Composition Practice (Composition 1)

The first composition utilises a theme which progresses over a chord sequence that holds no relation to the diatonic key ( its uses a borrowed chord from its relative). The effect created is a unique harmony which sounds almost mournful when coupled with the Major scale. The Key of the piece is 'A' Major, starting on an 'A' Major add 9 Chord which is played as an arpeggio. This then progresses to an 'A' suspended 2nd chord with an 'F' in the bass (the 'F' is the borrowed note from the parallel key of the piece - 'A' minor). This chord voicing produces a large amount of tension throughout the progression.

Modal interchange is the process of borrowing a chord from a parallel key to act as an embellishment or colour chord. The piece is in key of A major however throughout the piece an F major and G major are present which does not belong to the scale tones of the major key, these notes appear by borrowing them from the parallel key of A minor which contains these characteristics. The effect created is unexpected producing suspense and a sense of unresolved tension. The simple melodic phrasing is used as an embellishment on the tonality of the chord changes and helps to establish this desired effect. 

The use of the G major chord allows for the phrase to resolve back to the tonic key in such a way that allows for a smooth transition, providing the piece with variation in its emotional theme, changing the feel into something which resolves into a happier mood. 

The main instrumentation utilises the piano for its ability to provide the music with a soft impression of sadness whilst also allowing the piece to transition into a more resolved happiness, the timbre felt right for implying this emotion. 

The main theme is accompanied by a soft sustained violin progression, which is used to add depth to the piece and to emphasis the soft contour of the main motif. 

Brian Tyler, Approach to writing music (Fast and Furious 5) - (Research)

Thomas Newman- Notes on a score (interview)

Composition Practice.

Composition practice is key to finding ideas and techniques which can essentially be applied to the main project piece.

Several Pieces of music will be constructed in order to gain experience with utilising music theory and composition techniques gained from literature and tutorial videos, as well as spotting and producing audio tracks for films.

Bernard Herrman Psycho Analysis (Research)

Through research into compositional techniques for film, I was able to find an interesting pdf document which details some of the compositional techniques and structures implied by Bernard Hermann in his most famous work 'Psycho'.
http://www.bernardherrmann.org/legacy/site/articles/misc/transformation_of_the_psycho_theme/transformation_of_the_psycho_theme.pdf

The document can be found at the above link.

The content details Bernard Hermann's musical cues for psycho and showcases many of the important thematic structures throughout many scenes including the famous shower scene which became one of the most inspirational themes for the horror/ slasher genre.

The document shows each example explained with musical score excerpts.    

Paul Haslinger On Film Composing

Intervals - Music theory

1. Unison
2. Minor second- 1 semitone
3. Major second - 2 semitones
4. Minor third - 3 semitones
5. Major third - 4 semitones
6. Perfect fourth - 5 semitones
7. Aug4th/Dim5th- 6 semitones
8. Perfect fifth - 7 semitones
9. Minor sixth - 8 semitones
10. Major sixth - 9 semitones
11. Minor seventh - 10 semitones
12. Major seventh - 11 semitones

Ennio Morricone BBC Documentary

Hans Zimmer (Making of Gladiator) Documentary

Hans Zimmer Documentary (The Dark Knight)

This Video Documents many of the production techniques of Hans Zimmer, Showing his out of the box production style, utilising strange instrumentations and effects to produce a unique soundtrack which is very powerful and emotionally charged .

The Dark Knight Soundtrack

Terminator 2 Soundtrack

The Thing Soundtrack

Alien Soundtrack

Jerry Goldsmith interview on Alien Soundtrack

Film Music Composition Techniques and Notes

Notes were taken from a youtube tutorial video which detailed key techniques for creating soundtracks to short films.

