UberMetalDood
New member
How do you compose really sad music on the guitar? What keys, intervals, etc... lends itself best to sounding very sad and regretful?
How to make it really sad?
- Thread starter UberMetalDood
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Andrew Lamprecht
Minion of One
Re: How to make it really sad?
Maybe B or D. But you can really make any key sound sad I guess.... ?
Maybe B or D. But you can really make any key sound sad I guess.... ?
Kam
Shaftologist
Re: How to make it really sad?
Yeah, you can make any key sound sad, really. It just depends on feel, mostly. Hell, most of the saddest sounding stuff I've written is just from minor pentatonic. I like to throw in a lot of dissonance from ringing open strings, though. When I'm trying to play a sad solo, I always think about it a lot more rhythmically than when I'm playing a different sort of solo. I like to throw in a lot of arpeggios and little two note chords leading up to a big bend, or a long held note with a slow vibrato on it. Reverb and delay help to create a mood a lot, especially with arpeggiated chords.
Yeah, this post isn't very helpful, sorry. I don't really know any music theory, that's just how I think about it when I'm playing. :dunno:
Yeah, you can make any key sound sad, really. It just depends on feel, mostly. Hell, most of the saddest sounding stuff I've written is just from minor pentatonic. I like to throw in a lot of dissonance from ringing open strings, though. When I'm trying to play a sad solo, I always think about it a lot more rhythmically than when I'm playing a different sort of solo. I like to throw in a lot of arpeggios and little two note chords leading up to a big bend, or a long held note with a slow vibrato on it. Reverb and delay help to create a mood a lot, especially with arpeggiated chords.
Yeah, this post isn't very helpful, sorry. I don't really know any music theory, that's just how I think about it when I'm playing. :dunno:
Corbic
New member
Re: How to make it really sad?
Harmonic minor always sounds particularly sad to me in any key, though I do like B minor for it's fullness (and Fernando Sor wrote a lot of sad-sounding classical guitar music in B minor!).
To get a bit technical, I always feel that using a Dominant 7 for the V chord in the key (F#7 in B minor, for instance) will lend itself to making the music sound a bit sadder, as opposed to using a minor chord there which doesn't give it a leading tone. The half step between the 3rd of the Dominant 7 chord and the 1 of the tonic chord in whatever key you're in goes along with the harmonic minor scale and just feels sad in that progression.
Harmonic minor always sounds particularly sad to me in any key, though I do like B minor for it's fullness (and Fernando Sor wrote a lot of sad-sounding classical guitar music in B minor!).
To get a bit technical, I always feel that using a Dominant 7 for the V chord in the key (F#7 in B minor, for instance) will lend itself to making the music sound a bit sadder, as opposed to using a minor chord there which doesn't give it a leading tone. The half step between the 3rd of the Dominant 7 chord and the 1 of the tonic chord in whatever key you're in goes along with the harmonic minor scale and just feels sad in that progression.
TheLivingDead
Dawn Of The Shred
Re: How to make it really sad?
For some reason G natural minor has always sounded the saddest to me.
For some reason G natural minor has always sounded the saddest to me.
UberMetalDood
New member
Re: How to make it really sad?
Moonlight Sonata might be the saddest thing I've ever heard, and although I don't really like to sit around listening to depressing music, I can't help but to love that song deeply. I find a lot of Pink Floyd stuff to also be incredibly sad. There is a song from Gus G in Firewind called "Before The Storm" which a sad instrumental guitar song and for some reason I enjoy listening to it very much. I wish Gus G would make more of this kind of stuff because I think it's very tasteful playing without all the shred and divebombing.
I've had the urge to write something woeful lately but when I think of a sad chord, I think of Em. I seem to get stuck around that chord whenever trying to make something sad. I want to break out of that and learn how to move to and from the tonic in ways that are expressive and give my music more of a build up and climax.
What tips do you have for being able to do this when composing and soloing? Keep in mind, I'm not real educated in music theory, but I can understand basic triads and inversions, etc...
Moonlight Sonata might be the saddest thing I've ever heard, and although I don't really like to sit around listening to depressing music, I can't help but to love that song deeply. I find a lot of Pink Floyd stuff to also be incredibly sad. There is a song from Gus G in Firewind called "Before The Storm" which a sad instrumental guitar song and for some reason I enjoy listening to it very much. I wish Gus G would make more of this kind of stuff because I think it's very tasteful playing without all the shred and divebombing.
I've had the urge to write something woeful lately but when I think of a sad chord, I think of Em. I seem to get stuck around that chord whenever trying to make something sad. I want to break out of that and learn how to move to and from the tonic in ways that are expressive and give my music more of a build up and climax.
What tips do you have for being able to do this when composing and soloing? Keep in mind, I'm not real educated in music theory, but I can understand basic triads and inversions, etc...
bungalowbill
Luckybastidologist
Re: How to make it really sad?
Phrasing...phrasing....phrasing. Notes themselves aren't really sad....
You listened to Niel's clip didn't you?
Phrasing...phrasing....phrasing. Notes themselves aren't really sad....
You listened to Niel's clip didn't you?
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ImmortalSix
John Mayer's Mankini
Re: How to make it really sad?
You have to make that face that a bulldog makes when they sh*t --- that always gives me a good "sad" vibe when I play - bulldog face.
You have to make that face that a bulldog makes when they sh*t --- that always gives me a good "sad" vibe when I play - bulldog face.
crusty philtrum
Vintageologist
Re: How to make it really sad?
It's not about notes.
You find your own sadness, inside. And then you play it. It's that simple.
When you do that, you can make anything sad, even normally bright, happy, major-key tunes.
Go deep into the darkness, dwell there and play the guitar.
It works just the same for any of the other emtions. You have to go there.
It's not about the notes.
It's not about notes.
You find your own sadness, inside. And then you play it. It's that simple.
When you do that, you can make anything sad, even normally bright, happy, major-key tunes.
Go deep into the darkness, dwell there and play the guitar.
It works just the same for any of the other emtions. You have to go there.
It's not about the notes.
wahwah
GumbyLoveologist
Re: How to make it really sad?
Crusty just hit it right on the philtrum. This is why most white, upwardly mobile, middle class blues sounds so ridiculous.
Cheers...................................wahwah
Crusty just hit it right on the philtrum. This is why most white, upwardly mobile, middle class blues sounds so ridiculous.
Cheers...................................wahwah
Lazarus1140
New member
Re: How to make it really sad?
Slow it down.
Add some tremolo that's set slower than the tempo of the song.
Get rid of the weedily weedily tone.
Sing it like your life depends upon it.
Slow it down.
Add some tremolo that's set slower than the tempo of the song.
Get rid of the weedily weedily tone.
Sing it like your life depends upon it.
