A visit from the Muse.
There I was, sitting at the piano. I was embarking on a new piece of music for a new game. This piece was to be the main theme of the game. The pressure was on. This is always the most critical part of doing a game soundtrack: the beginning. Everything springs from what I do here.
I had come up with three or four different ideas. They were all good and I enjoyed developing and playing them, but none of them really fit the game. Do I try and work one of these ideas into something that fits better? It just wasn’t happening. I was going to have to start on a new idea. After playing the piano for another five minutes or so, I briefly paused and sat back.
Right then, during the new silence, a melody entered my head. It came from out of nowhere. And it was a good melody… and perfect for the game. I started playing it on the piano and developing it. This was it! And it seriously just entered my brain from who knows where.
I think, as my wife pointed out later, this is the type of phenomenon that gave birth to that mythical idea of the Muse. The artist is just a mouthpiece for whatever the Muse wants to bestow upon humanity. Well, I wouldn’t go that far. But I can certainly see how such a concept could arise. Seriously, the melody came out of left field. I has been playing something completely different and this melody just sprang into my head. It was… freaky.
I’m aware that sometimes I’m feeling more “inspired” than other times when I’m writing music. But seldom does something just present itself this way to me. I like it. I hope I can get to know my Muse a little better. Anyone else out there experience a visit from the Muse?
And about the game: this is a game that I’m not quite free to discuss yet but the soundtrack will be over 50 minutes and will be available to buy along with the game. The main theme is a 7+ minute suite and (I’m very happy to say) I think it’s the best work I’ve done yet in game music. Haha… take that, 1- minute main menu music loops! You’ll hear a lot more about it later as the marketing machine revs up.
Composing vs. Laying Down Tracks
My first composition professor in college asked one day what I wanted to compose next. I mentioned some pieces I’d be interested in writing, including a big blues piece with horn section and maybe some strings. I was listening to a lot of BB King and other blues artists at the time and wanted to create something big, not just guitar, bass and drums. My professor said I should do that, but as a side project on my own time since that really just involves “laying down tracks.” I didn’t know quite what to make of that comment, as composition can take many forms. I decided to just let the comment simmer in my mind awhile and figure out its deeper meaning as I continued on my path towards compositional Enlightenment (which I have yet to reach).
Now I’ve come to understand several things about this “laying down tracks” comment. This gets to the heart of what it means to compose. Composition, as I now define it, is the process of working various sounds together in a meaningful construction of varying complexity. Technically, laying down tracks is composition. But it puts greater limits on the complexity aspect of the music. While doing a new track, you are at the mercy of the track that came before it. You can go back later and change any track you want of course, but this soon becomes a practice simply of trial and error.
That’s not to say it’s not fun. It can be. And great pieces of music can result from the process. But it’s like building a house one wall at a time with no architectural house plan. You will build something, but opportunities to make something really interesting will more likely than not be lost. To take full advantage of the sounds available to you, it’s important to start with an overall vision and work in the details. Your sounds will all fit together just like you want and this will give your music a depth that will be appreciated by the listener, either consciously or subconsciously. But it will be appreciated. And you will also enjoy the side benefit of more often avoiding the plague that is writer’s block.
What does this mean for game music? It means getting a copy of Garageband or Acid or some other looping software and using it to create pieces will result in only the shallowest, most cliched type of music. This should not be good enough for today’s games with their ever-increasing production values. Of course, game soundtracks do not need to have the complexity of Schoenberg or Bach but they do need to have their own spark. That spark is often only created when the piece is first lighted in your mind.
This big switch: Finale to Sibelius
The last time I upgraded my music notation/transcription software was when I bought Finale 2000 back in… 2000. It served me well, but in the course of going through the latest mega music store catalog I saw the list of stuff in the latest Sibelius version (6). And there it was: Rewire support.
Sweet!
Sibelius seems to have all the same sort of stuff Finale has. It doesn’t have music scanning software built in, but I don’t really need that. Other extraneous stuff that Finale has I won’t miss either, like the Garritan instruments. Sibelius seems to have improved some basic notation things as well, like its “magnetic” item placement. But what’s really sold me is the Rewire support.
No more will I have to go from program to program just to hear stuff through Nuendo. This is going to make my work flow easier and quicker. Why Finale hasn’t yet put Rewire into their program I’ll never know. It’s such a basic item and I’m sure tons of music professionals would appreciate that.
