Articles tagged with: "tension"
Suspended Chords: A Guide to Creating Tension and Motion in Music
Suspended chords, or "sus" chords, are a vital tool for any songwriter, composer, or musician. By replacing the defining third of a chord with either a more neutral second (sus2) …
Diminished Seventh Chord: The Master of Musical Tension
The diminished seventh chord is one of music's most dramatic and versatile harmonic tools. Built from a unique stack of minor thirds, this symmetrical chord creates intense tension that pulls...
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The Major Eleventh Chord: A Dreamy and Complex Sound
This article explores the rich and sophisticated world of the major eleventh chord (Maj11) . We'll uncover its unique theoretical construction, explain its characteristic dreamy yet dissonant sound,...
The Complete Musician's Guide to Altered Dominant (7alt) Chords
The altered dominant, commonly notated as 7alt, is a sophisticated dominant 7th chord that incorporates one or more altered extensions (b9, #9, b5, #5) to create maximum harmonic tension. This …
The Dominant Eleventh Chord: A Guide to Its Sound, Soul, and Function
This article demystifies the dominant eleventh chord (V11), a sophisticated harmony that defines the sound of modern jazz, funk, and gospel. We explore its theoretical construction, the crucial...
Sus4 Chord: The Classic Suspended Harmony
The sus4 chord (suspended fourth) is a triad where the third is replaced by a perfect fourth above the root. This creates a distinctive, open-sounding harmony with a strong tendency …
Mastering the Perfect Eleventh: The Ultimate Interval Guide for Musicians
The Perfect Eleventh is a compound interval that spans an octave plus a perfect fourth. In Western music theory, it's considered one of the most harmonically rich intervals, often used …
Altered Chords: Adding Color and Tension to Your Music
Altered chords are a cornerstone of modern harmony, providing a rich palette of tension and release by chromatically modifying standard chord tones. This guide demystifies altered dominant chords,...
Unlocking Exotic Sounds: A Deep Dive into the Half-Whole Diminished Scale (Synthetic Scale 2)
Delve into the Half-Whole Diminished Scale, a cornerstone of modern harmony also known as Synthetic Scale 2. Learn its symmetrical construction, its powerful use over dominant chords in jazz, and …
Minor Second Interval: The Tension of Adjacent Notes
The minor second, the smallest interval in Western music, spans a single semitone (or half step). It is the most dissonant harmonic interval, creating a powerful sense of tension that …
Secondary Dominants: Adding Color and Direction to Chord Progressions
Secondary dominants are one of the most powerful tools in functional harmony, used to add color, tension, and forward momentum to chord progressions. By temporarily "tonicizing" chords other than the...