It seems most of the books on music theory I've read are all very dry and "scientific," which is only helpful to a certain point. One thing I've always wondered about is the reasons why people use certain chords or progressions to convey a mood. We all know the basic stuff like major conveys optimism and minor conveys moodiness, but what about beyond that? For example, if I'm writing something that is supposed to have an ethereal feel, I tend to choose a lot of major and minor 7th chords (and also use those for a jazzy feel a lot too).
What about you guys? What are some of the chord types you associate with certain moods, or how you approach chord progressions to convey something? What about using augmented, suspended, and other less popular chord types?
The emotions behind chord choices
-
- KVRAF
- 1643 posts since 18 Mar, 2004 from Lincoln, CA
-
- KVRAF
- 4822 posts since 14 Mar, 2002 from Somewhere else, on principle
C Minor to C Major 7th makes me want to eat at Taco Bell. 
-
- KVRist
- 65 posts since 18 Aug, 2005 from Norway
It's all about memory.
What some ppl think is 'sad' other just find 'beautiful' or even 'uplifting'.
Look at different cultures and how different chord progressions or even different note scales are.
Music is all about connecting to your senses and memories.
This way a phrase, a word, a chord or a rhythm, or just a special type of sound can trigger many kind of memories and expectations you have.
Its very much about what you expect to come next.
Changing the chords a bit by using 7th or suspended etc make tension of what to expect next.
The sum of all this can and hopefully will trigger a 'mood' in your brain and body.
I belive that you can actually learn to like almost any kind of music if you are given enough time to make the right memories around it.
What some ppl think is 'sad' other just find 'beautiful' or even 'uplifting'.
Look at different cultures and how different chord progressions or even different note scales are.
Music is all about connecting to your senses and memories.
This way a phrase, a word, a chord or a rhythm, or just a special type of sound can trigger many kind of memories and expectations you have.
Its very much about what you expect to come next.
Changing the chords a bit by using 7th or suspended etc make tension of what to expect next.
The sum of all this can and hopefully will trigger a 'mood' in your brain and body.
I belive that you can actually learn to like almost any kind of music if you are given enough time to make the right memories around it.
-
- KVRAF
- 3864 posts since 29 Feb, 2004
But seriously, since the original question is in fact quite interesting.
To me it's all about context, instrumentation and arrangement.
The same basic I - IV progression can sound ultimately generic, but used in the right context it can be a very powerful stylistic element.
ymmv,
susiwong
To me it's all about context, instrumentation and arrangement.
The same basic I - IV progression can sound ultimately generic, but used in the right context it can be a very powerful stylistic element.
ymmv,
susiwong
-
- KVRian
- 620 posts since 18 Nov, 2004 from Orlando, Bitches!
This is actually a great post. Not being form a musical backgroud i never understood what made certain chords play with my emotions. Ive stuck to Minor 7ths for ages, and now recently are breaking out into other chords for variety, but I also wind up clashing my chords against others because one clashes a mood against another. Ive asked my musically talented friends and they always say the same thing about using diff chords, how can you describe the extremes of a particular feeling? Yeah, that shit lost me, too. Guess I need to learn how to play....
Why cry about your own desires, when I could have them and leave you standing in the sadness of your own....
-
- KVRist
- 77 posts since 23 Mar, 2004
http://www.secretsofsongwriting.com
COOL STUFF!
COOL STUFF!
-
- Hun #3
- 4265 posts since 25 Mar, 2002 from A quaint little village just south of Hamburg, Germany
off the top of my head and IMHO ...
semitone interval: threat, suspense, looming desaster
5th: pomp, proud, 'loud and clear'
major: complacent, satisfied, optimistic
minor: sad
9th: open, soaring, airy
minor 9: very sad, tragic, hopeless
minor 7: airy, melancholy, 'Not quite' sad
minor 6: weird, suspense, secret agent film-ish
7th: bluesy
major 7: sweet, kitsch, happy, also 'jazzy'
6th: playful, tongue-in-cheek, 'jazzy'
minor 7th and major in one chord: funky coolness
Marco
semitone interval: threat, suspense, looming desaster
5th: pomp, proud, 'loud and clear'
major: complacent, satisfied, optimistic
minor: sad
9th: open, soaring, airy
minor 9: very sad, tragic, hopeless
minor 7: airy, melancholy, 'Not quite' sad
minor 6: weird, suspense, secret agent film-ish
7th: bluesy
major 7: sweet, kitsch, happy, also 'jazzy'
6th: playful, tongue-in-cheek, 'jazzy'
minor 7th and major in one chord: funky coolness
Marco
-
Chuck E. Jesus Chuck E. Jesus https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=108246
- R.I.P.
