Creepy Chord Combos (Chromatic Mediant Relationships)

Creepy Chord Combos
​(Chromatic Mediant Relationships)

Have you ever wondered how the harmony in fantasy film music, adventure game soundtracks, or symphonic black metal works? Do you want to create a similarly lugubrious atmosphere in your own music?

If so, here is a theoretical explanation of one commonplace family of chord progressions that can bring about that foreboding sound-world you are looking for. 

Chromatic Mediant relationships are pairs of chords that are either major or minor thirds apart, creating dark moods and a brooding feel, but at the same time maintaining a loose sense of tonality.

Chord sequences like this tend to lend themselves to chromatic melodies that twist and bend through the changes, lines which could sound totally out of place in a more functional harmonic context.  

This sort of harmony can be heard in 'The Lord of The Rings' soundtrack by Howard Shore, and in the music of bands such as Dimmu Borgir, Emperor, and Cradle of Filth. 

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Apart from the chord progressions which are underlined (chords from the same key, that share two notes), there are dramatic tonal contrasts between each horizontal pair, brought about by the chords only sharing one note.

The chords couplets that share a box in the chart are the inversion of each other (the same progressions turned upside down).  

The chart only gives examples starting on C or C minor: don’t forget that any one of these sixteen pairs could be transposed anywhere chromatically, and also that the chords could be embellished with harmonic extensions.

Something I like to do is  combine two examples a tritone apart, resulting in some really rich yet thrillingly dissonant hexatonic harmonies.  

Rules are there to be learnt then burnt: you are only limited by the breadth of your inspiration and the depth of your imagination (unless someone else is in charge, of course!).

Instrumentation, performance techniques, and texture (as well as dynamics) also contribute to the manifestation of these ominous timbres.

Thanks for reading! Stay tuned for more maniacal insights into theory, composition, and orchestration coming soon.

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As requested, here are a few references to demonstrate what these sorts of progressions can sound like:

Emiliana Torrini / Howard Shore - 'Gollum's Song'

Intro / Verse

G#m - Bm
(Chromatic Mediant Relationship, minor 3rd)
Cm - D sus 4
( iv - V in Gm, with suspension and resolution on the D, then between D and  B there is also a C.M.R (major 3rd this time)

B - Bm
(tonic major-minor pair)
Cm - D sus 4 
( iv - V in Gm, with Suspension + Resolution on the D )

Chorus

[Gm - Bm] x2
(C.M.R major 3rd)

Cm/^7 add 6
(from C melodic minor)
D sus 4
( iv - V in Gm, with S+R on the D )
Cm - D add♭9
( iv - V in Gm, with S+R on the D )

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Dimmu Borgir - 'The Serpentine Offering'

Orchestral Intro
Gm - E♭m
(C.M.R major 3rd, starting in the dominant key of Gm)
Gm - B
(C.M.R major 3rd, then tritone substitution of F with B, leading into the tonic key of Cm)

Orchestral Theme
Cm - E - Cm
(C.M.R major 3rd)
Cm - A♭m - Cm
(C.M.R major 3rd, then i - iv to the sub-dominant key of Fm)

Band Theme / Chorus
Fm - A - Fm
(C.M.R major 3rd)
Fm - D♭m - Fm
(C.M.R major 3rd, then C.M.R minor 3rd into D)

Interlude
D diminished riffage + chromatic trills

Verse
E♭5 - F#5 - E♭5 - F#5 - E♭5 - D5 

Pre - Chorus
Cm - A♭m
(C.M.R major 3rd)
​Cm - E 
(C.M.R major 3rd, then tritone substitution of Bb with E, leading into Ebm)

Vocal Solo (sung by Vortex)
[ Gm - D ] x 4
E♭m - Gm
(C.M.R major 3rd, vocal in Eb major)
then 
(C.M.R minor 3rd)
B♭m add 9 - Fm (iv - i in Fm)
E♭m - Gm add 9 
(C.M.R major 3rd, vocal in Eb major, then tritone substitution of C)
F# - Cm - D (iv - V in G minor, same as in Gollum's Song)

Bridge
D diminished dissonant arpeggios, #11's and ♭9's

 

Tritone substitutions also tend to add a great deal of tension and a feeling of unease to a chord sequence: i'll post another blog specifically on that topic in the near future.

Often, the most effective harmonic cocktail for this kind of music comes from mixing up different kinds of progressions, so that the music doesn't get too predictable or repetitive, whilst at the same time maintaining an ominous and sinister vibe. 

Click on the image below to see a transcription I made of the orchestral sections of the song back in 2010: