Tailor_16480_MPP
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Table&of&contents&&
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Cover!Page! 1!
Acknowledgments!!! 2!
Table!of!Contents!! 3!
Abstract!! 5!
Introduction!! 6!
Tension!and!Release! 7!
Expectation!! 8!
ITPRA!Theory!! 9!
Consonance!and!Dissonance!! 10!
Musical!Production! 11!
Music!Harmony!! 12!
Minor!9! 13!
Passing!chords!and!Diminished!Chords,!Triton!Substitution!! 14!
Dominate!Chord,!Cadence!and!Deceptive!Cadence! 15!
Cadence!and!Deceptive!Cadence! 15!
Melody!! 18!
Rhythm!!!! 21!
Dynamics!! 25!
Arrangement!! 25!
Technical!! 28!
Timbre!! 28!
Production! 29!
Mixing! 30!
Conclusion! 31!
References!! 33!
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Abstract#
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The" primary" focus" of" this" paper" is" to" conduct" a" thorough" research" into" the"
implementation" of" Tension" and" Release" in" modern" day" music" production."
Supplementing"the"research"will"be"my"practical"contribution"that"reflects"the"concepts"
I"put"forward"in"my"thesis."I"will"provide"a"series"of"audio"extracts"from"my"fundamental"
practical" involvement" to" emphasize" the" specific" area" of" tension" and" release" I" am"
referring" too." Each" subheading" will" be" a" new" section" of" tension" that" will" converge"
together"to"form"Tension"and"Release."My"research"methodology"consists"of"looking"
into" various" books" to" explore" the" subject" in" depth" and" breadth." The" findings" of" the"
paper"will"be"a"result"of"the"materialization"of"my"practical"section"emanating"from"the"
research"I"have"conducted.""""
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Introduction&&
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“Music"can"be"profoundly"moving"by"means"of"the"resonances"that"people"can"
establish"between"the"toneAstress"and"the"ideal"motion"of"music"and"the"nervous"
tension"and"motor"impulse"of"their"bodies”!(Beat,!2007,!p.27)!
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In!this!dissertation!I!will!be!exploring!the!different!areas!of!tension!and!release!and!it’s!
application!in!modern!day!composition.!My!research!will!demonstrate!how!this!
methodology!is!applied!to!music!production!by!means!of!various!different!
compositional!techniques.!Some!of!these!techniques!include,!cadence!and!deceptive!
cadences,!syncopation!and!consonance!and!deceptive!consonance.!Other!procedures!
will!be!drawn!from!research!regarding!psychology,!philological!manipulation,!
phenomenon!of!expectation!and!the!creation!of!a!field!of!expectation!and!anticipation!
in!music!and!much!more.!In!order!to!construct!my!analysis!of!these!concepts,!I!will!
focus!on!books!that!consist!mainly!of!philological!and!musical!interests.!Erin!(2002)!
says,!“Experienced!musical!composers!have!the!skill!to!intensify!normal!listeners’!
perception”.!This!contention!is!integral!to!my!practical!contribution.!Hence,!I!first!need!
to!develop!a!wider!understanding!on!how!these!various!concepts!listed!above!(line!
4,5)!are!used!to!create!tension!in!the!various!works!that!I!shall!be!presenting!in!my!
practical!contribution.!All!these!practical!elements!will!materialize!from!my!theoretical!
research.!!
At!this!juncture!it!must!be!highlighted!that!some!questions!have!arisen!from!the!
concept!that!certain!timbres!behave!in!contradistinction,!whilst!others!create!tension.!
There!is!also!the!question!of!how!rhythm!can!influence!the!arrangement!and!influence!
the!triggering!of!psychological!stress.!I!attempt!to!answer!these!questions!through!my!
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theoretical!work!supported!by!my!empirical!research,!to!prove!the!concepts!applied!in!
my!practical!portion.!!
For!my!structural!approach,!I!will!deliver!each!segment!in!sections,!i.e.!!
