# Nostalgic — Mood

> Looking back with longing. Sweet sadness for past. Vintage feel often.

## Defining elements

- Mid tempo (75-100 BPM)
- Often major key with subtle minor moments
- Vintage production aesthetic
- Acoustic instruments often
- Memory-evoking sound design

## Sub-types

### Vintage nostalgic
- 50s-70s production aesthetic
- Tape saturation
- Examples: Lana Del Rey, Frank Sinatra

### Folk nostalgic
- Acoustic + storytelling
- Examples: Simon & Garfunkel, Joni Mitchell

### Lo-fi nostalgic
- Vinyl crackle + chillhop
- Memory-evoking samples
- Examples: lo-fi study music

### Cinematic nostalgic
- Period film score feel
- Strings + piano vintage
- Examples: Ennio Morricone, Wes Anderson soundtracks

### Indie nostalgic
- Modern but retro-aware
- Examples: Father John Misty, Beach House

## Instrumentation suggestions

- Acoustic guitar
- Piano (vintage feel)
- Strings (warmth)
- Vinyl crackle / tape hiss
- Vintage drum sounds
- Old organs / electric piano
- Field recordings of past

## Vocal style

- Often warm, slightly lower
- Vintage-feel processing (tape compression)
- Might be male baritone or female mezzo
- Sometimes processed to sound "old"

## Lyrics direction

- Memory, looking back
- Specific past moments
- "When we were", "I remember"
- Lost innocence
- Old places, old people
- Bittersweet acceptance

## For Suno

```
[Style: nostalgic indie folk, 85 BPM, G major with subtle minor moments, 
acoustic guitar + warm piano + vintage strings + soft drums, female mezzo 
vocals slightly tape-saturated, vintage feel, evocative]
```

## Avoid

- Modern aggressive production
- Auto-tune (defeats vintage feel)
- Fast tempo
- Generic emotion
- Future-looking lyrics

## Examples (reference)

- "Vincent" — Don McLean
- "American Pie" — Don McLean
- "Yesterday" — The Beatles
- "Old Friends" — Simon & Garfunkel
- "Video Games" — Lana Del Rey
- "Everywhere I Go" — Bonnie Raitt
- "Bayatı" — Azerbaijani folk genre (very nostalgic)

## Cultural variants

- Western nostalgic: vinyl, vintage piano
- Azerbaijani nostalgic: bayatı folk songs, mugham
- Russian nostalgic: bard tradition (Vysotsky)
- French nostalgic: chanson (Edith Piaf)
- Latin nostalgic: bolero
