Re: Avoiding REPETITIVENESS
Posted: Fri Sep 11, 2020 5:59 am
Hey thanks for this Tom ! I thought I would share a track I signed to a library last week as an example.
Basically this cue repeats the same chord pattern all the way through , but using some of the above techniques keeps it interesting and evolving whilst still staying in the same lane. I think this is the beauty of an A-A-A-A structure ( and I thank Andy Gabrys for giving me this advice when I was starting out ) that it develop and changes but still feels like the same cue and doesn't veer off. Which is great for an editor to work with.
Now I don't normally do this sort of corporate positive stuff but a brief went out and gave it shot , and they seemed to like it.
https://soundcloud.com/user-45178330/st ... PTIO0wcNzD
To break it down:-
1. 8 bar pattern - ( it's a hybrid toy piano patch ) this gives me about 15 seconds of music ...repeat that about 8 times and that's a 2 min cue
2. 4 bars in I've already used a little subtle cymbal and added some strings underneath
3. @16s there's a little pause and short riser to prepare the listener for a new section then I've added a Kick - Snaps - Pad - Bass
4. @26s ..I use my 4 bar rule and add a double of the main piano type part on octave below . It's quite subtle but it thickens the texture
5. @33s small drum fill to tell the listener something is changing . Now there's claps and a different piano joins in playing more blocked type chords under the arpeggio
6. @50s I have a drum fill into breakdown
7. @51s I've taken the same midi part I used from the start but I've put it up an octave and switched it over to that 2nd piano that was playing the blocked chords before. I tweaked the velocities for a more delicate sound and I also changed the last chord by moving one note of the chord up so it lifts a bit more.
8. @ 1m I bring back same arrangement of drums , bass , clicks etc but now I've stayed with the higher piano on the arpeggio instead of the toy piano type sound I used at the start. I also bring back the strings from bar 8 but this time they play an octave lower, and I bring in a strummed guitar part to add a bit more texture, so although almost every part has been heard previously they've not been heard in this combination thus far. Only the guitar is new and that's fairly subtle.
9. @1.15 Another fill announces the return of the higher string part and I add some little orchestral high parts
10. @ 1.30 ,Another little fill and I remove some of the arrangement for a few beats just to make an easier edit point
11. @ 1.32 the toy piano is back for the last section but this time it's an octave higher , plus I added a shaker pattern for the final 8 bars
12. @ 1.56 instead of just ending it at the end of the 8 bar pattern I carried on with the high piano and a drum fill just to give a little something different at the end
So that's it.
Same 8 bar pattern all the way through, but trying to keep it moving, evolving and interesting. Most of all giving the end user options.
Mark
Basically this cue repeats the same chord pattern all the way through , but using some of the above techniques keeps it interesting and evolving whilst still staying in the same lane. I think this is the beauty of an A-A-A-A structure ( and I thank Andy Gabrys for giving me this advice when I was starting out ) that it develop and changes but still feels like the same cue and doesn't veer off. Which is great for an editor to work with.
Now I don't normally do this sort of corporate positive stuff but a brief went out and gave it shot , and they seemed to like it.
https://soundcloud.com/user-45178330/st ... PTIO0wcNzD
To break it down:-
1. 8 bar pattern - ( it's a hybrid toy piano patch ) this gives me about 15 seconds of music ...repeat that about 8 times and that's a 2 min cue
2. 4 bars in I've already used a little subtle cymbal and added some strings underneath
3. @16s there's a little pause and short riser to prepare the listener for a new section then I've added a Kick - Snaps - Pad - Bass
4. @26s ..I use my 4 bar rule and add a double of the main piano type part on octave below . It's quite subtle but it thickens the texture
5. @33s small drum fill to tell the listener something is changing . Now there's claps and a different piano joins in playing more blocked type chords under the arpeggio
6. @50s I have a drum fill into breakdown
7. @51s I've taken the same midi part I used from the start but I've put it up an octave and switched it over to that 2nd piano that was playing the blocked chords before. I tweaked the velocities for a more delicate sound and I also changed the last chord by moving one note of the chord up so it lifts a bit more.
8. @ 1m I bring back same arrangement of drums , bass , clicks etc but now I've stayed with the higher piano on the arpeggio instead of the toy piano type sound I used at the start. I also bring back the strings from bar 8 but this time they play an octave lower, and I bring in a strummed guitar part to add a bit more texture, so although almost every part has been heard previously they've not been heard in this combination thus far. Only the guitar is new and that's fairly subtle.
9. @1.15 Another fill announces the return of the higher string part and I add some little orchestral high parts
10. @ 1.30 ,Another little fill and I remove some of the arrangement for a few beats just to make an easier edit point
11. @ 1.32 the toy piano is back for the last section but this time it's an octave higher , plus I added a shaker pattern for the final 8 bars
12. @ 1.56 instead of just ending it at the end of the 8 bar pattern I carried on with the high piano and a drum fill just to give a little something different at the end
So that's it.
Same 8 bar pattern all the way through, but trying to keep it moving, evolving and interesting. Most of all giving the end user options.
Mark