Tension"and"Release"–#Expectation,"ITPRA"Theory,!Consonance"and"Dissonance.!I!will!go!
into!great!detail!to!outline!a!clear!understanding!of!my!theoretical!research!in!order!to!
demonstrate!it!in!the!practical!contribution!of!my!work,!to!establish!how!these!
theories!are!linked!with!Tension!in!music.!#
From!a!compositional!perspective,!I!will!be!looking!at!how!rhythm,!melody,!harmony!
and!special!effects!can!influence!arrangements.!It!is!clear!that!most!people!are!not!
aware!of!the!physiological!effects!that!occur!whilst!listening!to!music.!With!this!in!
mind,!I!will!be!fully!cognizant!of!the!rationale!behind!all!the!musical!content!I!create!
for!my!practical!contribution!throughout!the!compositional!and!mixing!stage.!!
Subsequent!to!the!completion!of!reading!the!introductory!stage!of!this!theses,!I!
request!the!reader!to!listen!to!the!main!practical!element!(located!in:!Main"Practical"
Contribution!folder)!through!the!‘Unity!Audio!Boulder’!monitors,!in!the!Neve!Genesys!
studio.!This!is!because!my!mixing!process!was!completed!in!this!specific!room!from!
which!I!believe!will!sonically!translate!accurately!my!practical!work.!Upon!the!
completion!of!listening!to!this!element,!I!kindly!request!the!reader!to!resume!perusing!
the!rest!of!the!thesis.!Each!section!of!the!composition!will!be!extracted!in!small!
segments!and!put!into!individual!subfolders!in!a!folder!entitled:!Extracts"from"400.!
These!individual!audio!files!are!a!reflection!of!my!theoretical!research.!
In!musical!terms,!the!concept!of!my!composition!is!extremely!versatile!in!style.!I!
needed!to!explore!and!find!a!new!creative!perspective!from!which!to!think!from,!
whilst!creating!the!composition.!This!is!because!it!was!the!first!composition!that!I!have!
made!entirely!from!nothing.!To!support!my!compositional!approach,!I!needed!to!
gather!research!on!my!specified!DAW!and!creative!techniques.!During!the!initial!stage,!
the!creative!process!proved!difficult!to!materialize.!This!was!due!to!my!lack!of!
orchestral!ideas!and!experience.!My!musical!background!emanated!from!playing!jazz!
and!black!gospel!piano,!resulting!in!my!chord!vocabulary!being!naturally!manifested!in!
a!somewhat!uncontrolled!manner.!This!gave!the!music!an!undisciplined!quality,!
resulting!in!it!sounding!too!indistinct!for!the!purposes!of!the!composition.!On!page!24,!
I!give!the!reader!an!opportunity!to!listen!to!the!early!versions!of!my!main!practical!
element!in!order!to!understand!this!particular!conundrum!in!more!depth.!!&
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As!you!read!the!main!body!of!this!thesis,!you!will!gradually!be!guided!to!listen!to!all!of!
the!extracts!taken!from!my!main!practical!portion!including!some!smaller!examples!
that!has!no!involvement!with!my!main!score.!This!is!because!I!wanted!to!demonstrate!
the!same!example!in!different!musical!scenarios.!In!Extracts"from"400!audio!folders,!
you!will!find!in!some!of!the!subfolders!an!additional!audio!file!highlighted!in!orange,!
entitled!‘isolated’."Please!listen!to!the!highlighted!audio!file!first,!before!listening!to!
the!second!file.!Depending!on!the!theory!I!am!discussing,!some!of!the!instruments!will!
be!bypassed!to!focus!the!listener’s!attention!on!the!appropriate!point!that!I!am!trying!
to!convey.!This!is!to!also!emphasize!to!the!listener!the!bold!comparison!and!statement!
that!I!am!attempting!to!communicate.!All!files!located!in!Tension"Examples!should!be!
listened!through!the!DT!990!Pro!headphones.!You!will!notice!a!clear!distinction!in!
quality!between!the!mastered!and!undmastered!mix!when!listening!to!the!comparison!
mixes!in!the!audio!examples!folder.!!
