KEY TAKEAWAYS:
Making sad music is about the tempo, chord progression, melody, arrangement, and lyrics. For example, sad songs are often at a slow/mid-tempo with a minor chord progression and lyrics. I recommend referencing and analyzing other sad songs to see how your favorite artists have done it.
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Making Sad Music
If you are an aspiring artist/songwriter looking to tug at the heartstrings of your listeners, you must know the ins and outs of writing sad music.
If you don’t, you will have difficulty expressing the emotions you want in your music.
After writing music for the better part of my life, I have a solid grasp on writing in many different musical styles, including the sad and mournful.
In this tutorial, I will show you some tips and tricks that can get you started writing sad music!
What You Will Need To Follow This Tutorial
Here is a list of everything that you will need to follow along with this tutorial:
- Aninstrumentto write on (piano, guitar, virtual instrument, etc.)
- Something to writesong orderandlyricson (paper or digital document)
You will need acomputer,DAW (digital audio workstation),audio interface,microphones, and more to record your music. However, simply writing sad music will only require the above-listed items.
How To Make Sad Music
Let’s dive into the process of making sad music and look at some tips and tricks to help you do so.
How To Start A Sad Song
To start a sad song, you should begin with asolid chord progressionandtempothat you can write amelodyandlyricsover.
Let’s take a look at some of my favoritesad chord progressionsthat you can try for yourself:
- i-VII-IV-IV(A minor, G Major, D Major, D Major)
- I-vi-IV-V(C Major, A minor, F Major, G Major)
- I-v-v-ii(C Major, G minor, G minor, D minor)
- vi-IV-I-V(A minor, F Major, C Major, G, Major)
- I-vi-iii-IV(C Major, A minor, E minor, F Major)
- I-ii-vi-IV(C Major, D minor, A minor, F Major)
- i-i-iv-v(A minor, A minor, D minor, E minor)
- i-i-VI-VII(A minor, A minor, F Major, G Major)
- i-v-VII-VII(A minor, E minor, G Major, G Major)
- i-III-iv-i(A minor, C Major, D minor, A minor)
You can use thechord degreesto play these chord progressions inany keyyou choose. However, if you don’t know how to read chord degrees, I have included the progressions in asample keyof C major/A minor.
Play around with these chord progressions atdifferent temposand see which one you want to use to help you get your sad song off the ground.
How To Make A Sad Melody
Now that we have a chord progression and tempo for our sad song let’s write amelodyover it.
Whether you are writing avocalorinstrument melody, remember that it will set the toneof your song. For this reason, you must take your time and figure out something with theemotionyou are trying to convey.
An excellent melody for a sad song will often beslowerand moresparsethan one you might hear over upbeat or happy music. Remember, thespacebetweenyour notes is just as important as the notes themselves when writing a tremendous sad melody!
For example, your melody should not be over the top in a sad song. Instead, it shouldfit the moodof your chosen chord progression and provide just enough to drive your track.
Here are some things to play around with when writing a melody:
- Thenotesthat you use
- Therhythmof the melody
- Thespeedthat you play
- Thedensityof the notes
- Thevelocity(loudness) of the melody
Take your time when trying to come up with a melody. It is one of the most critical factors in crafting a fantastic sad song.
How To Write Sad Song Lyrics
Writing sad song lyrics is all about channeling and using what impacts you emotionally.
Here are some potential topics to write a sad song about:
- Heartbreak
- Mourning/grief
- Loneliness
- Political oppression
- War
- Growing old and reminiscing
- Nostalgia
- Mental health issues
- Having the blues
- Feeling lost or helpless
As you can see, plenty of different topics inspire a sad song. It’s all about what touches you and how you can use it to write a song.
Remember that you can use these guidelines to write lyrics forany genre, such as Rap, Rock, Country, pop, Blues, etc.
If you have difficulty starting lyrics for a song, try coming up with one chorus line you like and using it to inspire the rest of your tune.
Pro Tip
READ NEXT:
Are you looking for some more insight into lyric writing? Check out our article on whether lyrics matter in a song.
How To Write A Depressing Song
If you want to take your sad song a step further into the realm of depression, there are a few things to focus on.
Tempo
I recommend keeping yourtempo slowanddraggingfor a depressing song.
