Now that you are able to recognize the sound of the Sentimental Progression, let's learn to play this popular sad chord progression on piano. The “Sentimental Progression” (i→V/7→ i /♭7 → i/6) is one of the most common sad piano chord progressions that is equally in at home in jazz, pop and rock genres.
i-i/7-IV/b4-VI
And chord progressions with descending bass lines often make great sad songs, there is something about moving down in notes that takes our mood with it!
Be that as it may, a progression in a minor key or heavy on minor chords tends to sound the most melancholy to listeners. A similar effect can be achieved with diminished chords, 7ths, and other extended voicings. You'll quickly notice, too, that sad chord progressions actually contain many major chords.
Eb minor – D diminished – F diminished – Eb minor
This progression has to be the darkest of them all, thanks to some grim sounding diminished chords.
The theory behind it is very simple: two minor chords spaced a minor 3rd apart. Don't just play these chords in root position though; the inversion matters! This chord progression sounds best if the first chord (C minor) is played in second inversion and the second chord (Eb minor) in first inversion.
Diminished chord
Basically, anything you play that has minor third intervals all the way up and down sounds scary enough. Here's one of the basic shapes for you to play. For extra spookiness: Play a progression where you just move the diminished chord up by three frets until you run out of frets.
So when we're listening to music, our brain is constantly trying to guess what comes next. "And generally music is consonant rather than dissonant, so we expect a nice chord. So when that chord is not quite what we expect, it gives you a little bit of an emotional frisson, because it's strange and unexpected."
The F chord is typically the first major test in a beginner's journey. Many give up after attempting to learn the F chord. This is because it is a bar chord. If you have never played a bar chord before, the F is going to take extra patience and resistance to frustration.
Heartbreak songs will usually feature a minor chord - or may even be in a minor key. This is because, in western music, the minor is usually interpreted as sad or mournful.
What is the minor scale? The minor scale is the pattern in western music typically associated with sad feelings. It includes three different variations called the natural minor scale (or Aeolian mode), the melodic minor scale and the harmonic minor scale.
The best way I've found to create melancholy is to sprinkle in suspended chords or chords with slight tension. Minor 7th chords or add9 chords work well because they aren't overtly dark, but instead create a subtle sadness that can't be accomplished with a major chord.
The key of D minor. It's the key, some people say, which often triggers immediate weeping. When we turn to the scholars over the centuries and ending in this one, among many musicologists, composers, songwriters, there is an ever-expanding consensus that D minor leads all others in its evocation of melancholy.
The Popular Kid: I-IV-V Progression
The I, IV, and V chords, respectively called the tonic, the subdominant, and the dominant chords, are the strongest chords. Together, they form a trinity with which countless hits have been written.
What might make D minor so glum is that the chord's tonic, or its tonal center, is the downbeat D minor itself. Minor chords in general are so poignant that they've been central in studies on children's emotional perception of tones.
Tears and chills – or “tingles” – on hearing music are a physiological response which activates the parasympathetic nervous system, as well as the reward-related brain regions of the brain. Studies have shown that around 25% of the population experience this reaction to music.
According to Pauer, C minor is the key that is expressive of softness, longing, sadness, solemnity, dignified earnestness, and a passionate intensity. It lends itself most effectively to the portraiture of the supernatural. Soft longing.
The emotional impact of minor chords goes beyond their musical structure. Minor chords are often associated with sadness, melancholy, or even fear. Throughout history, composers and musicians have recognized the ability of minor chords to evoke deep emotions within their listeners.
The first finger needs to extend higher to hold down string 6 as well as string 5, creating a deeper, darker sound - especially when played on electric guitar with some overdrive!
The Creepiest Key Signatures
The realm of minor keys is often associated with these eerie qualities, as the minor scale possesses intervals that lend themselves to a more melancholic and haunting sound. Among the minor keys, D minor is known for its brooding nature, evoking a sense of mystery and tension.
Harmonic minor is the darkest of conventional minor scales. You can make scary music by playing just the scale (see Bach's Toccata below) or play it over chords.
Looking at the key of E flat minor we find the blackest of keys, described by Steblin as having “feelings of anxiety and the soul's deepest distress.” Interestingly, and by contrast, Steblin makes a case for A flat major being the key of Death that would have been recognized by composers of the time for that ...
All you've got to do it take a basic minor triad in any key, and add the minor 6th note (one semitone above the 5th) to give it that creepy, suspenseful vibe. There you have it!
The diminished 7th chord is the most villainous chord of them all. If you want to create some tension and suspense in your playing then this is the one for you! A diminished chord is really easy to play. All you need to do is create a stack of minor 3rds.