|
PAGE
INDEX
6.17.1 Optimizing Unity and Variety in Chord Progressions
6.17.2 Emotional Effects of Chords
~ • ~ • ~ • ~
6.17.1
OPTIMIZING
UNITY
AND VARIETY
IN CHORD
PROGRESSIONS
The writer Tom Wolfe
once advised that, just as a doctor learns, “First, do no harm,” so an artist
must keep in mind, “First, entertain.”
In
songwriting, this applies to every aspect: harmony, rhythm, melody, form,
lyrics, performance. “To entertain” means pretty much the same thing as, “Create
sufficient variety. Do not bore the listener.”
At
the same time, every element has to be accessible. “To be accessible” means
pretty much the same thing as, “Create sufficient
unity. Be interesting. Do not confuse the listener.” The human brain seeks patterns.
Figure 128 summarizes this concept:
FIGURE 128 Scales of Unity and Variety
Aim for the upper right.
Your
song (or the song you’ve chosen to play, if you didn’t write it) won’t grab your
audience emotionally if it confuses them musically or lyrically, or if it bores
them, musically or lyrically.
A great song, performed competently, gets everything right. It
strikes a unity-variety balance with respect to each component.
• Harmony and chord progressions
• Pulse,
meter, tempo, rhythm
• Phrasing and form
• Melody
• Lyrics
• Performance values (live or recorded)
When each of these elements strikes the listener as both
accessible (not confusing) and compelling (not boring), the song is
irresistible.
At
the end of each of Chapters 6 through 10, you will find a table summarizing the
key ways of achieving balance—avoiding confusion and boredom—with respect to the
chapter’s topic.
This
being the end of Chapter 6, here’s Table 51, summarizing the main ways you can
avoid confusing and boring your audience with your chord choices and chord
progressions.
(NOTE:
As always, these are not hard-and-fast rules. For instance, there’s nothing
inherently “wrong” with using thirds or fifths up, so long as you know what
you’re doing).
If
you’re unsure of the meaning of a musical term, it’s probably in the ,
just before the Index.
TABLE 51 Optimizing Unity and Variety in Chord
Choice and Chord Progressions
|
Prefer ...
|
Instead of ...
|
Tonality
|
• Firmly established
tonality; use of
dominant chord
|
• Weak tonality;
dominant chord absent
or de-emphasized
|
Organizing
Framework
|
• Harmonic scales
|
• Circle of Fifths
• Church mode based
harmony
|
Chord Choice
|
• Variety: consonant
triads, dissonant 7ths,
occasional use of
highly dissonant or
chromatic chords
|
• All consonant or all
dissonant chords
|
Chord
Progression
Types
|
• Seconds, up or down
• Fifths down
• Fifths up, to or from
tonic
• Occasional use of
chromatic
progressions
|
• Thirds, up or down
• Fifths up, away from
tonic
• Immoderate use of
chromatic
progressions
|
Modulation
|
• Pivot
• Relative
• Parallel
• Sequential
|
• Shift
• No modulation at all
|
6.17.2
EMOTIONAL
EFFECTS
OF CHORDS
Table 52 below summarizes some emotional effects associated with
various chord types. Emotional effects vary for a given
chord, depending on musical context.
TABLE 52
Emotional Effects of Chords
Chord Type
|
Associated Emotions
|
Major
(e.g., C)
|
Happiness, cheerfulness,
confidence, brightness,
satisfaction
|
Minor
(e.g., Cm)
|
Sadness, darkness,
sullenness, apprehension,
melancholy, depression,
mystery
|
Seventh
(e.g., C7)
|
Funkiness, soulfulness,
moderate edginess
|
Major Seventh
(e.g., CM7)
|
Romance, softness,
jazziness, serenity, tranquillity,
exhilaration
|
Minor Seventh
(e.g., Cm7)
|
Mellowness, moodiness,
jazziness
|
Ninth
(e.g., C9)
|
Openness, optimism
|
Diminished
(e.g., Cº)
|
Fear, shock, spookiness,
suspense
|
Suspended Fourth
(e.g., Csus4)
|
Delightful tension
|
Seventh, Minor Ninth
(e.g., C7♭9)
|
Creepiness, ominousness,
fear, darkness
|
Added Ninth
(e. g., Cadd9)
|
Steeliness, austerity
|
~ • ~ • ~ • ~
~ • ~ •
~ • ~
|
You are reading the FREE
SAMPLE Chapters 1 through 6 of the acclaimed 12-Chapter book,
How Music REALLY Works!, 2nd Edition.
Here's what's in
Chapters 7 through 12.
To order the book, click
here:
|
|
|
TABLE
OF
CONTENTS
PART I
The Big
Picture
Introduction
1.
W-5 of Music
2.
Pop Music
Industry
PART II
Essential
Building
Blocks
of Music
3.
Tones/Overtones
4.
Scales/Intervals
5.
Keys/Modes
PART III
How to Create
Emotionally
Powerful Music
and Lyrics
6.
Chords/
Progressions
7.
Pulse/Meter/
Tempo/Rhythm
8.
Phrase/Form
9.
Melody
10.
Lyrics
11.
Repertoire/
Performance
PART IV
Making a
Living In
Music
12.
Business of
Music
Appendixes
Notes
References
Index
Top
TABLE
OF
CONTENTS
PART I
The Big
Picture
Introduction
1.
W-5 of Music
2.
Pop Music
Industry
PART II
Essential
Building
Blocks
of Music
3.
Tones/Overtones
4.
Scales/Intervals
5.
Keys/Modes
PART III
How to Create
Emotionally
Powerful Music
and Lyrics
6.
Chords/
Progressions
7.
Pulse/Meter/
Tempo/Rhythm
8.
Phrase/Form
9.
Melody
10.
Lyrics
11.
Repertoire/
Performance
PART IV
Making a
Living In
Music
12.
Business of
Music
Appendixes
Notes
References
Index
Top
TABLE
OF
CONTENTS
PART I
The Big
Picture
Introduction
1.
W-5 of Music
2.
Pop Music
Industry
PART II
Essential
Building
Blocks
of Music
3.
Tones/Overtones
4.
Scales/Intervals
5.
Keys/Modes
PART III
How to Create
Emotionally
Powerful Music
and Lyrics
6.
Chords/
Progressions
7.
Pulse/Meter/
Tempo/Rhythm
8.
Phrase/Form
9.
Melody
10.
Lyrics
11.
Repertoire/
Performance
PART IV
Making a
Living In
Music
12.
Business of
Music
Appendixes
Notes
References
Index
Top
|
