The Space Chord

[@CharlesCornellStudios]

HEY. Hi. This was a brand new level of effort for us and took a TON more planning and executing than we're used to. My team and I worked super hard on this video and we've been incredibly excited to share it with you all so I hope you enjoy it! Be sure to go and get a reminder for the upcoming Spring Sale here! cornellmusicacademy.com/springsale

[@gubbinsly]

Hey Charles!! Another *kinda* spacey game is called Sky: Children of the Light and it’s such a beautiful game… I think you should check out the soundtrack!

[@grzegorzbrzeczyszczykiewic6900]

Obnoxious.

[@TRPLD]

That hard work definitely paid off! Amazing work!

[@caleblarsen5490]

My goodness, it shows! Great work!

[@makingastardestroyer3066]

Oh my god what the hell happened here? Last time I was there you had 136k subs, not M

[@ThatOneTechie]

I feel like the "spacey" sensation that we get out of Williams' music is mostly derived from Holst's Neptune.

[@PatrickWallsisawesome]

The chord is in Mars as well!! Holst was all over it, and Williams clearly used The Planets for inspiration when scoring Star Wars! (I think various movements were temp tracks?)

[@shoobaloobabobdingalingadong]

I'm so glad someone mentioned this.

[@thromboid]

You're no the only one! IIRC, Lucas originally planned to use Holst's music but commissioned Williams to write something of a substitute.

[@highstimulation2497]

indeed. bi-tonal. em and g#m. ah yes. (same chord relation as the imperial march, by the way (AND "the end of all things" at the climax of LOTR.)

[@beeble80]

I don't read or make comments usually, but I commented this time, and scroll down to see a bunch of people said exactly the same thing 😅.

[@kre4ture218]

The soundtrack of Interstellar really shines, I immediately got goosebumps from only those 4 bars…

[@wyattl.4023]

Hans Zimmer is a genius when it comes to Epic scores

[@consonaadversapars]

I just wish he used more musical development. Zimmer always finds great chord progressions and then everything he does is Copy/Paste + layering. It gets boring when you're accustomed to Williams, Goldsmith, Horner and their truly symphonic composing with modulations, shortening and prolonging of the motifs, reorchestrations, etc.

[@frrmack]

@@consonaadversapars I mean, sure, but isn't this a bit like saying "I just wish Arthur Conan Doyle wrote more science fiction. He always writes amazing detective novels about Sherlock Holmes, but it's just Holmes Holmes Holmes all the time. It gets boring when you're accustomed to the great inventions of Jules Verne, H.G. Wells, and Mary Shelley, which blend science with imagination." ? I think Zimmer and the other masters you listed practically work in different genres. It's cool that we now know which of these approaches is better suited to your personal tastes. Thanks for sharing.

[@sadudas11]

6:37 That chord in Interstellar is mind numbing. I thought people normally dropped the natural 5th in favor of the #5, but having them clustered together here is awe inspiring. I don't know if it's the instruments or what.

[@clemlvn9598]

I guess we can say that this is a Cmaj(b6) chord rather than a Cmaj triad with a #5! I find this chord to sound even more spacy than the augmented triad, love it!

[@fallhaunt1952]

@@clemlvn9598 could also be an Abmaj7#5 in first inversion

[@viktorvolaric-horvat5190]

Absolutely, mate. Having them clustered together somehow invokes the dreadful feelings of the unforgiving harshness of space, the radiation, the unsettling queerness of it all.

[@AlbertoSegovia.]

At last someone mentions it!!

[@AlbertoSegovia.]

It is tedious to hear so many piano covers (amazing, the popularity it has in the piano sphere) that dismiss this chord altogether, without acknowledging that it is what makes the piece what the piece is, not so much the ostinato and chorale.

[@ayeitburns1]

I still remember the first time I heard that chord in the Star Wars theme, it gave me chills and it still does. It had to be that chord.

[@ZZubZZero]

It's perfect as the ending chord of the intro. Makes much more sense than the first one too, the first one is about grabbing attention, the last one is leaving the audience with the right mood to begin the story. It sort of summarizes the entire intro and gives all those feelings Charles talked about, but leaves some mystique.

[@leonardodelyrarodrigues3752]

É a dissonância harmônica.

