those would tend to add tension.Gho5tly wrote:what about V9 or 13? would adding more notes take away from the tension?torry011 wrote:The most tension will be when the V7 chord resolves to the I chord.
really tense harmonies are probably not suitable really for electronic dance stylings...
But 'the most tension' first of all owes to context; V7-I has one particular tensor, a tritone that in some contexts calls for a particular resolution. But there are contexts where a major triad with a minor seventh (so-called 'dominant 7th') isn't anything at all.
I have a track where the harmony sits on i for 8 bars and it's very tense because of dwelling on certain tones particularly in the lead line.
SATIE: Gnossienne #1 ~58.5 seconds. chord = Fminor; the line goes C D E F G B G F to get this tension really going. There is a constant tension of "C" to this Fminor all along, but it is a tension of C scales (eg., major, harmonic minor) against 'i', Fm. NB: the tone B here. There is no V7; the tension resolves to iv anyway.
That implies a KIND of dominant effect over the long pedal i. I exploit in the lead line the tones E G and B. i^7 itself (F Ab E) is tense. I like that ninth, G a lot. On a chart I would have Fm^7 9 (#11).
Dwelling on these increases the tension the more it's sustained. Timing is the most overlooked element in these discussions I think. After 28 seconds or so, the iv, Bbm is so satisfying. This is not V7 of iv to iv, it's i to iv with a tense melody as it exploits 'unexpected' tones. I say this (minor/maj 7) creates def. greater tension than V7 (of iv) would've done.
When it releases to iv (what my old musical partner-in-crime liked to call the cum chord), it really happens.
Music should not be approached by formula, as though 'this' is going to give you 'that' automatically. It's an art. Find out by copping things and by ear (experiment) what is tense, not from anyone regurgitating information.