16455 / 18210 · Workshop 119 — Writing and Hearing Tension Arcs: How to Control Dissonance, Expectation, Delay, Release, and Emotional Pressure Across an Entire Piece← prev⊞ allnext →
119.126Designing a tension constitution
For a piece, define baseline.
Example:
Harmony: mostly diatonic.
Rhythm: moderately syncopated.
Register: middle.
Texture: 3 voices.
Dynamics: mp.
Now rare events:
borrowed chord
high octave
full blocks
silence
have meaning.