A cute girl asks if you’d like to hang out. V7. The date goes great. I.
A cute girl asks if you’d like to hang out. V7. They decided she’s not into you. Imin.
Youre forced to work overtime. VI. Your phone breaks. II. Your wallet is stolen. III.
You’re forced to work overtime. VI. Your phone breaks. II. Your boss feel responsible, and supplies you with the latest smart phone. V.
But not everything is so linear…
Your wife dies. VII7. Your best friend stops answering your calls. bIImin. Your suicide attempt fails. IVMin. You’re sent into rehab. VIMinMaj7.
We like to believe we are living in “river flows in you” or “midnight sonata”. But a majority of us can’t even find a structure to our lives. We lived in what is called, nonfunctional harmony. Where none of the dominates pull to tonics, diminishes don’t pull a half step forward, augmented chords don’t complete their cycles by raising their 5’s an additional time. In fact, it feel like some god has a large basket of chords, and he just pulls out random ones, one by one. And that is how our lives will be. And it never feels like it will change.
This isn’t me talking about my current emotions or anything, I’ve been alright as of lately. But just as a community, I thought this felt more accurate. Because functional harmony is nothing but a set of rules, rules humanity has invented. And I don’t think the universe cares to cater to humanities 2-5-1’s or cadences.
(And Salt, hi there. If you would like to be nerds, my email is devinbelver@yahoo) I replied to your comment but it went into moderation because I put my full email and then it never showed up so.. fun.. but I haven’t even considered writing my life song. I’m on a business trip for a week with only a Guitar and a badly cut finger xc. The index finger no less. How shall I play now?? It’s not a big deal, it’s not like I get much down time here. And also, I’m alright at coming up with harmonies, but my melodies are lacking greatly. Typically, I’ll write a long series of chords and stare endlessly without a clue on what notes to play over them. Everything sounds cliche or boring or eh. I know the major and minor scale alone can create some beautiful unique things.. but I’m always found stuck. I hope you’re doing well.)
6 comments
Basket of chords? You’re being very humble about things.
More like a clowder of kittens in an over-crowded string instrument storage room where some assholes have dumped their last 5yrs of christmas tinsel… Yeah, that sound, THAT is the chaos of our lives.. Lol
I think I may see these chords different than you do. I mean, they’re just notes, sounds. But Music is often regarded as the language of emotion. The ancient Greeks descovered the 7 modes that were hidden with the diatonic scale. Modes which we still (with minor modifications) use today. Each one had a different emotion corresponded with it. Ionian mode is the standard major scale. And it sounds happy. While Phrygian was noted as sounding angry. Aolian (minor) was written as sad. The most notorious of all of these modes, is the very last one. Locrian. This mode was observed to sound “evil”.
Music tells a story. It, in my analogy, tells our story. A diminished 7 chord is not just some jibberish collection of notes. It stems from the locrian “evil” scale. (With a flat 7 but details..) It is dark, harsh, unsettling, and ruthless. The same kind of chord you’d hear in the climax of a horror movie.
If you think of these chords not as notes, but emotions, it portrays the emotions of ones life very effectively.
So I don’t think I’m being very humble with my basket of chords analogy. But I guess it doesn’t really matter, this is a suicide blog site, not a Music social media page. I can’t write a bunch of Roman numberals down and expect people to know what bVI9 means lol. But I decided to post it anyways, because that is often how I see the world. The same way a painter might see the world in a strange array of colors. Blue representing sadness, red representing anger.
Imma go now.. lol I don’t know why I cared to write so much.
Perhaps it would be most helpful to tell you I can’t read music, though I do tie certain emotions to certain chords, to name the chords is far beyond my expertise.
I have tried learning guitar so I have seen them written but can’t play them either. Do enjoy others who have a talent for music, though..
Anyway, I suppose I missed the boat on what you intended on conveying, which lead me to: “surely a basket of chords being plucked here and there can’t express the multitude of emotions we struggle with at all given times” thought- hence the kittens representing the “unknown factor” playing on the “emotions” (string instruments as per your symbolism), the tinsel being other peoples views/standards…
Not sure why when I write shit I don’t fully explain myself.. Too many concussions, perhaps… Hopefully this help.
Forgive my ignorance.. I am stunted musically. I’ve tried and never succeeded in any talent there. My dusty guitar in my livingroom can vouch for that.
To be fair, I don’t really understand your analogy very well lol. I’m also not very familiar with the uncertainty principal. I feel like you’d have to write it out really simply for me to actually understand lol xc I think I may have an idea what you mean by cats and instruments, but the tinsel I’m not even sure how to interpret. It sound interesting though, if you would like to explain it.
I won’t elaberate like last time lol. But you mentioned feeling a few or several emotions all at once. I still think Music can express this feeling. For although most chords stay in their base forms: major, minor, augmented, ect… extension chords add specific tentions to these base chords. A major chord with a touch of sadness, a touch of anger, a touch of confusion. Or you could just go all out and play a poly chord. That would be like playing C major and C minor at the same time. A bit common in classical times.
Lastly, you could play a major scale over a minor chord. It would be like listening to happy music as something horrif is happening.
Alright that’s enough music analogies lol. Life is life regardless of how one perceived it.
My bad- the tinsel is others judgements being thrown in. Kittens being unknown factor of God or whatever doomed us to this earth. Kittens go nuts over shiny shit so that makes for more havoc.
With your analogy you seem to throw a touch of this emotion or that in, where as within myself I can feel jubilation at the same moment as blinding hatred. I cope with BPD so my emotions are never a touch of something it is always a tidal wave of all at once. Perhaps thats why we are miscommunicating?
I can appreciate the different chords minor and major and having a different scale played over another chord, which is beautiful in classical music!
Personally I think my emotional disarray would constitute a need for a full orchestra. Lol