Great Songwriting, Tension & Release: Don't Be Basic

In songwriting, something that can be overlooked is the dance between tension and release. This is a symptom of usually either; a songwriter who’s still new to writing and wants everything to be “nice” and palatable, or over-manufactured pop which wants to engage with the largest audience possible - ending up with music that sometimes lacks depth. (not throwing shade at pop, I love some pop music)

I’m sure we can all immediately think of a song with moments where it builds up stress, emotion, story, and where it feels like we’re never going to reach our destination. Then, suddenly, it’s like the clouds burst wide open and we have this huge sense of release. It could be a pop song, a power ballad, an 80’s glam rock song, blues, jazz, RnB - anything. 

The same way a great story takes us through highs and lows, a well-crafted song relies on the strategic use of harmony, melody, and chords to evoke emotion to take us through those same motions. I mean, because a song is a story anyway right? 

In this post, we will discuss the power of stepping beyond the boundaries of "safe" notes, using traditional tension and release techniques, experimenting with non-diatonic progressions, embracing chromaticism, and playing around with the timing of chord changes.

Before we start, I just want to explain some music theory terms I’ll be using - in case you aren't familiar with them. 

Diatonic - notes that stick to a scale. Ex. C Major - C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C.

Non-Diatonic or Accidentals - notes that go outside of the scale. Ex. C Major - any notes that aren’t in the scale, sharps and flats etc. 

Chromatic or Chromaticism - refers to using any or all 12 of the music notes.

Harmony - refers to chords and chord arrangements

Melody - the melody which is played one note at a time

Cut The Damn Safety Net

Only sticking to "safe" notes may create a pleasant sound, but after a while it also creates an “expected” sound - meaning we easily get familiar with the notes and it stops having much effect. Using only safe (diatonic) risks going into the territory of blandness. Real talk… Ya boring. 

Humans can get bored really easily. We crave variety(novelty) and unpredictability; so, songwriters must push beyond the expected to elicit a more profound emotional response. Incorporating unexpected notes or intervals is an awesome way to do this.

As songwriters and creators of art, it's our job to craft those elements of surprise, keeping listeners engaged, intrigued, and triggering the emotional response appropriate to the song - delight, love, anger, sadness, joy, curiosity, motivation, or anything else.

Traditional Tension and Release

One of the foundational principles in music theory is the use of tension and release through diatonic notes. This interplay between dominant (5th note in a scale) and subdominant (4th note in a scale) chords creates a dynamic narrative within a song. 

Examples: (C Major) 

Dominant: G or G7 to C. The G chord contains G, B and D (or also F if playing G7 for extra tension) which creates a unique step back to the home; C major (C, E, G). 

Sub-Dominant: F contains notes F, A, and C, which also have a unique way of resolving back to home; C major (C, E, G).

The tension built by the dominant chord naturally resolves to the stability of the tonic, providing a satisfying and familiar emotional journey. 

Something interesting to note about these chord progressions is that:

Dominant (5 chord - 1 chord) is typically a classical music tool. It has a certain sound which can be identified quite easily. 

Sub-Dominant (4 chord - 1 chord) is a more modern sound, and often used in pop as it tends to have less tension than a 5-1, and is arguably smoother. 

Navigating Non-Diatonic Territory

Breaking out of the routine or rut of diatonic notes opens up a new range of options for songwriters. By introducing non-diatonic (out of the scale) notes and chords into the progression, we create new ways to take the listener into the unexpected, which is great.

These chords can create heightened tension which leads to either a greater resolve, or just create new areas of emotion within the song. These non-diatonic elements add layers of complexity that change and redirect the emotional impact of a song.

Two easy ways to do this are: 

Playing a 4th chord as a minor instead of a major. Example: In C Major, you’d normally have an F Major, but you could swap it out for an F Minor to create a different kind of suspense. This is a commonly used “trick”. 

If you are going to resolve to a major key, you could use a chord progression which is more triumphant. Instead of 6, 7, and 1(home) (A minor, Bmin/dim, C major), you could flatten the 6 and 7 chords and change it to Ab major, Bb major, C Major. This gives a tone-tone step sequence which evokes a feeling of success and achievement.

Experiment with Chromaticism

Chromaticism is the use of any-and-all notes outside the key signature, and is a powerful tool for crafting tension and release. We have 12 notes to play with, not only 7 in any given key! 

It could be as simple as a couple of chromatic passing tones, or full-on chromatic chords which change the whole progression. This technique adds unpredictability to a song, and definitely takes the listener somewhere unexpected. 

It also is used extensively in genres like funk, rnb, blues and hip hop. Chromaticism features a lot in things like bass, synth and guitar riffs which can be great to add a unique vibe to the track. 

A funny thing about when we hear music that has chromaticism in it.. As a listener we think "wow this sounds different" or that the track has a good vibe. It's often because of those in-between notes - we might just not be conscious of it.

A great example of this is the bass and synth riff/lead in Bad Guy by Billie Eillish.

Timing Your Chords

Looking past the choice of chords and notes, the timing of chord changes plays a huge role in crafting tension and release. Experimenting with the duration of chord holds and the placements of chord changes allows songwriters to control the emotional direction in other ways. Holding a chord for a long period builds anticipation, while quick changes create urgency and excitement. This is a great technique which elevates the use of your carefully chosen chords. 

An example of a held chord adding suspense is the pre chorus in Adele “Hello”. 

An example of some quick chord changes which add energy to a song is the bridge “Don’t Stop Til You Get Enough” by Michael Jackson. (It also has tonnes of chromaticism, ex. In the main strings riff in the verses) 

Wrapping Up 

It can be really easy to either want to play it safe, or plateau and get stuck in the routines of what we seem to use over and over again. We’ve all been there, especially me. The only way to really change that up is to try something new - mainly, new notes and chords. Mastering tension and release in songs takes time, practice, and goes beyond just a little bit of theory.

So, I’ve really tried to simplify it in a way that helps the concepts feel more intuitive and real rather than a burden or some kind of sterile music ideas. Non-diatonic notes, unusual chords and chromaticism pop up everywhere once you start listening for it and experimenting and putting it in your writing. 

Because, at the end of the day, we write songs to create emotion, to move people. These are great ways to try and do that.