In 1949, there was a famous western called "The Red Pony" directed by Lewis Milestone. At the premiere, viewers commented that the acting was excellent and the directing was exceptional. However, there was a problem. The audience was laughing! For a film based on the suffering of ponies, there was no reason to laugh. So why was the audience laughing? It turned out that the music playing alongside the movie made them laugh. So what did they do? They turned to Aaron Copland, commonly known as the "Dean of American Composers" and one of the greatest film musicians, to ask if he could rewrite the accompaniment for the film. The effect was evident, as the film's release found audiences not laughing, but focused on the deeply moving story, reminiscent of the legendary Wild West. So how did Aaron Copland manage to change the reaction of an entire audience, simply by changing the music that accompanied the film? Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Music theory is a set of laws and rules based on music. This set of laws can be implemented in different ways. It is a rudimentary base on which combinations of notations, key signatures, metrics and rhythmic notations are based. If used correctly, composers can create the most wonderful and profound works of art that can impact how we humans can perceive our own surroundings when we listen to music. This is why the works of Mozart, Beethoven, Bach and Chopin are still famous today, although they are centuries old. When music theory is applied to film, it greatly amplifies the emotional production of certain scenes, characters or locations in the film. This is why films like “Jaws”, “Star Wars” and even Disney films have such an iconic feel. Certain songs and locations in these films were distinguished by the emotions felt while watching them. But how do composers like John Williams and even foreign film composers like Yojiro Noda use music theory to create unique songs and pieces? First, I'll go into detail about writing music. This will be about techniques used, such as leitmotifs and the use of major chords. Next, I will discuss the first composer I chose to analyze, John Williams. I will talk about various things such as his history of composing music tracks for famous films as well as common techniques he uses in his music writing. I will then analyze his piece “Welcome to Jurassic Park” from the 1993 film, Jurassic Park. I'll break it down and highlight the key details that influence the play and the audience's reactions. Next, I will introduce Yojiro Noda, the singer of the J-rock band Radwimps. Since he and John Williams compose different types of music, I will also have to describe his artistic style and musical background. Next, I will introduce his piece of music, a song called "Sparkle" from the movie "Kimi No Na Wa", a Japanese animated film. Musical TechniquesWhen writing music for a film, composers often use harmonic devices in order to develop the "identity" of the pieces. Harmonic devices are intervals and notes played alongside the melody to create harmony. Basically when two pitch notesdifferent ones are played together, this is the result. There are different types of harmonic devices used to create harmonies and each has the power to enrich the sound of music and give it tonality, the musical word for emotion. But first, we need to understand what notes are, as well as the different scales. In music theory, notes can be named by the letters of the alphabet AG. Once assembled, they form scales ranging from the lowest to the highest tone. There are several types of scales that order these notes differently. Flats and sharps can be added to these notes to create expression. A sharp can raise a note while a flat can lower a note. These combinations of notes can be used to create different types of harmonies that convey different emotions. When harmonies are created using only the notes in which the song is written in key, it is called a diatonic harmony. If a piece of music is in the B major scale, all notes will fall into that scale (B, C♯, D♯, E, F♯, G♯, and A♯.) The opposite of this is called a chromatic. harmony. The notes also come from scales that are not used in music. Chromatic harmonies generally add color to music, hence the name chromatic. When used, it tends to amplify the emotional rendering of the music. Harmonies can be either consonant or dissonant. What classifies them as consonants or dissonants is the interval in which the notes are played. For example, the perfect fifth is classified as Consonant, while an augmented 4th interval may be classified as Dissonant. A consonant harmony generally sounds stable and balanced, with its notes working perfectly together. However, dissonant harmony can be used to create tension and suspense, due to its unhealthy nature. Dissonant harmonies can often be found in jazz and similar music, while consonant harmonies can be found in classical music, such as Shostakovich's Fugue in A major. With all of these different types of harmonies, composers have a tool in which tonality and emotion can be expressed. through music. However, there is also another tool that composers take advantage of, and that is musical phrasing. As music can be an expression of emotion, it must be broken down into “phrases” and “sentences”. Much like physical speech, it's best to start with one idea and pause before pursuing another. In music, this is called “phrasing.” It is used to show how groups of musical notes are played. These musical thoughts can usually last 4 bars and end with a cadence. These cadences act as musical punctuation of sentences. They are made up of two chords at the end and can be strong or weak. There are 4 types of cadences. The first is perfect cadence. This cadence is mainly used to end music. This is structured by a movement going from the 5th chord of the scale in which you are playing to the 1st. An example of this would be if you were playing in the F major scale, it would be the C major chord to the F major chord. Perfect cadences are commonly used in orchestral music, where it would be a repetition of the chords of the perfect cadence before ending with a grand conclusion. Next comes the plagal cadence. Like the perfect cadence, it is used to end a musical phrase. However, instead of going from the 5 chord to 1, it goes from the 4 chord to 1. This in turn creates a smoother transition, producing a softer conclusion compared to theperfect cadence. This cadence is also known as the "amen cadence" because of its common use in church hymns. Next comes the imperfect cadence. If perfect and plagal cadence are periods, then imperfect cadence is a comma. While the first two conclude a musical phrase, the imperfect