Download Film Music

Film Music
* “Silent” cinema – never ‘silent’ as live piano music was often played to help the
audience understand the mood changes in the film.
* The leitmotif is a short melodic or harmonic idea which is associated with
characters, events, concepts, objects or situations (e.g. ‘Jaws’ and ‘James Bond’).
These ideas can undergo considerable thematic and harmonic transformation –
where a melodic idea is repeated growing louder and louder and consistently rising
either a tone or semitone higher during each repetition.
Film Genres:
Thriller/Spy
* Minor key, dissonant chords to create an uneasy
atmosphere and chromatic melodies which create tension or to create a creepy,
sneaky, mysterious atmosphere.
* Low pitches to sound “dark” and longer low notes to build tension with
dynamics such as crescendos to heighten the atmosphere.
* Irregular rhythmic accents to give a sense of drama
Examples & Composers– Soundtracks to many of the James Bond films – John
Barry; Soundtrack to “Jaws” – John Williams; The Pink Panther Theme – Henry
Mancini; Mission Impossible Theme – Lalo Schifrin adapted by Danny Elfman
Cartoon/Comedy
* Animated Cartoons require more music than other film genres. Click tracks
(an electronic metronome) were often used for accurate synchronisation of music
to events.
* Cartoons developed a range of associated musical cliches – pedal notes, the
“walking” motif, the “calamity” motif, cluster chords and ascending chromatic
runs.
* Ornaments such as trills, mordants and acciacciaturas used to represent
character movements.
* Quick changes of tempo to follow the on-screen action.
* Glissando slides and fast extended scales.
Sci-Fi/Fantasy
* The interval of a fifth has often been used by film music composers of this
genre, since its “bare, open” and “sparse” sound quality creates the atmosphere of
the openness of “Space”.
* Instrumentation – heavy use of brass (trumpet fanfares), strings and percussion
are often used or instruments with specific timbres (e.g. the celesta in the ‘Harry
Potter’ them) associated with Sci- Fi/Magic and Fantasy.
* Composers often combine acoustic and electronic instruments or sounds and
use sound effects for additional effect.
* Dynamics often feature crescendos (e.g. Theme from “2001: A Space Odyssey” –
‘Also Sprach Zarathustra’) and diminuendos to increase or decrease tension and
sforzandos are often used for added effect.
* Harmonies often change suddenly from major to minor (or in the reverse) to
create unexpected moods and increase the tension. Sometimes the harmony is
atonal or bitonal (Planet of the Apes) Examples & Composers – Theme from
“2001: A Space Odyssey” (‘Also Sprach Zarathustra’ – Richard Strauss; “Hedwig’s
Theme” from the ‘Harry Potter’ films – John Williams (who has also written may
more film soundtracks and themes for this genre!)
There are many more film genres such as Westerns, Romances, War Films,
Films with Super Human characters such as Spiderman, Tear Jerkers etc...
Listening examples:
Hedwig's theme (Harry Potter) by John Williams
He's a pirate (Pirates of the Caribbean) by Hans Zimmer
Indianna Jones Theme (John Williams)
Lightsaber Cellos: A must-see video