Film Scoring/Creating the sound of drama

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These lessons on film scoring are under construction this month



These instructions are designed for GarageBand 3 plus the sounds of a symphony orchestra.
GarageBand is easy and fast yet powerful enough to do film scoring.
Please, tell me if you find anything as good!


This course in music and filmmaking is:
Film scoring introduction for filmmakers
This lesson is:
Lesson #3 - Using melody to create moods with GarageBand and the sounds of a symphony orchestra
The pages in this lesson are:
Page 1: Creating moods with melodies
Page 2: Creating a simple melody using GarageBand - 6 points
Page 3: Creating a melody which tells a story - 6 points
Page 4: Creating a simple motif - 6 points
Page 5: Creating continuity with melodies - 6 points
Page 6: Create a musical cue for "Graduation Day" - #2 - 20 points
Lesson #03 - Create the sound of drama with melodies!

Lesson Summary - Melody

Melodies do many things
Single notes and simple rhythms create moods. A melody also creates a moods. But it also can do much more.


  • 1. Mood
Melodies create moods.


  • 2. Narration
Melodies can narrate a scene. That is because some melodies can tell a story.


  • 3. Motiv
A melody be identified with a person, action, or thought.


  • 4. Continuity
All music, specially melodies, can create continuity in a motion picture.


In this lesson

In this lesson, you will create:
  • 1. Simple melodies
  • 2. Melodies which tell a story
  • 3. Melodies which are motivs.
  • 4. Melodies which create continuity



The next page

We start very simply by creating a simple melody in GarageBand

Contact your instructor

Your instructor for this film scoring class is Robert Elliott.
You can email me by clicking here.



Shortcuts to the other music lessons for film scoring: The Introduction"Fear""Joy""Drama"The Workshop


Film Scoring Introduction Lessons for Filmmakers
Introduction: Basic theory of film scoring
Lesson #1: Sound of Fear - Individual notes
Lesson #2: Sound of Joy - Rhythm
Lesson #3: Sound of Drama - Melody
Lesson #4: Butchering MIDI files - MIDI
Lesson #5: Adjusting the film edit - dialog for music
Exercises: Film scoring exercises - real scenes





This lesson is part of the
course on film scoring
for non-musicians