chords that build tension

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what are some chords that build tension
like in Rick Ross - In Cold Blood @ 0:55
youtube.com/watch?v=IWMytpwgP3Y

or Maybach Music 3 @ 0:57
youtube.com/watch?v=09hTeyegnQE
 
I didn't watch the videos, but look up fully diminished 7th chords that resolves up a half-step. Also, dominant chords create tension and resolve to the tonic (or the vi chord, which has two of the tones that the tonic triad has, which makes it sound like two ladies kissing).

So, in the key of C Major---->

b fully diminished 7th is (b,d,f,a flat) that can resolve into FOUR different chords for modulations, but if you want to retain the C Major tonality, resolve that chord to (c,e,g) the C Major chord.

Recap: B fully diminished 7th to C Major triad. You can do this with ANY chord in any scale. This is just one out of many different methods of creating tension in music.
 
You can't really build tension with any single chord alone. A series of two or more chords may help with this though. There are lot of musical idea's used to build tension too so it may not be just the chords and may be other factors. Oscilating Cello's are often used for this. (Jaws, and a lot of Philip Glass music)

That said, I would suspect that minor chords are used to build tension more than other chords.

Sorry for not watching the video's too - I'm not on my main computer ATM.
 
You can't really build tension with any single chord alone. A series of two or more chords may help with this though. There are lot of musical idea's used to build tension too so it may not be just the chords and may be other factors. Oscilating Cello's are often used for this. (Jaws, and a lot of Philip Glass music)

That said, I would suspect that minor chords are used to build tension more than other chords.

Sorry for not watching the video's too - I'm not on my main computer ATM.

For the sake of fun theory discussion ( why have a discussion forum?), I have to disagree with your statement Emmapeel9. If the producer is using tonality, then a SINGLE FULLY DIMINISHED 7TH CHORD *will* create tension. Why you ask?

Mostly all popular genres (Hip hop/ Rap, Dance, Rock, Alternative, Pop, Top 40, etc.) use the tonal system of scales and functional harmony (with very few exceptions). The fully diminished 7th chord has all minor thirds and two tritones. Each of the four tones is a possible "leading tone" (half-step) and our ears will hear this because we are so used to the tonal system in music.

This means that the fully diminished 7th chord is more dissonant than any minor chord that you will ever play. Our ears/ brain wants to hear the fully dim. 7th chord RESOLVE badly because of what it has in it.

Think about the tension in the following chords (from least tense to the most) in the tonal system compared to real life situations:

*Major chords: No worries here, on vacation, you have everything that you may desire and all the time in the wolrd to just chill.

* minor chords: Can't find the car keys and you might be late for work... again or your pet cat just died.

* diminished chords: you've had a gun pulled on you.

* half diminished 7th chord: the gun is is fully automatic and the hammer has been pulled back.

* fully dim. 7th chord: you've been shot and you're in the middle of no wheres-ville at 3:00a.m. on a Wednesday morning (what are you doing out here anyways?!?!) slowly bleeding out and your cell is getting NO RECEPTION or has been stolen along with your money by the shooter. Say goodnight.

* Cluster chords: You're now in hell with your soul being ripped out your ass every three seconds for eternity.

Yes, you can have the "cello" *TREMELOS* and half-steps (minor seconds) in "Jaws" to create tension (the fully dim. chord creates FOUR half step possibilities), but you also have:

* Augmented 6th chords (pre-dominant functional harmony),
* Half diminished 7th chords,
* Dominant 7th or 9th (which contains the dominant 7th as well),
* Augmented triad chord

ALL BEFORE a minor triad or minor 7th chord for that matter will sound as "tension building" as my aforementioned harmonic/ musical techniques. There's still hundreds of other "tension" building techniques to use in music (e.g. ascending/ descending chromatic scale, build-ups/ break-downs, long sustained single notes, repeating a single sound or sonority repeatedly, etc.).

No intention of being derogatory here, just thought I would state what has worked in music for centuries... since this board is for learning, no? Happy producing everyone!
 
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Sus4 chord

tension? This has always sounded like a stadium rock power chord to me. Lots of uses but I don't see tension created all by itself.

I was about to meekly agree with the fully diminished 7th chord idea until I played it. This does not sound like a chord you would use in Jaws or Psycho. This doesn't sound like a chord you would hear in any tense segment of a horror movie. This doesn't sound like something you would play walking along a dark alley with an axe murderer on the loose. This sounds more whimsical and pathetic to me. Am I playing the right chord? This is the chord I'm playing - it would be good to hear others feelings on how it sounds.

