Film scoring/Other moods from a single note


Interesting examples by FIREborn: Fear.ogg ---- Sad.ogg ---- Tired.ogg ---- Surprise.ogg ---- Joy.ogg ---- Fast like the wind.ogg.
This school is:
Narrative film production - Wikiversity Film School and School of Music - Wikiversity Film School
This course is:
Film scoring
The pages in the course is:
Introduction to film scoring
Create the sound of fear from a single note
Create other moods from a single note You are here!
Create the sound of joy using a delicate rhythm
Create other moods from delicate rhythms
Quiz: Music which tells a story
Create a mood with a melody
Create a story with a melody
Quiz: The Spy Story - Who is who?
DVD-Video: Scoring your first scene - The Promotion
Create four motifs - Mama, papa, baby, and Goldie
Create continuity with a single motif
Foreground / Background music - soft vs. loud
Quiz: Watch a short movie - George Lucas In Love
DVD-Video: What is a "Spotting Session"? - Only A Dream
DVD-Video: Write two musical cues for Home Wrecker
More musical theory
Butchering Midi - The starwars theme
DVD-Video: How would you score Green Tea Smoothie ?
DVD-Video: Write a film score for Blindman's Bluff
Write a film score for Seduced by the Dark Side!


More moods created with single notes

Create additional moods with a single note

I want you to create other moods using just one musical instrument from a symphony orchestra.
The goal is to create unique moods from the natural sounds of musical instrument rather than by creating music.
  • What mood does an oboe create?
  • What mood does a french horn make?
  • What mood does a trumpet make?
  • What mood does real world instruments create?


Your assignment

Try creating moods such as :
  1. sad
  2. tired
  3. surprise
  4. etc.
using just one, two, or three notes of a single instrument of the symphony orchestra or real world instruments.
Instructions
  • To do this, play a single note (or two) of a musical instrument to create a mood (six seconds.)
  • Reshape the note's volume to create a sound effect (rather than just a simple "on/off" note.)
  • Try this for all the instruments of the symphony orchestra and send me the best three.
  • Write me and tell me what moods you have created. (I know this should be obvious but sometimes it is not.)





No melody!!!

Remember: Use no melody and, preferably, no rhythm. Just simple notes!
One, two, or three notes.


Points

If you use a single note, you get ten points. (Chords count as a single note.)
If you use two consecutive notes, you get nine points. (Chords count as a single note.)
But if you use three consecutive notes, you get only four points. (Chords count as a single note.)
Just one note or chord?
The sound of Sad
Listen to Tiago Louis Zontag's sound of "sad" (.ogg) which is created with a single chord. Hear how the chord is made up of different bow techniques and how parts of the chord end later than the others. It is still one chord. Think of the possibilities.
Just one note or chord?
The sound of Surprise
Listen to Tiago Louis Zontag's sound of "surprise" (.ogg) which is created with a single chord. Hear how the chord can change pitch with the pitch wheel. Still, it is just one chord. Think of the possibilities.
Just one note or chord?
The sound of Tired
Listen to Tiago Louis Zontag's sound of "tired" (.ogg) which is created with a single chord. Hear how the chord can change pitch with the pitch wheel. Still, it is just one chord. Think of the possibilities.
Examples of moods from single notes or chords for the course on film scoring for musicians


  • From Mannheim, Germany, Rainer Pusch has completed this assignment. (2007-06-03)
Sad - 2 points.
Tired - 2 points.
Surprise 1 - 2 points.
Surprise 2 - 2 points.




  • From Sofia, Bulgaria, Stanov has completed this assignment. June 5, 2007
Sad - 2 points.
Tired - 2 points.
Surprised - 2 points.




Sad - 2 points.
Tired - 2 points.
Surprised - 2 points.




  • Orsanct has has created this assignment. July 20, 2007 -- Instructor Note: This is the first person to get the assignment correct. Notice that this is extremely difficult to do.
Sad - 10 points.
SurpriseShock - 10 points.
Tired - 10 points.




  • Blueygh2 has created this assignment using Sibelius 4 using Garritan Personal Orchestra sound library. August 23, 2007
Sad - 10 points.
Surprise - 10 points.
Tired - 10 points.




  • TBOL3 has created this assignment. August 24, 2007
Sad - 10 points.
Surprise - 10 points.
Tired - 10 points.




  • FIREborn has created this assignment. November 05, 2007 - These are the best so far!!!!
Sad - 10 points.
Surprise - 10 points.
Tired - 10 points.




  • Sowens has created this assignment. November 07, 2007
Sad - 10 points.
Surprise - 10 points.
Tired - 1 points.




Sad - 10 points.
Surprise - 10 points.
Tired - 10 points.




  • Robert Hall has created this assignment. February 14, 2008
Sad - 10 points.
Surprise - 10 points.
Tired - 10 points.




Sadness - 10 points.
Cubinoid has created the sound of sadness using one note.
I used Logic Pro, and Miroslav strings.
I allowed a bit of space at the end for the reverb to die away.
I used track automation to provide a gentle volume slide into the sound, and panned the cellos into their correct orchestral position. I used a Roman Cathedral reverb to make the cellos sound spacious and empty.
Surprise - 10 points.
Cubinoid has created the sound of surprise using one note.
I used Logic Pro, and VSL.
I allowed a bit of space at the end for the reverb to die away.
I used track automation to provide a steep volume slide into the sound, and panned the horns into their correct orchestral position. I used a museum reverb to make the horns sound close and echoey
Tiredness - 10 points.
Cubinoid has created the sound of tiredness using one note.
I used Logic Pro, and VSL.
I allowed a bit of space at the end for the reverb to die away.
I used track automation to provide a volume slide into the sound, and to provide a slow rhythmic feel to the note, and panned the tubas into their correct orchestral position. I used a longish reverb to make the horns sound weary and dreamlike.




Sad - 10 points.
Surprise - 10 points.
Tired - 10 points.
May 15, 2008
Sad - 10 points.
Magic - 10 points.
Tired and Lazy - 10 points.


Next: Learn to create moods with delicate rhythm

The next assignment

The current lesson demonstrates how moods can be created with simple notes using the natural sound of the musical instrument.
In the next lesson, you will see how moods can be created by delicate rhythms. Once you send me your audio file for the sound of fear, go to Exercise: The sound of joy

Contact your instructor

Your instructor for this course is Robert Elliott. You can send me a quick email by clicking here.





NOTE: To submit assignments
To submit assignments, attach your completed assignments to an email and send it to me at "r_elliott innercite.com".