Members Voltaire Posted February 13, 2008 Members Share Posted February 13, 2008 I'm trying to come up with "dark" or evil? sounding songs for a contest.. but somehow everything I try comes up happy sounding! and yes I already know it's not always the key or scale that makes it dark but the tone and tempo.. but it'd help if i was in a generally dark sounding scale/key whatever. help :wave: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Sunlit Posted February 13, 2008 Members Share Posted February 13, 2008 Try using this scale in the key of E. (It's a form of a minor, not sure what exactly this scale is in context tough.) E, F, G#, A, B, C, D#, E You could make it pretty frightening if you tried. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Ryan Trevisol Posted February 13, 2008 Members Share Posted February 13, 2008 Everything will sound happy unless you play it on a Gibson BFG. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members scottgd Posted February 13, 2008 Members Share Posted February 13, 2008 Queue the Spinal Tap ref. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Voltaire Posted February 13, 2008 Author Members Share Posted February 13, 2008 haaa.. i was being serious sorry for being a n00b Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members trill Posted February 13, 2008 Members Share Posted February 13, 2008 Well, regular ol' minor is the first thing that comes to mind. If that's not working, try using the Dorian (2nd mode of the major scale) or Locrian (7th mode of the major scale) modes. Might wanna head to Lesson Loft (or google) if you need more help than this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Roy Posted February 13, 2008 Members Share Posted February 13, 2008 http://lessons.mikedodge.com/ Check out the 1st couple of video lessons for the sliding technique. He teaches you a very simple scale/mode that he uses. No way it'll sound happy. Plus it's cool and different. Highly recommend watching the rest of the vids too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members silmaneero Posted February 13, 2008 Members Share Posted February 13, 2008 Another idea to try whatever scale/mode you pick is to occasionally throw in some out-of-scale notes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ej Posted February 13, 2008 Members Share Posted February 13, 2008 harmonic minor scale in a major key (e harmony minor in g maj for example) sounds eastern, but thats probably not what you're looking for... try am, very cool sounding key Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members VVarlocked Posted February 13, 2008 Members Share Posted February 13, 2008 Try using this scale in the key of E. (It's a form of a minor, not sure what exactly this scale is in context tough.) E, F, G#, A, B, C, D#, E You could make it pretty frightening if you tried. I always refer to that one as "The Offspring scale..." D and D# tend to be interchangeable. Change the F to F# and G# to G and you've got yourself Harmonic Minor. (Oh, looks like someone beat me to it ) And diminished/altered scales/whole tone... Well, they don't sound pretty, that's for sure. I'm sure playing whole tones over regular major/minor chords are sure to scare some people... Oh, that's an idea. Use some really awkward chords Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members metalhead666666 Posted February 13, 2008 Members Share Posted February 13, 2008 black sabbath E----------------------------B----------------------------G----------------------------D----------5----------------- A-------------------4--------E---3------------------------ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ej Posted February 13, 2008 Members Share Posted February 13, 2008 oh, and throw in a couple chromatic lines for good measure Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Voltaire Posted February 13, 2008 Author Members Share Posted February 13, 2008 thanks guys.. BTW-it's not even supposed to be for guitar it's for piano so no distortion will be used -which IMO makes it a little more difficult Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Roy Posted February 13, 2008 Members Share Posted February 13, 2008 thanks guys.. BTW-it's not even supposed to be for guitar it's for piano so no distortion will be used -which IMO makes it a little more difficult forget the sliding technique. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Voltaire Posted February 13, 2008 Author Members Share Posted February 13, 2008 forget the sliding technique. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Metalhead Mike Posted February 13, 2008 Members Share Posted February 13, 2008 Tune to crossnote F (F-Ab-C-F-C-F ) and play mournfully and forebodingly, like Eric Johnson in hell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Phishmonkey Posted February 13, 2008 Members Share Posted February 13, 2008 locrian is the most evil sounding of the modes' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Big Muff Posted February 13, 2008 Members Share Posted February 13, 2008 Use the Locrean mode. In E it would be: E, F, G, A, Bb, C, D, E. This is the scale that most metal bands use to get that evil sound. Best of luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members VVarlocked Posted February 13, 2008 Members Share Posted February 13, 2008 You know what? I changed my mind. Just play a bunch of tritones with octave displacement and you'll be good to go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Dudleyjackson Posted February 13, 2008 Members Share Posted February 13, 2008 Nigel Tufnel of the fictitious band Spinal Tap believes that D minor is "really the saddest of all keys," and that when a musician begins to play in D minor, "everyone instantly starts weeping:cry:". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members book_of_lies777 Posted February 13, 2008 Members Share Posted February 13, 2008 listen to Electric Wizard's "Come My Fanatics" for inspiration a note is a note, a scale is a scale, whether it's guitar or piano. find the flat fifth - therein lies THE EVIL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members cratz2 Posted February 13, 2008 Members Share Posted February 13, 2008 Well, E minor and E harmonic minor have worked for metal for a LONG time! A lot of the Malmsteen stuff uses the E harmonic minor scale. Usually scales aren't very sad sounding, but they can have a mournful type of quality, or maybe pastoral is a better word. The largo of Vivaldi's Winter would be a good example. It's in a Major key, so it should be happy, but I've always thought of that movement as autumn slightly peaking through in an otherwise dreary winter, but autumn is sad that she isn't really there anymore. George Lynch has what he calls the gothic octave which has some third intervals and some chromatic steps, kind of like this: -----------------------------------------------------------------------5-6-9-10---------------6-7--------------------7-8----------------------------------------------------- Or something like that. I don't have a guitar in front of me, so I can't be sure. As far as actual keys, I've always thought of C minor, C# minor and F minor as the darker keys but on guitar, I always go back to E minor and B minor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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