of G. There are slight variations but this can usually be considered a vamp.
Often, chord charts will show some sort of intro chords but not always label it as an "Intro" section. If there are chords before the first section with lyrics, it's an intro.
What to watch for
Intro length varies. Some intros are very short and some are a whole chorus in length. Chord charts usually show the length or if not, you can figure out the length by listening to the recording to clarify.
The dynamics can vary per song. For fast or full songs, the intro may feel like the loudest moment in the song as it sets the energy and kicks the song off. On the other hand, some song intros are quiet and build into the first verse or chorus. It may be one strum per chord or a sparse strum pattern to give the song room to build.
Fast and full songs start and end with an intro. In This is Amazing Grace, the iconic lead line during the intro is perfect to close out the song as well. Same energy, dynamics, and auditory queue to start and wrap up the song.
May only be played once. For many worship songs, you'll play the intro once at the beginning and never again. There very well could be a mirrored outro section at the very end of the song that is basically the opposite of the intro. Instead of ramping up to the song, you fade out. This is fairly normal as it wouldn't really make sense to have an introduction at the end of a song.
Similar but not intros. You may play another instrumental section after the chorus but before the next verse, for example, but it may be labeled as a tag or vamp. When playing just a chord or two after a chorus, it may not even be labeled as a separate section, and be considered a continuation of the chorus but without lyrics.
Related glossary terms
- Verse - the section that usually follows the intro
- Outro - the closing section, sometimes mirrors the intro
- Vamp - an open-ended repeated progression sometimes used during the intro
- Song sections overview