mireazma
New member
Hello.
I've been wandering all over the internet in search for a place to start composing music for films and video games. I hope I won't make a bad impression by what I'm going to say further. I know I generally have this effect on people, albeit it's my first post and you know how they say about the first impression.
I would really not just want but feel like I must compose music for films (not for a particular film but I mean the genre). And all the tunes that come into my mind are for orchestral music. I'm not a musician, although I know chords progressions, notation, and I've composed songs of different music genres (electronic, metal rock) in a digital way by the means of a software. But from all the genres, orchestral music is, by far, the most expressive and fits my feelings like a glove. And I generally listen to this type of music. I'm not going to make either a fortune or a career out of composing music. In fact I'm programming video games and music is an adjacent passion. If by what I'll say next you'll think of me as a dilettante, others have already told me this in my face. So I'm used to it. I listen very much to Richard Clayderman (I'm very selective with his pieces, though). I know classical musicians hate him but I'm not into classical but only orchestral music. I'd say that contemporary orchestral soundtracks aren't alike the classical pieces at all. Well, this kind of music I wish to compose. Listen to the 'Deer Hunter' soundtrack played by Clayderman - it's like somebody stirs into your soul and it doesn't have many instruments involved. Now to the actual point:
What I want is to compose the aforementioned kind of music with orchestral patches in my PC program. I know it's not the same as a real orchestra but I'm sticking with the mock-ups.
What I know:
- melodic line, that is, the tune, theme.
- chord progressions for the melody.
- the instrument(s) that play(s) the main melodic line.
What I don't know is the generic, most common rules of composing orchestral music. Notice I'm avoiding to say "for the orchestra" for the reason that I don't intend some real people to play the score I write but my program. I did some search on the www and I've heard that one of the hardest parts is just to know the human limitations. I've also learnt that there are no limits in using the instruments hence there are no rules. However, there must be some general rules. This is the reason for learning music, right? I repeat: I'm an amateur so my goals are not too high for the time being. You know that there are high standards and not so high standards. So, please, grant me a chance at least for the low standards shelf.
So, where can I find such a set of guidelines? Very concise, clearly structured basic rules. Like an about 100 pages book. I'd be very happy if the guidelines would refer among aothers to a few issues I wrote below. Or, if I'm not asking too much, and you have the time, can you give me from your experience some advices on any of the following, any at all:
1- how many notes are played simultaneously (say we have a Cmaj7 chord, 4 plus extra doublings)
2- the role of each orchestra section; this actually would say pretty much of all. When to play a section and when not to
3- which sections blend well and which not to mix
4- which instruments are used for accompanying rather than playing the main tune
5- which are used, when accompanying, as sustaining lines and which do the pizzicato, arpeggios or other melodic lines to accompany
6- which use a whole chord (like violins section) and which only the root, third or fifth
7- general practice on different moods; like for a specific reason use strings on C3 rather than on C4 or play the brass below the strings.
I know there's a lot to discuss and wouldn't fit in here or any small compendium but please, I'm asking you - the only people in position to help me - to direct me to a book or to take a moment and write something. Any small rule like a line is welcome.
I've been wandering all over the internet in search for a place to start composing music for films and video games. I hope I won't make a bad impression by what I'm going to say further. I know I generally have this effect on people, albeit it's my first post and you know how they say about the first impression.
I would really not just want but feel like I must compose music for films (not for a particular film but I mean the genre). And all the tunes that come into my mind are for orchestral music. I'm not a musician, although I know chords progressions, notation, and I've composed songs of different music genres (electronic, metal rock) in a digital way by the means of a software. But from all the genres, orchestral music is, by far, the most expressive and fits my feelings like a glove. And I generally listen to this type of music. I'm not going to make either a fortune or a career out of composing music. In fact I'm programming video games and music is an adjacent passion. If by what I'll say next you'll think of me as a dilettante, others have already told me this in my face. So I'm used to it. I listen very much to Richard Clayderman (I'm very selective with his pieces, though). I know classical musicians hate him but I'm not into classical but only orchestral music. I'd say that contemporary orchestral soundtracks aren't alike the classical pieces at all. Well, this kind of music I wish to compose. Listen to the 'Deer Hunter' soundtrack played by Clayderman - it's like somebody stirs into your soul and it doesn't have many instruments involved. Now to the actual point:
What I want is to compose the aforementioned kind of music with orchestral patches in my PC program. I know it's not the same as a real orchestra but I'm sticking with the mock-ups.
What I know:
- melodic line, that is, the tune, theme.
- chord progressions for the melody.
- the instrument(s) that play(s) the main melodic line.
What I don't know is the generic, most common rules of composing orchestral music. Notice I'm avoiding to say "for the orchestra" for the reason that I don't intend some real people to play the score I write but my program. I did some search on the www and I've heard that one of the hardest parts is just to know the human limitations. I've also learnt that there are no limits in using the instruments hence there are no rules. However, there must be some general rules. This is the reason for learning music, right? I repeat: I'm an amateur so my goals are not too high for the time being. You know that there are high standards and not so high standards. So, please, grant me a chance at least for the low standards shelf.
So, where can I find such a set of guidelines? Very concise, clearly structured basic rules. Like an about 100 pages book. I'd be very happy if the guidelines would refer among aothers to a few issues I wrote below. Or, if I'm not asking too much, and you have the time, can you give me from your experience some advices on any of the following, any at all:
1- how many notes are played simultaneously (say we have a Cmaj7 chord, 4 plus extra doublings)
2- the role of each orchestra section; this actually would say pretty much of all. When to play a section and when not to
3- which sections blend well and which not to mix
4- which instruments are used for accompanying rather than playing the main tune
5- which are used, when accompanying, as sustaining lines and which do the pizzicato, arpeggios or other melodic lines to accompany
6- which use a whole chord (like violins section) and which only the root, third or fifth
7- general practice on different moods; like for a specific reason use strings on C3 rather than on C4 or play the brass below the strings.
I know there's a lot to discuss and wouldn't fit in here or any small compendium but please, I'm asking you - the only people in position to help me - to direct me to a book or to take a moment and write something. Any small rule like a line is welcome.