Musical Conflict vs Resolve
by Daniel Lamb
9/15/10



Have you ever listened to a piece of music which seems like it's supposed to be pleasant, but somehow just gives you an unpleasant feeling?

Well written music can be defined by many things, but probably the most prominent aspect by which people judge music is the emotions which it causes them to feel.

Obviously the key that a piece is in many times dictates the overall "mood" which the composer intended to convey, a feeling of sadness, or a feeling of contentedness.

A minor key generally depicts negative or conflicting emotions, (but not always) while a major key nearly always communicates positive or resolved ones.
(that is with out taking the instruments used into consideration, as a muted trumpet would produce a much more nerve wracking sensation than a piano, for example.)

Finding a balance between variation, conflict, and resolve is important. Conflict adds weight to the piece, while the resolution of that conflict brings a sense of satisfaction and depth to the listener; by instilling a larger ratio of one or the other the composer determines the song's "mood". The conflict/resolve which was so skillfully woven throughout J.S. Bach's B minor Mass is a good example to learn from.

When I am writing music I would not want to have listeners always subconsciously waiting for the key to resolve, but I also don't want it to be resolved the entire time, as that causes the listener to be left with a depressed feeling of inane silliness; a song should be like a well written book, telling a story, with a peacfull beginning, a climax around the middle, and a satisfying end.

The conclusion:

When writing music the composer should take the listener into consideration, as well as the more esoteric aspects, to create something which is artfully original, yet still pleasing to the human ears.

DANIEL LAMB