Hi music people! :) I'm writing about the theory of designing game content in my devloper journal, and I'd like to be able to cover all the kinds of game content including music, but I don't compose music so I don't know much about it. So, I'm looking for someone (or a few someones) to read what I've written so far and guest-write a few paragraphs about composing music. You will be credited of course. Any time before the end of August is fine, you can post here or pm me. Thanks very much, I look forward to hearing your insights! :)

I'm happy to see what I can come up with if you like.

Don't you think that any kind of music that can be recorded could play a role in some video game? I'd stick with talking about the programming aspects of computer music, like MIDI vs. sampled, audio formats, sequencing software, digital mixing, effects processing, etc. Otherwise if you get to deep into any theory of music you're probably going to have to write for a specific genre. You might mention for example, that if you're going to use midi, you have to compose in the 12-tone chromatic scale and can't use "just intonation" but you can with sampled audio if you have the right instruments. But that's a very minor detail. You could talk about elements of rhythm, harmony and melody, such as time signatures, chord voicings and counterpoint, respectively.

Here are my thoughts on the subject.

Writing game music is a difficult task. It is not like writing a song one would listen to in the car or while going for a walk. Game music is almost always situation-specific, much more so than most people would realize. The best thematic game music will pull the player in to the game and blend in with the atmosphere. In modern times, it has gotten to the point where players have come to expect a level of immersion from game audio, and they often take it for granted. This means that poorly-written or poorly-fitting music will instantly stand out to the player and ruin the experience (or at least disrupt it).

In addition to the difficulty of writing thematic music, there is also the issue of repetition. With the growing length and replay value of modern games as a whole, players cannot be subjected to the same 50 second loop for hours and hours of gameplay, as was the case earlier in gaming history. Current game music must be complex and intricate, but not so much so as to require the player to have to concentrate to 'understand' it. It must retain a certain tone or ambiance, but stay dynamic and fresh to avoid repetition. Without properly designed music, players of a game can become quickly frustrated and mute the game entirely, destroying the ambiance completely.

To make the task of writing quality game music even more of an effort, developers often have no idea what they really want. It is not uncommon for a developer to make vague requests and contradict themselves, and attempts to get that developer to clarify what they want may result in tension. Often times, the best way to get around this is to have the developer provide example music in a similar style as what they are looking for. If the game is playable, playing the part of the game where music is required can be a big help as well. If neither of things are possible, your best bet is simply to use your best judgment in considering the developer's words and your own thoughts.

for starters.

Quote: Original post by Kazgoroth
I'm happy to see what I can come up with if you like.

Please do make an attempt, I need all the help can get with this subject. ;)

Quote: Original post by zircon_st
Game music is almost always situation-specific, much more so than most people would realize. The best thematic game music will pull the player in to the game and blend in with the atmosphere.

Okay, great, this is what I want to hit! :) What kinds of situations or atmospheres are there? What kind of musical elements would you employ to try to convey each? Certain keys or time signatures or progressions or insturments or processing effects, or...?

Quote:
To make the task of writing quality game music even more of an effort, developers often have no idea what they really want. It is not uncommon for a developer to make vague requests and contradict themselves, and attempts to get that developer to clarify what they want may result in tension. Often times, the best way to get around this is to have the developer provide example music in a similar style as what they are looking for. If the game is playable, playing the part of the game where music is required can be a big help as well. If neither of things are possible, your best bet is simply to use your best judgment in considering the developer's words and your own thoughts.

Now _that_ I know all about - it's exactly the same for concept art, half the battle is trying to figure out what the game designer wants, the designer isn't sure and doesn't have the vocabulary to discuss it, and often the only think you can do is ask for examples of what he likes. But assuming you had a game designer who didn't know much about music but wanted to give you helpful instructions and feedback - is there a list of basic music vocabulary that, if he learned it, he would be able to give constructive criticism on your first draft and things like that?

Quote: Original post by dodecahedron
Don't you think that any kind of music that can be recorded could play a role in some video game? I'd stick with talking about the programming aspects of computer music, like MIDI vs. sampled, audio formats, sequencing software, digital mixing, effects processing, etc. Otherwise if you get to deep into any theory of music you're probably going to have to write for a specific genre. You might mention for example, that if you're going to use midi, you have to compose in the 12-tone chromatic scale and can't use "just intonation" but you can with sampled audio if you have the right instruments. But that's a very minor detail. You could talk about elements of rhythm, harmony and melody, such as time signatures, chord voicings and counterpoint, respectively.

Music and programming are my two biggest areas of ignorance, and you have just walked right into the deepest, darkest intersection between them. ;) I didn't understand half of that, but if you want to write up some advice for choosing programming approaches and specifications for music I'll be happy to include it in my journal.

Quote: Okay, great, this is what I want to hit! :) What kinds of situations or atmospheres are there? What kind of musical elements would you employ to try to convey each? Certain keys or time signatures or progressions or insturments or processing effects, or...?

The type of situations requiring music would depend on the game. Introduction/opening music, or title screen music, is almost always needed and is probably one of the more important pieces of music that will be used since it will set the tone for the rest of the music of the game. If you open a game and hear dark, ambient pads with screaming guitars, you're probably going to expect a grisly, fast-paced first person shooter. If you hear a whimsical orchestral piece with bells and chimes, you might expect a role-playing game instead.