I am prepared to be persuaded , but music is an artform and chords are just tools used to create things. Things can have different effects depending on the context. The color orange can be warm and friendly but it is also the color of a raging fire.

I do agree that some chords may be better suited to a musical effect than others and that some chords do have a certain flavor to them but I still don't think that any chord lends itself automatically to any musical effect that you want to make - you need a bit more than just a chord.
 
can anyone comment on the song?
like for maybach music 3, at 0:57 it seems to modulate to another key (i think) because of the flattened 2nd note, but i cant figure out what key it is
 
tension? This has always sounded like a stadium rock power chord to me. Lots of uses but I don't see tension created all by itself.

I was about to meekly agree with the fully diminished 7th chord idea until I played it. This does not sound like a chord you would use in Jaws or Psycho. This doesn't sound like a chord you would hear in any tense segment of a horror movie. This doesn't sound like something you would play walking along a dark alley with an axe murderer on the loose. This sounds more whimsical and pathetic to me. Am I playing the right chord? This is the chord I'm playing - it would be good to hear others feelings on how it sounds.

I am prepared to be persuaded , but music is an artform and chords are just tools used to create things. Things can have different effects depending on the context. The color orange can be warm and friendly but it is also the color of a raging fire.

I do agree that some chords may be better suited to a musical effect than others and that some chords do have a certain flavor to them but I still don't think that any chord lends itself automatically to any musical effect that you want to make - you need a bit more than just a chord.

What you hear and believe to be dissonant may be different from all other people, BUT in tonal harmony (which is most pop-genres use) that chord is a chord of extreme tension in this context.

In the context of Serialism, Free-Atonality, Strict-Atonality, Set Theory, et al, the a fully diminished chord is very easy on the ears. I'd really love to hear a Hip hop track that utilizes even one of these compositional techniques... I won't hold my breath though.

You see, a diminished chord cannot ever be the "I" chord of any scale except for the Locrian mode, which almost every DEATH METAL band uses... hmmmm, death metal + diminished chords- who would guess why they use 'em- wouldn't have anything to do with the sonority would it?

You want just random tension for that "horror movie," Jaws or Psycho sound? Use cluster chords (place your forearm across as many keys as you can depress), atonality (as well as aforementioned compositional techniques) and/ or a bunch of minor seconds/ half-steps right beside each other. Easy enough, right? What are your thoughts on that?
 
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What you hear and believe to be dissonant may be different from all other people, BUT in tonal harmony (which is most pop-genres use) that chord is a chord of extreme tension in this context.

I have the same chord that you mean then.

This is not a personal reflection of the chord and feeling produced from the chord. We are talking about a lot of films here that are the usual place where you may want music to emphasize tension. Was this chord ever used in a Hitchcock film for example? Maybe, but I doubt it was ever used in a scene that needed tension.
Music is usually composed for an audience and not just yourself. (You make more money this way.) It is important to bear in mind the effect something will have on an audience when they hear it and not just any theoretical notion. I'm still a bit puzzled with you saying that this chord has anything to do with tension.

I can see that this might be a music-theory type of tension but the most important thing is the effect that is given to the audience. I don't see what music-theory tension would have to do with that.

I am quite interested in this discussion as it ties in with my "much debated" notion that "too much music theory can be damaging to your compositional skills". Music is about sound and this is all the audience hears. I prefer to stay as close to that as I can and away from too much mechanics.
You want just random tension for that "horror movie," Jaws or Psycho sound? Use cluster chords (place your forearm across as many keys as you can depress), atonality (as well as aforementioned compositional techniques) and/ or a bunch of minor seconds/ half-steps right beside each other. Easy enough, right? What are your thoughts on that?

For something like the opening sequence of jaws I wouldn't be thinking chords at all. I think the good things that were used to create tension are:

1/ The slowly increasing volume of the music and instruments in the arrangement.

2/ The stabbing nature of the cello's

3/ The use of Cello's as opposed to say a flute.

4/ The music is very simple and direct

I think having the music in a sort of minor chord is important but I do think that use of a fully diminished chord here would have a serious effect on the box-office. (It fits! but it does make it sound too laid back and relaxed.)

I don't know how the main music to Psycho was written but I can imagine it being originated accidentally on piano. Similar to what you suggest but with two fingers close together. I can even imagine a child inspiring this as it sounds like something someone new to the piano would play if they were very young and just wanted to make a noise.
 
