Okay, so ages ago I set out to try a new compositional technique. Practice, I guess you'd say. Basically, I'd have a listen to a popular soundtrack, and say "I can do that," and do my best to mimic its style. I figured this would come in handy, since maybe some day a client will ask me to write something that "sounds like _____," and then I can say "I can do that. Actually, I already did."
It didn't actually take me ages to do this. Working 40 hours a week, moving, building a new PC, and getting way too in to Xenoblade Chronicles and Persona 3 Portable set me back quite a bit. But here it finally is!
Well, the main theme, anyway. I got a little impatient at the end, because to be honest, this wasn't that fun. I really wanted to get in to writing some of the chase/action music from Assassin's Creed, but I HAD to do this first because it's the main theme (damn OCD). So excuse some sloppiness towards the end.
Anyway, in the interest of keeping this short, here's my notes:
Overall: It has to be memorable, and in order to be memorable, it has to be simple. Fragments of the main theme's melody have to be memorable by themselves, so they can be used quickly, later (in cutscenes, etc). This is not easy. I made MANY rewrites before I came to what I have. I would be thinking about it at work, and the first half of my melody would easily pop in to my head, but I couldn't remember how I wrote the second half. So the second half was out! Basically, don't be afraid of complete rewrites. Go ahead and read my previous post for more on writing melodies. Moving on!
First 1/3!
I noticed that, in the first run of the main melody in the original AC:R theme, the backing strings expand. It starts out very close together (pitch-wise), and slowly expands outwards, reaching both deep down and up high, and becoming more "full." Also, it expands in a more sonic way, with the backing strings muffled and subdued in the first run, and (very) slowly expanding and becoming more "up-front," and by the second run everything's out in the open, and in your face. To counter this, the voice is ALWAYS out in front. Listen to how it contrasts to the backing chords in the first run. The chords are muffled and subdued. The voice is right out in front, loud and clear. Gotta make sure you hear that melody real good, yeah? Or else how are you going to remember it?
Second 1/3!
Well, it's just the same material, except filled out with chords. And how those chords fade in and out is important. They breathe. Oh, and they have some very light counterpoint. I did use some tricks for fading in instruments, using not only volume but also movable low-cut EQs (allowing lower frequencies in over time). This is where it needs to build, and in order to do that, more instruments fade in and support what's already there. New parts aren't really necessary, you only need to back up existing parts with new timbres. Except for marcato strings. They just outline the chord that's happening at that moment, it's really the sound of the scratching strings that's important. This is an overused technique in today's theatrical music, but whatever, I can't deny how effective it is. I also tried to keep an electronic element present with the low arpeggiator because, you know, Animus and all that.
Final 1/3!
This is where the second theme comes in, and I didn't realize it at first, but this is actually FAR SIMPLER than it appears to be! It's comprised of only 5 or so elements.
1. Percussion. It is constant. It is exciting. It is essential.
2. Melody. It is simple. It is one line, unharmonized. It is backed up by strings, and an entire choir, but only in octaves, not harmonized. It needs to scream.
3. Marcato strings. You don't even need to hear the notes! All you need to hear is the scratching sound. Think about the last 3 Batman movies. That DUNDUNdundunDUNDUNdundun thing the strings do. It really doesn't matter what notes they're playing, it's the rhythm and the constancy that really sells it.
4. THE BRASS. Shockingly, it's only two notes! Generally, it goes like this: Horn #1 plays 2 notes, first one, then another. Horn #2 plays 1 note, held while horn #1 plays its two. Repeat. That's IT! No complex chords, no other instruments filling things out. Listen to the AC:R theme on YouTube for yourself. This is the part that really surprised me. I was expecting more filling, more complexity, but it simply isn't there, or necessary.
5. LIGHT counterpoint/harmonization. VERY light. Just enough to keep interest, because the theme is so simple you're really just repeating the same 8 seconds over and over. The counterpoint is subtle and simple enough to retain interest.
That's all there is to it. Now you can write your own Inception soundtrack!
(I swear that's the last of my cynicism of western cinematic music for now.)
Anyway, I'm done trying to promise you guys "hey there's totally an update coming in a few days," because we've seen that this doesn't pan out well at all. So just stay tuned. Some action music, and maybe some city and cutscene music is coming up next. When, exactly? It's more fun if it's a surprise ... right?
