Nov 14, 2018 | Composition, Daily Film Scoring Bits
Key Change Dramaturgy Key changes can be not only effective musical tools but also very effective structural elements. Trying to build towards a climax in a piece that persistently stays in one key might not be the most interesting thing to do and approaching the...
Nov 7, 2018 | Composition, Daily Film Scoring Bits
The Danger of Composing on the Piano Composing on a piano is a great tool but can also be quite limiting. For example, chord voicings that sound good or decent on a piano don’t neccessarily translate too well to real orchestra.Usually, the biggest problem with such...
Oct 31, 2018 | Composition, Daily Film Scoring Bits
Spontaneous Modulations A very common device used in film scoring, especially when writing action music that leads to a climax is to spontaneously modulate up a semitone, whole tone or minor third.This works most effectively on ostinato-driven music with...
Oct 24, 2018 | Composition, Daily Film Scoring Bits
Pedal Points Pedal points are very common in film music, meaning usually that you change chords over a sustaining bass note. Even very dissonant chords in relation to the bass note work under such circumstances. Pedal points are great for buildups. In a busy sequence...
Oct 17, 2018 | Composition, Daily Film Scoring Bits
Stacking Two Triads A really effective way to create interesting harmonic structures is to stack two triads on top of each other. This procedure is called polychords, bitonal chords or under certain conditions upper structure triads. Depending on what chords you stack...
Oct 10, 2018 | Composition, Daily Film Scoring Bits
Melodic Build-Ups Building towards a climax requires also your melody to increase tension which is not only possible by “going higher and higher”. When analyzing melodic structures that build towards a climax, usually several characteristics of the melody push it...