The!integral!aim!of!this!paper!is!an!exploration!and!inddepth!analysis!of!the!theoretical!
application!of!tension!and!release!and!implementation!in!modern!day!music!
composition!and!production.!!
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Tension&and&Release&
In!music,!Tension!and!release!is!a!technique!that!has!been!distinguished!“As!a!play!of!
tendencies!and!resolutions”!(Lippman,!1957,!p553d557)!used!by!musicians!in!order!to!
hold!the!listeners!attention!during!a!musical!composition.!!!!!!
Tension!and!its!relationship!with!release!is!a!creative!technique!for!creating!
expression.!Human!listeners!are!particularly!receptive!to!tension!from!a!subconscious!
perspective.!In!the!following!text,!I!will!explain!the!tools!that!can!be!used!to!
materialize!this!concept!into!practice.!Composers!experiment!with!harmony,!rhythm!
and!dynamic!level!to!create!tension.!We!anticipate!the!pitch!movement!in!music,!
which!depends!on!the!relationship!between!the!chords!and!melody!line.!Levitin,!
(2006)!discusses!anticipation!in!music!by!explaining!that!harmony!is!closely!related!to!
the!differences!between!pitches!with!alternative!sonic!signatures.!Expectations!are!
skillfully!put!in!place!to,!“meet!or!violate”!in!a!musical,!expressive!imaginative!way!
(2006)!
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Expectation&
I!will!be!talking!about!the!phenomenon!of!expectation!in!this!paper!in!the!sections!
below.!In!music,!tension!is!a!result!of!expectation.!Composers!take!advantage!of!this!
by!creating!a!scenario!in!their!music!that!prompts!a!strong!sense!of!expectation!within!
the!listener’s!subconscious.!This!produces!a!sense!of!direction!and!momentum!in!the!
lead!up!to!its!anticipated!realization.!“Nonetheless,!expectations!of!a!weaker!
consistency!give!way!to!a!state!of!confusion!and!lack!of!direction.”!(Cope,!2001)!!
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ITPRA&Theory&
Musicologist!David!Huron!has!put!forth!a!theory!referred!to!as!the!ITPRA!(Imaginative!
Tension!Prediction!Reactive!Appraisal).!!This!theory!is!split!into!five!subsystems!of!
expectancies!that!can!be!associated!with!the!emotional!phenomenon!of!music:!
imagination,!tension,!prediction,!reaction,!and!appraisal.!Imagination:!(How!the!future!
occurrence!will!unfold),!Tension!(anticipation!of!expected!occurrence)!!
I!will!now!attempt!explain!in!more!depth!the!significance!of!each!element!within!this!
theory.!!
“The!first!two!subsystems!mediate!responses!that!occur!before!the!
expected/unexpected!event!(pre!outcome!responses)!and!are!related!to!guiding!
behavior!by!means!of!predicted!future!emotional!experiences!and!physiological!and!
psychological!preparation!for!predicted!future!events."!(Cochrane,!2013,!p.206)!!
Prediction:!(A!statement!based!on!future!circumstance),!Reaction:!(Something!felt!in!
response!to!an!incident),!Appraisal:!(What!the!concluding!ramifications!are!of!the!
outcome).!This!is!to!help!us!understand!and!justify!the!philological!occurrence!related!
to!expectation.!(Tan,!2010)!!
It!gives!scope!to!a!number!of!ways!that!anticipation!can!manifest!as!emotional!
responses!to!music.!!
“The!final!three!subsystems!mediate!responses!that!occur!after!the!event!(postd
outcome!responses),!and!their!impact!is!related!to!whether!the!event!was!accurately!
predicted,!as!well!as!predattentive!and!conscious!assessment!of!the!event!once!it!has!
occurred”!Cochrane,!(2013),!p.206!!!
Huron’s!theory!is!more!directed!to!musical!expectation.!In!retrospect!he!stresses!that!
his!theory!is!versatile!enough!to!respond!from!expectation!of!any!temporal!nature.!