[@leonardodelyrarodrigues3752]

​@@ZZubZZeroÉ a dissonância harmônica.

[@bonbonpony]

The sudden jump to that chord from the preceding mostly major tune makes it even more outstanding.

[@emilyrln]

I love that the space chord is also the Rivendell chord. Shows how otherworldly the elves are in Middle Earth! I also think of this as the Spy chord, being at the end of the Pink Panther theme (or very similar, at least).

[@kurodashinkei]

100%, and it also turns up in the Númenor theme from Rings of Power. Mystery, expanse, unknown things. So majestic!

[@emilyrln]

@@kurodashinkei Ooh! I don't know the RoP music well enough yet to spot it. Very cool!

[@annelervik8946]

Came to the comments to see if anyone pointed out the chord is also in the Rivendell theme :) So beautiful!

[@Dexter26958]

Hey Charles, I got an idea for a video - since we had the Academy Awards last night could you maybe make a video where you go through all the Original Score nominees and analyze them on what makes them so good?

[@MocahHamel]

I concur with DexterLol’s idea

[@TheDeadOfNight37]

@@MocahHamel I concur with your concurrent

[@TRPLD]

Yes please!

[@spencer7167]

@@TheDeadOfNight37 I concur with your concurrent of their concurrent

[@Tofh40]

@@spencer7167 To all of the cocurrents above, I concur

[@nickgrimberg7165]

Your music analysis is untouchable. Your personality is one of a kind and very enjoyable. Your editing has elevated month after month. Your video ideas are rarely disappointing. Keep going guys.

[@gregsullivan7408]

Dave Bennett Piano gives him a run for his money, just quietly..... 😉

[@heatherfriedli3182]

(I'm H's son) do you have a crush on all of them?

[@ShawnPitman]

"We listened to a bunch of John Williams scores to find a chord that he used a lot to create a space-feel and that other people stole from him because he is the origin of all creativity." John Williams is the GOAT

[@HectorGarcia-ho3xe]

Although you are right and John Williams is the GOAT, he is not the beginning of all creativity as for example this chords was developed in The planets by Holst. John Williams takes a lot from classical music, which is great as he is usually inspired by great composers. I still love John Williams though hahhaha

[@ethannorton564]

Bruh Williams literally stole from a lot of classical musicians Holst is probably the last famous listen to Mars from the planets suite and this chord is a big part of it

[@user-he1xq5rt4v]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/qqrWdJyCZpJlatk

[@adm_ezri]

@@HectorGarcia-ho3xe yeah a lot of Williams' genius is in applying those older ideas into cinema, something that wasn't fashionable before he did it. Now it's just standard practice.

[@ZZubZZero]

@@ethannorton564 Bruh you can't steal from classical musicians. Unless you like steal their actual sheets of music lol. Classical music has always been borrowing and improving on existing works. Currently and I believe in the past as well (though correct me if I'm wrong), classical music is public domain. You literally can't steal it.

[@algernonftw42]

The first time I heard that little sequence in the Starfield teaser, I think I was sold on the game. They nailed the space sound.

[@nathanfischer3551]

A different type of video from your normal reviews! Love to see you exploring space!

[@dualCalibur]

Amazing how a single chord can evoke such a specific and powerful feeling. Hearing all those space themes back to back like that was intense.

[@bonbonpony]

What amazes me is that there isn't any "chord dictionary" to this day, that would document such things.

[@BinauralBae]

Gustav Holst's The Planets always leads to good space inspiration music

[@jttech44]

Holst's Planet's *is* space. He wrote the book on how to do it and everyone else more or less just tips their hat to his work because he captured it perfectly.

[@RSTI191]

@@jttech44 WORD...

[@alexbishel4164]

The "ostenato" at 7:19 sounds exactly like the arpeggio used in the Jenova theme from Final Fantasy VII. Jenova being a monster from space

[@aquiamorgan2416]

I call that line of ostenato strings the "Awe-peggio".

[@danmakthefirst]

Really love this new format Charles! This is an awesome progression for the channel, super excited to see more like it in the future

[@stephenjohnson3163]

I love how Charles is just so pumped about finding the chords and the other guys look just so done with the whole thing, it's kinda hilarious.

[@keplerswanson]

The brilliant part about this chord is the augmented 5th makes it feel like the chord is constantly expanding, just like space.

