A Whole New World

Fantasy World Instrumentation

This is probably one of my stranger posts, but then again, I haven't posted in awhile so I'm making up for lost time. My main reason for posting this is I haven't seen anything like this on the Internet and I think it's important enough that it needs to be covered. Besides, I also like composing fantasy music, so I thought it'd help me as well.

Anyway, in this post I will be discussing what types of instruments to use when making fantasy music for dwarves and elves, borrowing from the soundtrack of the Lord of the Rings, the Hobbit and my own music.

1. Dwarves

Dwarves are a strong hardy people who dig tunnels, mine caves and dwell in mountains. This should be reflected in the instruments chosen.

[Horns] A safe choice with dwarves is horn instruments like trombones, trumpets, french horns, and other types like this. The low horns especially can make your music sound dwarvish. For an example of this, listen to this wonderful music from the Hobbit soundtrack called Over Hill. 

[Drums] Loud bass drums and anvil hits are excellent instruments to use for dwarf music. Make full use of them. For an example of the anvils, listen to Song of the Lonely Mountain from the Hobbit. The anvil hit comes in at 1:10. See if you can hear it.

[Strings] Beautiful strings are another wonderful instrument to use. Though the strings might not actually take over the whole melody, they are great to use for the chords and for a supporting melody. Listen to my composition called Dwarf Prince for an example of dwarf music that does have strings in the melody line. The strings supporting melody line comes in at 0:33 and takes over as the main melody line at 1:05. The strings don't stay in the melody line the rest of the piece, though.

[Choirs] Male choirs and voices are also great for dwarf music. Listen to Far Over the Misty Mountains Cold from the Hobbit for an example of this.

There are definitely other instruments which can be used in dwarf pieces, like the harp which is featured in Dwarf Prince, but these are the main ones. I hope you feel more inspired to try your hand at making dwarf music now.

2. Elves

Elves are an intelligent, nimble people who live peacefully in their forest homes (providing nothing disturbs them that is). The instruments for them are dramatically different than the ones for dwarves.

[Choirs] Female choirs are a wonderful choice for elven music and give it a beautiful, ethereal atmosphere. For two examples, listen to the Lothlorien Theme and The Passing of the Elves from Lord of the Rings.

[Strings] Rich, full-sounding strings are common in elven music. Unlike dwarf music, strings more often take over the melody line.

 

[Harps] Beautiful, gentle, and flowing, the harp is an amazing instrument to use for elves. Listen to my elven piece called Secret of the Elves and Rivendell from Lord of the Rings as examples of this.

[Flutes] Flutes can also be used in elven music and give it a beautiful, heart-wrenching sound. Listen to my piece called Elven Lands for an example of this. The flute comes in at 0:37.
 

[Horns] Though not as common as the other instrument choices, trumpets, french horns, and other higher-sounding horns can be used for elves. Horns are especially useful to use for elf battle music or other music involving elves in war and give the music a more majestic and regal sound. Listen to The Elves Arrive at Helm's Deep and see if you can hear the horn, noting how its inclusion makes the music much richer and more fit for a battle.

These are the important instruments to use for elven music and I hope they will inspire you to create your own elven tune.

 

I know this didn't cover nearly all of the fantasy creatures, but this is enough for this post. Anyway, thanks for reading!

The Artist's Toolkit I

Themes & Motifs

Almost every movie needs to have themes and motifs in them. There are various kinds of them, some being about different characters, others about locations, still others about certain themes or other types of things that the film composers want to convey. The Lord of the Ring's movies are a great example of this. It's really fascinating to study the soundtracks. It couldn't have been easy for Howard Shore to weave together so many intricate puzzle pieces into a complete whole.

Five basic theme techniques will be discussed as follows. This is not an exhaustive list, these are just a few that came to my mind.

1. Tempo Change

One of the simplest ways to change a theme is to slow down or speed up the tempo. This isn't a very powerful tool, but it can be used to bring about a slight change in the theme. It can be really potent if used in combinations with some of the other tools.

2. Key Change

Another great tool to use. This is especially useful if the previous music for your movie is in a different key than your original piece and you want to make a smooth transition between the two. It's also useful for creating more of a dark mood by key changing to a lower key, or making it more majestic, by key changing to a higher key. 

3. Instrument Change/Addition

By adding instruments or changing which instruments are used, you can dramatically alter the sound of your theme. Sometimes the theme might come in with flutes, other times with brass instruments, other times with the piano or a combination of instruments, depending on what mood you're aiming for.

The Crown Prince, one of my compositions, is as an example of this. Listen to the first 22 seconds of it and get the feel of it. Then skip ahead to 1:34 and notice the different feel. Believe it or not, the melody line for the tuba is exactly the same, but now new instruments are added which change the whole atmosphere of it.

4. Chord Change

Even if the main melody stays the same, just by changing the chords, you can create an entirely different mood. If you're motif is major, for instance, turning it to minor for a rather depressing or sad scene in the movie would work very well.

Arcade Fire's song Abraham's Daughter is an example of this tool. Listen at 25 seconds until 38 and note the dark, foreboding sound of the piece which utilizes only one minor chord. Then listen to 39 seconds until 52 and notice the more hopeful sound of it which is caused because it uses other chords, particularly some major ones.

5. Harmony Addition 

By adding harmony to your motif, you can greatly improve and beautify it. It's very useful to use when embellishing a theme for a more powerful part in a movie. Try it and see the results.


That's all for now. Keep composing!

Atmospheric Conditions

Music's Aura

Every music piece has a certain mood or feel to it. Just like every great novel we've ever read had at least one underlying theme to it, every music piece needs to convey a certain mood or atmosphere. Some moods are weaker than others, some are forcefully powerful, and some may even be hard to define, but the moods are still there.