I’ve heard for years that Sibelius is the program the pros use. Finale worked fine for me for 16 years, but I’m looking forward to seeing what all the fuss is about. Anything that might save my time is going to get my attention.
All that said, my copy of Sibelius 6 came in the mail today and I’ll let you know how it goes…
Thou Shalt Not put making money over the game experience. (#9)
…put making money over the game experience.
Yes, I’m talking to you, Grand Theft Auto IV on the 360 and PS3. For some reason, Rockstar decided not to give us the custom MP3 music station that we’ve grown accustomed to in every previous game… you remember, the station that played the MP3’s you had ripped onto your machine. Part of the fun of the game was driving around causing mayhem to the sound of your favorite music. I loved jacking cars and usually getting one of their radio stations, but every once in a while I’d get a car playing some of my favorite tunes. That helped make me feel a little more involved in the city I was in.
Well, that’s gone now. Why? I suspect it has everything to do with them trying to get you to buy the music that’s playing on their radio stations. That’s easier than ever now, too. When you hear a song that you like (and, honestly, you’re bound to find a few with over 200 songs in GTA4) you can text a number using your in-game cell and then get information about that song and purchase it through Amazon MP3 through the Rockstar social network (sounds like an easy process?).
I also assume Rockstar would rather not have excluded the custom MP3 station, as it is present in the PC version, but the (mustache-twirling) record labels put pressure on them to force at least the console players to listen only to their music. Maybe they’re counting on the Stockholm syndrome to sell their music, where captive listeners will grow to love their music through sheer force of repetition.
Anyway, one source of joy from GTA is gone for now, all because someone thought they could make a few extra dollars. I keep hearing rumors that the custom MP3 station will be added in an update, but nothing has materialized yet. One final thought: this wouldn’t be such an issue if the MP3 station hadn’t already been in every previous GTA game and in this game’s PC version. That they actually removed this little in-game treat is just disappointing.
The Game Composer’s Blog, one year and counting…
They said it couldn’t be done. They said it was a fool’s dream. But on June 18, The Game Composer’s Blog turned one year old. And they were all proven wrong. “They” are, of course, the voices inside my head that encouraged me to play more Grand Theft Auto rather than sit down and write an occasional blog. But I silenced them. Usually.
Some interesting facts:
Most searched-for terms to get to my blog:
- game composer, game composers, games composer – Makes sense.
- 22.1 surround sound, 22.1 surround, 22.1 sound – Really? The post where I talk about 22.1 surround sound was meant as a joke, but apparently there are loads of people out there who want to be surrounded by an obscene amount of speakers. Well, more power to them.
- guitar hero (and many variations thereof) – Popular, fun game. Not too surprising.
- Peggle (victory) music – Seems that lots of people were turned on to Beethoven thanks to Peggle. This is a good thing, even though I am not in favor of how they used the Ode to Joy in the game.
- Seinfeld theme (piano) – I am not a fan of Seinfeld’s theme song and talk about that in an early post, but there are a lot of people out there who are just dying to play it on piano or get it on their iPods. Odd…
- composer games – Different than the other combinations of these words. I think people are clamoring for a game that enables the player to be a composer. Sounds cool to me. Hope somebody makes one.
- GTA 4 – I do love its soundtrack and it was a Soundtrack of the Month awhile ago.
- Wii music (and many variations) – Please, stay away from this game… unless you are 4 years old, then only play if Animal Crossing is not available to you.
And what have been the most popular posts?
- Winter Wonderland – Harry Connick, Jr. sheet music – Maybe I should give up this game composing nonsense and just be a music transcriber. It is a great piece, though. Interesting fact: the sheet music was free but I asked for a donation. Ratio of downloads to donations so far? 100 to 1. Maybe the donation model isn’t so great…
- The minute loop and the Shepard tone. – I compare the minute loop to the Shepard tone. I think it works…
- 22.1 Surround Sound. Whoo! – Really, I don’t think you need 22.1 surround (or surround at all).
- That darn Seinfeld theme. – Dweep bop bee doop boop bop, doo bop…
- How to break into the game industry as a composer. – Glad I could help some of you out there with this one. Be sure and check out Part 2 which I posted last week.
