Music has the power to evoke emotion and inspire imagination. Certain chord progressions can create a dreamy, ethereal mood that transports the listener. As a songwriter or composer, learning how to craft dreamy, atmospheric chord changes can expand your musical palette. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll break down the key ingredients for writing dreamy chords and provide tips to add a sense of wonder to your music.
Use Extended Chords
Extended chords are chords that go beyond the basic triad by adding additional notes. The most common extended chords are seventh chords, which add the interval of a seventh above the root note. Dominant seventh chords like G7 have a bluesy feel, while major seventh chords like Cmaj7 have a more dreamy sound. Minor seventh, diminished seventh, and half-diminished chords can also create ethereal effects.
By extending chords beyond the standard three notes, you increase the color and movement between chords. The additional notes create more texture and a richer harmonic palette to work with. Take a simple triad progression and experiment with making the chords sevenths instead.
| Triad Chords | Seventh Chords |
|---|---|
| C | Cmaj7 |
| F | F7 |
| G | G7 |
| Am | Am7 |
Use Chord Inversions
Inverted chords change the order of notes from lowest to highest. The bottom note or bass note is no longer the root of the chord. This changes the feel and color of the chord while keeping its essential harmony. Using creative chord inversions can make your chord progressions sound floaty and ambiguous.
For example, a C major triad contains the notes C, E, and G. The regular or root position voicing has C as the lowest note. The first inversion moves the E to the bottom, and the second inversion moves the G to the bottom. Each inversion has a distinct color that can be used expressively in your chord progressions.
| Chord | Root Position | 1st Inversion | 2nd Inversion |
|---|---|---|---|
| C | C E G | E G C | G C E |
| F | F A C | A C F | C F A |
| G | G B D | B D G | D G B |
Use Pedal Point
A pedal point is a sustained or repeated note, typically in the bass, while the chords above it change. This provides an anchor point for the shifting harmonies to float around, creating a dreamy effect. Any pitch can be used as a pedal point, but low registers work especially well to sound hazy and atmospheric.
Try holding a low E or B in octaves while changing chords like Bminor7, Gmaj7, A7, and F#m7 above it. The pedal point provides continuity while the chords shift colors. You can do this with a bass instrument, a pad, or even a vocal drone. Experiment with pedal points to find the hypnotic foundation for your dreamy chord progressions.
Use Modal Interchange
Borrowing chords from parallel minor or major scales is an easy way to get that dreamy sound. The chords will be familiar yet unpredictable. For example, in the key of C major you can borrow chords from C minor like Dm and Em to mix up your progressions. This modal interchange adds new moods and textures outside the diatonic harmony.
Some great dreamy borrowed chords include:
- In major key, borrow from the parallel minor: ii, III, iv, VI
- In minor key, borrow from the parallel major: I, IV, V, VII
Use your ears to find the most haunting combinations. The contrast between major and minor colors is what creates the surreal dreamlike atmosphere.
Use Diminished and Half-Diminished Chords
Diminished and half-diminished chords have an inherently unsettled and mysterious sound. A diminished chord is built entirely of minor third intervals, creating symmetry and tension. Half-diminished chords are made of a minor third, tritone, and major third on top of a minor 7th chord.
In the key of C, these chords would be:
| Diminished | Half-diminished |
|---|---|
| Cdim7 (C Eb Gb Bbb) | Dm7b5 (D F Ab C) |
Use these unstable chords to build anticipation and resolution in your dreamy progressions. Approach them carefully and don’t overuse them, as they can lose their impact. But a touch of darkness here and there can be just the thing to transport your listener.
Use Suspensions and Retardations
Suspended chords remove the third and replace it with either the second (sus2) or fourth (sus4). This creates tension yearning to resolve to the major or minor triad. Retardations delay the arrival of a chordal tone through non-chord tones. Both techniques provide dreamy textures and a sense of longing.
For example, you could use Csus2 (C D G) before resolving to C major (C E G). Or approach a G major chord with the notes C B A to retard the arrival of the root G note. Get creative with suspensions over bass pedal points and borrow from classical counterpoint techniques.
Use Quintuplet and Sextuplet Rhythms
Subdividing beats into five or six equal parts creates a floating, waltz-like effect in a 4/4 time signature. Strumming this type of “swing” rhythm in your chords displaces the beat and obscures a sense of rhythmic gravity. It’s an easy way to get that whimsical, dancing-on-air chord progression.
You can also arpeggiate chords in quintuplets and sextuplets. Have one instrument play chords in swung subdivisions while another maintains a straight 4/4 rhythmic foundation. The interplay creates that discernible yet elusive dreamy texture.
Use Layered Guitar Voicings
On guitar, using 2 and 3 note voicings high up the fretboard can create gorgeous dreamy chord colors. For example, instead of playing a C major chord in open position (E A D G B E), play the notes E G C high on the B and E strings. Fingerpick combinations like Am11 (A E G D) or use partial barre chords like Fmaj7 (A C E G) to craft rich sonic layers.
Experiment with different chord shades by shifting open voicings up the neck. Stacking tenth, seventh and triad shapes creates atmospheric textures. Let the overtones bloom by lingering on the chord shapes. Vary your attack – pick, strum, pluck – to continually change the tone.
Use Arpeggios
Arpeggiating chords note-by-note maintains movement and interest while expanding the dreamy sound palette. Take chord shapes like Em7 (E G B D) and break them down into cascading single notes. Let each note resonate before proceeding to the next.
For variation, try different arpeggio patterns like ascending, descending, alternating up and down, crossing strings back and forth, etc. You can create hypnotic patterns marrying harmony, melody and rhythm in your dream chord arpeggios.
Conclusion
Creating dreamy chord progressions is an art that can transport your listener to new sonic worlds. Use extensions like seventh and ninth chords to add richness and ambiguity. Inversions, modal interchange, pedal points, suspensions and rhythmic intricacy all contribute to the ephemeral atmosphere. Mastering these techniques allows you to evoke wonder, nostalgia, and imagination through your music. So explore, find your sound, and let your chords tell dreamy stories.