What is an outro in a worship song?
The outro is the closing section of a song. It brings the music to an end through a final chord progression, fade, or transition.
The outro signals to the congregation, the band, and the room that the song is ending. It may give the worship leader space to speak or lead into the next song.
Some outros mirror or may even be identical to the intro with the same chords and energy. Others are simply the chorus chords repeated with decreasing volume and a fade at the end. The chord chart will label the section as needed, but you may see different labels for basically the same thing.
What to play
The outro is usually a continuation or decrease in energy and dynamics as it wraps up the end of a song.
See these guides for suggestions on how to end songs and transition to the next song:
What to watch for
The outro may be improvised in the moment. Unlike the verse and chorus, the outro is the section most likely to change length or feel based on what the worship leader is thinking in the moment or a signal they see from the pastor. They may want the band to keep playing to prepare to go back to the chorus again, lower the volume but keep playing for someone to speak, or end early to leave room for a spontaneous section of the service.
Chorus flows directly into a tag. Similar to above, sometimes the song may transition into a repeated phrase (a tag) or an open-ended loop (a vamp) before the end of the song instead of a instrument-only outro. Don't assume the song is over just because you reached the last chord on the chart.
Related glossary terms
- Intro - the opening section, which the outro sometimes mirrors
- Tag - a repeated line at the end of a song, sometimes attached to the outro
- Vamp - an open-ended repeated progression that can extend the outro
- Song sections overview