[@stevefaul1710]

Dude, it's the Wager Chord. "Ride of the Valkeries!" It happens in The Ring Cycle numerous times. That's where Williams and company got it. And that major I to minor ii shift looms large in "Star Trek II: Wrath of Khan."

[@Cephalopoda]

Yep - Wrath of Khan is _riddled_ with these sorts of chords, at times with some obvious nods to Shostakovich 5 as well.

[@vaughanmacegan4012]

Which is what exactly?

[@rld1982]

I thought he got it from Holst?

[@consonaadversapars]

Yea, the augmented chord is so typical for creating mystery. It's all over Williams and guys who did take it from, like Wagner. And every time you want to do some space thing, just go from a minor chord to sharp 4 or sharp 5 minor and done.

[@misguidenpc0249]

The best thing is, I was searching for the spacechord myself. And I found exactly the same chord!! It this sound that make me feel the excitement of discovering distamt stars but not forgetting the danger we might find. Amazing video!!!

[@rome8180]

My first thought before clicking the video: "I bet it's an augmented chord." I'd begun to doubt myself, but then you got to it. To me, the use of the augmented chord to indicate the mystery of space goes back to classic 1950s sci-fi.

[@originalhazelgreene]

Dude you nailed it. Every awe-inspiring space scene I can think of, this exact chord is there.

[@maggiesue4825]

I've had no formal instruction (not counting piano lessons from age 6 to 15), but I LOVE playing with chords, chords upon chords, chord progression, etc. Your channel makes my spirit soar!!

[@josiahanunike2376]

The quality of the videos is just getting better and better. It’s insane what you’re able to do 👏🏽

[@RPSchonherr]

I just twiddle on my organ and play these types of chords all the time, they just sound so good when put in the right spot.

[@Uncle_Wes]

I was so happy to see Starfield’s music included in this. I’ve been hooked on the score since the announcement teaser trailer.

[@CharlieFisherMusic]

5:32 I cant get the Leonardo Dicaprio meme out of my head here hahaha

[@pitabowlterrier1193]

As someone who is obsessed with space and film scores and music composition - this is my new favorite video of yours and I am forwarding it to my roommates immediately thank you

[@thatotherguy3348]

For me the spaciest chord is whatever the chord is at the end of Holst’s “Mars.” Leaves me in awe every time I hear it

[@michaeledwards1172]

I think the chord you are referring to would be, reading up from the bass, C Ab Db G. (Not quite at the very end, but close to it.)

[@timbajor2370]

Hey Charles, absolutely love these new types of videos. My ADHD would kick in on some of your "sitting in the studio and explaining music" types of videos but on this one I was 100% there the whole way so please keep it up. Since they take so much more effort tho be careful not to get overworked or burnt out.

[@kevinwells9751]

I like it in some ways, but I was going to say that it is a bit over-stimulating for me so it's actually harder for me to follow

[@arthurhaag9434]

​​​@@kevinwells9751 same, but nowadays this is the only type of content possible to get many views, fast pace and a Lot of stimulation

[@peel-socks2796]

This was really exiting. I new there was something about that chord in Interstellar. It’s so familiar.

[@awesome346]

Jesus loves you!

[@rixuko2218]

This fixation on the sound of space, is why i love The planets by holst. It really dives into the endless possibilities that embodies the whatever unknown. The barely observable. The only imaginable.

[@f1l1ppova]

Right when I thought his videos can't get any better YOU ARE CRAZY, GOOD SIR

[@nathanaelwilkerson57]

I LOVE the structure of this video! I do stuff like this all the time, and I loved coming along on the investigation with you. When you first asked the question, I said “D/Bb” so I’m happy we ended up in the same place

[@jigglybones3318]

The soundtrack to Cosmos: Possible Worlds is one of my all-time favorites ever. Alan Silvestri does such an incredible job making it so mysterious and magical.

[@SkylarConover]

This was the immediate chord I heard in my head when I saw the thumbnail. I’m so glad your search lead you to the same spot :)

[@ajubal_senpai]

In the beginning I was like “it’s impossible to use just one chord to represent something so huge like the space…” but then… I heard it… mind blowing😍👌🏼

[@ShadowWulfGaming]

I really appreciate that you added startfield to this, it really captures that grandeur and mysteriousness of space

[@governmentofitaly1026]

Charles goated

[@markhaga8408]

Entirely accurate comment

[@Wise-Yoda-Puppet]

Mi dica governo italiano, perché ha commentato sotto questo video ?

