Representing characters through music
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Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain how leitmotifs are used in film music and have created a simple leitmotif.
Key learning points
- Leitmotifs are musical ideas that represent ideas, characters or places.
- They were used in opera and became popular in films after the end of silent movies in the 1920s.
- Composers capture the important features of a character in a leitmotif to support the audience’s understanding of them.
- They do this by choosing suitable keys, pitch and rhythms, including the use of strong rhythms for powerful characters.
- By changing a leitmotif, a composer can reflect changes in that character or in the plot.
Keywords
Leitmotif - a musical idea that represents a specific character, place or idea
Opera - an important genre of theatre and music through the 17th-19th century
Strong rhythms - rhythms which accent the strong beat (beat 1 in the bar) or mainly land on the beat; they are predictable and repetitive
Common misconception
A leitmotif and a film theme are the same thing.
Not quite. Many films have themes that represent the overall mood, and can be heard throughout the film. The difference with a leitmotif is that it explicitly represents one thing - a character, place or an idea.
Teacher tip
Pupils can further explore their leitmotifs by changing instrumentation, or by adding chords. Encourage them to develop their leitmotif as this will support them later in extended composition. Consider exploring leitmotifs from Star Wars or Lord of the Rings for listening activities.
Licence
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