'Bridges', and why you should use them 
The Bridge is the part of the song that usually happens just before the final Chorus / Climax of the track and if used effectively, it can massively elevate your tracks 
Verse → Chorus → Verse → Chorus → Bridge → Final Chorus
The bridge often introduces new chords, melodies, sounds or lyrics that shift the vibe of the track, giving you a break from everything you've heard so far, and creating suspense before returning to the final climax.
This really breaks up the track to avoid it getting boring and it makes the final chorus / drop have much more impact.
Here's some ways you can incorporate a bridge into your track:
**Build Suspense**Strip back the layers, and avoid using the chorus / main drop sounds to create tension before bringing them back in for the final climax.
**Experiment with Sounds**Use the bridge to introduce fresh synth sounds, effects, or a totally new melody. You could consider using piano, guitar, flute, strings, plucks, synths etc that haven't been used in the track so far.
**Fresh Vocals**If you're making a vocal track, introduce a unique vocal here that only happens once. If you don't have a unique vocal you could chop, stutter, loop, pitch or manipulate your previous vocals to make them different in this part of the track.
**Chord / Bass Progression Changes**Try a new chord or bass progression here to add a different vibe and break away from what we've heard so far. You can chop and rearrange your current chords / bassline or write a new one (but keep it in the same key scale as the rest of your track).
**Energy Shift**Use the bridge to create a contrast in energy - take away the drums and bass and create a moment of calm / softness (a unique breakdown) before building up to the final drop. (like the 'calm before the storm' we discussed in previous posts). You can also automate low or high pass filters to control the energy, removing and then bringing back the low or high frequencies.
**Build-Up Variation**Make the build-up different to your previous ones by using different riser/sweep effects, different drum builds and sounds, and maybe a longer build time, dragging it out for even more suspense.
---
The bridge is all about controlling the crowd’s energy and emotions, and keeping them hooked until the final climax. With this section only happening once in the track it also increases your re-playability as people will want to hear it again
Give it a try in your next tune 
What are some of your favourite bridges from classic rave tracks?