As a songwriter, you may well want to evoke emotion in your songs to your listeners. One way to do that is by using dissonance in your music. Dissonance can create a feeling of darkness and tension, which can add depth to your songs.
So if you're looking to add a little darkness and tension to your music, keep reading! Here, we'll discuss dissonance and how you can use it in your songs. We'll also give you tips on writing lyrics that complement the dissonant chords you choose.
What is dissonance?
The root of the word "dissonance" is derived from the Latin verb “sonare,” which means "to make noise," and is an ancestor of the English word we use today, “sound.” The dissonant includes the negative prefix, dis-. Therefore, dissonant sounds are inharmonic or conflicting - like two noises or chords clashing against each other.
You can hear dissonance in music in various film scores, genres, and settings. Gospel music is a wonderful place to find more about using chord progressions like this. For example, when playing a song in the C key, it’s not just the white notes being played when adding more color to the arrangement.
To see more about how to use notes way outside the key you’re playing here:
To add movement to your keyboard work see ‘Gospel Piano Harmony & Theory in C Major’ (Link)
See ‘How to Make Dissonant Chords Sound Beautiful’ (Link) on how dissonance works well in jazz music.
It’s great stuff.
Dissonance doesn’t have to be jazz, gospel, or any other specific music genre but the trick is to make it part of your voice as a writer, which can still impact your listeners using this.
Here’re a couple of lines from my piano with dissonance used in my writing:
How to use dissonance for you?
A dissonant chord is, therefore one that doesn't quite fit together, creating a feeling of tension or instability in the music. These chords can be creatively used to add darkness and tension to your songs. The cool thing is dissonance can help you create a unique and memorable sound that will stand out your work from the crowd.
Here are my main tips –
Use dissonance in passing or chord progressions. As playing with dissonance notes and chords, it’s sometimes easy to add a pass-through out-of-key transitioning note as a way of enhancing the harmonies in the song.
Try polychords. This is a jazz technique where two different chords are combined from two different keys. The way it works is to add a note or two to turn a polychord into a passing transition on its way to a lovely, resolved chord in a progression.
Try adding additional dissonant notes to diminished and augmented chords. They don’t always work, but, when they do work, they can give some special magic to the arrangement.
Choose dissonant chords wisely. Not every dissonant chord will work in every song but choose chords that complement the mood you're trying to create, and especially in line with the lyric - see my post on prosody (Link). If you're looking for a dark and tense sound, try using dissonant chords in your melody or harmony.
Don't overuse dissonance. A little dissonance can go a long way, but if you use too many dissonant chords, your song will start to sound chaotic and jarring. Use them sparingly to create maximum impact.
Experiment. Dissonance is a versatile tool, so experiment with different combinations of tones and notes to see what sounds best for your song. You may be surprised at what you come up with!
When you find an opportunity to use dissonance in your music, it can sometimes give your song an edge over others out there, one of the second secret weapons I mentioned here (Link).
Examples
A long time ago, bizarrely, certain chords were historically banned by the church - the augmented 4th or the “tritonus” - because it was considered music from the devil, thankfully, it’s no longer banned today!
Here are some commercial examples:
Pop - Taylor Swift - Anti-Hero (Link) - one of her secret musical weapons
Pop - Justin Bieber - Ghost (Link)
Christmas - Coventry Carol (Link)
Worship - Maverick’s Promises (Link)
Classical - Mozart’s String Quartet No. 19 (Link)
Soundtrack - William’s main track for JAWS (Link)
It’s great to hear dissonance in popular and commercial music, perhaps more than ever. And, in reality, whether it makes sense to use dissonant chords depends on how to make it work within the context of the song.
Questions
Here’re some questions:
In your songwriting, could there be a way of introducing a dissonant chord to help enhance the arrangement?
How could a dissonant chord work alongside the lyric of the song?
Are there other songs you’ve listened to that might also cheekily added an odd dissonant note or chord without people normally noticing?
Enjoy!
Simon.