User:BudjarnLambeth/Gallery of xenharmonic word painting
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Word painting is the musical technique of composing music that reflects the literal meaning of a song's lyrics.
This page is a gallery of word painting lyrics for xenharmonic songs.
It also includes a section for songs that use other esoteric theory (e.g. xenrhythmic, or using rare scales or timbres).
Add examples that occur in actual scores or recordings in the "real world examples" sections.
Write your own hypothetical examples in the "hypothetical" section. Only add them there if you give others permission to use them. Remember that the wiki is in the creative commons, so original writing on the wiki can be reused for free by anyone.
Xenharmonic word painting
Hypothetical
- "I know I'm spiralling, not going anywhere."
- Author: Budjarn Lambeth (2025)
- Context: Would be used while the chords or melody follow the nodes of a spiral chart
Real world examples
Word painting for other esoteric theory
Hypothetical
- "The world around me looks like home but I can't find my feet. The devil came to lock me in and threw away the key."
- Author: Budjarn Lambeth (2025)
- Context: Would be used for a song or section tuned to the Locrian mode of a 5L 2s scale.
- Explanation: "Looks like home" references the familar diatonic MOS shape, "can't find my feet" and "threw away the key" reference the way it is hard to maintain a tonal center in Locrian. "Lock me in" is a play on the word "Locrian".