Emulate Harp Dampening Using VST Instruments Here’s a short but incredibly powerful tutorial on how to mimic harp dampening using a virtual instrument. Presented by the renowned Robert Davis! [Study Pack] This post was brought to you in collaboration with our partner site Behind the Score. Discover the Harmony Secrets of Modern Film and Video … Read more
In the image above, the piano begins in the low-mid register with an ascending phrase using a few notes from the D Half-Whole Diminished Scale. With the sustain pedal down, one by one the notes accumulate into a harmony. The last note in the first measure (A♭) is a tritone away from the bass note … Read more
(Click here to view the part 1 of the series) Ostinato – Adding Instruments Ex. 1-1-C In Ex.1-1-C, we continue doubling to fortify the sound of our piece. Piano and viola double the cello ostinato, with the viola playing an octave higher. The sharp attack of the piano adds more bite to the staccato strings. Low … Read more
Creating Orchestral Runs Made Simple In this episode, we demonstrate sketching transitional orchestral runs that can be used effectively in your piece. Click here to access the complete editions of music scores (PDF), score analyses (PDF), and HD music examples used on our website. This is an excerpt lesson taken from Behind the Score. Full video … Read more
When it comes to harmonizing your music, exploring captivating techniques can elevate your compositions to new heights. One such technique is the use of cluster voicings. These voicings can be employed effectively throughout an entire passage, especially in action-driven scores where they have a significant impact. Cluster voicings offer a rich and dense harmonic texture, … Read more
What is a quartal harmony? Quartal harmony involves building chords by stacking 4th intervals. This approach differs from the “tertian” harmony (building chords in 3rds) that is typical of traditional Western music. Quartal harmony tends to sound modern, often sidestepping the emotional connotations carried by major and minor chords. In addition, the notes of a quartal … Read more
In this episode, we share tips for creating realistic legato strings using sampled instruments. Presented by our guest lecturer Robert Davis. CREATING REALISTIC LEGATO STRINGS Here we are mainly focusing on four different techniques. Each technique may not make a big difference to the overall sound, but when combined, you will be surprised at how … Read more
Major chord progressions – dreamy, upward music [EX.2-2-C] This post was brought to you in collaboration with our partner site Behind the Score. Discover the Harmony Secrets of Modern Film and Video Games. View the music scores (PDF) and audio files used in this article. In this follow-up to Dreamy, Upward music: Major Chords a … Read more
As the name might imply, hybrid chords contain two elements: a chord root, and additional tones/tensions (except the 3rd) that spell out another chord.
Major Chord Progressions – Dreamy, Upward Music This is an excerpt lesson taken from Behind the Score. Full video lessons, PDF scores, and MP3 audio files on this topic can be found here: Creating Mood Instantly with Two-Chord Structures Click here to access the music scores (PDF) and audio files used in this article. In this … Read more