[@gregwfs]

I agree with you completely! During your introduction of this video I was thinking to myself E G# B C. Because I remember as a young teen listening to both Star Wars and Star Trek music and figuring out patterns and chordings and playing/experimenting with them using analog synth sounds. For many years I have used that exact structure when setting the appropriate mood during live shows etc. It was so rewarding and fulfilling when at the end of your video you chose not only the same chord structure, but the exact notes I have been using for decades! Very well made video!

[@---ij5cn]

As soon as i heard that chord the force of a thousand Stargate Themes hit me right in the feels, would you guys consider taking a look at it too? It might be the closest to a whole piece predicated on that concept that i ever heard.

[@LeGrandFr0mage]

Yes, my first thought was Stargate as well!

[@whatdoiputhere9618]

I had the same reaction to that chord that you did. Once you pointed it out I was like: “yes! That’s it! That’s space!” Wow. Musics amazing isn’t it? *gasp*, now we need to find a chord for everything!

[@ash1rose]

You’ve nailed something I could only hear but never explain. I wish I were good at music theory so I could. The instant you mentioned the “space chord” I thought of ET and when you mentioned video games I had to listen to the soundtrack from Final Fantasy VII since the “Jenova” theme absolutely has that arpeggio you play later in the video. I believe Radiohead’s “Subterranean Homesick Alien” has the chord, too. I love this.

[@MOSMASTERING]

I think you have a good ear! There is a lot of 7ths going on in that Radiohead song. But mainly I guess it's spacey because of the high echoey bends on the notes and arpeggios. Also a C minor over G. Which isn't a sharp 5th, but is voicing that changes the feeling my moving it to the bottom of the chord instead of the top. Music theory is never ending, but with a basic knowledge of chord construction and learning some vocabulary for describing voicings and progressions, I think you could pick it all up quite quickly.

[@forbesjeff]

Aside from Holst, that motif is all over Star Trek - check out Battle in the Mutara Nebula for a particularly good example. This was a fun video - it may have been a lot of work, but I enjoyed it!

[@jack_sugg10]

Hey Charles, great video btw, as a huge star wars, interstellar and overall film music fan, really appreciated this video and the time and effort that you put into it. Would you consider analysing/ going through war film scores, of the likes of Dunkirk, 1917, All quiet on the Western front and others of this genre?

The best use of aug in cinema for me is in the scene in Empire Strikes Back when Yoda lifts the X-Wing from the swamp. The theme is called Yoda and the Force and the chord can be heard briefly around the 2:50 mark.

[@shawnbryan8177]

The Blue Devils are the winningest organization in the Drum & Bugle Corps activity. A few decades ago, they came up with a hornline warm up which melded standard brass warm ups, with non-traditional warm ups, with snippets of well known space movie music. It became known as “Space Chords”. There are many different vids of the Blue Devil brass line playing this excercise. They are all a little different as the official version has changed over the decades. But they are all amazing. Here’s a very good example in Hi Def audio. You’ll want to play this really loud on a hi fidelity system. It’s amazing. m.kzbin.info/www/bejne/aHanend5md5oe9U

[@Df-sl4he]

Was looking for this comment!

[@Mark-OutWest]

The Phantom Regiment FTW!

[@defenestrated23]

Frost Waltz by Kevin MacLeod, as featured in Kerbal Space Program, uses many/all of these sounds. Also Star Trek TOS theme opens with that Amaj to Amaj plus F natural for that augmented sound. I am pretty sure it was the Planets suite which established this as the space sound in the collective unconscious. That relationship of four half steps evenly divides the octave into 3rds (mathematically, and also musically), which is why those arpeggios over the whole keyboard sound so ethereal and amazing.

[@spyroclone152]

You really need to check out the music from Outer Wilds by Andrew Prahlow. That OST is one of the best videogame soundtracks imo, especially for the mood of space.

