Comments on: Anxiety

By: Felix

Felix — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 05:14:42 +0000

V how long have you studied music theory to know it off the back of your hand like that. And where?

By: V

Fri, 31 Jul 2009 20:38:35 +0000

That is some good insight. The comment about mood can be applied to any commercial application of music.

It can be broken down like this:

1.) Pick the mood.
2.) Based on the mood, pick the tempo and tonality.
3.) Compose the piece.
4.) Execute the composition using sounds/arrangements that support the original mood.

Moods directly map to scales and chord progressions, of which there maybe a dozen which are repeatedly used in popular music.

By: Kelly G

Kelly G — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 17:31:41 +0000

I guess usually I try to come up with a catchy hook that sounds like it was meant to repeat. I tend to make a very motifal rhythm part and try to make it catchy, then put a simple, thin melody on top.

Actually it’s important not to make it too interesting. If any part is really noticed, then it gets annoying on repetition.

I usually try to keep it in a simple tonal mood. As long as it’s smooth, then you zone-out the details as you’re playing the game. The mood is the important thing.

By: V

Sun, 26 Jul 2009 15:03:21 +0000

I like how the first three notes imply G lydian before switching to G harmonic minor. I have tried parallel lydian/harmonic minor combinations in my own compositions and find them to be quite satisfying. I think you do the East Coast Hellagem people proud by making thought-out music.

By: billjings

billjings — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 05:00:07 +0000

I like the way you sit on a single note in the bass to build tension, and I dig the dissonant notes. I think they establish the effect you’re going for.

What makes for a good loop of video game music, structurally? What keeps it from getting uninteresting as it repeats?