This will help to bring your listeners’ moods down and make them feel thedepressing toneof your song.
Lyrics
As far as lyrics for a depressing song go, it would help if you focused ondepressing topics, such asloss,grief,hopelessness,death, etc.
Keep your lyrical tone dark if you want to write a depressing song.
Arrangement
Asparse arrangementcan also add to the depressing tone of your song.
For example, a massive arrangement with a bunch of different instruments might take away from theemotional impactof your song.
To make your track depressing, consider using just a few instruments. Here are a few suggestions for instruments that might work:
- Acoustic guitar
- Piano
- Strings
- Vocals
Keep yourarrangement simpleif you want to write a depressing song. It will add to theoverall tone/emotionof your tune.
How To Make A Sad Rap Beat
Making asad Rap beatis very similar to writing a sad song.
You will still start with aslower tempoand achord progression/melodythat fits the emotion that you are going for.
The main difference is going to be thearrangement. Instead of using conventional instruments, you will useelectronic drums,synths,sound effects, etc.
To make a sad rap beat, stick to the above process but apply an arrangement that is more meant forRap/Hip-Hop.
READ NEXT:
Where do you start with writing a song like this? To become more familiar with this, check out our article on whether to write music or lyrics first.
What Makes Sad Music Sound Sad?
Here are some of the main elements that go into writing a sad song:
- Tempo(most sad songs will be at a slow/mid-tempo)
- Key signature(a sad song can start in a major or minor key, but it will always include a minor chord or two)
- Chord progression(most sad songs will have a chord progression that either starts with or resolves to a minor chord)
- Melody(sad songs will have a mournful, sparse, and longing melody)
- Lyrics(sad songs are on topics that bring out sadness, grief, etc., in people)
- Arrangement(the arrangement that you choose for your song will play a role in its emotional impact)
Writing a sad song is a balancing act between these songwriting elements.
Some of The Best Sad Songs Ever Written
Here are some of themost legendary sad songsof all time:
- Hurt – Johnny Cash (cover)
- Wish You Were Here – Pink Floyd
- Dust In The Wind – Kansas
- The Boxer – Simon and Garfunkel
- Creep – Radiohead
- Champagne Supernova – Oasis
- Imagine – John Lennon
- Hotel California – Eagles
- Yellow – Coldplay
- House Of The Rising Sun – The Animals
- As My Guitar Gently Weeps – The Beatles
- American Pie – Don McLean
- Tiny Dancer – Elton John
- Everlong – Foo Fighters
- Back To Black – Amy Winehouse
Remember that this is only a handful of our time’s incredible sad songs. These are just some of my personal favorites!
Related Questions
Is Getting Goosebumps From Music Rare?
Getting goosebumps from music isn’t rare, but it doesn’t happen for everyone.
To get goosebumps from listening to music, you have to have a real connection to the music you are listening to. I know plenty of people who don’t enjoy music enough to experience this connection.
What Instrument Is Best For Writing Sad Songs?
This is a matter of opinion, but piano or strings are a great place to start for writing a sad song.
The acoustic guitar is another potential starting point for writing a sad song. It depends on the style of music that you write.
How Do You Make A Major Key Sad?
Consider going from your major root chord to the relative minor chord to make a major key sad.
The relative minor chord is three half-steps down from your major root chord. For example, if your major root chord is C Major, then the relative minor will be A minor.
Using the relative minor chord after a major root chord adds a sense of sadness and melancholy to a major key.
Does Sad Music Make You Happy?
In a way, yes. Sad music can sometimes improve your mood, similar to how therapy does.
For example, listening to sad music can be the same as talking about an issue you might be experiencing. Knowing that you aren’t alone in how you feel can be pretty cathartic.
If you don’t approach an issue or emotion you are feeling head-on, you will have trouble overcoming it. Listening to sad music can help us embrace and overcome certain things that we might be feeling.
What Notes Make Up A Minor Triad Chord?
To build a minor triad chord, pick a root note, go up three half steps to find the second note in your chord (minor third), and then go up another four half steps to find the third note in your chord (perfect fifth).
For example, a C minor is a C, an E-flat, and a G. You can use this formula to build a minor triad with any root note.
READ NEXT:
In my opinion, the best sad songs come from a deeper place within the songwriter. For more, look at our 7-step guide to writing a song from the heart.
