Using Music Theory to sound EVIL (Patreon)

Music has been used to communicate human emotion for thousands of years. Joy, sorrow, anger and fear. In this video I'll show you the dark potential of sound by exploring 3 key mechanisms of musical dissonance. Chromatic Mediants, 12 Tone Rows and sex sells....I mean, X-CELLS muhahaha. Score the full tabs, guitar pro and mp3 files for this lesson below. 

1. CHROMATIC MEDIANTS

Chromatic Mediants are often used in film music to create a spooky or scary effect. The idea is to play a series of minor chords separated by 3rd intervals. For example Dm-Fm and Ab minor are all minor chords separated by minor 3rds. You could use major 3rd intervals as well. It also works with major chords. For example, D-F and A. 

2. 12 TONE ROWS

One of the coolest techniques I learned in music school was 12 tone rows, or Serialism. I remember the day my composition professor introduced us to the infamous Arnold Schoenberg, inventor of Serialism. I'm not talking about serial killers, or even the cold CEREAL you eat in the morning muhahaha. 12 tone serialism is when you use all 12 notes of the chromatic scale. 

3. X-CELLS

Sex sells, I mean X-Cells is a level 666 technique used by composers to summon the power of EVIL in their music. The idea is to take a group of 4 adjacent chromatic notes and play them together as a CELL. For example D-D#-E and F would be an X-CELL

YOUR TURN

Here’s my challenge to you. Use one, or all of these techniques to write a short piece of music. Channel the power of these sacred techniques to craft a riff, lick or chord progression. The truth is musical dissonance plays a key role in reflecting the full range of human experience. Let's be honest, life is full of tension, uncertainty, pain and loss. Use these tools to communicate your inner state and make sense of suffering muhahaha. Full tabs, guitar pro and mp3 files are below!