Total number of posts over the year: 75, or about one every 4.9 days. I’m going to try to increase that total over the next year. Thanks to everyone who has commented or emailed regarding various posts. Glad to know I’m not just talking to myself and I’m enjoying having this outlet.
And on we go to year two…
Breaking in as a composer, part 2 (the $$$ of starting up).
About a year ago I posted an interview where I gave my advice on how to break into the game industry as a composer. It focused on your abilities and readiness. I thought it was time to get into one of the more technical details of breaking in, which is… just how much will getting started cost you? Assuming you’ve got the skills and the legitimate confidence to make it in the biz, let’s take a look at the equipment you’ll need and the associated cost.
And a disclaimer: I will mention specific pieces of equipment in this post, but I don’t have any monetary interest in doing so. Either I’ve had good experiences with the equipment or they have a good reputation and should serve you well for years.
And another disclaimer: I’m assuming all the equipment I list will be compatible with everything else on the list. I’m not actually putting together this studio, but if I were I would make sure all the equipment will work together in harmony… you know, drivers and all that. Your local music store or an online store (Sweetwater is very nice in this regard) can help you make sure all your parts will work together.
1) Computer & Accessories ($3050)
You don’t need the latest, greatest computer to get started. Even mid-range machines these days are going to give you enough horsepower to run your demanding audio applications. I’m a PC guy (more bang for the buck) so let’s look at a system that should work well for us:
Computer- I put together a quad-core Velocity Micro system for our hypothetical studio with 6GB RAM and 2 500GB hard drives for about $1900. It’s important to keep your samples on their own hard drive for most efficient performance. 6GB of RAM is a good start, but it never hurts to get more RAM. Samples are very RAM hungry. ($1900)
Computer monitor- 23″ widescreen LG: The bigger the screen, the better. You’ll have lots of information on many windows to sort through as you work. ($250)
Audio interface- RME Hammerfall HDSP 9652: You need this to get audio from your microphones into your computer, and then from your computer into your studio monitors. This is a high quality, very clean sounding PCI card. ($700)
MIDI controller- M-Audio Keystation 88es: This is a basic 88 key controller. You can upgrade to something with more buttons and lights, but this will get you the basics. ($200)
2) Recording & Monitoring ($5460)
Microphone preamp- PreSonus DigiMAX 96k: 8 channel microphone preamp capable of up to 24bit/96kHz output. This will be all you ever need for live recording every now and then. ($1300)
Microphones- For recording instruments and voice: AKG C 3000b ($430), Shure SM58 (2 for $200 total), Shure SM57 (2 for $200 total), AKG D112 (for bass instruments, $250)
Studio Monitors- Mackie HR824mk2: Great studio monitors, flat frequency response, very true sounding. (2 for $1300 total)
Monitor stands- 1 pair ($100)
Digital to Analog converter- Apogee Mini-DAC: This will convert the digital signal from the computer to the analog signal the monitors can understand. ($800)
Mini mixer- Behringer XENYX 1204: To easily adjust the volume of your studio monitors. ($130)
Headphones- Get at least 2 pairs, the brand and style is up to you. (2 for estimated $300 total)
Headphone amp- ART HeadAmp V: Independent volume levels for up to 5 pairs of headphones. ($120)
Misc- Cables, mic stands, pop screen ($200)
Acoustic treatment- Auralex Roominator D36: This is used to get rid of common acoustic troubles like flutter echo. You may need more treatment such as bass traps depending on your room. Speaking of your room, make sure it’s as large a room as you can spare. This will help make sure the audio you hear coming out of your monitors is as true as can be. ($130, maybe more depending on your needs)
3) Software & Samples ($5700)
Nuendo 4- This is a very powerful piece of software that can do it all. It’s a great (much more affordable) alternative to ProTools and will handle all your music, sound effects, and voice. ($1800)
Adobe Audition- This will help you edit individual files, including mastering. ($350)
Finale 2010- This is notation software, useful for giving parts to your live players as well as orchestrating your pieces for sampler. ($500)
Samples- I would suggest many of the East West Quantum Leap samples to get started, including their Orchestra Platinum Complete, Symphonic Choirs, Goliath, and Ministry of Rock. Look around for other samples to start your collection. And be ready to invest in samples throughout your career. The more options you have to choose from, the better. ($3000)
Front Porch Band- Banjo and tuba: Ok, this one is completely self-serving since I created these. But in my humble opinion, you won’t find a better banjo or tuba! (http://frontporchband.com) ($50)
Total: $14,210
So, there you have it. To get a nice studio up and running will set you back just under $15k. A keyboard and a few soundfonts just won’t cut it if you’re serious about making a career out of your music. You’ve invested in yourself through your education. Now don’t cut corners when it comes to the studio in which the magic will happen.
