Using film music to establish mood
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Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain the purposes of film music and create a simple piece of music to establish an appropriate mood.
Key learning points
- Film music is used in a variety of ways to support the action on screen.
- These include establishing the mood, setting the scene and creating tension and excitement.
- Using leitmotif to represent particular characters or ideas is another effective technique.
- Composers use the musical elements to create appropriate atmospheres, including careful use of tonality.
- We have composed a short piece of film music using a repeated ostinato.
Keywords
Leitmotif - a recurring musical idea that represents a specific character, place or idea
Tonality - the key that the music is in, such as major or minor
Ostinato - a repeated pattern that forms the basis of a composition
Common misconception
Using chords from within a minor key creates a dark mood.
It's more complex than that - it is important to carefully choose which chords within the key you emphasise to create a dark mood. Emphasising chord i and other minor chords helps to make it feel dark and ominous, rather than any chords from the key.
Teacher tip
Extension tasks involving analysing use of rhythm, harmony and timbre would help to deepen pupils' understanding of the genre and how these features set an appropriate mood.
Equipment
DAW, keyboard or other suitable instrument as a composition tool.
Licence
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