(Tan,!2010)!Huron!provides!a!comparative!example!(which!is!irrelevant!to!music)!of!the!
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ITPRA!theory!by!taking!the!case!of!a!baseball!outfielder.!In!every!throwing!of!each!
pitch,!tension!reaches!its!pinnacle.!Tension!is!at!its!lowest!point!between!pitches,!
where!the!fielder!can!recuperate.!However,!arousal!and!attention!is!increased!when!
the!pitcher!prepares!to!throw!the!ball.!From!this!stage,!the!anticipatory!tension!from!
the!fielders!point!of!view!is!give!rise!to!weather!he/she!must!take!action.!(2006)!!
Based!on!my!reading,!I!will!attempt!to!correlate!this!model!to!my!practical!element!by!
exploring!the!parallels!in!compositional!movement.!!!!!
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In!order!to!maintain!tension,!artists!must!maintain!the!listeners!interest!at!a!stable!
leverage!by!constantly!trying!to!anticipate!what!the!listener!would!expect!to!come!
next!in!the!musical!composition.!When!a!composer!can!develop!the!ability!to!predict!
the!listener’s!musical!anticipation,!they!then!can!use!this!information!to!‘tease‘!the!
listener!by!almost!resolving!the!listener’s!build!up!of!tension.!Instead,!they!can!turn!
this!around!by!distracting!the!listener!by!moving!away!from!the!point!of!possible!
resolution.!This!ultimately!lifts!the!musical!tension,!and!leaves!the!listener!unsatisfied!
because!the!composition!did!not!resolve!to!any!consonant.!This!pattern!is!repeated!
back!and!forth!to!generate!tension!and!anticipation,!whilst!listeners!subconsciously!
eagerly!wait!for!the!consonant!resolving!chord!that!in!essence,!provides!a!strong!
sensation!of!release!from!the!listener’s!perspective.!In!music,!the!imagination!is!an!
important!tool,!which!is!used!to!predict!future!occurrences.!Cochrane!explains!the!
“predoutcome!of!imagination!is!an!important!motivator!for!action”!!(2013),!p.206!
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Clynes!!(1982),!p.9!also!expresses,!“every!music!artist!must!anticipate!and!preddirect!
the!listeners!fixations;!he!draws!attention!here,!distracting!it!from!there:!forcing!
hearer!(again,!like!a!magician)!to!ask!just!questions!that!the!composition!is!about!to!
answer.!Only!by!establishing!such!predestablished!harmony,!can!music!make!it!seem!
that!something!is!there”!!
To!implement!Clynes!theory!into!400,!I!firstly!repeated!a!chord!sequence!for!a!total!of!
fifty!bars.!However!repeating!the!same!chord!progression!without!any!other!melodic!
elements!completing!the!integral!chord!progression!would!bore!the!listener.!To!
address!this!problem,!I!assigned!each!string!section!into!separate!divisions.!Full!block!
High!strings,!Low!Strings,!Cello!First!Chair!A,!Aleotoric!and!full!divisi!set!which!are!
made!up!of!eight!string!sections!d!all!playing!independent!parts!to!achieve!dynamic!
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diversity.!Please!refer!to!String!Section!Divisions!(located!in!Example_20)!the!main!
chord!progression!in!this!fifty!bar!string!section!was!played!with!a!low!and!high!string!
section.!The!Aleotoric!strings!consisted!of!two!sustained!violins!and!two!Sordino!
Violas,!which!included!an!harmonizing!melody!along!with!a!First!Chair!Cello!that!
travelled!up!in!whole!steps!in!the!major!scale!of!G,!to!give!a!sense!of!forward!motion!
in!this!fifty!barred!loop.!With!the!following!instrumentation!in!place,!I!also!
programmed!a!full!string!section,!which!features!the!same!melodic!characteristics!as!
the!Aleotoric!strings,!but!in!a!bigger!context.!This!string!section!featured,!Four!sets!of!