Your composition assistant.
Today’s post will take a look at a piece of equipment that I’m sure all of you have in your studio, the most valuable composition assistant you can have… your cat.
My composition assistant Charlie making sure I don't write something stupid.
If you’ve ever heard cats wailing outside your window at 3 in the morning, you know what genius insights they can bring to your music. They understand it all… dynamics, mood, flow… and of course they understand how to craft your music to fit perfectly in your games, having had all those hours on your lap observing you playing game after game. You thought they were bored? No, they were soaking in every detail of every game.
Don’t shut them out of the process. Seek their advice. Not sure you should use an F or an F# in your melody? Ask them, they’ll know. Not sure in which direction to take your music? Watch them as you play through it. It will soon be quite clear.
Where does their expert knowledge come from exactly? The latest felino-musical research indicates that cats always have music in their heads. That music forms their personalities, in fact. Their meows are simply times when a note or two escapes their heads. It’s no coincidence that they meow more when food is present, by the way. The only thing cats love more than music is food, so naturally when the food shows up they lose concentration and lose meow control until they begin feeding and their heads fill with songs of feast and joy.
Different music can call for different cats, of course. Ragdoll cats tend to be more helpful with large scale, slower, elegant pieces. Siamese cats are usually specialists in popular music types… rock, R&B, that sort of thing. Burmese cats enjoy helping with jazz. The typical domestic shorthair has a great balanced knowledge of music which I usually prefer.
If your studio currently lacks cat technology, you should consider getting one. In these uncertain times, with environmental and economic problems all around us, you can be happy in your choice to obtain a cat. They are an inexpensive investment while also being a wonderful green technology. They run on tuna power and pollute minimally. Take a trip to the cat corner of your local music store and sit down with a cat or two to see if they match up with your musical philosophies. You’ll be glad you did.
(This post is dedicated to the memory of our cat Charlie who lost his 7 month battle with lymphoma early Monday morning. Thanks for reading, and please go give your cat a scratch on their head for us.)
Game Music Postnatal: Nancy Drew Dossier – Lights, Camera, Curses!
The Nancy Drew Dossier series is a new series of casual games coming out from Her Interactive, the makers of I don’t know how many thousands of (actually only 19 to be exact) Nancy Drew retail PC mystery adventure games. The PC series is a tremendously popular series so it made sense for HI to go after the casual market with the Nancy Drew license. I feel very proud to be the composer in this new Dossier series and, as Lights, Camera, Curses! is coming out in box form in June and the second game in the series is coming out soon as well, I thought now would be a good time to do a little “postnatal” on the music in the first game.
Yeah, they’re usually called postmortem’s, but that’s always bothered me a little bit – we’re creating not destroying!
As for the game itself, it is a hybrid seek-and-find and puzzler. It also feels to me like an extremely streamlined adventure game and is quite fun to play. It’s easily worth your time to check out, as I haven’t seen any game quite like it. Number 2 in the series is really hitting its stride with this new formula and I can’t wait for players to check that one out too. But back to the music…
I’ll take us through many of the pieces in the game, of which there are 16 total, and talk about how each piece came about, how they are structured, and how each one fits in with the rest of the music. One common theme throughout the music is that the game takes place on an old-fashioned movie set for a movie that takes place in Egypt, so much of the music will have a classic Hollywood style with some Egyptian touches . So what better way to begin than by talking about the main theme of the game?
Main Theme: This is actually the “signature” of the series and introduces Her Interactive, Nancy, and her new series of games to the players. It is going to play every time players start up any of the Dossier games so it was very important to get the exact feel they were going for in the new Dossier series, which was timeless, nostalgic, adventurous, and lightly mysterious (more “curious”). This also actually served as the test piece which would decide who gets hired as the composer (in a blind comparison by the developers) so it was doubly important to nail that feel. And it turned out exactly how I had hoped. This is one of my favorite pieces and I’m proud every time I hear it:
Main Theme (Signature):
The violin was played live by an excellent local Seattle-area violinist, Valerie Tung, who is going to play on the next soundtrack as well. It’s amazing how much even one live player can breathe life into a score. The art for the opening, which I encourage you all to download and watch, is reminiscent of the beginning of the great PBS Mystery! series (why do all mysteries have exclamation points?) and is great fun to watch. The music was composed before the art, so they matched everything to the music and did a fantastic job. You can get a taste for it in the trailer:
Notice the main theme played by the violin. It’s Nancy’s theme and will be heard throughout the Dossier series in many different forms. I’ve already used it a couple of times in Dossier game #2. Sometimes it will be noticeable, sometimes more hidden.