Notes

1. Utilise the Concept of Leitmotif Effectively and know when to use it appropriately.
2. If all music fits within functional tonality it can start to sound and feel boring and will tend to blend into all other music surrounding its themes. Therefore braking away from these traditions and common practices can provide music with an intriguing and unique quality.
3. Predictability can be useful however being unpredictable throughout various points in the score can create drastic effects that produce tension,a hook of some for, and cues to events.
4. The human brains workings for analysing music favours simple time signatures such as 2/2, 4/4, 3/4. therefore by changing to compound time or even providing off beat rhythmic and melodic phrasing can catch the listeners attention, and can emphasis what is happening on screen.
5.   Do not draw attention to the music in itself, the music should compliment the visuals.
6. Line up hits with visuals. Hard hits will reflect what's happening on screen, soft hits allows for smother transition. Try to prevent "Mickey Mousing" (term used to describe a cartoon like effect produced from the continuous use of hard hits within the score. Everything that is on screen is mimicked in the music and feels very deliberate and stands out.) 
7. A Balance should be struck between mimicking what is going on, on screen and a more free form approach as it makes the score feel more natural alongside the image, unless the desired effect is best suited to constant mimicking of the visual.  
8. Hits need to be accurately placed alongside the visuals otherwise the impact will not be present and the scene wont fit well with the music. 
9. Understand what instruments work best when playing alongside each other, for example, the double bass and cello playing in unison creates a deep dramatic undertone to the music without feeling over the top and distracting.
10. Understand what a real orchestra sounds like to create a more realistic soundscape which is in line with the listeners perception of an orchestra. 
11. Texturing, timbre and melodic contour are extremely important when trying to create an interesting piece of music.
12. Utilise the Octatonic scale for its unique qualities and characteristics.
13. If using a DAW for composing, think realistically when composing, for example, if the violin section of an orchestra is playing scale runs, they cant be playing long extended notes over the top of that, instead that role would be given to another stringed instrument. 
14. Utilise Silence carefully, it will only be effective if placed into the visual scene where appropriate, if the music keeps cutting out un-necessarily it could detract from the experience. 
15. Introduce themes to characters throughout the film and re introduce them when necessary.
16. it is ok to make the music seem over dramatic if the scene is reaching its  climax, this could create an impact, however this should be used carefully because if it is not utilized correctly it can also detract from the experience. 
17. Music can emphasis events which are off screen (such as an unseen predator running towards its prey which is the main focus of the film) the use of a thematic motif to symbolise the speed of the approaching predator can help the listener understand what is happening although not present on screen and can also create suspense and tension as the music builds and speeds up to a climax. 
18. Common problems that occur when mixing music created from samples are, muddy mixes caused by the increase in frequencies from varying instrument samples. Too much reverb can mix with other samples and cause problems. Not everything can be "Big" Sounding because if everything sounded thick with reverb it would blend too much and distort the effect of music. Reverb should be utilised on mid to high frequencies to prevent an influx in bass. Automate the velocities of the tracks to make everything seem more realistic. A lot of thought should go into structuring the velocity of various instruments to provide more of an impact and to make everything seem more realistic. 
19. The first section/ opening of the music should provide the listener with an understanding of the tonality of the scene, provide the harmonies and tonalities for the music to come. 
20. Utilise up and down beats to emphasis the key tonal notes of the scale, that emphasis the tension and release. eg. The most tense note of the scale should be utilised at the peak of the motif, preferably on a strong beat (the up beat), the downbeats should be utilised to bring the listener back to the main tonal center of the music, which should release the tension that has built up moving to the peak note in the melody. 

Music Theory Guide - Cycle of fifths and ditonic triads

Cycle of Fifths

Ditonic Triads

Major Key Triad Pattern

1. Major/ Major7
2. Minor/ Minor7
3. Minor/ Minor7
4. Major/ Major7
5. Major/ 7
6. Minor/ Minor7
7. Diminished/ Minor7b5

Natural minor Key Triad Pattern

1. Minor/ Minor7
2. Diminished/ Minor7b5
3. Major/ Major7
4. Minor/ Minor7
5. Minor/ Minor7
6. Major/ Major7
7. Major/ 7

Research Aim and Objectives. (Old Version - 2)

After a discussion with a lecturer, it has been decided that my previous aim and objectives are not refined and focused enough, therefore I have changed several aspects.

Aim.

Investigate how the compositional elements of music can be utilised to create an emotional response within the consumers of film and game soundtracks, and create several examples of musical concepts/compositions which can be used to determine the effectiveness of the researched methods.  

