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Adventure

Musical

Example

Adventure

Secret

Score

Adventure

Animated

Score

Secret Composer Synopsis

1 - To compose adventure music, construct a bold melody to play on top of an energetic rhythmic vamp. To find your notes, use any Lydian mode. In the D Lydian mode, your notes will be D, E, F#, G#, A, B and C#.  Use these notes in any order or octave to create your melody and your vamp. When modulating to a new key, use this same scale.

2 - For your melody, use instruments that can perform powerful, sweeping lines, such as the French horns and violins. Don't be afraid of holding some of the notes for a few beats. For your rhythmic vamp, use the basses, the tuba, the bass trombone, the timpani and the snare drum. Fill the vamp with syncopated rhythms to create forward momentum. One continuously repeated bar is sufficient to create an energetic vamp.

3 - Generate additional excitement by having the violins play a constant, staccato, eighth note pattern (when they are not busy playing the melody). Intersperse this pattern with occasional, fast ascending runs doubled by the flute and piccolo. When the violins are busy playing the melody, the brass can take over the job by playing constant, urgent, staccato attacks. This works particularly well with the French horns and trumpets.

4 - To add additional harmonic color, compose a contrasting section that makes use of Major 7th chords and Major chords altered with a Major chord with flat 7 and flat 5. To add some brightness to your instrumental colors, use the crash cymbals, the suspended cymbal and the triangle roll.  Use the harp glissandos to add an element of magic.

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