Example #1, the main Nancy melody: 
It’s a mysterious, adventurous melody and is also very malleable, as we’ll see in the next piece…
Noir: Good ol’ film noir. This can be an orchestral style, but I prefer the jazz combo feel with walking bass, piano, vibraphone, sax, and muted trumpet, with a touch of tremolo strings in the background. Also, most of the other pieces in the soundtrack are orchestral so it’s nice to get a change to a different ensemble.
Noir:
(For the sake of the blog, I’m only playing relevant excerpts from most of these pieces) The sax is playing the main Nancy melody with a couple jazzy notes thrown in, nothing too different. The main thing here is that the instrumentation instantly throws the player back into an old movie mystery set and Nancy’s theme helps keep the soundtrack coherent. But using only Nancy’s theme throughout the soundtrack could get repetitive so what we need is another theme to help glue the soundtrack together. With two themes, there is plenty of material to work with…
Egyptian: And from Egypt comes the second main melody for this particular game:
Egyptian:
This melody is certainly more exotic than the main Nancy theme, but that helps it to instantly transport the player to the set of this Egyptian movie.
Example#2, the main Light, Camera, Curses! melody:
This is also a very malleable melody, which we’ll see later.
Egyptian2: Since so many of the scenes take place in an Egyptian setting, we needed a second Egyptian-sounding piece to keep the first one from getting too old.
Egyptian2:
This should sound at least slightly familiar. I took the melody from the original Egyptian tune and put it on its head (called an inversion). Looking at the music can help show this.
Example #3, main LCC melody inverted in Egyptian2
Ah ha, we have more coherence!
The rhythm stays pretty much the same so there is familiarity there. But all the movement is inverted, downward motion becomes upward motion and vice versa. This is an old trick that I and most other composers have done lots before and will do again and again in the future. It’s a great way to get more material out of something you’ve already written and is an important ingredient in keeping soundtracks (and symphonies) coherent.
Wonder: With all this talk of themes and structure, sometimes it’s easy to forget that not everything has to be rigidly set in a system. It’s ok to have pieces come out of left field and just be something fresh. When you hear a theme over and over in every piece, it does lose some of its power. So Wonder, which comes late in the game at a pivotal moment, really does help expand the palette. I even used a choir, which is always risky in looping music, but it turned out to work very well in the game. The choir was more of a texture than a driving force. Here is the excerpt:
Wonder:
When I first sketched Wonder, it was meant to be the Egyptian piece. However, the producer felt it was too grand of a piece to be used in that way so we saved it for a more special occasion late in the game. Interesting fact, the producer is actually my wife (part of the reason for the blind audition), and she had great insight into the game and the music and how they would work together. Being very musical herself helped us communicate and I encourage all producers out there to take a music theory and/or history class or two… or even pick up and learn an instrument yourself.
Spooky: Spooky was full of scary string effects and helped set the mood for some of the more tense moments in the game. Sometimes it’s hard to work in any deep thematic elements in such a piece, but I did manage to insert the main LCC theme in the lower strings toward the end of the piece, as you can hear in this excerpt.
Spooky:
The theme is there, but its shape is a little darker. It is still recognizable though, especially with the similar rhythm.
Generic: This may be my favorite piece in the game. It feels a lot longer than 46 seconds, thanks to the fact that I always keep it moving forward (see my post last week about keeping repetition to a minimum to get more details on that subject). It’s also very playful and fun, but keeps in line with that mysterious feeling. It is called “Generic” because it is used in situations where no other music fits and works well with almost any scene, though lighter is a little more appropriate.
Generic:
It also utilizes the LCC theme in a more hidden way, adding a few notes here and there, but still keeping the main shape of the melody:
Example #4, LCC theme in Generic melody
Yep, it’s there.
