Electronic music composition relies heavily on harmonic techniques to create mood and drive tracks forward. From chord progressions in different genres to tension-release dynamics, these elements shape the emotional landscape of electronic music.
Evolving pad sounds and harmonic analysis further enhance the depth and complexity of electronic tracks. By mastering these techniques, producers can craft rich, engaging compositions that resonate with listeners on a deeper level.
Harmonic Techniques in Electronic Music
Chord progressions for electronic genres
- Understand common chord progressions used in different electronic music genres
- House and Techno often use simple, repetitive chord progressions with a strong focus on rhythm and groove
- I-V-vi-IV progression (C-G-Am-F) is popular in these genres
- Trance typically features longer, more complex chord progressions emphasizing emotional content and melodic development
- Progressions often include more varied chords, such as seventh chords, suspended chords, and extended harmonies
- Dubstep and Drum and Bass often use darker, more dissonant harmonies to create tension and aggression
- Progressions may include minor chords, diminished chords, and chromatic movement
- Consider the mood and emotional impact of different chord progressions
- Major chord progressions often evoke happiness, optimism, and energy
- Minor chord progressions can create sadness, introspection, or mystery
- Combining major and minor harmonies adds depth and complexity to the emotional content of a track
Tension and release in progressions
- Use dissonant chords to create tension and instability
- Diminished chords, augmented chords, and chords with added dissonant intervals (flat 9th, sharp 11th) increase tension
- Resolve dissonant chords to consonant chords to create a sense of release and resolution
- Moving from a dissonant chord to a consonant chord (dominant seventh resolving to tonic) provides a satisfying sense of resolution
- Employ chord substitutions to create unexpected moments of tension and release
- Tritone substitution replaces a dominant seventh chord with a chord a tritone away (replacing G7 with Db7 in the key of C) creates a surprising and dramatic effect
- Use chromaticism and non-diatonic chords to add tension and interest
- Incorporating chords outside the key (secondary dominants, borrowed chords) creates moments of harmonic tension and color
Evolving pad sound techniques
- Use chord stabs to create rhythmic interest and punctuate the harmonic progression
- Chord stabs are short, accented chords that emphasize certain beats or create syncopation
- Employ arpeggios to add movement and texture to pad sounds
- Arpeggios are broken chords played as a sequence of individual notes, often in a repeating pattern
- Arpeggio patterns can be programmed using MIDI or generated using arpeggiator effects in synthesizers
- Layer sustained chords to create rich, evolving textures
- Sustained chords are long, continuous chords that create atmosphere and depth
- Experiment with different chord voicings, inversions, and extensions to create unique and interesting pad sounds
- Modulate pad sounds over time using automation and effects
- Apply low-frequency oscillators (LFOs) to parameters (volume, filter cutoff, pitch) to create subtle movement and evolution
- Use effects (reverb, delay, modulation) to add depth, space, and interest to pad sounds
Harmonic analysis of electronic tracks
- Identify the key and scale of the track
- Determine whether the track is in a major or minor key and identify any modal influences
- Recognize the chord progression and its relationship to the key
- Identify the chords used in the progression and analyze how they function within the key (tonic, subdominant, dominant)
- Examine the use of tension and release in the harmonic structure
- Identify moments of harmonic tension (dissonant chords, non-diatonic harmonies) and analyze how they are resolved
- Consider the role of the harmonic structure in supporting the overall arrangement and emotional impact
- Analyze how the chord progression contributes to the mood, energy, and narrative arc of the track
- Identify significant harmonic changes or modulations that occur and consider their emotional and structural impact