How To Write A Sad Song
Would you like to know how to write sad music? Expressing the feeling of sadness in your music can be a very relaxing and satisfying way to connect with others when you feel down. Today, I’m going to show you how to write a sad song with various simple, yet effective musical techniques that have been used by great composers and musicians for many centuries.
Using minor chords.
If you have ever begun to write sad music, most likely your very first thought was to use minor chords or write in a minor key. Why is this? There are several reasons that we often associate minor chords with sad music. However, the most fundamental reason is that the notes of minor chords naturally sound “dissonant” (unstable/unpleasant) to our ears. This is unlike major chords, which sound “consonant” (stable/pleasant).
Ok, so how can you use minor chords to write sad music? Contrary to popular belief, using exclusively minor chords in a song is not necessarily the best way to express sadness. Although you can write a sad song using only minor chords, you can often make your music more interesting and intense by using both major and minor chords together. By combining both chord types together, you create a sense of ‘push and pull’ in the listener.
For example, here is a group of minor chords:
Example 1:
Am – Dm – Am – Em – Am – Em – Dm - Am
Example 2: Now, if we add in major chords, observe how different it feels…
Am – Dm – Am – EM – Am –DM – FM - EM - Am
Example 3: For extra interest, try using non-basic chords…
Am – Dm – Am – E7 – Am –D7 – FMaj7 – EM – Amadd9
By experimenting with different major, minor, 7 chords, or various other types of chords you can come up with many interesting ideas to help you write a sad song.
Using softness in volume and slow rhythms.
In many cases, sad music is much quieter than other kinds of music. Additionally, musicians often use slower rhythms to play the various parts that make up sad songs. Here is an example of how you can approach using these elements to write your own sad songs:
Choose any minor chord (or use the chords mentioned above). Using your primary instrument, try playing each individual note of a chord one after the other in a slow, sorrowful manner. Think of each note like a “teardrop”, and try to imitate this in the rhythm you use to play. If you understand how to play in 6/8 time, try this out (this is a common meter used to write sad songs). You can also convey the idea of “crying” by varying the volume at which you play your notes. One way this can be done is by gradually getting louder (but not too loud) and then quickly returning to soft again.
Using melodies or bass lines that descend.
Another one of the most effective ways to write sad music is to use bass lines, melodies, or chords that descend in pitch. When we hear music, we naturally feel excited when notes are arranged in a sequence that rises in pitch. This gives us the feeling that the music is going somewhere (“building up”). The opposite feeling occurs for us when music is arranged with the notes that go down in pitch. When writing sad music, start your notes at a high point, and then gradually work your way down. You can do this using a single melody, a bass line, chords, or any combination of these things. Here are some exercises to show you how this works:
Exercise 1: Play the following sequences of notes slowly using your instrument of choice and observe how it feels…
a) E (highest pitch) – D – C – B - A
b) A (highest pitch) – G – F – E - D
c) C (highest pitch) – B – A – G – F#
Exercise 2: Play the following chords and observe the overall feeling of the progression:
a) Am – Dm – Em – Dm - EM – Am
b) Now observe how the following progression feels. This progression uses a descending bass line (notice the lowest note in each chord):
A
m –
E
m –
D
m –
C
M – G/
B
–
A
m
Using “retrogression” in major keys
While creating chord progressions in major keys, it is possible to create a feeling of sadness in your music. Although this idea requires a bit of music theory understanding, it is a very powerful tool for writing sad songs. The main idea for retrogression is that you create chord progressions that “work backwards” from the Dominant chord in the key (usually the “V” chord) to the Subdominant (IV) chord and other chords that have predominant functions. This is different from the way most chord progressions work, which is to start on the Tonic (I) and end on the Dominant (V). If you are not familiar with these music theory terms, don’t worry (you can still observe the examples). Here are some examples of using retrogression to create a sad feeling in your music:
Exercise: Retrogression chord progressions in the key of C major
Tonic – Dominant - Subdominant
- C – G – F
- C – G – F – Am
- C – G – Dm – Am - G
Now that you have some ideas for how to write a sad song, the only thing left to do is start writing! Experiment by combining all the concepts on this page together to see how well you can express the idea of sadness in your music.
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