Learn the secrets to spooky creepy sounds.
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Find all my chord related posts here: Chord Tips and Tricks
You never know when you'll need a spooky creepy chord - here are a few you can use if you need to set a creepy mood or if you need to scare the neighbors...
Grab a low G uke if you have one the lower the better for these creepy chords - they are presented here as arpeggios best played on on low G (will work fine on a high G - may not be a creepy). Play them slow...
Augmented chords (+5; #5)
The #5 in the augmented chord will scare the pants of of anyone - especially when played as an arpeggio.
Any chord with a #5 will work - the major 7+5 (#5) may be the best choice - runner up would be the minor b6 (b6 is the same this as a #5), and lastly the plain old aug chord...
Possibilities:
- Aug chords (+5 chords, #5 chords) How to make it: Take any major chord and raise the 5th 1/2 step.
- Major 7+5 (major 7#5; aug7) How to make it: Take any major 7 chord and raise the 5th 1/2 step.
- Minor b6 How to make it: Take any minor 6 chord and lower the 6th 1/2 step or take an aug chord and lower the 3rd.
C Major 7 +5 - Lock the doors before you play this one.
------------2
--------4----
----4--------
5------------
Dm Aug
------------1
--------2----
----2--------
3------------
Dm b6
------------1
--------1----
----2--------
2------------
b5 Chords
The b5 is well known for having sinister sound. 'Mars' from 'The Planets' by Gustav Holst (listen to it if you haven't heard it) is a great example of the scary sound of the b5 and that piece was the inspiration for some scary music that came out of the 70's. Some bands entire song catalog featured b5's because they wanted to sound creepy... (and they did).
That b5 is creepy.
Possibilities:
- Major or minor chords with a b5 How to make it: Take any major or minor chord and lower the 5th 1/2 step
- Major 7 b5 How to make it: Take any major 7 chord and lower the 5th 1/2 step
- Diminished 7 chord
C Major 7b5 - b5 is well known for an evil scary sound.
------------2
--------2----
----4--------
5------------
Ab, D, F or B Diminished 7 chord
------------2
--------1----
----2--------
1------------
G Major 7b5
------------2
--------2----
----1--------
0------------
E Major b5
------------1
--------4----
----4--------
4------------
b9 Chords
Just as good at setting that scary mood are the b9 chords - the b9 can be used along with the b5.
Possibilities:
- Major or minor chords with an added b9 How to make it: Take any major or minor chord and raise the the root note 1/2 step, it's best if you use a form with 2 root notes so you have the root note and the b9.
- 7b9
- 7b5b9
G7b9 - yes it's the same shape as a diminished 7 - You may hear a noise in the attic when you play this one - hopefully you don't have an attic.
------------2
--------1----
----2--------
1------------
G7b5b9
------------2
--------1----
----1--------
1------------
Minor add9 chords
These beautifully dissonant chords will create the mood you want... One of my favorites - the major 7/6 (another of my favorite chords) is an inversion of the minor add 9.
There are minor chords with an added 9 - the 9 is 1 step above the root - you want the root in the chord as well.
Possibilities:
- Minor add9
Minor add9 - Don't look in the mirror when you play this one you may see someone that's not really there!
Gm add9
------------0
--------3----
----2--------
3------------
Minor major 7
These come up in most spy movie soundtracks - it's a minor chord with a major 7th...
Possibilities:
- Minor major7
D minor major7
------------4
--------1----
----2--------
2------------
Wild chromatic chord - if nothing else scares um' this will
Here we have the wildest chord each note is 1/2 step away from the last.
To make a chord like this just make sure all the notes are 1/2 step apart!
Wild chromatic chord - roll through this a few times slowly - it's getting chilly in here.
------------0
--------4----
----7--------
-------------
I - bV progression in a minor key
Could be the scariest chord progression Em - Bbm. Rather than the V chord you typically might find the V chord is built on the b5 (the tritone).
Try these:
- Em - Bbm
- Am - Ebm
- Dm - Abm
Now you'll be able to scare your friends...
Chord Charts
Get Chords charts here so you can have some fun with beautiful chords - (play them anywhere on the neck with many different forms). The charts will either be for the chords presents here or they will be such that you'll have to follow the instructions here to tweak the chords. EX: you'll get a minor 6 chord chart that shows the interval of each note so you just lower the 6th 1/2 step to get the minor b6.
All instructions needed to make each chord from my charts are given above... The chord charts you'll get are: 7+5's; aug chords; minor 6 (you'll have to flatten the 6); minor major7; 7b5; 7b9; 7b5b9; major 7 (you'll have to flatten the 5); major and minor chords (you'll have to flatten the 5th(s) and add the b9's - raise the root 1/2 step to get the b9); diminished 7's; Minor add9 to be added soon... 11 chord charts in all!
Other chords with some of these qualities will or may have a creepy sound as well - this is just a start - like a +5 b9 for example.
It's good for you to learn to use chord charts in this way... (to alter chords)
Have I missed one? Drop a comment here and we'll add to the list.
MORE...
Learn more about how to simplify chords here with my book "Ukulele Chord Tricks: Simplify Any Chord"
To learn how to create beautiful chord progressions in any key - get my "Secrets of the Chord Chain" books.
FREE PDF's - Chord book and all scales harmonized with chords (with related articles):
Chord book (FREE PDF - More complex chords presented here are not in this chord book - grab them at the link above)
All scales harmonized with chords with chords (FREE PDF)
Drop a comment to let me know what you think or how you're doing with these tricks.
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