How to create moods?
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- KVRian
- 1111 posts since 1 Jul, 2008
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- KVRAF
- 7837 posts since 20 Jan, 2008
It's less about keys and more about metre. Tempo, Dynamics and Timing.
http://www.amazon.com/Arranging-Techniq ... 082561130X
http://www.amazon.com/Arranging-Techniq ... 082561130X
Dell Vostro i9 64GB Ram Windows 11 Pro, Cubase, Bitwig, Mixcraft Guitar Pod Go, Linntrument Nektar P1, Novation Launchpad
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- KVRAF
- 26033 posts since 20 Oct, 2007 from gonesville
Frankly, expecting to find musical attributes, devices will literally translate to a mood is not a great notion. If early in your musical development, it's going to serve as a red herring I think. Get your chops together and creativity follows.
The keys thing, didn't investigate the link but there was this whole thing circa 19th century where people talked about the mood, the color of this key vs other keys.
It had more meaning when keys were less democratized (when orchestra players were taught to attend to accidentals in the theory of the time. Chromatic music as more pungent.).
Whether or not this has any reality with (more or less) 12 equal to an octave, this is not musical content, absent which there is no 'there', there.
So beyond this we get these facile notions such as 'minor = dark or negative' vs. 'major = sunny or positive'. And if the music is very simple, sure, why not. But as an axiom, it fails I think. That this whole kind of thing is too facile and in the end something to discard.
I agree that time, pacing, flow is something to attend to. The notes illustrating or defining what isn't there, what can't be there, for that mood. Negative capability. The use of silence; dynamics, empty vs full. Equally, the arrangement: you're not going to get very poignant with a marching band. Dark, bleak industrial dystopia may not be served very well by lead bassoon (in the conventional expectation. Maybe if there's a lot of overblowing/multiphonics and extended technique.).
The keys thing, didn't investigate the link but there was this whole thing circa 19th century where people talked about the mood, the color of this key vs other keys.
It had more meaning when keys were less democratized (when orchestra players were taught to attend to accidentals in the theory of the time. Chromatic music as more pungent.).
Whether or not this has any reality with (more or less) 12 equal to an octave, this is not musical content, absent which there is no 'there', there.
So beyond this we get these facile notions such as 'minor = dark or negative' vs. 'major = sunny or positive'. And if the music is very simple, sure, why not. But as an axiom, it fails I think. That this whole kind of thing is too facile and in the end something to discard.
I agree that time, pacing, flow is something to attend to. The notes illustrating or defining what isn't there, what can't be there, for that mood. Negative capability. The use of silence; dynamics, empty vs full. Equally, the arrangement: you're not going to get very poignant with a marching band. Dark, bleak industrial dystopia may not be served very well by lead bassoon (in the conventional expectation. Maybe if there's a lot of overblowing/multiphonics and extended technique.).
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- Banned
- 194 posts since 25 Oct, 2015 from Penetanguishene, ON
try sir 1.0.1 - They have all kinds of impulse files. I set this reverb and convolution on my master channel. If you turn the stereo mix down - the effect is negligible.
There's many different real spaces, and as you'll see - many create a mood - almost subconciously.
There's a few pugins though; Like boogex (free) by voxengo - That have some settings for convolution that include train like drive pushing on - Kind of like a thrumming motor - it gives the sense of kaos perhaps.
Other convolution effects from boogex can be equally as intriguing.
However, If you make rap - driving noises, especially walking noises - walking with a recorder when you feel confident. Like you feel nothing can stop you.
I used a recording like that in the background of my rap track - roam.
If you start a track with the sound of a winter chil - people are likely to dance, because they think of staying warm.
Other sounds or effects though; I don't give them much thought. But what I do know is; Is that comedic songs do really well if you have recordings as ambient sound in the bg from a restaurant or cafe while people are having a good time.
I hope that is helpful. Have you tried snare filters? It's an extra sound you can add to make the snare seem different; works in most genres even country. Has to be digitally reproduced live of course though.
There's many different real spaces, and as you'll see - many create a mood - almost subconciously.
There's a few pugins though; Like boogex (free) by voxengo - That have some settings for convolution that include train like drive pushing on - Kind of like a thrumming motor - it gives the sense of kaos perhaps.
Other convolution effects from boogex can be equally as intriguing.
However, If you make rap - driving noises, especially walking noises - walking with a recorder when you feel confident. Like you feel nothing can stop you.
I used a recording like that in the background of my rap track - roam.
If you start a track with the sound of a winter chil - people are likely to dance, because they think of staying warm.
Other sounds or effects though; I don't give them much thought. But what I do know is; Is that comedic songs do really well if you have recordings as ambient sound in the bg from a restaurant or cafe while people are having a good time.
I hope that is helpful. Have you tried snare filters? It's an extra sound you can add to make the snare seem different; works in most genres even country. Has to be digitally reproduced live of course though.
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- KVRist
- 103 posts since 22 Nov, 2015
This is a very open question, IMO what helps a lot in creating a specific mood is using a suitable scale. Obviously Major is happy/triumphant/joyfull etc and Minor is sad/deep/dramatic. But there are much more scales out there than minor and major. For example the blues scale instantly gives your melodies that typical, dunno, "blues feel", the double harmonic scale gives you an oriental touch and what I like a lot are modal scales, they are rare and all give you an authentic mood. Lydian IMO sounds more joyful than major (=ionian) and phrygian much more dramatic tha minor (=aeolian). But those scales are often difficult to write chords to as they are not tonal and it might need a bit of practise in composing (or a good ear) if you want to use them efficiently. Other than that of course instrumentation, rhythm, dynamics and many more things can change the mood, there is no simple answer to your question, just try stuff out!
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- KVRAF
- 26033 posts since 20 Oct, 2007 from gonesville
or it can be incredibly poignantPhazma wrote: Obviously Major is happy/triumphant/joyfull etc
Albeit I think of that as Ionian rather than major.
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- KVRAF
- 26033 posts since 20 Oct, 2007 from gonesville
Because of the #4 as if another sort of leading tone or the ascendant quality? Interesting comment. In Yaman Raga that is believed to "give the raga its distinctive quality of peace, and tranquility." "an early evening Raga, when lamps are lit for Sandhya-Aarati in a temple for invoking benediction of Gods! It is a Raga for bringing about serenity and peace of mind, far away from the din and bustle of the day!"Phazma wrote: Lydian IMO sounds more joyful than major (=ionian)
I caution against assigning essence to attributes so universally. The reason 'tivra Ma' is believed to do that is not that the tone itself does it, but in the raga's composition which is a deeper consideration of what to do, how to proceed, and why. EG: hanging on the ^7 or on the #4 rather than considering them as necessarily leading. Or say #4 - 3.
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- KVRist
- 103 posts since 22 Nov, 2015
Yeah of course it does not only depend on the scale you use which mood is created, as I said many other factors, including also how the scale is played, influence on what atmosphere it makes. And of course the felt mood may vary a bit from person to person but IMO modal music or scales other than minor and major work pretty well for "quickly" creating a specific mode, maybe also because we heard certain scales in a certain context multiple times and match them subconsciously. For example if I use a traditional oriental instrument and improvise in phrygian dominant scale I can close my eyes and see myself inside an ancient pyramid.