Legato!sustain!violins!three!of!which!were!Non!Vibrato!to!Vibrato!patches1
,!and!the!
other!being!Violin!FIrst!Chair,!and!another!four!sets!of!Violas!with!one!set!being!First!
Chairs.!!!!!!!!!!!
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Consonance&and&Dissonance&&
Smith!(2012,!p.98)!emphasizes!the!integral!effect!of!harmonic!clash!in!tension,!which!
works!differently!from!consonant!harmonies:!“Although!composers!sometimes!use!the!
tension!created!between!consonant!harmonies!and!dissonant!harmonies!to!give!the!
listener!a!sense!of!the!beginning!and!ending!of!a!musical!composition,!dissonance!can!
also!be!used!for!the!creation!of!tension!within!the!piece”!An!example!of!this!is!heard!in!
the!introduction!of!my!work!400!(00:00:59).!My!synth!had!an!LFO!modulating!higher!
pitched!frequencies.!If!I!did!not!overlay!this!synth!over!the!additional!sounds!that!were!
triggering!peculiar!sounds,!the!density!of!timbre,!would!not!have!been!the!same!
keeping!the!tension!at!a!low!level.!I!have!given!an!example!of!this!where!the!main!
synth!for!the!introduction!has!been!taken!out:!please!refer!to,!Example_7_400.!The!
implementation!of!consonant!intervals!occurs!when!a!multitude!of!tones!gives!the!
impression!of!unity!and!continuity:!usually!a!major!chord.!(Rawlins,!2005)!
By!this!I!mean!that!listeners!may!not!be!able!to!comprehend!the!principle!or!feeling!of!
the!melody,!since!there!would!be!simultaneous!pitches!and!chords!absent.!Reicha!
(2000,!p.99)!explains,!“Without!harmony,!melody!itself!would!have!remained!within!
very!confined!limits”!
To!prove!Reicha’s!point!in!my!practical!work,!I!have!provided!two!examples,!
(Examples_11_400!Isolated)!and!Examples_11_400).!The!brass!section!features!a!lead!
melody!which!is!usually!accompanied!with!a!harmonizing!string!section,!but!I!have!
1
This means, I have full real time control of the Vibrato functionality of these sets of violins.
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bypassed!the!string!section!in!the!isolated!example!to!display!emphasis!on!the!
consequences!which!occur!if!harmony!is!secluded!from!the!musical!arrangement.!
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"Smith!(2012)!mentions!that!dissonance!alone!can!also!be!used!to!create!tension!
without!a!need!of!a!consonant!harmony.!If!this!were!true,!then!there!would!be!little!
room!for!the!‘Release‘.!In!400,!if!I!had!increased!the!duration!of!the!dissonant!synth,!
the!tension!may!have!increased.!This!would!build!up!a!much!stronger!anticipation!for!
the!“Release”!stage,!resulting!in!a!spike!in!psychological!stress.!In!western!music,!the!
‘flow’!of!the!musical!structure,!is!similar!to!a!person!driving!a!car!in!an!unknown!
territory,!the!driver!is!always!anticipating!the!surroundings!and!the!leading!path!
ahead.!Smith!(2012)!comments,!“Just!as!most!music!follows!a!basic!pulse!set!forth!by!
the!time!signature,!most!Western!music!also!follows!a!pulse!of!tension!and!release.!
(Pilhoger!&!Day,!2007,!p.207)”!(2012,!p.98)!As!an!instance!of!this,!please!refer!to!
Example_6_400.!Here!I!have!layered!a!synth!with!a!gated!pulse!in!the!background.!I!
used!an!EQ!to!create!the!‘high!cut’!filter!effect.!As!the!gated!synth!becomes!louder!in!
volume,!the!higher!end!is!revealed,!until!it!reaches!the!pinnacle!point!of!release!where!
the!piano!plays!an!altered!diminished!scale.!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Musical&Production!
My!approach!for!my!production!400!was!to!implement!a!dissonant!introduction.!