cadence doesn't quite finish the phrase, letting the listener know that there is still music. This is due to switching from any chord in the scale you are playing to chord 5. If someone played "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star", but did not play that last chord, it would be an imperfect cadence. Finally, the last cadence is the interrupted cadence. This chord moves from chord 5 to chord 6 and serves to surprise the audience when they are expecting a perfect cadence. Since the perfect cadence is the only one that starts at the 5th chord, they expect the chord to be the 1st. However, playing the 6th chord adds an unexpected dimension of color and tone to the music. The unique aspect of the interrupted cadence is that it can be played in two different keys. In can be played in a major key where you start from chord 5, a major chord, down to chord 6, a minor chord. It can also be played from chord 5, again major, to chord 6, but this time chord 6 would be a major chord. Changing the key signature of the broken cadence can have quite a dramatic effect in a number of ways. Tonality and harmony are the best tools a composer can use to express emotions through music. When used correctly, music can express a wide variety of emotions and stories.John WilliamsJohn Williams is an acclaimed pianist, conductor, and film composer who has composed many famous repertoires for films such as Star Wars films, Indiana Jones Films, Jaws and many more. In cinema, it has become impossible for scenes to have an emotional effect without the appropriate music to accompany them. Williams is an expert at manipulating the texture and tone of his pieces to fit every mood or gesture that might be expressed by an actor or setting. In an interview at an Academy Awards ceremony on July 21, 2014, John Williams was asked to share his thoughts on the idea that "movies can connect to the humanity of characters." To which he replied: "It's a magic, and it's not a bad idea to quote the words of Alfred Hitchcock, which are: 'In cinema, music represents the words that cannot be spoken ". Music unites entire peoples. Music unites entire religions. I don't think any of us fully understand how this works. Williams' approach to music creation involves the universal understanding of using music as a form of language. Analysis of “Welcome to Jurassic Park” When writing the music for this film, Williams wanted to capture the amazement of seeing several creatures come to life. after having disappeared for 65 million years. His music in this film was filled with mystery and irresistible enthusiasm. It was inspired by award-winning sound designer Gary Rydstrom. He was responsible for making the dinosaur sounds. Williams incorporated this into this music, imitating the act by manipulating the orchestra into a more lively arrangement, with unusual escapes from standard musical variations, which created an altered and strident effect. This gave Williams a more cheerful tone he hadn't expected. The song "Welcome to Jurassic Park", the film's theme, focused on two central moods that came into conflict: happiness and fear. This leitmotif is the most memorable in the film. This is a passive theme that plays ona tone that is delicate and seductive and evokes a powerful awareness of encountering the dinosaurs in the park, such as the dinosaur we meet at the beginning, the long-necked brachiosaurus. The song is first heard when the main convoy guests reach this monster of a creature. The string section leads the sequence to express eternal elegance with soft highs that respond to the divine presentation of what was presented on screen. This song is built on a simple repetition of 3 notes, Bb up to A, then back to Bb again. This is also called a neighboring note figure, which creates embellishing tones. This song revolves around the first note of the scale it is in, Bb, which makes it tonic. This gives the track a soothing calm feel, but stays in place as the song keeps returning to the Bb. This gives the feeling of being amazed at the sight of something, as evidenced by the scene where our main characters are amazed by the sight of the brachiosaurus. In terms of melodic scale, the song also transitions from note to note in seconds, while jumping in thirds from time to time. This creates the feeling that the song is easier to follow, even singable. Rhythmically, the song can be compared to a hymn, as the melodies and harmonies move in tandem, timing themselves to take notes at the exact same moment. This creates a song that is not contrapuntal, but harmonic, creating a positive and deep feeling, reminiscent of our characters' reactions. Finally, the harmonies of this piece are built on three chords, all major: I, IV, AND V. This is where most of the emotional motivation of the piece comes from. Certain combinations of chord progressions that create the feeling that Yojiro Noda Yojiro Noda is the leader of the J-rock band Radwimps. When you think of a musical composer for a film, you might think that a rock artist would be the last choice. When asked about his favorite artists and inspirations, he said “Radiohead, Bjork, Elliot Smith, The Flaming Lips, Hiromi Uehara, John Frusciante, Ringo Sheena and Chara. I tend to be influenced by female singers. I think it's because it's something I can't be. I also like gender-neutral vocals and music. This would mean that his style of musical composition seems heavily influenced by jazz and hip hop. Compared to John Williams, there would appear two very contrasting styles of music. While Williams prefers slow starts and stops, thematic and sweeping orchestras, Noda prefers the strumming of the electric guitar and the pounding of the drums. Even more so, it would be strange to see rock music appear alongside a Japanese anime romance drama. Its music would be more akin to an action and fast-paced anime, with a fast-paced plot with suspense and other themes that you wouldn't find in a drama anime. However, Yojiro Noda had the ability to create a style of music that contrasted with what was happening on screen, while still making it work. This is shown in great detail in the 2016 anime "Kimi No Na Wa" or "Your Name". The scene could be a scenic train ride through the Japanese countryside, where someone would expect a track expansive sound, as if to imitate the grandeur of Japan's sprawling mountains and fields. However, Noda implemented his style of rock music, as seen in scenes involving songs like "Zense Zense Zense" in the film "Your Name" played alongside mundane actions like cutting a tomato or a vending machine automatic spitting out a can of coffee. and yet, I still felt chills down my spine, listening to the drum-heavy track while.