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Song structure for instrumental film / TV cues
Posted: Sat Feb 07, 2015 1:34 pm
by larrymagee
I'm getting such great answers here that I though I'd try another one.
Do you guys stick with just a repeated "A" section for the most part on your cues? I'm very drawn to AABA but I'm wondering if that's the best approach. AAAA gets pretty boring. I just did a cue that was ABAB for that swamp music listing. Thanks...
Re: Song structure for instrumental film / TV cues
Posted: Sat Feb 07, 2015 3:06 pm
by Russell Landwehr
I generally go AAAA or AAA with a touch of A, but ABAB is really good too, and I do that as long as the "A" and "B" don't FEEL different.
Just make sure your As are different... kinda like AaäÀáÃãÅâÄàÂåÁ (and the Bs too: "bßB")
Not a good idea to put c or C or Ç or ç or © in Cues.... (you might wanna put "©" in the metadata, though)
Russell
Re: Song structure for instrumental film / TV cues
Posted: Sat Feb 07, 2015 3:16 pm
by PeterD
I kinda like "a A B A A" (if that's such a thang)
For me, it usually results in a quick production with decent feedback. I'm not sure the form is solely responsible for the good feedback though.
I agree with Russ! Make sure you fit a © in there someplace

Re: Song structure for instrumental film / TV cues
Posted: Sat Feb 07, 2015 3:18 pm
by Russell Landwehr
Come to think of it, though, I will do AbaAbA sometimes too.
Re: Song structure for instrumental film / TV cues
Posted: Sat Feb 07, 2015 3:31 pm
by larrymagee
Thanks, guys. I put the @ (copyright by) in the metadata but then when I convert it the mp3 it goes away, so I was adding @ 2015 by Larry Magee to the title (I mean file name). Sounds like that's not a good idea.
Re: Song structure for instrumental film / TV cues
Posted: Sat Feb 07, 2015 3:49 pm
by funsongs
Re: Song structure for instrumental film / TV cues
Posted: Sat Feb 07, 2015 3:51 pm
by PeterD
What form are:
Take a Chance on Me
Fernando
The Winner Takes it All
and Dancing Queen
written in??

Re: Song structure for instrumental film / TV cues
Posted: Sat Feb 07, 2015 3:55 pm
by funsongs
PeterD wrote:What form are:
Take a Chance on Me
Fernando
The Winner Takes it All
and Dancing Queen
written in??

oooo!...oooo! call on me!! I know!!...
In Sweden!!??

Re: Song structure for instrumental film / TV cues
Posted: Sat Feb 07, 2015 6:03 pm
by billhullett
Larry.... I just did one for the same listing that I used the AABA formula so we're dead wrong or dead right!! Either way "I got your back man"!
Bill Hullett
Re: Song structure for instrumental film / TV cues
Posted: Sat Feb 07, 2015 7:13 pm
by VanderBoegh
I usually go A-A-A-A, but if you look at it in terms of growth throughout the piece, it's more like A-a-a-A where the middle two sections are much more sparse and the last A section is all balls-to-the-wall. So maybe it would look like this:
A - a - a - A
Sometimes I do B's, but never C's. Ya know, just like college, C's may get degrees, but you wanna shoot for straight A's with the occasional B so you don't seem like a super nerd! Maybe even put a football section in there somewhere, for the chicks.
~~Matt