GarageBand/Creating a simple motif


These lessons on film scoring are under construction this month



These instructions are designed for GarageBand 3 plus the sounds of a symphony orchestra.
GarageBand is easy and fast yet powerful enough to do film scoring.
Please, tell me if you find anything as good!


This course in music and filmmaking is:
Film scoring introduction for filmmakers
This lesson is:
Lesson #3 - Using melody to create moods with GarageBand and the sounds of a symphony orchestra
The pages in this lesson are:
Page 1: Creating moods with melodies
Page 2: Creating a simple melody using GarageBand - 6 points
Page 3: Creating a melody which tells a story - 6 points
Page 4: Creating a simple motif - 6 points
Page 5: Creating continuity with melodies - 6 points
Page 6: Create a musical cue for "Graduation Day" - #2 - 20 points
Create a simple motiv

Melodies can be themes

Another use of melodies
You can use melodies as themes.
Associating a melody with an actor, location, or action
In a movie, there are always themes. There are the "bad guy". There is the "romantic love interest".
Some locations can have special meaning to the characters in the movie.
Certain actions can evoke certain feelings in the audience.
All of these need musical themes. A musical theme is simple melody which create s specific feeling.
Spoon feed the audience
It might seem unnecessary to the filmmaker but audiences like to be told what his going on. Audiences want the movie explained to them.
The only easy way to do this is with music. And the easiest way to do this is with musical themes.
  • When the bad guys appear, play a musical theme for the bad guys.
    • When the children appear, play a bright and bubbly theme for children (assuming you want the audience to like the children in your motion picture.)
  • When the love interest appears on the movie, play a romantic theme.


Your assignment - Part 3

Create a melody (musical theme) for characters in the movie.
  • 2 points each. Create a musical leitmotif (leitmotiv) for a character in a movie.


To make this assignment easy, I have selected the story of "Goldilocks and the Three Bears"

"Goldilocks and the Three Bears"

The four characters in the story
1. The Papa Bear
2. The Mama Bear
3. The Baby Bear
4. Goldilock
Create a short melody (motiv) for each of these characters.




The next page

We start very simply by creating continuity with melodies

Contact your instructor

Your instructor for this film scoring class is Robert Elliott.
You can email me by clicking here.



Shortcuts to the other music lessons for film scoring: The Introduction"Fear""Joy""Drama"The Workshop