The time signature switch from 4/4 to 3/4 meant I had some leeway in how I brought the melody over. I decided to be a little more playful with it, appropriate considering the instrumentation. Pizzicato strings lend themselves well to this kind of playful feel. I will admit this piece was inspired by a particular piece from the Fable soundtrack which the lead artist thought was a good style to go for. But besides that feel, I believe I steered clear of any musical thievery.
Minigame: This piece was created for a timed minigame and needed to create a sense of urgency… without being too annoying. So I kept it very rhythmic without too many noticeable upper instruments. One minor point about this one, I don’t know about you, but now whenever I hear a low marimba like in the beginning of this piece I think of the new Battlestar Galactica series. I didn’t want BSG to “own” that sound so I went ahead with it and kept it in.
Minigame:
Bonus: This piece takes the LCC theme and makes it the happiest you’ll hear in the game. It’s meant for bonus levels where the player gets rewarded for doing so well in the game. The theme is played fairly straightforwardly and is quite recognizable. The orchestration in this piece is reminiscent of those fun old Hollywood traveling movies.
Bonus:
Hotel: It’s important to keep the overall flow of the game in mind when doing the soundtrack. You can’t have too many pieces with the same theme following each other. Since they loop, chances are higher that the player will get sick of that theme and soon reach for the music off switch. (nooooo!) Sometimes that’s tough for the composer to gauge if they haven’t played it straight through enough. In that case, make sure and pick the developer’s minds on the subject. And definitely demand those cheat codes so you can zip through the game and see how your music is doing in the game.
When the player arrives at the hotel, it was a good time to bring back the Nancy theme. And this time it’s played by the bassoon, lending a more lighthearted feel to the setting. The theme is surrounded by a great lush Hollywood sound which adds an even greater effect to bassoon orchestration choice.
Hotel:
Conclusion
Nancy Drew Dossier: Light, Camera, Curses! was a joy to work on. Being a part of this first game in a new series was thrilling. I think we’ll see many more games in this series as it continues to find its footing. The music for LCC turned out to be integral to the plot, as the player ends up playing some of the music for themselves toward the end of the game. I didn’t include the music here in order not to ruin the surprise, but the player actually plays the main LCC theme (inverted again) and uncovering something amazing. It was great to watch that all come to life once the music was being completed.
What went right?
1. Her Interactive. Everyone who I worked with on the project had very helpful feedback and understood the importance of all aspects of the game and how they work together: gameplay, art, and sound. The fact that my wife is the producer for the series didn’t hurt.
2. The vision for the game was very clear from the start and that helped me focus my vision for the music.
What went wrong?
1. Lack of communication concerning style before starting a couple pieces. “Wonder” ended up working… wonderfully… in the game. But I first composed it as the “Egyptian” piece and feared it would be wasted. The simple solution is just to get the developers to point out existing pieces that are in the style they desire. That really does speak 1000 words. But on the whole this was only an issue on 2-3 pieces.
2. That’s about it!
Thanks for reading this! I hope to do more of these in the future as they help me gather my thoughts on the process and, I hope, help you find new ways of looking at your own soundtracks.
Beware bad deals.
A friend recently sent me this post from Craigslist. See if you can point out the one major flaw in this person’s offer:
I’m a video producer working on advertising media for a new, young company that makes wearable digital sports cameras — small cams that fit in a durable housing and are attached to helmets, wristbands, etc., and are specifically designed for surfers, snowboarders, bikers, racers, bungee jumpers, any crazy athletic person out there. It’s a very cool product and has started to attract lots of young people.
I’m looking for music segments to pair with the footage these athletic users have shot and donated for promotional use. What I’m looking for in music pieces:
- AIFF format (the highest quality)
- 2 to 5 minutes long
- adrenaline music (I’m kinda old, but Propellerheads comes to mind), also good old rock
- can be completely computer-generated by one person or generated by a group with instruments
- looking to communicate excitement and “in the zone” mood (but needs to engage, not alienate)
- no lyrics needed
- can’t be samples of existing copyrighted music but 100% original (imperative!)Who you might be: somebody who noodles around with music, comes up with cool/energetic/meandering riffs and pieces, looking for a creative outlet.
What I can offer: what will probably be national exposure if this campaign takes off, and we’d give an MTV-style credit with band name/music piece/website info. Also a camera (worth about $200).
