chords/technique/composers for magic /mystery/sci-fi ?

[martian]

one i just stumbled over, its really simple but reminds me of magic sci-fi moments in films. just play a major chord arpeggiated with an added augmented 5th, and a root in the bass. sounds good with a sustained string patch.

move it around to different chords or move/extend the arpeggiation up/down and you get some cool progs.

can anyone enlighten me to some other (((magical))) sounding chords/progs?

regards,

[qqq]

Dm7add2 / G

[xoxos]

i was gonig to mention the enigmatic, however some of the 'undocumented' scales are appropriate too, so here's you go :p

[tee boy]

I think progressions that don't resolve properly are a good bet. Try building progressions from the whole tone or octatonic collections.

But really, anything with a vague tonality and suitable ochestration should work. Like, I find tremolo strings played piano can work nicely.

[Melkor]

A lydian progression like A - B/A played arpeggiated should sound pretty "magical" ........

[Musicologo]

I usually use the E minor harmonic Scale with a few alterations (actually I think John Williams use this in Harry Potter also).

e-f#-g-a-b-c-d#-e. BUT when coming down e-d#-c-b-a-g-f#-f-e. I like to add that f natural, if possible, blended with the b natural. It's a very dissonant passage that makes a lot of tension before resting in the e minor.

Try using the arpeggio b-e-f#-g-b also. Or even the cluster e-f#-g-b followed by f-g-a-c and returning to e-f#-g-b. I've made an entire song using almost these 2 chords as harmony and worked pretty fine.

[jplanet]

G major / D minor (a whole note on each)

Also, any minor chord, then raise the third to a major

[llatham]

i have one, its really simple but reminds me of magic moments in films. just play a major chord arpeggiated (sounds good with sustained string patch) with an added augmented 5th, and a root in the bass.

move it around to different chords or move/extend the arpeggiation up/down and you get some cool progs.

can anyone enlighten me to some other (((magical))) sounding chords/progs?

regards,

Very popular lately are minor chromatic mediants. And Major chromatic mediants are cool sounding too.

chromatic mediants are two chords of the same quality with roots a third apart - M3 or m3.

So

C - Eb, C - E, C - Ab, and C - A are all major chromatic mediants, and:

cm - ebm, cm - em, cm - abm, and cm - am are minor chromatic mediants.

I've known the pattern you mention first for many years now, and I've always associated it with science fiction (space) - seems like it was in one of the original Star Trek movies (that is, the ones with Shatner et al). It's also from a Romantic Period work - I want to say it's a Brahm's Symphony, but I'm not positive. Anyway, it's been around a while. Chromatic mediants didn't start appearing regularly until Beethoven and after, and still were just used for "effect". Minor chromatic mediants are not at all common (even in pop music, where Majors are - Heart Shaped Box for example) but I've heard them (the minor ones) more and more in recent film scores.

Have fun.

[shanecgriffo]

suspended chords seem to float around for some reason!

[A.M. Gold]

Yes, Brahms Fourth Symphony, first movement is probably what you are thinking of. Not entirely sure what that progression is, I'd have to work it out.

It is tres Star Trek-y.

That augmented fifth arp is very Brahms---may have been what he is using in the Fourth Symphony.

[Optomadic]

major scales with some low velocity irregular single semi tone steps plunked on top or below can do strange wonders to plain progs.

edit: Or even in the middle

[Optomadic]

Sorry I should have been more clear. This is an example of what I meant

http://www.divshare.com/download/4487403-d00

Dont mind my playing. Did it quick but lots of single step oddities to augment the prog..

[llatham]

Yes, Brahms Fourth Symphony, first movement is probably what you are thinking of. Not entirely sure what that progression is, I'd have to work it out.

It is tres Star Trek-y.

That augmented fifth arp is very Brahms---may have been what he is using in the Fourth Symphony.

I think you're right - I actually have the score of it somewhere, but it's deep enough down where I don't feel like digging it now. I remember hearing it and saying, "finally, something I like about Brahms" tee-hee-hee.

Steve

[A.M. Gold]

Yes, Brahms Fourth Symphony, first movement is probably what you are thinking of. Not entirely sure what that progression is, I'd have to work it out.

It is tres Star Trek-y.

That augmented fifth arp is very Brahms---may have been what he is using in the Fourth Symphony.

I think you're right - I actually have the score of it somewhere, but it's deep enough down where I don't feel like digging it now. I remember hearing it and saying, "finally, something I like about Brahms" tee-hee-hee.

Steve

Brahms was not one to miss out on a good "harmonic gimmick" if you will, but he was a master so in his hands they tended to sound good. OTOH, the 4th is not my favorite symphony. I much prefer the 3rd.

Another good "mysterious/ominous" piece is Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition (the Ravel symphonic arrangement).

[martian]

I've known the pattern you mention first for many years now, and I've always associated it with science fiction (space) - seems like it was in one of the original Star Trek movies (that is, the ones with Shatner et al). It's also from a Romantic Period work - I want to say it's a Brahm's Symphony, but I'm not positive. Anyway, it's been around a while. Chromatic mediants didn't start appearing regularly until Beethoven and after, and still were just used for "effect". Minor chromatic mediants are not at all common (even in pop music, where Majors are - Heart Shaped Box for example) but I've heard them (the minor ones) more and more in recent film scores.

Have fun.

thanks for the chromatic mediant stuff, i know and use all that a lot already, since they go well with bass doing blues scales, which i love.

i also like chromatic progs like:
maj I to maj(b5) bII
min I to maj II
maj I to maj bV or maj V#.

yes the major arp with added aug5th i talk of in the first post is very sci-fi. i heard it again last week in the matrix reloaded, pretty sure ive heard it often for magical sci-fi moments in other films. im a sci-fi buff so love all that shit.