Dissonance!involves!two!sounds!which!conflict!with!each!other!in!harmony,!and!holds!
importance!in!creating!tension!and!anticipation,!which!leads!to!the!expectation!of!
(musical)!resolution.!(Sonnenschein,!2001)!!!!!
I!used!various!tools!d!analyzed!in!the!following!text!d!to!create!a!sound!patch!which!
consists!of!a!fundamental!‘dark’!timbre!and!higher!harmonics,!randomly!modulating!as!
a!result!of!a!low!frequency!oscillator!(LFO)!applied!to!the!filter.!The!fundamental!‘pedal!
point’2
!(in!this!case!E)!starts!a!whole!step!up!(F),!and!slowly!glides!to!E.!Consequently,!
it!maintains!the!fundamental!pitch!throughout!the!duration!of!the!introduction.!In!
order!to!apply!even!more!dissonance!I!recorded!a!prepared!piano.!This!setdup!involved!
placing!objects!(i.e.!plastic!sheets,!deodorant!cans,!coins!and!paper)!directly!on!or!ind
2
Pedal point is a sustained note that is usually always present without any breaks. The
dissonance is created by other timbres by playing other notes that clash with the pedal point.
Usually this could be six half steps up from whatever the pedal point is. This creates a triton - a
dissonant interval.
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between!the!strings.!The!most!noticeable!and!interesting!effect!was!on!notes!below!
middle!C.!Composer!Maurice!Delage!(1879–1961)!experimented!with!altering!the!
conventional!sound!of!the!piano!in!1992!(try!to!reference)!however,!according!to!
Leach!(2015,!p9),!American!contemporary!music!composer!John!Cage!(1912d1992)!
‘pushed!the!boundary!of!what!a!piano!could!do!and!what!a!piano!could!sound!like’.!To!
achieve!this,!Cage!would!place!various!objects!either!in!a!desired!location!or!directly!
attached!to!the!strings!that!would!drastically!change!the!timbre!of!the!instrument.!
Leach!expresses!that!a!piano,!“is!a!traditional!instrument!in!Western!music;!however!
when!it!was!“Prepared”!according!to!a!set!of!instructions,!it!was!capable!of!new!sound.!
The!idea!of!“prepared!piano”!was!one!that!Cage!explored!along!with!composer!Henry!
Cowell”!Further,!“he!prescribed!a!series!of!very!specific!preparations!in!which!the!
sound!of!the!piano!would!be!dramatically!changed.!This!could!include!many!things,!
including!changing!the!tuning!as!well!as!inserting!into!the!instrument!objects!from!
daily!life,!such!as!bolts,!screws,!nuts,!coins,!rubber,!weather!stripping,!and!bamboo!
strips”!(2014,!p.109)!!
Whilst!holding!down!the!sustain!pedal,!I!used!a!guitar!pick!to!scrape!the!low!register!
string!at!a!medium!speed.!Later!in!postproduction,!I!time!stretched!this!audio!file!to!
have!its!speed.!Other!experimental!techniques!used!in!this!recording!session!involved!
plucking!the!strings!with!one!hand,!whilst!playing!a!melody!with!the!right!hand.!Please!
referee!to!PP_Example_1!to!listen!to!this!example.!This!was!not!featured!in!the!final!
composition!because!it!did!not!prove!strong!dissonance!against!the!fundamental!tone,!
though!I!do!think!it!is!necessary!to!provide!a!short!clip!of!experiments!I!underwent.!!!!!
!!!!
Music&Harmony&&
During!the!course!of!this!paper,!I!will!be!using!the!Number!System!to!portray!chord!
progressions.!It’s!worth!stating,!that!this!system!is!commonly!used!in!Jazz!and!Gospel!
music.!Every!note!across!the!major!scale!is!associated!with!a!number,!which!give!an!
indication!to!which!notes!to!play!on!the!piano.!!(Moody,!2010)!In!this!image,!each!
letter!of!the!C!major!scale!is!categorized!with!a!number.!!
!
!
!