[@bendubz9000]

Seconding the Outer Wilds shout, the amount that soundtrack reminds me of the Interstellar OST is incredible. Cracking game too, by god do they GET space

[@Jambalambam]

omg yes, that ost is one of my all time favorites. to me it feels different from a lot of the other space media that's put out there, but still does an incredible job of encapsulating the wonder and amazement of exploring outer space

[@SocksWithSandals]

I thought about this for a while too, and converged onto the Lidian key change thrown into the major/minor melody to create that fresh edgy vast wondrous feeling of awe.

[@billywinston6902]

Thanks for doing the work for me. I've been getting into film scoring, this is helpful. I hate studying

[@billyalarie929]

Who even needs college?

[@nightshockplayz5894]

Who knew the answer was a lot clearer than it appeared! Brahms' 4th symphony in the first movement has the same idea and the last chords of Bruckner's 4th symphony also does this. Cool to see it is also on classical music!

[@astrolys3482]

4:40 We have *WHAT* chords ?? ඞ

[@sparky.-_]

:|

[@pingucraft95]

Two kinds of them: imposter and crewmate

[@grungeguy97]

Love the passion behind every second of this video! Your videos have a way of tapping into the sheer wonder of experiencing music. It reminds me to be happy with living even when anxieties are present. Thank you to everyone at this channel and keep up the wonderful work

[@veracrow842]

Super nice video! May I suggest that you listen to Holst: The Planets and hear if the chord's in there? It probably is, people are comparing John Williams' Star Wars to it.

[@MOSMASTERING]

He did borrow a lot of ideas from Holst. Holst basically invented cinematic movie scores decades before it was a thing.

[@thomasferrin]

I love that it can resolve to make any of those notes the root too! Just like in space, you never know where you’ll end up!

[@rcdr898]

Hey Charles, this video came out great and it looked very professional, so I'll commend your team for that. That being said, I really hope this isn't the future of your content. I love the videos where you're sitting alone at your keyboard, listening to something live and reacting to it/analyzing it on the fly. They're personal, passionate, and genuine, and that's what make them great. This style of video was very informative and eye-opening, yes, but it felt... how do I say this? Corporate, maybe? It feels like your passion for music, which was always what made your content so engaging, has been neutered. Again, the production quality is really good, but the quality is being funneled to the wrong areas. The reason you've been able to create such a successful brand that attracts so many passionate musicians it because you are one yourself, and you aren't afraid to show it. This video, however, feels like pandering to the more modern, overly edited and fast paced style that appeals to the low attention span of many internet-goers. I levy these critiques because I care a lot about this channel, and I want to not see it deviate from what I believe makes it great.

[@caimanaraujo479]

As someone who is very addicted to space content this year (got kerbal space program for free on the epic store and got hooked, and right about the same time watched interstelar and the martian), this video is just perfect for me. I can't stop watching this kind of content!

[@jakegearhart]

5:32 That chord is not actually C#5. It's a polychord built of C Major and Db Major at the same time.

[@zammerman9424]

I figured out awhile ago that if you take a major triad, add a half step on top of it, and play them in descending order it sounds really spacey. Now there’s a whole video about it. Love it! Actually I think I learned it from Ratchet and Clank 2 OST - Wupash Nebula truth be told. The opening arpeggio is that exact sequence.

[@beerhappe5006]

I know this probably took a lot of effort, but I'm a 18 year old dude and im kinda done with this kind of jumpy editing. Sometimes low energy is just so much better so I can just sit back and relax and learn something about music.

[@ayeitburns1]

While I enjoyed the video, I totally agree. My attention span is pretty shot at this point, but I don't need the screen to be a flurry of movement to keep me watching - it can be off putting.

[@CalebSmedra]

Don't normally comment, but thought it worth echoing the other comments: thanks for the effort put into this video! It was definitely worth it. Loved every second.

[@SoonEnough]

OMG, finally the space chords video I've been waiting for and the space chord I was waiting for in 5:50, I've always played "spacey" sounds with that chord

[@mrrodgers5871]

Much as John WIlliams borrowed the epic opening from Korngold and Death Star material from Holst's Planets (Mars), check the Neptune movement of the Planets (by Holst) and you'll see where John truly derived his space-content. The more subtle, less in-your-face stuff comes from Neptune, including some magical augmentations.

[@JoshuaBurniece]

Bro, I love that you’re exploring new video formats. I honestly think you could thrive in any format you want to make. It’s your personality, passion, and humor we latched onto. You make what makes you happy and we will support it.

