Scales and emotions. See also a post about making chords from scales.
So maybe you want to write a song or an instrumental in a particular mood or style, and you’re feeling overwhelmed by all the scales. Here’s a handy guide to the commonly used scales in Western pop, rock, jazz, blues and so on. Linear Harmony #1: Almost Chords but Not Quite. I started talking about linear harmony a while ago in “Lines Intertwining” (with apologies to Spinal Tap), and a few other Top-Down posts, like Melodic Pedal Points; in other posts I’ve discussed freeing up lines and counterpoint and not worrying so much about chords and progressions.
So now it’s time for back to basics–this post is the first installment of a series specifically about linear and non-functional harmony. So, for the moment, forget what you know about chord “progression” and instead thinking about broader and less defined tonal movement. Tension and resolution happen (though not necessarily where you expect it)…and perhaps there is never a cadence, a ii-V, or even a tonic key center. Linear motion can imply sharp harmonic movement, or more subtle sound/color movement, with or without a predefined chord progression. How Music Works 1 - Melody - Part 1. FAQ Question: "What are the rules of voice leading? What is the point of voice leading rules?" : musictheory.