Eight emotions, eight briefs

Compose a 90-second instrumental piece expressing lightness, joy, and playfulness. Set at around 120 BPM in a major key, with a steady and springy rhythm. Use bright piano, delicate plucked strings, and a small amount of light percussion. The melody should reside in the mid-to-high register — short, easy to remember, with moderate leaps and light staccato articulation. Harmonies should be clear and stable, with natural phrase closures. Repeat the main theme with slight variations while preserving an overall feeling of buoyancy. Avoid heavy bass lines, harsh high frequencies, and sudden loud climaxes.

Compose a 90-second instrumental piece expressing calmness, reassurance, and comfort. Set around 72 BPM with sparse instrumentation using a soft piano and warm sustained strings. The melody should be smooth and within a moderate range, primarily featuring legato phrasing and longer notes. Employ stable, consonant major harmonies with slow chord progressions, preserving natural pauses that resemble breathing. Dynamics should be gentle with subtle variations, culminating in a peaceful, resolved ending. Avoid dense arpeggios, strong drum beats, suspenseful harmonies, or sudden volume increases.

Compared with sadness: both can be slow, but calm emphasises stability, warmth and natural closure.

Compose a 90-second instrumental piece expressing restrained sadness, loss, and regret. Around 60 BPM in a minor key, centered on soft piano and solo cello. The melody should reside in the mid-to-low register, featuring sustained notes, legato phrasing, and gently descending lines. Accompaniment should be sparse, with pauses between phrases and some harmonic delays. The emotional arc should unfold gradually while remaining understated. Avoid upbeat drum patterns, light and bouncy melodies, or grand dramatic climaxes.

Such music can also evoke beauty, understanding or comfort. It is not the same as “making someone sadder”.

Compose a 90-second instrumental piece expressing gentleness, intimacy, and companionship — like someone quietly sitting beside you. Set at around 78 BPM, using nylon-string guitar, soft piano, and a small amount of warm strings. The melody should be smooth, singable, and continuous, with a moderate range. Harmonies should be primarily warm and consonant, occasionally introducing subtle melancholy that resolves naturally. Repeat a simple theme with minor variations. Maintain an intimate, clear sound — avoid excessive reverb, strong drumbeats, or dramatic climaxes.

Compared with calm: calm reduces stimulation; gentleness also needs expressive melody and a sense of closeness.

Compose a 90-second instrumental piece expressing the journey from hesitation to hope and confidence. Around 100 BPM, maintaining a steady forward momentum. Begin with a simple piano line for the first 25 seconds, featuring harmonies that carry a subtle sense of uncertainty. Gradually introduce warm strings and light percussion in the middle section, as the melody ascends. In the final section, shift into bright, stable major harmonies with richer orchestration, allowing for a measured emotional release. Conclude with a firm yet warm resolution. Avoid abrupt stylistic shifts, overly dense percussion, or exaggerated cinematic bombast.

The process matters more than the adjectives: “bright + fast” sounds cheerful, but inspiration needs buildup and release.

Compose a 90-second instrumental suspense piece conveying growing unease and approaching danger. Build on a deep, slow pulse around 80 BPM, incorporating irregular pauses, sustained bass tones, and subtle string vibratos. Use chromatic friction and unresolved harmonies, with melodies composed of brief, repetitive motifs. Gradually increase note density and tension over time, while preserving an unresolved feeling at the end. Avoid heroic melodies, upbeat rhythms, and sudden, jarring shock effects.

Compared with anger: fear emphasises uncertainty and instability; anger emphasises force and impact.

Compose a 90-second instrumental piece expressing anger, rebellion, and intense power. Set at approximately 138 BPM, centered around a driving drum kit, distorted guitar, and raw synth bass. Use short, repetitive rhythmic motifs to emphasize hard attacks and strong accents, with tension-laden harmonies. Maintain a relentless forward momentum and clear rhythmic layers. Avoid light-hearted melodies, soft string textures, and bright celebratory harmonies. Keep the mix clean and avoid clipping distortion.

Listeners who enjoy rock or metal may find this exhilarating rather than angry.

Compose a 90-second instrumental piece expressing warm yet subtly wistful nostalgia. Set at around 82 BPM, centered on soft piano, acoustic guitar, and delicate string arrangements. The melody should be simple, recurring, with brief descending phrases that evoke a sigh. Harmonies shift naturally between bright and melancholic colors, with slight rubato in the performance. Incorporate minimal warm vintage timbres while preserving clarity. Conclude by revisiting the main theme and gently fading to a close. Avoid heavy noise effects, exaggerated pathos, or grand climaxes.

Vintage sound can suggest “the past”, but what actually triggers a memory is usually a familiar style, melody or song.