# Crime drama chord progressions?



## Akarin (Aug 14, 2022)

Hey all. In the past 12 months, I've written about 10 production music albums in the "crime drama" genre. I need to make 3 more and when it comes to new ideas, I'm a bit worn out. I tend to reuse chord progressions that just work over and over again, leading to a sense of burnout. 

What would you suggest to explore? What are examples of progressions that you'd use?

Thanks for giving me a fresh perspective.


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## cet34f (Aug 14, 2022)

Are we talking about 60s cop show (big band jazz with minor major 7th chord / augmented chord) or 70s cop show (funk music with one chord) or 80s cop show (synth music with arpeggiated/suspended chord)?


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## Rowy van Hest (Aug 14, 2022)

You could use this online tool. Just keep trying until you'll hear something to your liking.

5-part Voice Lead Progressions


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## NuNativs (Aug 14, 2022)

Or the everything is droning on a D Minor chord with 16th note pulses action cues.


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## NuNativs (Aug 14, 2022)

Akarin said:


> Hey all. In the past 12 months, I've written about 10 production music albums in the "crime drama" genre. I need to make 3 more and when it comes to new ideas, I'm a bit worn out. I tend to reuse chord progressions that just work over and over again, leading to a sense of burnout.
> 
> What would you suggest to explore? What are examples of progressions that you'd use?
> 
> Thanks for giving me a fresh perspective.


Are you getting placements for these type of cues? I never in a million years would have guessed you would be writing in that style especially 10 albums!


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## NekujaK (Aug 14, 2022)

Wait, do you mean they still use chord progressions in TV music!?


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## Trash Panda (Aug 14, 2022)

NekujaK said:


> Wait, do you mean they still use chord progressions in TV music!?


For real. Since 2000 it seems crime drama moved to the following:
- one note static pad/drone
- one note static pad/drone with a pulse in tense scenes
- occasional stingers to punctuate am emotional moment 
- random licensed song
- “music” that could be mistaken as background elements (A/C hum, birds chirping, etc.)


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## CT (Aug 14, 2022)

a minor - e minor


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## b_elliott (Aug 14, 2022)

Akarin said:


> What would you suggest to explore? What are examples of progressions that you'd use?


In the vein of crime drama: Bartok's Bluebeard's Castle. 
Bluebeard has murdered three wives. The opera picks up with him going for murder #4. 

In addition to exploring wild harmonies, don't overlook his use of polyrhythms (5 against 3) that adds to the anxiety. Early Bartok, 1911. Likley to get a few wheels spinning for you.

Score available on IMSPL.


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## jcrosby (Aug 14, 2022)

Akarin said:


> Hey all. In the past 12 months, I've written about 10 production music albums in the "crime drama" genre. I need to make 3 more and when it comes to new ideas, I'm a bit worn out. I tend to reuse chord progressions that just work over and over again, leading to a sense of burnout.
> 
> What would you suggest to explore? What are examples of progressions that you'd use?
> 
> Thanks for giving me a fresh perspective.


Dexter might be a pretty good reference. It's a little elaborate, and leans a little close to horror, but at the time it broke away from the mold of generic crime drama... If you're looking for a fresh perspective that isn't just the pulsing/ticking/minimal tension it offers a lot of unique twists. (It's also just a great all-around score)...

Dan Licht also did a couple Silent Hills which has some similarity to the Dexter underscore, the last cue linked below has some simple but great ideas that might give you a few ideas...










Silent Hill:


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## Akarin (Aug 14, 2022)

cet34f said:


> Are we talking about 60s cop show (big band jazz with minor major 7th chord / augmented chord) or 70s cop show (funk music with one chord) or 80s cop show (synth music with arpeggiated/suspended chord)?


None of those. These kind of shows would be scored to picture. Think more about things like "10 most-wanted serial killers" when they describe why they are wanted.



Rowy van Hest said:


> You could use this online tool. Just keep trying until you'll hear something to your liking.
> 
> 5-part Voice Lead Progressions


I'll have a look, thanks!



NuNativs said:


> Or the everything is droning on a D Minor chord with 16th note pulses action cues.


I've done enough of that... Ad nauseam.



