Qualities of Feel and Getting Feel into Music

Qualities of Feel and Getting Feel into Music

This section discusses what comprises feel quality-wise, and how to place this in music, with certain methods that transmit feel, like vibrato, and how it comes from soulfulness, energy, and feel but can be transmitted in many ways stylistically, more than anything, while still coming directly from a person.

Qualities of “Feel”

How you do feel music? You are putting an energy into the music. Metal could be intense loud energy, and while smooth jazz could be chill, creative, and relaxed, and soothing feel. How do you put feel in a note? The way you play the note is everything. The way the guitar plucks the string will define feel. Play a note on a guitar (if you have one) very intensely. Quickly strike it with the plectrum almost going through the string, not to be light on It (but don’t break it, just a little heavier than usual). This is not a feel you’d hear in jazz. Way too heavy, hard, and thumpy. Jazz is light, sometimes a tip toe, or even subdued energy. I think of jazz often as subdued energy underneath a mask of relaxation. Think of it as playing an intense game, while totally being relaxed, and sitting back, and not being too worked up with the energy. Jazz has extreme potential for intense energy, but is often still cool, and even if it is heated, it is often subdued. This is not always the case though, and fusion music is much less like this, and so is louder swing music, which is quite brash. This  can often apply to smooth jazz. Standard jazz is less masked but very relaxed while being quite expressive and loud and energetic too, but it is relaxed even in the way they play.

So if you want to play heavy rock, you are unlikely to palm-mute and lightly strike your guitar. You will likely play pretty well into the strings (again not like you’re hurting them, just more pressure than a light jazz solo). This works for other instruments. Piano players dig in to the keys to play expressive pop anthems. They are light and frolicky with jazz.

The way you strike your instrument creates a good basis for the loudness and energy, and whatever you call that, a feel setup and major player in feel.

Another interesting factor is release. The way you end a note with abruptness or fading can create an ending feel. The quick ending or release of a chord is used in metal frequently especially on “hits”. 

Holding for a decent release can also be interesting. 

How do you get soul into music?

Many people wouldn’t discuss how to put soul in music, because it places something from your soul in your head. But that’s not what I’m here to do. I will say how to play the instrument to communicate what the soulfulness you put is. Guitarists can use vibrato, tremolo, and striking/release, as well as bending energetic options to create soul. Hendrix uses Vibrato…this is is great for soul. Listen to Voodoo Chile by Hendrix. It is very soulful. Why? Firstly because Jimi Hendrix has a lot of soulfulness he can express. It’s about harnessing that energy into your instrument, which is natural for most people. Think about speaking English. First you learn words, then advanced things like tone, emotion, sarcasm, and other backing things. This is how you express tone, emotion in your music.

Voodoo Chile has a lot of striking/release, and even the way he mute picks his guitar almost scraping it is very soulful. The way was adds a very soulful fuzz. Of course these are ways to express feel and soulfulness but if it doesn’t exist in the first place in oneself or at least in the creation artificially then it’s hard. It’s not like you need to be sad to write a sad song. In fact I’d argue being happy makes you more emotionally free to place artificial emotions in songs. 

Mess around with your instrument. Try to experiment with striking/release, vibrato, and more, even fading louder/softer if your instrument can do it. Basically any deviation of regular sound that allows for emotional or feeling creation in music. Whether that’s frenzied, or crazy free sounding vibrato like in Hendrix. 

Exercise:

Try to think of a person. What feel does this person have? Are they happy, emotional, laid back? Now, play that persons feel or vibe and qualities on your instrument.

After this try to create a 10 second jam that describes that persons chosen and described feel.

Example: Joe is a positive, happy-go-lucky, stable guy. You may want to play your chords, energetically, and in an upbeat fashion to strive for that positive strong energy of Joe. I mentioned he’s stable. Thus, maybe some chords that are not vibrato-ing much or notes and some stability in playing would mean no indecisiveness, or tension on your strings (or your instrument’s version of this). Next, what chords can be happy? Major chords can obviously be quite happy. So maybe a 1-4-5-1 progression. With some quarter note comping or rhythmic chord patterns. Rhythm also can be part of mood. Stable mood or feel? Quarter notes. Unstable or more frenzied? Maybe some chords on the 1, 2.25, 3.5, and 4.75 for some extreme anticipation signaling, some instability and volatility.

This is used in film scores, to set emotions and even describe people. Ever hear Cruella Devill in 101 Dalmations? Film scorers describe behavioral energy. Maybe a decent person is getting extremely excitedly happy in a film. For example, the emotions of an athlete in a movie winning his first race. You know the scene - his friends come running to him to congratulate him. The victory music, the euphoric, and inspiring, epic victory sounds. Champions of Fire is a good example of this, a very inspiring sounding song. Obviously you can see that in a movie too. The emotions match the scene, 

emotions of the protagonist, and are used as descriptors to hook the audience through music - emotions, etc. will be declared by the music.