[@Rhekon]

The major to augmented triad also works as the sound of wander or vastness. Hear that on soundtracks a bunch.

[@innatemusic]

I think you nailed it. The chord progressions at the end of the Star Wars theme might be my favorite of all time. The two chords you mentioned from ET have that “space” feeling, as well. The first is like, “We’re here” or “We’ve made it”. But then the second is more like, “But there’s more to see” or “There’s something beyond”. It’s amazing what a chord or the change of one note in a chord can do to change the way you feel.

[@SolWake]

I've been watching Star Trek Picard S3 and the end-credits theme, which is from the main title of Star Trek First Contact gets me every single time, I just have to stay and listen to it. I would love to see a breakdown of what makes this theme so evocative :)

[@brendanconnellan]

As soon as I saw the title of this video, I immediately thought of the chord you ended up going with. Having obviously watched star wars and also played it a few times, this chord coming right at the end of the main theme is just perfect space-ness. Love it, and nice video!

[@JoelBrandonMedia]

Perfect 5ths stacked on top of each other is always my go-to space sound - reminds me of those science videos we used to watch in elementary school in the 90s 😂

[@DanCummins]

I feel very validated that with all of my years of listening to science fiction scores that I correctly guessed what the finalchord would be in this video.

[@danielho6998]

I love this new style of video! It combines your awesome teaching ability with the creativity/skit like feel that first brought me to your channel in the first place!

[@iframes2d]

Mass effect has lots of other worldly soundscapes. The main theme is just pure bliss

[@raVenwomBat]

That actually makes so much sense. The defining feature of an augmented chord is it‘s lack of a clear root note which makes it sound like floating in outer space.

[@corneliusmaze-eye2459]

I love the Interstellar soundtrack even more now. Knowing it shares that same underpinning sound with all other space films is so satisfying.

[@oskeewootwoot]

There's a brass band piece by a fellow named Paul Lovett-Cooper called "Enter the Galaxies" which starts with the cornets doing arpeggios on that exact space chord, too!

[@anatolyFct]

That moment when the chord dropped in the Star Wars bit was so satisfying

[@petefaders]

As soon as I saw your title I knew the chord. It's all about setting the "normal" environment of a major chord, then that raised 5th says you're going UP to a realm outside of the norm. It's space from a Human perspective. The familiar and the unfamiliar combine.

[@Aleay]

Dude the quality of this video is off the fucking charts and I'm all for this!. The intro bit where you 'want to go to space' was hilarious.

[@InventorZahran]

I hear this chord in almost every Star Trek film soundtrack, so I was already associating it with space before I knew it was The Space Chord!

[@soupsawsandfish4113]

When you highlighted the chord from Star Wars, it reminded me of where it appears later in a chord progression in Empire Strikes Back. I don’t know if I’m late to this, but it comes when the Millennium Falcon is being chased to the astroid field by all the empire tie fighters. Williams knew to incorporate that and I love how it ties it all together.

[@BellXllebMusic]

Years ago it wanted to know how to make that space sound but didn't know enough theory to find it out myself. Nice to see a video made about it with actual data in it!!

[@brzk_]

really like the video, the production quality certainly took a huge step. great effort! i really enjoy your more unedited content reacting to music and really being in the moment more to be completely honest, but im certain that will stay, so geat to see you exploring and trying out newe things.

[@BrendanMacsGuitarGear]

Under Siege 2 - Dark Territory sound track, the main title at about 1:17 ish there is a sequence where a satellite is launched and the thematic spaceyness from Basil Poledouris is one of my favourite "space chord" 'ish musical themes and is absolutely outstanding!

[@lilt4250]

How about the popular lick, the mitsuda lick? Its in many popular game songs, such as ocarina of time, main title theme where the lick descends chromatically

[@markkittel44]

I just heard this exact chord in the track “Your father would be proud” from Rogue One. It’s played as C with the sharp 5 only, and the sharp 5 then drops to E over the C. Play it and you’ll know the exact moment of the film it comes from.

[@noluckclub]

One of the first formative "space sounds" i figured out was noodling around in middle school Ab (root C) to C, which is exactly what you said for E.T. As of late, I've been trying to write a generic Star Wars fanfare and soundtrack for a parody webshow my friend and i have been conceptualizing, so this is timely. Thanks for all you do man!