There are two primary aspects of a piece of game music; the choice of instruments and the arrangement. The former category can be broken down into percussion and melodic instruments, and the latter category can be broken down into notation and tempo/dynamics. These four categories all deserve an equal amount of attention, and determine the feel of the piece. Let us take a fantasy role-playing game as an example and analyze these four categories.

* Percussive instruments: Generally, you would not think of grungy drums or electronic beats when you think of a fantasy medieval setting. A more proper choice for a standard fantasy RPG would be a suite of orchestral and ethnic percussion.

* Melodic instruments: While synthesized instruments and sounds might play a part in creating ambient effects or background pads, chances are good that you would not expect a screaming acid lead while adventuring. Instead, a full ensemble of orchestral instruments would probably be used; strings and woodwinds, primarily, with perhaps ethnic instruments like the koto, shamisen, and sitar, and an assortment of brass instruments as well.

* Notation: RPGs are known for having slower-paced, thought-provoking gameplay, as well as a LOT of total playing time. Because of this, you would not want simple, catchy melodies because they would quickly irritate the player. The music of a fantasy RPG should be closer to the score of a film like Lord of the Rings, with melodies that are memorable but not intrusive, and complex harmonies characteristic of classical/romantic music.

* Tempo/dynamics: Probably the category which the composer has the most freedom, in this case. RPGs have a tendency to have somewhat slower music, because of the lack of driving instrumental or percussive parts, but writing a climactic battle theme may require a faster tempo. Dynamics (ie. volume) are also open-ended. Town music will probably remain soft and peaceful throughout, while dramatic confrontation music may be filled with swells and crescendos.

There is no simple set of guidelines that can be used to dictate what elements work best for a certain type of game situation. The best way to figure this out is simply experimentation. Also, do not forget that this is ultimately background music. When listening to a completed song intended for use in a game, if it strikes you as a bit boring or uninteresting, do not judge it until you play the song in its proper place in the game. It may make a lot more sense in that situation.

Quote: But assuming you had a game designer who didn't know much about music but wanted to give you helpful instructions and feedback - is there a list of basic music vocabulary that, if he learned it, he would be able to give constructive criticism on your first draft and things like that?

For a developer with little musical knowledge, there is a list of terms they should know when evaluating a piece of game music and giving feedback on it.

* High end / treble - If the piece of music in question is a bit 'screeching' or too bright, ask the composer to reduce this. Conversely, if the higher notes played by, say, string instruments sound muddled, they should be "EQed higher" (equalized higher, which refers to increasing the volume gain on higher frequency bands).

* Low end / bass - Fairly self-explanatory; if a piece is rumbling, or the low sounds are overriding other parts of the piece, this trait should be decreased. If the piece lacks 'prescence' or seems flimsy, this characteristic should be increased.

* Tempo - The speed of the song. As one might expect, reducing the tempo creates a more laid-back feel, while increasing the tempo adds tension and drama.

* Reverb - This refers to the characteristic of sound that gives it the illusion of being played in different spaces. A small room has very little reverb, while a cathedral has a lot of reverb. Too much reverb can make a piece sound 'muddy' and the instruments indistinct. If this is the case, the composer should turn down the reverb. On the other hand, if instruments sound too dry or fake, adding reverb to them may help.

* Encoding - This only applies to MP3 and OGG format sound. If the general sound quality of a piece is insufficient, telling the composer to 'encode higher' will likely solve the problem. There is rarely any reason to encode lower, except to save space, but the amount of space saved by halving the quality of the sound is not worth the loss.

(unfortunately, this was all I could think of in terms of musical terms; if something comes up, I'll add it)

Cool, I'm learning things. :) What's a "pad"?

Well, let's see if I can lend a hand in here too. Maybe I can keep from getting banned after I told the coders in the help wanted forums that they were... well, not nice.

My contribution to the theory of game design would be as follows:

Music for games is never about music first of all. The music used in a situation in film, or in games in to a.) create subconcious emotions which will tie into a visual setting, or b.) as filler.

Even as a professional composer, I think that music can only do so much in a film or game. Mind you if that specific project has already achieved a climax of some kind in a successful fashion, music can heighten your emotions to subconcious levels. I don't think for example that tear-jerker movie would be the same without the music in the background.

When writing for a feature, of any kind, be it a game, a short film, a commercial, a feature film, (I will refer to this group henceforth as "projects" to save space and finger aching later.) it is important to truly understand not only the genre of the film, but also the location, the time period, and most importantly the pulling emotion behind a scene or project. For example:

CLICK HERE

listen to that sample again now, while imagining a scene where soldiers are returning to their boats to return home after world war 2 after 2.5 hours of watching those characters watch their best friends die, and seeing the look on those soldiers' faces knowing that they are returning home without them. Glad that the war is over, but remembering everything that was lost.

With that in mind that sample has the power to bring a man to tears. Without it, it's some pretty brass. I will use this sample to analyze the useage of instrumentation and orchestration in scoring.

IF you are interested hehe. I am not going to type the whole thing out in a forum. If you feel as though my input would be valuable in this subject please let me know via PM and I will happily write out an entire article on the subject for you with a full analysis. You can do with it whatever you would like except take credit for it :)

-Jay Wollin