I have the same chord that you mean then.

This is not a personal reflection of the chord and feeling produced from the chord. We are talking about a lot of films here that are the usual place where you may want music to emphasize tension. Was this chord ever used in a Hitchcock film for example? Maybe, but I doubt it was ever used in a scene that needed tension.
Music is usually composed for an audience and not just yourself. (You make more money this way.) It is important to bear in mind the effect something will have on an audience when they hear it and not just any theoretical notion. I'm still a bit puzzled with you saying that this chord has anything to do with tension.

I can see that this might be a music-theory type of tension but the most important thing is the effect that is given to the audience. I don't see what music-theory tension would have to do with that.

I am quite interested in this discussion as it ties in with my "much debated" notion that "too much music theory can be damaging to your compositional skills". Music is about sound and this is all the audience hears. I prefer to stay as close to that as I can and away from too much mechanics.


For something like the opening sequence of jaws I wouldn't be thinking chords at all. I think the good things that were used to create tension are:

1/ The slowly increasing volume of the music and instruments in the arrangement.

2/ The stabbing nature of the cello's

3/ The use of Cello's as opposed to say a flute.

4/ The music is very simple and direct

I think having the music in a sort of minor chord is important but I do think that use of a fully diminished chord here would have a serious effect on the box-office. (It fits! but it does make it sound too laid back and relaxed.)

I don't know how the main music to Psycho was written but I can imagine it being originated accidentally on piano. Similar to what you suggest but with two fingers close together. I can even imagine a child inspiring this as it sounds like something someone new to the piano would play if they were very young and just wanted to make a noise.

Wow! Now we're actually getting into my exact area of expertise- I'm glad you brought it up! I am a graduate student getting my Masters in music theory and film scoring- let's open up this can o' worms my friend! I am a pianist of classical music and I am a certified choir teacher as well. I have my Bachelor's of Music in Music Theory/ Classical Composition from a private university.

I have scored numerous films, chamber music (string quartets, trios, Songs for soprano/ tenor/ bass and piano, choral pieces, many piano pieces, etc.).

So, you believe that "too much music theory can be damaging to your compositional skills"? Well, if a little music theory is detrimental or "damaging" (to use your phraseology) to one's creativity, then that individual's creativity must be very *WEAK* to begin with, huh?

You mentioned Hitchcock films? You want to know a little about the composer that composed most of the music for his films, Bernard Herrmann? Educated at numerous universities for classical composition and favored the American composer of serious art concert music, Charles Ives- talk about fully diminished 7th chords... all this before he hit the scene of film scoring.

Film score composers: Max Steiner, Danny Elfman, John Williams, James Newton Howard, Elmer Bernstein, Nino Rota, Alan Silvestri, Howard Shore, Franz Waxman, Korngold, etc. ALL uses/ used music theory to write their film scores (and fully diminished chords)- guaranteed.

Of course Herrmann used fully diminished 7th chords (and YES, FOR TENSION) since he knew music theory from his university training.

Let's look at your list:

1/ The slowly increasing volume of the music and instruments in the arrangement. (calls for orchestration and it's called a "crescendo")

2/ The stabbing nature of the cello's (orchestration and called "Marcato")

3/ The use of Cello's as opposed to say a flute. (again, orchestration)

4/ The music is very simple and direct (Minimalism, a genre in classical music)

See, it's a language that you understand and can speak with other musicians so everyone is on the same page.

What's easier:

Asking someone for that hand-held cylindrical container filled with that clear liquid that helps with your thirst when you are hot? OR

A glass of water?

Semantics my friend and everyone gets the job done faster with less hassle.

I could go on and on, but I'll leave it at this-

music theory is what gave us the "popular progressions" that dominate the scene today, but just an extremely minimalistic version of it... Western tonality is based ON MUSIC THEORY. Jazz/ blues/ rag time/ Swing etc. took it and morphed the "traditional" common practices to the wonderful genres that they are today. This was taken further by the pop genres and now we have a miniature model of long-past music theory, but it is still what this ALL came from.

You don't have to know theory/ orchestration to write music, but it is a another tool that helps elaborate the music... you don't have to follow the rules of music theory, but the film score composers that you speak of do and I'd say that they are successful, don't you?

There's always a point in the producer's/ composer's life, if they are just guessing and not using at least a shred of theory, when they get stuck and need a little help to move on- this is where theory comes into play.

