Developing a leitmotif
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Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can develop a leitmotif through motivic transformation.
Key learning points
- Developing a leitmotif to reflect changes in the story is called motivic transformation.
- Composers do this in many different ways, including extending or combining leitmotifs.
- Reharmonising leitmotifs by changing the harmony but keeping the melody the same is an effective technique.
- Changing features of the leitmotif such as rhythm, dynamics, articulation and tonality is also common.
- Key to motivic transformation is keeping the leitmotif recognisable and matching the mood of the moment in the story.
Keywords
Leitmotif - a musical idea that represents a specific character, place or idea
Motivic transformation - when a motif is changed to represent a change in a story or character
Reharmonisation - when a composer keeps a melody the same but changes the harmony
Common misconception
To create a contrasting version of a leitmotif, you should change lots of features of it.
You must be careful to not change it too much. If you do, it becomes unrecognisable and will just sound like a different leitmotif. A leitmotif represents a character, place, or idea, so we need to be able to recognise it to link it to that thing.
Teacher tip
A good extension for these tasks is to take famous leitmotifs or themes and to develop them using the same techniques. Consider getting students to develop the Jaws motif, or Darth Vader motif to represent different moods.
Equipment
DAW, keyboard or other suitable instrument as a composition tool.
Licence
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