NuNativs said:


> Are you getting placements for these type of cues? I never in a million years would have guessed you would be writing in that style especially 10 albums!


Yeah. Lots and lots. Crime drama, investigation documentaries, etc, are very much in demand.



NekujaK said:


> Wait, do you mean they still use chord progressions in TV music!?


Not always but I try to be a bit different 



Michaelt said:


> a minor - e minor


I think that I have a good 20 tracks like this.



b_elliott said:


> In the vein of crime drama: Bartok's Bluebeard's Castle.
> Bluebeard has murdered three wives. The opera picks up with him going for murder #4.
> 
> In addition to exploring wild harmonies, don't overlook his use of polyrhythms (5 against 3) that adds to the anxiety. Early Bartok, 1911. Likley to get a few wheels spinning for you.
> ...


Thanks for this. There are many great ideas there!



jcrosby said:


> Dexter might be a pretty good reference. It's a little elaborate, and leans a little close to horror, but at the time it broke away from the mold of generic crime drama... If you're looking for a fresh perspective that isn't just the pulsing/ticking/minimal tension it offers a lot of unique twists. (It's also just a great all-around score)...
> 
> Dan Licht also did a couple Silent Hills which has some similarity to the Dexter underscore, the last cue linked below has some simple but great ideas that might give you a few ideas...
> 
> ...



Perfect! Dexter has a lot of these tension underscore moments. I'll watch some random episodes to refresh my memory a little bit more!


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## NekujaK (Aug 14, 2022)

Akarin said:


> Perfect! Dexter has a lot of these tension underscore moments. I'll watch some random episodes to refresh my memory a little bit more


I LOVE the music in Dexter, and am not ashamed to admit I've used it as inspiration for more than one suspense cue. And it's not only the chord structures, but also the arrangements and use of instruments. One of my favorite TV scores of all time.


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## Lionel Schmitt (Aug 14, 2022)

Just linking this amazing album (Universal Production Music - Volta) here which might give some inspiration. Just some uniquely awesome works in that style on there.

Can't talk about chords since I hate it and don't know anything about it 



crime suitable tracks:

Glass Houses (holy damn!), Catch and Kill, Holding Time, Stolen Ones, Broken Ground, Turning A Blind Eye (not really any chords though but very cool arpeggio thingies), Hope In The Dark.
No chords in Times Of Sorrow but cool sound design, vibe and rhythms.

Maybe it's also best to try and focus less on chord progressions and more on everything around it. I never quite understand the focus on that. I think when not writing jazz or complex orchestral music getting hung up on chord progressions is the way into the grave. I never focus on that or know how often I use certain progressions. Maybe I'll be shocked when analyzing my tracks haha XD But I won't.

Something in some of the tracks above to be noted is that they IMO create strong interest and vibe/emotion without going nuts with chord progressions. 
In the crime album I'll be writing I'll mostly focus on the vibe/feel of the tracks and ideas that are simple and interesting at the same time. But not sure I could do it 10 times haha so whatever


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## José Herring (Aug 14, 2022)

Akarin said:


> Hey all. In the past 12 months, I've written about 10 production music albums in the "crime drama" genre. I need to make 3 more and when it comes to new ideas, I'm a bit worn out. I tend to reuse chord progressions that just work over and over again, leading to a sense of burnout.
> 
> What would you suggest to explore? What are examples of progressions that you'd use?
> 
> Thanks for giving me a fresh perspective.


Don't progress. Explore doing a two minute cue keeping up the dramatic tension and interest based on one chord. You' be amazed at how well that works.


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## jcrosby (Aug 14, 2022)

Here's a trailerized spin on crime drama. This album was targeted toward true crime documentaries, suspense & mystery trailers, TV spots, etc.


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## WhiteNoiz (Aug 15, 2022)

jcrosby said:


> Dan Licht also did a couple Silent Hills


Yamaoka's stuff is great, too. More relevant to the topic is the first one I think. It always gave me a bit of a mysterious cop show vibe for some reason... It has a very dated style and is very moody. Both Dexter and Downpour are more on the sad/emotional side, Yamaoka's ones are more on the mysterious/dark/moody/noisy side.

Examples:


Spoiler












Towards the end it gets somewhat of a John Barry-ish vibe, love it.