Take care.
 
Ha I do agree you can never have too much education, it helps you actually be able to interpret what you're hearing.
 
I think I've inadvertently started another topic. I'll do a separate post soon around about the topic: "Music theory can be damaging to your health". But for now I'll stick to the OP's post about chords and tension

Wow! Now we're actually getting into my exact area of expertise- I'm glad you brought it up! I am a graduate student getting my Masters in music theory and film scoring- let's open up this can o' worms my friend! I am a pianist of classical music and I am a certified choir teacher as well. I have my Bachelor's of Music in Music Theory/ Classical Composition from a private university.

I have scored numerous films, chamber music (string quartets, trios, Songs for soprano/ tenor/ bass and piano, choral pieces, many piano pieces, etc.).

Any qualification in music theory doesn't impress me at all as in my experience it doesn't mean anything to how good a composer you are' (Amongst composers that is) I am impressed by any qualification in film scoring as I've done this myself and know how tough it is.
So, you believe that "too much music theory can be damaging to your compositional skills"? Well, if a little music theory is detrimental or "damaging" (to use your phraseology) to one's creativity, then that individual's creativity must be very *WEAK* to begin with, huh?

I suppose a "little" should be safe :)
You mentioned Hitchcock films? You want to know a little about the composer that composed most of the music for his films, Bernard Herrmann? Educated at numerous universities for classical composition and favored the American composer of serious art concert music, Charles Ives- talk about fully diminished 7th chords... all this before he hit the scene of film scoring.

I'm not sure what you mean here. Were fully diminished 7th chords used or even talked about when deciding what music to have in a tense scene of a Hitchcock film? It doesn't matter if the person played the chord as a child or whatever. I'm not trying to have the chord banned - it's actually quite a nice sounding chord.

Film score composers: Max Steiner, Danny Elfman, John Williams, James Newton Howard, Elmer Bernstein, Nino Rota, Alan Silvestri, Howard Shore, Franz Waxman, Korngold, etc. ALL uses/ used music theory to write their film scores (and fully diminished chords)- guaranteed.
Imagine how good they could have been if they weren't forced to learn music theory.
That was a joke, but I do think the above composers learning of music theory may have had more to do with being able to communicate with an orchestra than to the creative benefits of music theory. Music theory was probably essential to their job prospects.

Of course Herrmann used fully diminished 7th chords (and YES, FOR TENSION) since he knew music theory from his university training.
Where? I'm actually interested as to me this is an odd chord to use for tension.

Let's look at your list:

1/ The slowly increasing volume of the music and instruments in the arrangement. (calls for orchestration and it's called a "crescendo")

2/ The stabbing nature of the cello's (orchestration and called "Marcato")

3/ The use of Cello's as opposed to say a flute. (again, orchestration)

4/ The music is very simple and direct (Minimalism, a genre in classical music)

See, it's a language that you understand and can speak with other musicians so everyone is on the same page.

This is one of the problems with music theory as it has an "I know something you don't" factor. This "can" have more to do with ego than being able to compose well. (I'm not saying the above is.) I appreciate the information though.

I wouldn't choose a racing car driver based on how well they knew how an engine worked. (I'll leave it with that analogy about music theory as the discussion is for another thread.)

What's easier:

Asking someone for that hand-held cylindrical container filled with that clear liquid that helps with your thirst when you are hot? OR

A glass of water?

Wouldn't the music theorist ask for the technical description of the item and the everyday person ask for the thing that everyone knows? This makes my point too. My view is that music should stay close to what everybodies (ie the audience) understanding is and further away from the mechanics. This is what works for me but people are free to do things however they want off course.

I do agree that music theory can be used as a language in certain area's such as film scoring but I want to leave a discussion on music theory to a different thread and keep this one for a discussion of chords and tension.

Still happy to be wrong about my view that chords alone cannot produce tension but I'm not there yet...
 
I think I've inadvertently started another topic. I'll do a separate post soon around about the topic: "Music theory can be damaging to your health". But for now I'll stick ...

...happy to be wrong about my view that chords alone cannot produce tension but I'm not there yet...

There's so much to comment on, but (as you stated) why continue with this particular thread? It's a bit tired now, no? I'll bet we can go on and on about this subject for pages and pages of forum space... with that: you believe what you want and I'll keep doing what I do :)

Happy producing my friend!

