Composing a Love Cue

Putting Template to Test - Composing Live

In this class we're going to compose a Love Cue. The main aim is to test our template and see if it needs any additions or improvements. We'll also check how effective the template is for composing in this style. Let's start composing and see how our template performs.

Before we dive into composing, let's first define the style. This means understanding how we'll use musical elements like harmony, melody, orchestration, etc., to create music that sounds like this specific style (or cliché).

Let's start with harmony and see what are the typical chords, progressions, modes, and scales that we use in this style. Keep in mind, these elements are tools to guide us, not strict rules to follow.

HARMONY

  • Mostly in major modes - Ionian or Lydian.

  • Primarily employs triads.

  • Common extensions include add9, 7, 6, and sus4.

  • Resolved suspensions are frequent. These are typical: 9-8, 7-6, 6-5, and 4-3

  • Mainly employs diatonic progressions.

  • Altered scale degrees, such as b3, b6, and b7, are commonly used.

It's important to understand that this functions as a guide rather than a strict formula. The more of them you use, the closer to the

cliché sound that you're after. But, that being said, don't need to use all the elements listed above.

On another note, while we'll use mostly major chords, you can also include some minor ones. The inclusion of these chords (minor) will evoke a prevailing sense of melancholy, a closely associated style that could serve as a bridge to sadness.

  1. Example numbered list

  2. Example numbered list

  3. Example numbered list

MELODY

  • Mostly built around chord tones.

  • Common non-chord tones are PT (Passing Tone) and NT (Neighbor Tone)

  • Countermelodies are frequent, usually introduced after a first presentation of the main theme

  • Countermelodies will usually rhythmically contrast with the main melody

TEMPO AND RHYTHM

  • Usually slow without much rhythmic accompaniment.

  • Mostly utilize ¼ notes or ⅛ notes

  • Tempo would range from 60 to 100 BPM

  • Can be either in 3/4 or 4/4 (or 6/8)

Typically, a slow tempo proves ideal for conveying this emotion, whereas faster tempos are more commonly employed in action cues.

ORCHESTRATION

Harmonies can be played by either:

  1. The string section alone.

  2. Any combination of mid/low strings (viola, cello, and bass), low brass (trombones and tuba), and low woodwinds (bassoons and bass clarinet).

Harmonies can also be enhanced with the harp playing arpeggios.Tempo would range from 60 to 100 BPM

The melody can be played by either:

  1. A lyrical solo instrument: Woodwind, horn, piano, violin, or cello are common. Celesta is a good alternative.

  2. A single string section by themselves - Violin 1, Violin 2, Viola, Cello - is also common.

  3. A combination of 1) and 2).

  4. Multiple upper string sections in unison, octaves, or double octaves.

  5. Adding high woodwinds to 4).

Countermelodies:

  • Played by the Horns section is very common. Other frequently found options would include English horn, low-register clarinets, viola, or upper-register cello.

  • Fast runs in the upper woodwinds can be added as background “flutter” or "ear candy"

Orchestration is really important in music. It's about picking which instruments play your tune and can really change how your music feels. Different instruments can make the same melody sound different and bring out different emotions. While writing music is more like painting with your own ideas, there are some common ways to do things in each music style. Remember, how you mix these ideas is up to you as the composer.

While the above is not an absolute rule, it offers insights into the most common and functional options. Ultimately, orchestration is an art that manifests uniquely for each composer.

Composing - Step by Step

Now let's discuss how to compose a Love Cue, step by step.

The next paragraphs are going to explain how Marc composed the Love Cue that you can see in the video above.

SKETCH

An effective compositional approach is to start with a piano sketch. This helps with setting up the initial structure of the entire composition before orchestration.

For the sketch, Marc started with the melody.

MELODY

As you can see, the melody follows some of the elements discussed earlier (diatonic, conjunct motion, etc).

The melody was crafted around the I and IV degrees. The plagal cadence, resolving tension more gently than the perfect cadence (V – I), was a focal point.

In the realm of positive emotions, such as love, the piano is commonly used. Although our initial approach was to use the piano solely as a sketching tool, in this case, it finds a fitting place in the instrumentation for our cue.

Here, we can see the chord progression we used:

(I, III⁶/⁴, VI⁷, III⁶/⁴, I, III⁶/⁴, IV⁶/⁴, V⁶, IV⁶/⁴, V⁶, II, I, IV⁶, V sus4 – V)

PRO TIP: Use chord inversions often as they make the bass line flow smoothly. This is useful since it allows both the melody and the bass to have stepwise, scale-based progressions, which works very well for this style.

ORCHESTRATION

Regarding orchestration, we start with the strings assuming an accompanying role.

In the middle register, Marc uses a solo violin, employing a tremolo¹ articulation, following the bass line from the sketch. This results a soft and expressive added texture and color, perfectly suited to the intended style.

In the lower register, we'll complete the accompaniment with Cello and Viola Sections playing pizzicatos. This helps move the music forward.

In the realm of orchestration, strings stand out as the most versatile among all orchestral families. Possessing a broad expressive range and a myriad of articulations, they provide a rich palette.

At the second repetition of the melody, we bring the Alto Flute in to add color and enhance the melody. We could've used the regular flute (which is higher in register) but Marc choose the Alto flute, since the register of the melody better fits in the upper register of the Alto Flute, resulting in a brighter color and more projection power, which works well for the repetition of the melody.

To complete the orchestration, we add the guitar and the celesta which contribute as elements of color and softness. The guitar contributes a warm and intimate timbre, while the celesta introduces a magical and innocent sound.

What have we learned

CONCLUSSIONS


Throughout the class, we've been digging into what makes a love style cue, looking at three main musical elements: melody, harmony, and rhythm


When it comes to the melody, we've talked about:.

  1. Diatonism

  2. Smooth, connected movements (conjunct grades)

  3. Keeping it in the slow to medium tempo zone

As for harmony, we've been all about:

  1. Major keys

  2. Favoring major chords over minor ones

  3. Using the plagal cadence or the V sus4 chord progression whenever it is possible

And we have also been looking at some different measures, such as:

  1. 4/4

  2. 3/4

  3. 6/8

In the next lesson:

COMPOSING A TENSION CUE

We will learn everything necessary to compose a tension cue step by step, where we will cover the basic elements of this musical style

¹The tremolo articulation proves to be a versatile and potent tool applicable to various music styles. Its expressiveness can be harnessed effectively in conveying emotions such as sadness, love, sci-fi, horror, and action cues. By closely observing a plethora of cinematic music compositions, one can discern its widespread utilization across these diverse styles.