- 7301 posts since 23 May, 2006 from in between a cornfield and a river
you must try the Brown Tone Burrito....susiwong wrote:C Major 7th to C Minor makes me want to reverse that process.C Minor to C Major 7th makes me want to eat at Taco Bell.
susiwong
-
- KVRAF
- 2070 posts since 2 Apr, 2004
Jmi Hendrix's favorite chord was something like the E7#9 (or probabably Eb#9 because he lowered his guitartuning a half tone). It reminded him of the color purple.
-
- KVRAF
- 6596 posts since 21 Jun, 2004 from Secret Underground Hideout
twould be cool to see pet scans of the effects of diff chords
i'm a big fan of power chords
i'm a big fan of power chords
"Most people who experiment with drugs are not lying in the streets, suffocating on their own vomit. If you want to see some of that, go to the Pub on Saturday night at closing time." ozwest
-
- KVRAF
- 2217 posts since 15 Jul, 2003
for ethereal quality I throw in 4ths and 2nds and remove that strong component of the third
i find the whole topic very interesting esp as the same chord in a different inversion can take on a very different sound/mood -- the impact of a chord can be softened by using 2nd inversion
but all in all it has to do with voice leading and establishing context. i've been surprised at times how sad a simple major chord can sound in a particular context.
and one quick way to test all this is to do some simple 'slash' chord experiments
simple C major in the right hand
add left hand C in the bass
repeat with F in the bass
repeat with A in the bass
then add B just below the C major chord for a right hand 'internal' Cmaj 7 with an A and E in the bass
pretty simple stuff
these are becoming different chords when the root changes, but it's not taking much to modify what's going on
pretty much what keeps me coming back to the keyboard
i find the whole topic very interesting esp as the same chord in a different inversion can take on a very different sound/mood -- the impact of a chord can be softened by using 2nd inversion
but all in all it has to do with voice leading and establishing context. i've been surprised at times how sad a simple major chord can sound in a particular context.
and one quick way to test all this is to do some simple 'slash' chord experiments
simple C major in the right hand
add left hand C in the bass
repeat with F in the bass
repeat with A in the bass
then add B just below the C major chord for a right hand 'internal' Cmaj 7 with an A and E in the bass
pretty simple stuff
these are becoming different chords when the root changes, but it's not taking much to modify what's going on
pretty much what keeps me coming back to the keyboard
Last edited by wrench45us on Wed Oct 18, 2006 5:37 pm, edited 1 time in total.
-
bobtheburninator bobtheburninator https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=104016
- KVRist
- 55 posts since 7 Apr, 2006
well, really, those chords can mean anything, depending on what came before it. example, the chord progression to pachbels canon isnt sad at all, though it has many minor chords in itBonteburg wrote:off the top of my head and IMHO ...
semitone interval: threat, suspense, looming desaster
5th: pomp, proud, 'loud and clear'
major: complacent, satisfied, optimistic
minor: sad
9th: open, soaring, airy
minor 9: very sad, tragic, hopeless
minor 7: airy, melancholy, 'Not quite' sad
minor 6: weird, suspense, secret agent film-ish
7th: bluesy
major 7: sweet, kitsch, happy, also 'jazzy'
6th: playful, tongue-in-cheek, 'jazzy'
minor 7th and major in one chord: funky coolness
Marco
-
bobtheburninator bobtheburninator https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=104016
- KVRist
- 55 posts since 7 Apr, 2006
was he synesthetic?Barf wrote:Jmi Hendrix's favorite chord was something like the E7#9 (or probabably Eb#9 because he lowered his guitartuning a half tone). It reminded him of the color purple.
-
- KVRAF
- 21348 posts since 26 Jul, 2005 from Gone
But didn't he die before that movie was made?Barf wrote:Jmi Hendrix's favorite chord was something like the E7#9 (or probabably Eb#9 because he lowered his guitartuning a half tone). It reminded him of the color purple.