---------- Post added at 12:15 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:07 AM ----------

Emmapeel9,

Since this is the "theory/ comp" section of the forum to talk about functional music theory and not to down play it's importance in music... you asked- here it is AND they talk about half-diminished 7th which is LESS dissonant in tonal harmony- now that's hot! The original question was "CHORDS THAT BUILD TENSION":

http://www.bernardherrmann.org/articles/misc/nature001/

www.filmscorerundowns.net/herrmann/herrmannchord.pdf

http://www.google.com/search?q=bern...s=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a

Also, if you look up: "film score diminished chords" mostly Bernard Hermann's name comes up... hmmm. Happy producing! I'm waiting for your post on "How theory..." on the forum :)
 
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wow, I go away for a week a new defender of theory arrives. :D

tension building chords:

I agree with EP as far as saying that it takes two chords to create tension, mainly because for tension to be created we must have started with some of non-tension, or static harmony. Beyond that, however, we need to diverge once again.

Suspensions
sus4 builds tension by denying resolution: CFG instead of CEG
Rearrange it (change the inversion of the of the chord and apply a new key centre to its naming) and it becomes a 7sus4 (no fifth):GCF instead of GBF
rearrange it again and you get sus2: FGC instead of FAC

In fact, all tension in music is about denying resolution.

Dim7
The usual way to use dim 7 chords follows one of two paths:
  1. Treat them as though they were dominant 9th chords without a root (i.e. V7b9), so that they are creating tension before resolving to the tonic chord or the sub-mediant chord. e.g.
    • Ab - G
      F - E
      D - C
      B - C
      or
    • Ab - A
      F - E
      D - C
      B - C
    note that both have at least one upward moving semi-tone and one downward moving semi-tone as well as a downward moving tone
  2. treat them by using them as pivot points between tonalities

Unfortunately in pop music, the most commonly heard uses of the dim 7 chord are about novelty and not necessarily about tension
  • mighty mouse - "here I come to save the day" is simply an arpeggio down and up
  • in "and then along came jones" the use of the dim 7 chord being moved through inversions as the breathless female voice say and then? and then? and then? before it kicks back into the rollicking normality of the song.

Yes, these are trivial examples and the second does use the dim7 as a tension building device, bu that is the point - the use of dim 7 in pop music is generally speaking, trivial and not based within the greater focus of applied harmonic theory.

Clusters
Clusters are useful for creating tension in that they have no resolution point other than the return to "normal" harmonic movement. Even a cluster can be analysed as some exotic chord if you try hard enough.
 


---------- Post added at 12:15 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:07 AM ----------
Emmapeel9,

Since this is the "theory/ comp" section of the forum to talk about functional music theory and not to down play it's importance in music... you asked- here it is AND they talk about half-diminished 7th which is LESS dissonant in tonal harmony- now that's hot! The original question was "CHORDS THAT BUILD TENSION":
Yes, this is a theory, composing section, but that doesn't mean that the two necessarilly have anything to do with each other. For some yes but not for all. (Think about how most world music is created to help understand what I mean by this.)

I'm not trying to get music theory abolished, music theory is there and evolving for everyone and even I like to read about the odd thing sometimes to help create something I may not have thought up otherwise. Some of the idea's it produces can be a bit silly though (as with any type of theory.) and out of touch with what music is all about - sound and feel. I'm certainly going to point that out at times.

Thx for the links

I like what I read about Bernard Hermann who wrote the scores for a lot of movies where creating tension was important (A lot of Hitchcock films). It does say that a lot of the music in these films had used the fully diminished 7th chord and more-so the half diminished 7th chord.

Therefore what I was saying about it being surprising about having the former chord used in any tense sequence of a Hitchcock film seems technically wrong. However, the chord I strummed on guitar (Ao7) still doesn't sound like it would have a place in any tense sequence.

To me, it is still more about how the chord was used rather than what chord it is.

Probably a big subject but I'll just make one observation on this...

I think that if you want the chord to produce tension, then having it played as an arpeggio instead of all at once may produce more of what you want. So with an arpeggio you are taking one step at a time with a possible surprise at each step, and with an "all at once" chord it's more: "That may have sounded a bit uncomfortable, but it's all gone now - what's the problem?"

The title music in the films - Vertigo and Cape fear, both by Bernard Hermann, use arpeggios instead of played chords. Both are brilliant in conveying the mood of the film. I wonder if the same effect would have been created with strummed/plucked/plonked or bowed chords instead arpeggios though.
 
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