How I Make Music for Films & Videos

How can music affect the emotion of a movie scene?

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[morphman]

A tip: I know music theory can be boring, but learn just three fundamentals and it'll help you a LOT in music making.

1) Learn scales. You don't have to memorize them all, but understand what they are. The only one I remember by heart is the Cmaj scale, and that's just because it's all white notes.

2) Learn chords, and how they fit into the scales. This will help you pick the right chords for the right feeling, or retrofitting a scale onto chords you've just randomly played, when you want to extend the music further. It will also help you pick what notes to play with that chord.

3) Learn the numbering of the notes on the scale. This will help you set the mood for your music significantly, as you can note down which chords on the scale you have played to get that feeling, without having to memorize notes and chords. You might have played the root, the 4th, the 3rd and the 6th chord in the scale, then all you need to do is note down 1436 and you know that this will give that particular feeling, regardless of the root note. You can transpose it or do practically anything, but if you follow 1436, it will always give that feeling.

Case and point, the 4 Chords of Pop. We all know about them. They are placed on a major scale, root doesn't matter. They are always 1564 for happy music, 6451 for sad music. Learn 1 and 2, then play those two progressions in any random root on the major scale, and you'll start hearing every pop song ever made. No need to learn the specific chords, and the notes within that progression will fall naturally over time.

[JohnDoe___]

ten years from now we will see you at the oscars ;)

[DrShaym]

If you want something to sound scary or dramatic, play tritones.

[AidinRobbins]

Great video- really interesting! It's mind-blowing how much of an effect music has on a scene!

[cool]

lol you make it sound so simple. i think this tip only applies to people who already are really really really good in piano. because just to think of tunes based on how a chord progression would sound is not a beginner or average level thinking. average players could maybe think like that but not to a level needed to make something like this with different moods and variations with little notes played here and there. regardless you are one talented guy. you seem to know a shit ton of stuff when it comes to art.

[JackLeighFilms]

Simon your videos absolutely blow me away. This is a very bold claim but I would say you make some of the best, most professional, all-around genuinely helpful videos on all of youtube, and especially as of recently, you have become BY FAR one of my favorite youtube filmmakers. Also, I LOVED how what you said about ending the music to add weight to the scene actually happened in the video as you said it. It really is nice to watch videos of WHY to do certain things in filmmaking as oppose to what gear you can shoot it on. Because of you, I have learned a lot more about filmmaking and storytelling. Thank you Simon :)

[ANigerianPrince]

Speaking of music, your closing music evokes such a strongly nostalgic feeling within me. It reminds me of an innocence which was reminiscent to my youth. I'd love to have a copy of that song.

[DowntimeMedia]

You are such a talented dude. You really deserve more subs and more recognition, all the work you put into your projects is really incredible.

[MunabManay]

Being a beatmaker myself, it needs simplicity but a creative mind with sense of emotions. Thanks for making this video I'm moved. Stay blessed

[andrewskiingsiegel]

Quite cool, really that you compose all of this music yourself

[ana_marta]

Your videos are just the best, Simon!!

[sickphil]

Dude, I seriously LOVED this episode. If there's one blind spot in my film making, it's the music; unfortunately, I have to farm that out due to a paucity of musical ability. I sometimes have motifs in my mind for characters, etc., but then I can't always articulate it and it can be frustrating.

[AustinThomasFilms]

I really like the outro music to be honest

[CaptainDewi]

This is a great and simple explanation, but I feel like there is so much more you could have included and I'm really sorry if you don't like it, but I just really like talking about music and the theory of it.
For example, dynamics. It's a big part in music that can give a certain feel that would fit your emotions, you can tell with the jaws theme song that it begin really soft and then it gradually because louder giving you the feeling the shark is getting closer which hightens the "fear" for the audience.
Something that you did mention but for 1 second is the tempo that you're playing in and i'm not saying that you have to play everything in one tempo because speeding up or slowing down a tempo can give certain effects, but if you would play everything in one tempo you can notice certain emotions fit certain tempos, so what you see often is that a sad song is played relatively slow and a happy song a little faster.
I think that this and what you talked about in your video is pretty much the basics for beginning filmmakers/ film music composers (that play by ear or know about chords) to start with, but there is much more to learn about music to make amazing (film) scores.
But none the less I really liked your video and I'm sorry if this big text bothers you.

[missionproductions]

So glad you used John Williams to show how vital music is to cinema.

[BillBooz]

Simon, you blow me away with your talent!! I'm an "over-the-hill" guy who is teaching himself how to do video recording and production and you have been a great resource for this old guy! Thank you!

[rva]

You are a smarty pants. Loved this video. You are spot on. Beautiful

[dillanwhite]

1:30 Thought of The Backyardigans for a second :D

[OfficialTomJ]

I know how difficult it is to find good music. I should probably learn to compose my own. Great video!

[SenshiProductionsfilms]

Your audio is amazing in ALL your videos! I believe that audio and music is one of the most important thing in films and videos 🙌🏼☺️