Have you ever heard a piece that made you feel excited, nervous, happy, or even sad?
Music is capable of sparking all kinds of emotions, and two important ideas help create these feelings: tension and resolution.
But first we need to know what takes you between these two concepts: and that very link is what we call chord progressions.
What’s a chord progression?
Don’t let music theory scare you—it is just the means by which music is explained. In the context of creating a musical story, chord progressions are series of notes working together that can build tension and lead to resolution. While I won’t dive into the deeper details here, know that these are the building blocks that shape the energy of a song, and their sequential arrangement gives a song its unique character. At its core, a chord progression is simply the structure or framework that guides, or progresses, the movement of sound in a piece of music—hence its name.
Tension
Tension in music is the feeling of being unfinished or unsettled. It makes you wonder, “what is going to happen next?” There are so many ways that music achieves tension. Oftentimes, this is achieved through a chord progression that takes you away from the “home base” chord—the main chord your ear expects to return to, classically known as the tonic. One of the most common ways to create tension is a dominant chord, written as “V.” Musical stories frequently also add in a sprinkle of dissonance—clashing notes—to really tug at your heartstrings.
Resolution
Resolution is the feeling of wholeness, of completeness. It induces a sense of satisfaction in the listener and puts you at ease. In most cases, resolution comes in the form of “landing” on the tonic, or the I chord, inducing a feeling of finality. However, the very lack of a resolution can also help build tension even more. This technique generates suspense and anticipation, keeping the listener on edge and engaged furthermore. It makes the moment of resolution all the more rewarding!
Together, tension and resolution, linked by chord progressions, work to create a compelling story. Though music is just sound, these ideas intertwined can work wonders in maintaining interest and fostering an emotional journey. Without the key concepts of tension and resolution, music would be quite boring!
This is only scratching the surface of the complex language that is music theory. Music can make you smile or even shed a tear—there is clearly so much beyond tension and resolution that contributes to music’s enormous power. If you’re ready to dive deeper into the magic of music, we’d love to help you explore!
Ready to start? Contact us to set up your first lesson today!
Call us: (917) 715-6865
musicandmethod.com
Hi, I’m Devon! I play the flute and enjoy writing music in my free time.