Objectives.

1. Research, Music Theory, Compositional Techniques, The Importance of Instrumentation and The Effects of Music on Emotion and Characterisation.
2. Devise, a Framework for musical analysis of film and game soundtracks
3. Analyse, Various Film and Game Soundtracks and detail important aspects of their construction, the effect they have on the scene, how they set a tone for the scenes/ characters etc. 
4. Create, Several Soundtracks Alongside Cinematic Scenes Which Utilise the Information Gained Throughout the Process of the Project.
5. Devise, a "Framework" for comparing the effectiveness of the various techniques used in each video. 

Research Aim and Objectives. (Old Version - 1)

Aim.

Investigate how music and sound effects within films and games can be used to induce emotional response's in their consumers. 

Objectives.

1. Investigate Music Theory and Compositional techniques which could aid in the development of films or games Ambiance / Soundtracks.  
2. Investigate the use of Sound effects within films and games and their effects on human perception / psychological states of mind. 
3. Investigate the possibility of utilising infra-sound to induce specific emotional responses and its psychological effects on the human mind. 
4. Investigate why music and specific sounds spark emotional responses in the consumers of films and games and their relationship to real world occurrences / events.
5. Produce Several Videos which incorporate techniques investigated throughout the honours project (relating to music and sound effects), which can be used as a test to determine which production techniques are most effective in creating an engaging viewing experience that induces the strongest of emotions.     

Research :- Important books relating to topic area.

1. This is your brain on music by Daniel Levitin
2. Handbook of Music and Emotion: theory, Research, Applications by Patrik N. Juslin 
3. The Emotional Power of Music: Multidisciplinary Perspectives on Music Arousal, Expression, and Social Control by Tom Cochrane. 
4. Exploring the Musical Mind: Cognition, Emotion, Ability, Function by John Sloboda#
5. Music, the Brain and Ecstasy: How Music Captures our Imagination by Robert Jourdain 
6. The Music Instinct: How Music Works and Why We Cant Do Without It by Philip Ball 

Researched Websites

In order to develop an aim and objectives for the honours project, research must be conducted with regards to the proposed topic areas.

Topic Areas:- 

1. Music and Emotion.
2. Film Soundtrack Scoring.

Researched Pages.

1.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_and_emotion

2. http://psychcentral.com/lib/music-how-it-impacts-your-brain-emotions/00017356

3. http://www.bbc.co.uk/arts/0/24083243

4. http://www.livescience.com/25611-why-music-moves-us.html

5. http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2012/06/26/how-music-impacts-helps-our-emotions/

6. http://www.jyi.org/wp-content/uploads//articleimages/3680/Shafron%20JYI%20Vol%2020%20Issue%205.pdf

7. http://wiki.dxarts.washington.edu/sandbox/groups/general/wiki/9e11b/attachments/93d1a/Psychology%20and%20Music%20-%20Diana%20Deutsch.pdf

8. http://www.frontiersin.org/Emotion_Science/10.3389/fpsyg.2013.00311/full

9. http://rsbl.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/early/2010/05/20/rsbl.2010.0333.full

10. http://www.studymode.com/essays/How-Does-Music-Effect-Human-Emotions-703324.html

11.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mood_(psychology)

12.http://nemcog.smusic.nyu.edu/docs/JuslinBBSTargetArticle.pdf

13.http://www0.cs.ucl.ac.uk/research/vr/Projects/PRESENCCIA/Public/presenccia_pub/sharedDocuments/presenccia_publications/Publications/wp2/Chalmers/ATajaduraJimenez_2009_Emotional%20Auditory%20Space.pdf

14.http://meaningfulnoise.blogsome.com/p23/

15. http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0006295

16. http://news.discovery.com/animals/animal-screams-movie-soundtracks.htm

17. http://music.psych.cornell.edu/articles/emotion/Krumhansl_emotion1997.pdf

18. http://thebrainbank.org.uk/teaching-materials/brain-function/illusions/

19. http://m.rstb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/364/1535/3597.full.pdf/