Clouser's stuff might provide some good inspiration, though it's more on the horror side again:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kEC5SK1P0E0

Maybe this, too:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gn7GmYCGm7E









From Hell Soundtrack - Whitechapel Murders


Track 05 from the soundtrack of 'From Hell' (2001)Whitechapel Murders by Trevor Jones




www.youtube.com













Secret Window - Score Suite (Philip Glass & Geoff Zanelli)


#SecretWindow #PhilipGlass #SoundtrackSecret Window (2004)Music by Philip Glass and Geoff Zanelli




www.youtube.com













The Ninth Gate (1999) Soundtrack - Wojciech Kilar (Full Vinyl Rip)


The Ninth Gate (la Neuvième Porte) Soundtrack - Wojciech KilarSilva Screen Records - 2016A1 Vocalise - Theme From The Ninth Gate 00:00A2 Opening Titles ...




www.youtube.com





Similar vibe. They all get in the suspense ballpark I think.

Most are pretty stylized and specific but good for inspiration.


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## Akarin (Aug 15, 2022)

José Herring said:


> Don't progress. Explore doing a two minute cue keeping up the dramatic tension and interest based on one chord. You' be amazed at how well that works.


I think that I've done about 30 tracks like this in the past months and I'm kinda burnt out 😬 That's why I want to explore other possibilities. Something more thematic while still adhering to the expected genre and structure. 



Lionel Schmitt said:


> Can't talk about chords since I hate it


A composer hating chords... well, that's a first I guess 😳



Lionel Schmitt said:


> In the crime album I'll be writing I'll mostly focus on the vibe/feel of the tracks and ideas that are simple and interesting at the same time. But not sure I could do it 10 times haha so whatever


In the past year, I've written exactly 113 crime drama tracks, among other things. That's why I need to explore other possibilities. 



jcrosby said:


> Here's a trailerized spin on crime drama. This album was targeted toward true crime documentaries, suspense & mystery trailers, TV spots, etc.



Thanks for these!



WhiteNoiz said:


> Yamaoka's stuff is great, too. More relevant to the topic is the first one I think. It always gave me a bit of a mysterious cop show vibe for some reason... It has a very dated style and is very moody. Both Dexter and Downpour are more on the sad/emotional side, Yamaoka's ones are more on the mysterious/dark/moody/noisy side.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


They are all very stylized indeed but great inspiration nonetheless. Thanks!


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## Emmanuel Rousseau (Aug 15, 2022)

Hello @Akarin !
I'm into production music myself, but doing 13 albums within a year on the same theme is simply beyond me... Isn't it a bit overkill ? Are those all for the same publisher ?


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## Lionel Schmitt (Aug 15, 2022)

Akarin said:


> A composer hating chords... well, that's a first I guess 😳


I hope not haha... I think it's always best to focus on the whole rather than analyzing the technical parts. Rhythm/melody/chords etc. I don't think I could write while doing that. It's like analyzing speech tone, speech speed, amount of and repetition of words used while having a fluid conversation. Ehhh.. nope.


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## Bee_Abney (Aug 15, 2022)

My first thought was to switch from thinking about chords to thinking about riffs. Such as early Black Sabbath. But that would be far too intrusive for many cues; it would be more of a 'musical interlude' or theme music. So, that led me to grooves. Get a great bass groove going. It doesn't need to modulate to a new key, or even to a different notional chord. Then, any chords you have playing over that can be either ornamental or like the backing to an ostinato. Note that a drone is not a groove!

The other main idea I had was growing chord changes out of initial chords. I mean that you start with a triad and gradually add extra notes, until you eventually have all the notes of another chord, then start dropping notes until the new chord is clear (and emphasise the shift in the bass), and repeat to change to another chord. Three should do it, before you come back around to the first one. Done slowly, it makes for a harmonic changes without major rhthmic ones, whilst seeming superficially slow. And it is great for anything ominous (or 'glorious' - it can feel pretty epic). I'm sure there's terminology for all of this.

This last method is to be applied hands on with the keyboard, so you don't think about what chords you are playing, but about which note you want to add next, and when you want to remove a note.

And if you must plan a chord progression in advance, just pick any cheerful song and change the chords until they are unsettling. Quite possibly played with a toy piano.

