# Melancholic — Mood

> Sad but beautiful. Reflective sadness with depth. Minor key, slow-mid tempo.

## Defining elements

- Minor key (A minor, E minor, F minor common)
- Slower tempo (60-90 BPM)
- Minor chords with occasional major (warmth)
- Sparse arrangement often
- Restrained vocals

## Sub-types

### Pure melancholy
- Grief, loss
- Acoustic intimate
- Slow tempo
- Examples: Eddie Vedder solo, Bon Iver

### Beautiful sadness
- Sad but lifting
- Strings, piano
- Cinematic feel
- Examples: "Mad World" (Gary Jules cover)

### Quiet melancholy
- Whisper-quiet
- Minimal arrangement
- Lyrics-forward
- Examples: Sufjan Stevens

### Cinematic melancholy
- Film score feel
- Strings + piano
- Building emotion
- Examples: Ludovico Einaudi, Ólafur Arnalds

## Instrumentation suggestions

- Piano (sparse)
- Acoustic guitar (fingerpicked)
- Cello (solo or section)
- Violin (solo)
- Soft strings
- Light percussion (or none)
- Reverb-heavy guitar

## Vocal style

- Restrained, soft
- Often vulnerable
- Whisper to mezzo voice
- Slight breath audible
- Female alto or male falsetto common

## Lyrics direction

- Loss, memory, longing
- Time passing
- Letting go
- Quiet acceptance of pain
- Beauty in sadness
- Specific imagery (rain, autumn, empty rooms)

## For Suno

```
[Style: melancholic indie folk, 75 BPM, F minor, acoustic guitar + 
soft piano + light strings, female alto vocals restrained, intimate]
```

## Avoid

- Triumphant chord progressions
- Fast tempo
- Heavy drums
- Bright major keys
- Aggressive vocals
- Generic "sad" production

## Examples (reference)

- "Hallelujah" — Jeff Buckley version
- "Mad World" — Gary Jules
- "Skinny Love" — Bon Iver
- "Hurt" — Johnny Cash version
- "Holocene" — Bon Iver
- "Re: Stacks" — Bon Iver
- "Saman Yolu" — Sezen Aksu (Turkish)
- "Bayatı-Şiraz" — Azerbaijani mugham (mode-based)

## Cultural variants

- Western melancholic: piano + strings
- Azerbaijani melancholic: mugham (Bayatı-Şiraz mode), tar
- Turkish: arabesk influence
- Russian: Vysotsky-style
- Latin: bolero tradition
