Film Music Notes

Understanding the art of film music

NEW! Rhythm and Meter Course
New Course

Advanced Techniques with Rhythm and Meter in Film Music – NEW!

Write memorable, meaningful music with classic rhythmic techniques. Discover rhythmic techniques from some of the best-known themes in film, learn a wealth of techniques for irregular meters from classic blockbuster films, and see how meter combines with mode and tempo to create emotional associations from Hollywood’s best composers! Enjoy this course at the special launch price (for a limited time).

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Upcoming Course

Action-Music Harmony 3: Tonal Chords & Polychords – COMING SOON!

In these lessons, we will learn how dissonant tonal action chords are used when freed from the context of a scale, and which dissonant-bass chords and polychords appear most often, all supported by dozens of examples from classic blockbuster films. Don’t miss this third installment of the four-course Action-Music Harmony series!

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Other Courses

Action-Music Harmony 1 and 2

The action music of classic blockbuster films is some of the most harmonically complex in all of film music. Its fast chord changes, busy textures, and dissonant harmonies make it notoriously difficult to analyze. This course breaks down action music into a network of easy-to-understand concepts that reveal the harmonic systems behind the action writing. And enrolling in a course bundle lets you save big on lessons!

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Other Courses

Associations of Harmony in Film Themes

By studying many of the greatest themes to come out of Hollywood, this three-lesson course will teach you the most common harmonic progressions in Hollywood film music and the emotional and musical associations they tend to have. Learn how to use harmony to evoke the perfect emotions in your themes!

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Music Theorist

Mark Richards, PhD

I worked as a Professor of Music Theory for several years in universities, specializing in film music, Beethoven, and rock music in my teaching and research. For more than two decades, I have taught music theory and analysis to all ages and at all levels from the community music school to the large university. I have published articles on film music and have a new chapter on John Williams’ Star Wars themes forthcoming in 2022.

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