Using leitmotif in film music
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Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can create a leitmotif to represent a film character.
Key learning points
- Leitmotif is a technique that developed from opera and programme music in the 19th century.
- Leitmotifs are used to represent characters, places or ideas.
- They often change to match changes in the story.
- We must carefully consider the musical elements to make sure that the leitmotif suits the character or idea.
- This includes harmony, tonality (major and minor), rhythm, timbre, articulation and dynamics.
Keywords
Leitmotif - a musical idea that represents a specific character, place or idea
Major - a key based on the notes of the major scale, sounding generally positive and bright
Minor - a key based on the notes of the minor scale; it creates a darker mood than a major key
Common misconception
A leimotif is just a musical theme.
Not quite. A leitmotif is a musical idea that must represent something else. This is usually a character, place or idea. A musical theme can exist without representing anything at all.
Teacher tip
Pupils could explore some famous leitmotifs from films and analyse what makes them suit their character. Focus on the elements in the table in Task B. Where helpful suggest a specific character (villain, monster and sneaky characters tend to be easier) to give pupils a starting point.
Equipment
DAW, keyboard or other suitable instrument as a composition tool.
Licence
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