How to create moods?

I don't know of a book, but I have a good exercise that I practice.....whenever you're watching TV or a movie, really pay attention to how the music enhances the scene. Listen carefully and ask yourself what elements of the score are matching and supporting what's happening on screen. Is it the notes themselves? The timbre, or the tempo? Pay attention, and you can develop your own "vocabulary" that fits the styles of music you want to create.
 
Moods are created from the key of the song, the sounds used, and what you're trying to convey in the music. So, if you want the atmosphere, or mood, to be pretty relaxed, you could have the song be at a slower tempo with darker sounds that aren't overpowering like a piano. Reverb can help to create that mood as well.

It's really all about how you want your music to be interpreted.
 
i am finding lately that chords really can do a lot that can't be accomplished any other way.

synthesis is interesting because a really rich tone can be amazing, but if you try to play it as a chord it might not work at all. so it's kind of a balancing game to get thick interesting sounds and have deep intriguing chords.
 
Dont know how extensive your knowledge on music theory is, but u need to study the difference between major and minor.

Most major chords sound happy while minor notes(usually includes the black keys) have a darker, more somber tone.

Once u become more indept, you'll learn more about chord progressions and how to build up the mood of your songs. Keep practicing you'll be fine.
 
Music theory.
It won't say 'use specifically these chords to make this mood', but with good music theory you can listen to a track with a certain mood and by analysis, understand what it is about it and be able to replicate it in your own music without directly copying
 
Basically everything that people said above. But do keep in mind that scales are overall "rules" that you can follow... or not.

Minor scales tend to be more moody or darker in nature (natural and harmonic respectively), while major scales tend to be more "happier". BUT, if you're using types of sounds that are darker alone, even a song in a major scale will sound dark/moody.

Also, don't fall for that "minor scales normally involves black keys in a piano while major normally involves the white keys". That way, a F# major scale wouldn't be possible, for example.

From my experience, the natural and melodic minor tend to be sad/melancholic, while the harmonic minor tends to be dark. And you can go even darker by using, for example, the Hungarian (or gypsy) minor (one I'm pretty fond of).
 
What does it for me is either a really interestingly evolving atmospheric pads with an escorting layer of sub bass to really create whatever feeling you want. As you guys mentioned before chords are the go-to tool when creating atmospheres and moods. And then of course we have this perfectly timed transitions to another chord with some simple - usually single note melodies on top of it to evoke that emotional change in your tummy which makes us all go crazy. And those are usually the moments you appreciate music the most.

Don't mind me it's probably only me that gets so emotional over music :)

Anyway take care you legends & see you around!

StringFlow
 
scrapheaper said:
This is rubbish. Every major key sounds exactly the same, as does every minor key. Transposing a piece from E major to F major doesn't change it's mood at all.
Click to expand...

I agree...ever since equal temperament, each key has lost its individual character. I think it's a major thing that has robbed music of a subtle yet profound path of expression.
 
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