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6.2.5 Boring Song, Monotonous Music: How to Write It
What do you hear when you play either a major chord or a minor chord in root position? A completely balanced sound. No tension.
What do you hear when you play a tune consisting of an octave interval, 1 – 1 (8), or even several octave intervals? Same thing. No tension whatsoever.
If you decided you wanted to write a monumentally boring song, how would you go about it?
- Use only octave intervals.
- Use one chord, the major triad. (Don’t use the minor triad; it’s too inherently emotional because of the minor third.)
- Make sure the major triad is in root position—scale degree 1 at the bottom.
Such a tune would, in the immortal words of Monty Python, send bricks to sleep.