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minor is not neccessarily sad?
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| offensive_newbi |
I just finished reading a music theory book. I did't understand much but i reached following conclusion:
It is so that trance usually is in a natural minor but is usually avoiding to establish clear minor tonality (sadness)? Also it seems it is normal that clear major tonality is avoided?
But but some songs use this well like that one remix of bach's air by a famous trance producer (but who(?)) expresses pure happiness?
And that darren tate's song (elevation) uses dorian mode to sound sad?
If the song is in a natural minor then using pesky IV-V-I (dm-E-am) cadense leads to horrific results and it doesn't like trance anymore or has anyone used this successfully? |
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| cryophonik |
| You need to understand that music theory is not a bunch of rules, but rather broad generalizations that help us understand what we're hearing and that everything has to be taken in context of the specific song that you're listening to. Also, there are numerous other factors that help determine the "emotion" in a song (e.g., tempo, rhythm, dynamics, melody/countermelody, etc.). So, when a book makes a generalization that minor modes (i.e., those modes whose tonic chord is minor) are generally sad sounding and major modes (i.e., those modes whose tonic chord is major) are generally happy sounding, you have to understand that those are just gross generalizations. Minor modes are often also used to express power, or drama, or darkness, or eeriness, etc., but when used in the right context (e.g., trance or house) they can obviously sound uplifting. I think that it's because we've become accustomed to hearing minor modes as being uplifting in trance that, by comparison, EDM songs written in major modes can sound too cheery and, therefore, cheesy (again, generally speaking). |
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| RichieV |
the minor happiness connection was first documented by either a critic or a theorist ( don't have my handy books right now ) almost 400 years ago but that isn't to say they are truths. I would say it is just a trend that has been around a really long time but that still doesn't substantiate the claim. There is a book they made for piano players , again the author escapes me but it was a compilation for organists at movie theaters for silent picture. At the time, the organist would have a cue of emotions sent with the film and the time to play it. The book is organized into emotion categories and it is interesting to see how one generation viewed an emotion and the musical equivalent. It is really interesting how alot of the cues just don't sound "scary" "romantic" ....
As far as the minor mode used in trance, show me any tune and I will give you a proper analysis of the track in a major mode. Nothing will change regarding the harmonies and the way it sounds but it is just a nature of how major and minor are relative.
And for those a little more curious, alot of the individuals who developped the harmony language and the dogmatic rules that came out of them did not believe that minor was a mode. Riemann, the main proponent for functional harmony did not believe that a minor triad was possible except when explained via undertones ( a mirror image of overtones ) which is absurd and has been debunked in his own time. The other main individual I can think of is Schenker who just saw the minor mode as an inflection of the major mode.
Music theory is usually just a system of presentation for a given style of music. It is more a framework of rules that on average should be applied most of the time. It is good for beginners and will speed your learning but it can only take you so far. |
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| Peter Campbell |
| Just speculating someone laughing sounds major and someone crying is in minor... that should give u something to think about...Now which birds singing in major or minor and why |
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| palm |
| both birds and humans are monophonic so without a comp to sing to they doesnt sound anything imo. probably why i never ever handled vocals any good, seems i hear it differently then others. |
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| PutBoy |
To answer the question in topic. Generally speaking, minor is everything that major isn't. And major isn't neccessarily happy either.
Generally speaking, minor sounds deep and sad, and major sounds uplifting and happy.
However, the real answer is it sounds whatever it sounds like to you. |
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| lenieNt Force |
| quote: | Originally posted by Peter Campbell
Just speculating someone laughing sounds major and someone crying is in minor... that should give u something to think about...Now which birds singing in major or minor and why |
Well I cry when i hear Kandi's remix of Pandora, and it is major (A-Flat). It's just pure goodness. |
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