The downside: We want to own the music in perpetuity and there’s no money.
Find the flaw? He even prefaced it with a hint (“The downside”). He wants you to transfer all your rights to the song for the princely sum of ZERO. Well, you would get a gimmicky camera and… credit. But please, everyone, never transfer your rights to someone else for a penny less than what it deserves. And that is going to be greater than zero. Probably much greater.
The poster did seem to indicate the gig was aimed more toward hobbyists but even hobbyists should be compensated for their time and talent. If they think the music is worth using in their national campaign, then the music is worth paying for. Both professional and hobbyist musicians, never transfer for your rights to your music for anything less than an adequate sum up front. Royalties are acceptable for people to use your music in their work, but not for transferring rights.
If you think getting the exposure is good enough, then fine. That’s a risk that could pan out. But, again, there is no need to transfer your rights. That is an outright scam. Once they have the rights, they can do whatever they want with the music. And all that possible profit will not find its way to the music’s creator. That is simply unfair. And it’s disrespectful to musicians to insinuate we would be happy to hand over our music’s rights just for the chance of getting a little exposure.
Anyway, be careful out there. Always keep in mind your work is worth something and don’t settle for any bad deal.
The minute loop and the Shepard tone.
Oh my. It’s been FAR too long since I’ve posted here and I must get back to doing this blog more regularly. So without further delay, here’s a little something to help you get the most you can out of a minute-long music loop.
The best way to make a minute seem like longer than a minute is to keep repetition to a minimum. The whole tune is going to be looped again and again, so why have things repeat internally? Music is generally structured in one of two ways, A->B->A or A->B. Music either returns home to the opening material (which is usually very nice, since we are temporal beings who tend to enjoy temporal art more when we recognize it and become more familiar with it) or it takes us on a journey from one place to another… home to somewhere else (a more risky proposition since the listener can become overwhelmed and unsure of what exactly is going on with no familiar landmarks to hold on to).
In concert music, ABA is king. The second A is pleasing and indicative of the end. In game music, AB should be king. Since game music usually loops, AB effectively becomes ABABABABABA… and so on. If you were to do ABA, there would be too much A. ABAABAABAABAABA… Yikes.
Of course, this is a very simplified example. In AB form, A and B are not each going to get 30 seconds. And in ABA form, A will not get 40 seconds while B gets only 20. When I speak of using AB form for looping music, I really mean that the music should take us on a journey that sets it up so that the listener will not recognize that A has returned. And that is best done harmonically. This is where the Shepard tone comes in.
The Shepard tone is a never-ending loop that appears to go either up or down forever. Hear an example and read more about about it here at Wikipedia. The listener can’t discern when the tone repeats itself and this is exactly what you should be going for as you construct your minute loop. Of course, this won’t be done in exactly the same way as a Shepard tone. That’s just an extreme example, but the end result should be the same.
Surprise the listener with your harmonic progression. Don’t give as I-IV-V-I in your loop. Take us somewhere unexpected, but make your last chord bring us back to I in a way that’s consistent with the rest of your piece. Often that means it’s not a dominant V chord. It could be chromatic or something else a little more interesting. Yes, the listener may feel a little overwhelmed at first but the beauty of it is that they’re playing a video game and music isn’t foremost on their minds. As it repeats a couple of times, their minds will grow accustomed to the journey your music is taking them through and they will get a never-ending sense of progression as the beginning of your loop flows so naturally from the end of your loop.
As an aside, and something that I’ve mentioned here before, this is another reason why techno music is so ill-suited to video games. Techno, at its core, is one of the most repetitive genres around. It’s cheap and easy to create, which is why I think it’s been used in so many video games. But it’s tiring. So tiring. 8 measures of drums, then those drums repeated with bass, then all of that repeated with some pad, and so on…
That’s not to say that techno instrumentation can’t be used as a force for good. It definitely can. But used in its typical way… not so great.
Anyway, I hope the concept of the Shepard tone can help you construct your next minute loop in a more interesting way. This is all pretty abstract stuff so when I find an example that I think can be useful, I like to let you know about it.
About This Blog
This blog is dedicated to topics concerning the creation of music and sound for games. It will deal with issues that come up in the day to day work of The Game Composer as well as thoughts on the industry as a whole. I hope it will be useful for developers and other game audio professionals. Feel free to contact me: thegamecomposer@gmail.com
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