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 #01: Creating the sound of "Fear" with GarageBand and the sounds of a symphony orchestra
The pages in this lesson are:
Lesson Summary: Creating moods using the instruments of the symphony orchestra
Page 1: Getting started with GarageBand and symphony orchestra
Page 2: Creating the sound of fear with GarageBand - 6 points
Page 3: Creating additional moods with individual notes - 6 points
Optional: Create a musical cue for the motion picture "Graduation Day" - 20 points


Please take one of these pop quizzes!






Jam Pack:Symphony Orchestra

If you have Jam Pack:Symphony Orchestra, answer these questions.

Question 1: Which trill scares you the most?

In Jam Pack:Symphony Orchestra (or MOTU's Symphonic Instrument) there are many different trills.

Listen to them all and tell me which is the one that you find the most frightening.

Question 2: Which pitch of the trill scares you the most?

Once you have isolated the trill that you think will create the best "Sound of Fear", tell me which pitch you find the most frightening.

Pop Quiz
Pop Quiz


  • DanielPhillips8 answers the question, "What is the pitch of the scariest trill?"
His answer is "B flat". - 18 May 2007 - 2 points







Ben Boldt's Instrument Packages

If you downloaded Ben Boldt's instrument packages for GarageBand, please answer these questions.

Question 1: Which instrument scares you the most?

In the free Boldt packages from Ben Boldt, there are many different instruments.

You must listen to them all and tell me which is the one that you find the most frightening.

Question 2: Which pitch scares you the most?

Often an instrument which sounds very happy at a higher pitch will be very scary at a low pitch. Once you have isolated a musical instrument that you think will create the best "Sound of Fear", tell me which pitch you find the most frightening.

Pop Quiz
Pop Quiz


In the Ben Boldt packages, I think the most scary instrument is the Boldt violin (although with the right tones the Boldt sitar can be pretty creepy, too).
And the most scary pitch is A-flat, a major third below middle C (the second-lowest note on a normally tuned violin, on the G-string). - 16 June 2007 - 4 points





The next page

Continue this lesson at Creating the sound of fear with GarageBand and symphony orchestra sounds

Contact your instructor

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