Also, consider a cut up technique. Write the separate midi blocks, each on a different chord in some mode or other. Slot them together randomly. If it sounds bad, do it again; then you have your chord sequence. Something like Scaler makes this easy for literal chords. But you could make the block more complex - some have arpeggios, some are open chords, some inversions. The more character you put into the block, the more chance that something odd and different (or rubbish) when combining them haphazardly or truly randomly. When something doesn't fit, try reversing a block or mirroring it in some other way, or stretching it.

But have a think about riffs if you think you could make them work. When I was a teenager, songwriting always began with a set a riff, then another one to follow it, and never directly or consciously the chords. I was in a band with two guitarists, and neither of us played rhythm guitar in the traditional way of strumming chords.

Just to make sure that my advice wasn't completely stupid, I gave it a quick try. I've got the groove, the growing chords, and the cut up blocks, one of which started life as the theme to the old Spiderman cartoon (none of which remains now), and some judicious stretching. Some tweaking, overlapping, adjustments to volume, and here we are. This may not be at all suitable, of course!


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## AdamKmusic (Aug 15, 2022)

I do quite a lot of crime production albums too. Inspirations vary from the likes of Gone Girl, Mr Robot to Watch Dogs game soundtrack, Saw/Jigsaw to more dramatic stuff like Broadchurch, Defending Jacob.


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## Akarin (Aug 17, 2022)

Emmanuel Rousseau said:


> Hello @Akarin !
> I'm into production music myself, but doing 13 albums within a year on the same theme is simply beyond me... Isn't it a bit overkill ? Are those all for the same publisher ?


These were asked by 3 publishers. Of course, this is not the only genre that I do but it seems that there's a huge demand for that.



Bee_Abney said:


> My first thought was to switch from thinking about chords to thinking about riffs. Such as early Black Sabbath. But that would be far too intrusive for many cues; it would be more of a 'musical interlude' or theme music. So, that led me to grooves. Get a great bass groove going. It doesn't need to modulate to a new key, or even to a different notional chord. Then, any chords you have playing over that can be either ornamental or like the backing to an ostinato. Note that a drone is not a groove!
> 
> The other main idea I had was growing chord changes out of initial chords. I mean that you start with a triad and gradually add extra notes, until you eventually have all the notes of another chord, then start dropping notes until the new chord is clear (and emphasise the shift in the bass), and repeat to change to another chord. Three should do it, before you come back around to the first one. Done slowly, it makes for a harmonic changes without major rhthmic ones, whilst seeming superficially slow. And it is great for anything ominous (or 'glorious' - it can feel pretty epic). I'm sure there's terminology for all of this.
> 
> ...


Lots of good ideas here! Thanks. I often read posts by Mark Petrie advising to focus on the hook and build around it.


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## Lukas (Aug 17, 2022)

Let me shamelessly promote my (free) web app https://epiconlineorchestra.com 

Not sure if it's helpful for you but finding chord progressions "that work" was one of the ideas behind this project. Those chord progressions can be saved and shared and exported as MIDI, MP3 or WAV...


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## Bee_Abney (Aug 17, 2022)

Lukas said:


> Let me shamelessly promote my (free) web app https://epiconlineorchestra.com
> 
> Not sure if it's helpful for you but finding chord progressions "that work" was one of the ideas behind this project. Those chord progressions can be saved and shared and exported as MIDI, MP3 or WAV...


That's quite fun! It gives you a very quick sense of what you'll get if you put the chords into an epic style especially.


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## MA-Simon (Aug 17, 2022)

Lukas said:


> Let me shamelessly promote my (free) web app https://epiconlineorchestra.com


Very nice, thank you for sharing!


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## Akarin (Aug 17, 2022)

Lukas said:


> Let me shamelessly promote my (free) web app https://epiconlineorchestra.com
> 
> Not sure if it's helpful for you but finding chord progressions "that work" was one of the ideas behind this project. Those chord progressions can be saved and shared and exported as MIDI, MP3 or WAV...


I already knew about it and used it in the past for quick experiments. Today I mostly do that inside Cubase with a sketching piano track, or the Chord Track, or Scaler  Great idea nonetheless!


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