It seems best to me, when starting work on a song, to come up with both the mood and the name for it. If you can do these two things, composing the song should come much easier. However, if you are the type of person that just makes the music and then comes up with a name, that's great as well.

1. Emotional

Do you desire to make people sad when they hear your music? Often sad music is very beautiful, so this is a very good choice. Listen to The Call by Regina Spektor, and you'll see an example of this type of music. Certainly, the lyrics add to the emotional feeling of this music, but even just the instruments, the chords, and how the song is sung gives off a sad feeling.

2. Epic

Maybe you feel like writing a piece of music that inspires people and leaves them with a feeling of grandeur. If such is the case, keep your song's mood in the triumphant/epic genre. He's a Pirate by Hans Zimmer, showcases this mood perfectly. 

3. Mystery

Ever wanted to make a song which leaves your listeners with a sense of mystery and wonder. Give this mood a shot. With the added touch of solemnity, this Gregorian Chant song perfectly fits this genre.

4. Scary

Perhaps you always wanted to scare people with your music. If so, try this mood. Nazgul Theme from Lord of the Rings is a great example of this. Probably not a good idea to listen to this before going to bed though, unless you don't value your sleep.

5. Peaceful

Maybe you want to create a piece of beauty and relaxation. Try this mood. A River Flows In You by Yiruma captures this atmosphere perfectly. 
 
6. Magical

Have you ever wanted to transport your listeners to another world, another place. It's time to make use of this mood. This musical piece from World of Warcraft about night elves fits this mood with precision.

7. Happy

If you want to make happy music that's not annoying it might be sort of a challenge, but if you're a classical composer, you have a good chance at making this happen. Listen to The Prince of Denmark's March by Jeremiah Clarke and you'll understand this mood.


I know that's not nearly all the moods, but this covers some of the basics. Also, I know that moods can be combined to create some interesting complex combinations. Experiment with it to see what you can come up with. I'll be back with a post about themes & motifs sometime soon. Good luck composing!

Unlocking the Secret

Key Changes 

The world of composition really opens up when you begin to expand your horizons from simply playing in one key the entire piece to switching keys. Whether briefly, or lasting the rest of the song, key changes have a dramatic effect on your music. A carefully placed key change can bring your piece up to the next level. Do not overlook this composition secret!

1. Key Change (+1)

Changing the key up 1 half step (or 1 note) is a powerful technique to use. It's usually a dramatic change, because the new notes you'll be playing will mostly be completely different from the ones in the previous key. This key change is very useful for giving your piece of music that extra touch at the end.

For an example of this, go to this link to a musical piece I composed called Two Moons Inn. Go to about 2:08 and listen for the majestic key change. 

2. Key Change (+2)

By far the most common, the whole step transition gives your music a beautiful, epic sound. Works great in almost any case. The only problem with this could arise if your instruments or voices cannot reach the new notes because they're so high. Be careful of this. Otherwise, use this key change to add more power to a final chorus, bridge, or ending of your song.

3. Key Change (+3)

Think Lord of the Rings when you think of this key change. This is the key change used in the beginning of the song called the The Fellowship Theme. If you want to make your musical piece way more epic and triumphant sounding, use this key change. 

4. Key Change (+5)

Chronicles of Narnia uses this chord progression masterfully. Go to the following link and listen to this song called The Battle at about 37 seconds in. See if you can catch the key change. It's hard to catch due to the fact that this new key uses many of the same notes as the previous key. 

This key change which, like the previous one, is great for making great soundtrack music, is particularly powerful and effective when going from major to minor. Start with major and then, once you key change up, go to minor. See the amazing results!

5. Key Change (-2)

Very interesting key change. May have the effect of making your music feel like its sinking and that you're traveling deeper underground. Also, can have the effect of giving your piece a Celtic feel due to the fact that it's similar to using the Mixolydian mode. 

6. Key Change (-4)

The one word to describe this key change is eerie. Listen to this music piece I composed called Snow Queen's Palace and you'll see what I mean. Near the very beginning the key changes. See if you can spot it.

If you love to scare people with your music or if you just like composing music for horror films, this key change is certainly one for you to add to your repertoire. 

I know this didn't cover nearly all of the key changes, but, to be honest, I really am not sure what some of the other ones are good for and what they do. I hope to find out more so that I can post a follow up to this. Anyway, thanks for reading. Hope to catch you later with another post!

Epic Chord Progressions

  Lord of the Ring's Chord Progressions 

1. Gandalf Falls

This first chord progression is one I'll name after one of my favorite songs from the Lord of the Rings. In case you haven't guessed which part of the movie it's from, it's from the first movie, the part when Gandalf falls off of the bridge in the Mines of Moria. Let's do this chord progression in 4/4 time signature, each chord taking up a whole measure. The chords are as follows a minor, F major, C major, and G major. This chord progression is not only very useful, it is also very common and popular. It can definitely be used to make sad songs, but, if used properly, it can also be used to make epic and triumphant songs. This song is used in the beginning of Enya's song May It Be.

2. The Shire

This chord progression is from the first movie of the Lord of the Rings, near the beginning. It's focused on the hobbits. There are different chords used in this theme, as it develops throughout the movies, but we will just focus on the simplest one found near the start of the movie. Using 4/4 time signature, these are the chords used as well as how many measures they take up. Here they are: F major (4 measures). B flat major (2 measures), F major (1 measure), C major (1 measure). If you want to make melancholy and beautiful compositions, this is definitely a good one to use.

That's all for now. Come back later for more music tips.