Do you want to make music which has that sexy, romantic vibe?
Well, a good start is to go back to the 80s, because that time was truly the peak of “sexy music”.
Let’s explore some tips now:
How to Make Sexy Music
1 – Use Elegant 7th Chords
Jazzy 7th chords really add that bitter-sweet depth and richness in your harmonies that can support the sexy atmosphere. So spice up your boring triads, and add that 7th color.
1 – Use Elegant 7th Chords
Jazzy 7th chords really add that bitter-sweet depth and richness in your harmonies that can support the sexy atmosphere. So spice up your boring triads, and add that 7th color.
2 – Heavy use of Sus Chords
The suspended 2nd and suspended 4th of music, have a light and kind of “teasing” tension to them. This goes for the “add 9” and “add 11” as well since those are basically the sus chords but transposed up. So take advantage of the light teasing sus chords to make sexy music.
3 – Perform with Sexy Instruments
There is no sexier instrument than the saxophone, and the 80s knew this. But soft pianos, and mellow electric keys like Rhodes are also incredible for that sweet and romantic vibe.
4 – Groovy Smooth Bass
A smooth, deep, mellow and groovy bass line can do wonders for that sexy vibe. No harsh distortion, or modern high range hyped frequencies. More of that old school jazz bass vibe, which could be an upright acoustic bass, or very smooth and low range focused electric bass.
5 – Sexy Playing Styles
Generally you want to play the leads with a smooth articulation, like legato or even some glissandos. Focus on gentle sweeping curves in the dynamics as well, like a slow and gentle romantic dance. And of course, vibrato can add that emotional expression to any music.
6 – Gentle Dynamics
Romantic and sexy vibes is all about that gentle atmosphere, so you want to play the instruments in the lower dynamic range, and avoid loud accents or any sudden harshness in tone. Sweet and gentle playing is the key.
7 – Air of Silence
Music has two sides, the notes and sounds, and the silence in between. You want to make sure your arrangement is sparse, to give the music some air to breath. Allow some notes to decay, don’t compress and maximise for loudness, but instead make your music very soft and with a great dynamic range.
These are just some tips and guidelines to get you started. Use them or break them as you wish, and good luck making your own romantic and sexy music! =)