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6.17
Chords and Chord
Progressions: Maximizing Emotional Impact
6.17.1
Unity and Variety in Art, Including Music and
Lyrics
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. Be interesting. 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. Do not confuse the listener.” The human brain seeks patterns.
In other words, too much variety in music and lyrics will confuse your listeners, but too much unity will bore them.
Figure 128 summarizes this concept:
FIGURE 128: Scales of Unity and Variety