Changing the "mood" of a song

Changing the phrasing, I think would also help. For example, blues likes to use triplets.
It would seem the easiest way to switch moods is go from major to minor. . . Within, for example, a solo, would you just switch to the relative minor of the major key you're playing in- C major to A minor and have any accompanying rhythm instruments switch the focus to the Am chord, for instance?Or even easier, just switch to the parallel minor key, i.e. C minor in this case.
Just a thought, I think to change a song from major to minor, it would have to go from C major to C minor. If you switch into A minor, your still playing the same notes as C major and then you are most likely still centered around C, in which case you are still in C major, or you have changed the keys along with switching to minor.

Great illustration of the point John. :D

Nice coincidence with the man in the poster looking over your shoulder on your web page pic too!! Jimi Hendrix' rock version of Star Spangled Banner is one of the most famous of all.

Thanks! That picture was snapped when I'd just finished playing The Star Spangled Banner, and was starting to play Amazing Grace. I saw Jimi when I got the pic back. Hadn't thought about that banner hanging back there. My daughter immediately saw it and said, "Look, Daddy has a friend!" It almost looks like he's looking over my shoulder and guiding my left hand. Wish he was!

:lol:

BTW, switching well known tunes from major to minor key is something I've played around with a good bit. It can be pretty striking. One of my favorites is playing the old Drifters hit "On Broadway" in G minor. (Or A minor.) It's not really a blues tune, but play it in a minor key with a slide, at a slow tempo with a swing beat, sing those words, and you've got The Blues! (I call it "Off Broadway" when I do it that way, 'cause it's just a little "off.")

Well, within a song during a performance, it would seem technically correct (and less annoying to the audience) to just switch to the relative minor, and change the focus, which could be accomplished immediately,... but by changing to that key's minor, I feel that that would be something that you would introduce slowly.... but I don't know how to do that.
I hope my reasoning's understandable....

Something that was just pointed out to me and demonstrated for me on my Hammond organ this evening: If you're playing in a minor key and soloing over it in the blues scale, if you then switch to playing in the relative major and keep soloing in the original minor key's blues scale, now you're in the relative major's "traditional blues scale" or "major blues scale" with a very different feel, though you're playing the same notes. Very cool!

I have done several things to change the mood or feel of a song:
1. Change tempo using the same chord structure
2. Change musical style using a similar chord structure. ie. Turn Beatles I wanna hold your hand from pop to reggae
3. Change modality of chords you are using. You would be surprised how the phrasing of a chord changes the feel
4. Add minors, 7th's and 9ths

Examples:
I Got You Babe - Sonny & Cher done by UB 40
Rocket Man - Elton John done by Kate Bush
I Will Survive - Gloria Gaynor done by Cake

very possible. i covered the song i got a women by ray charles and made it completly different way more of an acoustic blues. it doesnt sound much liek the original but its still good. if you want an example, look at how queenshryche changed scarbourough fair from simon and garfunkels version, or how dylans , all along the watchtower got changed into hendrix and now dave mathews. you should listen to famous bands or artist who have covered other famous artists songs. look at the song summer time blues in particular. this may give you ideas on how you can make a song your own.

Try changing the song's scale to another mode. This has in part already been suggested above by going from major to minor or changing chord modality, but can be taken further. It is a practical way to understand what all those modes of the major scale are about. For example take the notes of a major scale song and shift each up one note on that major scale and play. Shift all of them up one more note and do it again. Go through all seven modes to hear the difference. You may recognize this as an improv method used in certain types of jazz.

And Jeff (jbrownstein) knows of what he writes. I've known him for many years and he is a master of stylistic shifts. He's pulled it off successfully numerous times to the delight of audiences.

All Of The Things People Have Said Here Are Effective in Creating A Different Mood For A Song. I Like To think of All Of The Aspects Of A Song (Key, Phrasing, Modality, Tempo, Even Instrument) As Texture, Much Like a Painter Layers His Brushstrokes on A Canvas. Ask Two Painters To Recreate In Their Own Style the Mona Lisa, And They Will Be Very Different. changing The Mood Has A lot To Do With Theory, But You Truly Dont Have To Know Every Bit Of your Theory To Do this.. Try Experimenting With A Peice, Put Your "style" Into It ;)

Chord Inversion Is Another Effective tool For Getting A New Sound From A Grand Old Song

Another example is Radiohead's Lucky. The original sounds very mournful, but Warren Haynes' version is very upbeat and bluesy. It's a huge change, but both versions are very well done.