Composers only have TWO tools

Summary

This video script delves into the fundamental tools of music composition: pattern and contrast. It explains how patterns, such as sequences, arpeggios, and chord progressions, provide a foundation for listeners, while contrast adds unpredictability and keeps the music engaging. The speaker illustrates the balance between repetition and variation using examples from classical music and electronic music, emphasizing the importance of establishing a pattern before introducing contrast to create a memorable and impactful musical experience.

Takeaways

• 🎼 Music composition is fundamentally about two tools: pattern and contrast.
• 🔁 Patterns are everywhere in music, from sequences and motifs to key signatures and chord progressions.
• 🎵 Harmonic languages like functional harmony and extended harmony are systems of patterns with intentional rules.
• 🚫 Serialism, despite aiming to avoid obvious patterns, is still based on a systematic sequence of notes.
• 🔄 Inexperienced composers may avoid patterns to prevent repetition, but some repetition is necessary for the listener to follow the music.
• 🎞️ Repetition is key in film music to provide grounding and continuity for the listener.
• 🎶 Contrast is used to balance repetition, creating surprise and avoiding predictability.
• 🎶🔄 The combination of pattern and contrast can be seen in period structures in melodies and phrases.
• 🎹 Reharmonization can change the feel of a melody, introducing fresh harmonic changes.
• 🔊 In electronic music, variation often comes not from changing the repeating elements but from how they are treated or reharmonized.
• 🎬 Just as in storytelling, patterns in music provide context for the contrasts that make the music impactful.

Q & A

What are the two fundamental tools in music composition according to the script?

The two fundamental tools in music composition are pattern and contrast, which include pattern interrupt or breaking things down to their simplest elements.

What is an example of a pattern in music?

Examples of patterns in music include sequences, arpeggios, chord progressions, key signatures, scales, modes, and established harmonic languages like functional harmony or extended tertian harmony.

Why do composers sometimes avoid patterns in their compositions?

Composers may avoid patterns to prevent their music from being too repetitive, which can lead to a predictable and cliché sound that may not engage the listener effectively.

How does the script suggest balancing repetition with unpredictability in music?

The script suggests using patterns paired with contrast to balance repetition with unpredictability, such as using period structure in a melody or a phrase to establish a pattern and then breaking it with a contrasting element.

What is the purpose of using a repetitive pattern in music?

A repetitive pattern in music serves to give the listener something to latch onto, providing a sense of familiarity and grounding amidst changes in other elements of the composition.

Can you explain the concept of 'reharmonization' as mentioned in the script?

Reharmonization is the process of changing the underlying harmonies of a melody without altering the melody itself, which can introduce variation and contrast to the composition.

What is the significance of the 'A' section in the example provided by the script?

The 'A' section in the example is a repetitive and persistent pattern that the listener can lock into, providing a foundation for the introduction of contrast in the subsequent sections.

How does the script relate the concept of pattern and contrast to storytelling in film?

The script relates pattern and contrast to storytelling in film by explaining that understanding a character's established patterns of behavior makes their transformations and deviations from those patterns more impactful and meaningful.

What is the role of a drone in electronic music as discussed in the script?

In electronic music, a drone serves as a repetitive element that can be treated or reharmonized in various ways to create contrast and interest, even if the drone itself remains static.

What does the script suggest as a method to break away from a repetitive loop in electronic music?

The script suggests that instead of changing the loop or sequence itself, one can introduce variation by altering how it is dressed or treated, such as through reharmonization or other modifications around the loop.

How can the script's discussion on music composition be applied to other art forms?

The principles of pattern and contrast discussed in the script can be applied to other art forms by establishing a base or familiar element (pattern) and then introducing changes or deviations (contrast) to create depth and engagement.