Trained composers and performers can communicate powerful emotions in the music that they produce. What strategies and techniques do they use to create melodies that sound emotional? We have created a simple system for "composing" emotional melodies that anyone can use, even with no training in music. Melodies are created by listening to pairs of random melodies and choosing the one that best illustrates the emotion you want to convey. Each time you select a melody, the musical qualities in your chosen melody will be retained in subsequent choices until you have created your emotional melody. Choose an emotion and try it yourself.*
For further information and research on this system, see Quinto, Thompson & Chilvers (2011).
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