[@martinwest2538]

Yes, the Star Wars chord at 5:32 has always been to me stepping straight out in outer space 🙂 However, the effect is definitely strengthened by the unorthodox transition from the previous chord ("a leap of faith") and the change of texture.

[@mooshy2]

The way he plays the chord at 1:33 blows my mind. I think it sounds best with pedal tones on the bottom and the harmonies on top in a crunched up chord.

[@MATroiano]

I remember when you covered this chord for a short bit in a previous video. I'm so glad you fleshed it out and included examples. I'm only more convinced of it's power now.

[@huckwalton2307]

This is the best channel on KZbin for musicians. Rick Beato, is up there, but I always walk away a better musician and human after you videos.

[@crokikii]

I've been watching your videos for a while and seeing how you dissected the end of the Starfield trailer, a game that I've personally been eagerly anticipating for a long time, to show how it has THE SPACE CHORD. Now I'm even more excited about the game knowing this. Thank you!!!

[@neiljohnson2784]

The Lydian Augmented mode I think is the best mode for capturing that mystic otherworldly sound and fits perfectly with the augmented fifth.

[@alltogethernow5456]

To Charles Cornell: This chord is really cool! Your video inspired me to go back and look at the 'Space Scale' I came up with a while back, and I'm wondering what you think of it and what you can do with it. The scale I came up with is a major scale with a flat 2, 6 and 7. It's close to the double harmonic scale which has a flat 2 and 6, but the flat 7 gives it less of an Arabic vibe and more of a space feel. Some interesting things I found with this scale: First, not only does it have an augmented triad, but a full diminished chord as well! (The b2, 3, 5, and b7.) Second, every note in the scale has a different set of chords it can use in the scale. The 1 has a major and augmented; the b2 has a major, minor and diminished; the 3 has a diminished and augmented, the 4 has a minor, the 5 has a diminished, the b6 has an augmented, and the b7 has a minor and diminished. Thirdly, there is exactly one dominant 7, one major 7 and one minor 7. (Those have a base of the 1, the b2 and the b7, respectively.) However, there are two major minor 7ths with the b2 and the 4, thanks to the augmented triad. There's more I could say, but really I just want to know what types of things this scale can do. I'd be really happy if you could play around with it and find something cool! (And anyone else reading this can do it too.) Thank you again, your videos are really cool and inspiring!

[@mdreid]

Great video. It certainly seems like you’ve hit on a common sound across space-related movies and games. To make the argument even more convincing though, I think that you’d also have to show that *non*-space-related movies *rarely* used the same chord and progressions, maybe by randomly sampling from dramatic movies. Otherwise an explanation for what you’ve observed could just be that movie soundtracks in general use that chord.

[@TobiWobi7]

Those mayor chords with the 5th sharps are also used in howard shores tunes for the Evls of Imladris *.* its just so magical!

[@hamstermc7807]

When I saw the title of the video, before even clicking, I thought for a second… and my brain almost immediately spat out that chord. Not that I knew its name or could dissect it well enough to arpeggiate it, but just, the sound of the chord itself played in my mind like “yup this is the sound in question, dilemma solved, next”

[@aloysiusdevadanderabercrombie8]

I figured this out while messing around on a piano a couple years ago. It's such a recognizeable sound!

[@jklappenbach]

Its a chord that is basically a leading tone and its resolution together. It's suspense in a bottle. Our minds want to resolve its dissonence, but it won't. It just hangs there, and as a consequence, it evokes mystery and suspense. These are the emotions of exploration and discovery. I think it's not just a chord for space, but for great adventure and exploration in general. But of course, space is that next, final frontier.

[@frollard]

This extra-effort style including the extra skits was phenomenal. Thank you as always.

[@Fishmorph]

When you look at it, the C-E-G-G#-B chord has the harmonics of a major triad (CEG, EG#B) and a minor triad (EGB) and an augmented (CEG#) all simultaneously. It only lacks the diminished triad.

[@georgesms]

Yeah, you can get that feeling of foreign wonder with both the whole tone scale and the double harmonic scale. I think it is all about the atypic interval of subsequent whole tones and the augmented second respectively...