KVR Audio

No name · Post by **No name** » Sun Mar 04, 2007 4:38 pm

I'm trying to create a more dramatic, darker piece. I'm in the key of C#/Db and right now i'm trying to figure out a good chord to move to from C# in second inversion. I need something a bit "dissonant" I guess, it is a choir patch i'm working with and I need some that will go well here. Any suggestions? I'm looking through my chord book, and I thought C in a first inversion sounded nice after it, a bit dissonant but it fit decently. That is until I put it up against my backing strings which are playing G# and the back down to E (almost like a string section hit on each beat). I want to be a bit adventurous here, and if we step outside the key for a moment I don't mind. So???

Toxikator · Post by **Toxikator** » Sun Mar 04, 2007 5:30 pm

When you say C#, I assume you're in the major? You might try the minor for "darker"...

Anyway, a couple of cool tricks:

1) after C#E#G#, play CxE#A# (Cx = C doublesharp, in other words D), then D#F#A#. This means you're playing C#Maj, A#Maj, D#Maj, which analyzes as I, V/ii, ii. The trick is to invert it so that the Cx is in the bottom, which makes the bassline go C#,D,D# (enharmonically), the chromatic half-steps are really dark and powerful.

2) Move from C# Major to EMajor and then back again. It's a chromatic mediant move and it's also very cool...

chardin · Post by **chardin** » Sun Mar 04, 2007 6:10 pm

Toxicator is right; the minor keys feel darker to me.

Nigel Tufnel wrote:It's part of a trilogy, a musical trilogy I'm working on in D minor which is the saddest of all keys, I find. People weep instantly when they hear it, and I don't know why.

Try the following 2 chord progressions.

Code: Select all

I - bVI     C#   A
I - bVII    C#   B
I - bII     C#   D

BertKoor · Post by **BertKoor** » Sun Mar 04, 2007 9:58 pm

Extremely dark and dissonant is to move to the tritone: from C# go to G. Located right between IV and V, a distance of six semi-tones, it was long associated with the Devil: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tritone
Extra dramatic is to do it on organ...

Gregjazz · Post by **Gregjazz** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 12:16 am

How about going to an A minor chord? Or E minor...

No name · Post by **No name** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 12:18 am

I"m sorry I forgot to mention that I am in minor. Natural minor. Also...

and I thought C in a first inversion sounded nice after it

I have this incorrectly written,it's actually A in first inversion.

No name · Post by **No name** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 12:21 am

chardin wrote:Toxicator is right; the minor keys feel darker to me.
Nigel Tufnel wrote:It's part of a trilogy, a musical trilogy I'm working on in D minor which is the saddest of all keys, I find. People weep instantly when they hear it, and I don't know why.
Try the following 2 chord progressions.
Code: Select all
I - bVI     C#   A
I - bVII    C#   B
I - bII     C#   D

I'm not quite sure how to read this properly. Is it I-bVI-I-bVII-I-bII? In that order? I have trouble reading chords written in such a way, sorry!

chardin · Post by **chardin** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 2:00 am

Sorry about that No name. It's really 3 different progressions. Play the 2 chords (C# - A - C# - A) back and forth for a while then try the next pair.

But I think BertKoor wins the prize. C# - G; man, that's pure evil.

Try it on guitar with face-melting distortion.

No name · Post by **No name** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 11:30 am

Dammit, I messed up my chord writing again.

It's, ummm, I guess a C# with an augmented 5th? (G#,C#,E) Well, at least the fifth is agumented in the root position. :Lol:

Anyways I take it to mean that you say I should jump to G minor? Which, if i'm correct is G-B-D? Cause that right there is sounding pretty dark! Stays in key too.

I should also mention for the sake of convenience that it is in natural minor.

BosseJo · Post by **BosseJo** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 12:22 pm

chardin wrote:Sorry about that No name. It's really 3 different progressions. Play the 2 chords (C# - A - C# - A) back and forth for a while then try the next pair.

But I think BertKoor wins the prize. C# - G; man, that's pure evil. Try it on guitar with face-melting distortion.

But isn't it a bit cliché? The tritone is used in almost every horror movie ever made.

nuffink · Post by **nuffink** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 12:36 pm

You could say that about almost any chord progression. So many songs, so few progressions.

BosseJo · Post by **BosseJo** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 12:45 pm

nuffink wrote:You could say that about almost any chord progression. So many songs, so few progressions.

In horror movies? Hm.

nuffink · Post by **nuffink** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 12:46 pm

In general.

BosseJo · Post by **BosseJo** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 1:13 pm

nuffink wrote:In general.

Horror movies in general?

nuffink · Post by **nuffink** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 1:20 pm

No, just in general. Show me a novel progression.

Help with figuring out what chord to move to next.