Figure 1: Number System for the C scale (Moody, 2010, p.18)
- 13. 13
Both!Harmony!and!melody!respectively!have!their!own!unique!characteristics.!
Harmony!is!created!according!to!the!composers!feeling!and!intuition!towards!the!
composition.!Sometimes,!depending!on!the!approach!on!how!the!composition!is!
created,!and!delivered!by!the!composer,!the!harmony!alone!can!be!enough!to!engulf!
the!listener’s!attention.!This!could!occur!if!chord!harmonies,!phrases!and!cadences!are!
expressed!in!a!symphonic!context,!resulting!in!producing!emotions!of!many!kinds,!and!
subsequently!could!blossom!into!a!fine!art!piece.!(Reicha,2000)!
The!interactions!between!harmony!and!melody!draw!great!importance!to!musical!
tension.!This!is!because,!without!harmony,!there!would!be!an!uncertainty!behind!the!
intensions!of!a!melody.!
In!my!practical!element,!I!experiment!with!consonant!and!dissonant!harmonies!to!
show!emphasis!of!the!effect!on!tension!and!release.!Tension!in!harmony!is!created!
when!multiple!tones!in!close!proximity!range!(or!clusters)!are!played!simultaneously.!
An!example!of!this!can!be!heard!in!the,!Tension!explained!folder!d!Minor!9.m4a.!!
!
Minor&9&
Minor!9!chord!substitutions!are!a!very!expressive!chord!voicing!that!can!drastically!
change!the!characteristics!of!chord!harmonies.!The!reason!behind!this!lies!in!the!
structure!of!the!chord!itself,!i.e.!C!major!chord!consists!of!three!tones:!1d3d5!d!which!
would!translate!on!the!graph!above!as,!CdEdG.!In!order!to!voice!this!to!a!Minor!9!chord,!
one!must!allow!space!between!the!major!second!interval!that!is!usually!called!the!
major!ninth,!and!the!minor!third!interval.!Once!in!this!position,!the!composer!must!
find!the!minor!seventh!interval!that!would!be!the!lowest!note!in!the!right!hand.!To!
hear!this!in!context,!please!refer!to!example:!Minor!9!located!in!the!Tension!Explained!
folder.!In!this!particular!example,!I!have!demonstrated!the!unique!attributes!of!how!
the!Minor!9!chord!can!add!a!dissonant!texture!to!any!chord!patterns.!To!hear!another!
example!of!this,!please!refer!to!Example_13_400!and!Example_13_400!(Regular!
Minor).!The!subtle!differences!between!the!regular!minor!(A!standard!minor!chord!
without!any!higher!note!extensions)!and!Minor!9th!example,!should!be!noticeable.!
Listen!carefully!to!how!this!indistinct!change!can!add!more!emotional!stress!to!the!
piece.!When!voiced!in!this!particular!manner,!“The!minor!nine!chord!sounds!moody!
yet!enchanting.!Because!of!this,!the!minor!ninth!is!perfect!for!romantic!songs!or!jazzy!
interludes”!(Starr,2007,p.87)!
- 14. 14
Passing&chords&and&Diminished&Chords&
In!music!harmony,!passing!chords!is!a!technique,!which!involves!musicians!using!a!
selective!chord!to!help!transition!into!the!next!chord.!These!passing!notes!are!not!
necessarily!part!of!the!fundamental!chord!progression,!but!an!element!to!provide!a!
bridge!to!travel!into!the!next!chord!(Cole,!2014).!
For!instance,!Damschroder!clarifies!that!passing!tones!in!music!harmony!are!chords,!
which!are!not!derived!from!any!foundational!harmony.!They!are!used!to!consequently!
pass!between!two!foundational!chords,!which!often!flow!prophetically!into!the!next!
chord,!to!complete!the!sequence!(2008,!p.114)!!
I!have!provided!a!demonstration!how!passing!chords!can!be!applied!into!context.!
Please!refer!to,!“Passing!Chords”!which!is!located!in!the,!Tension!explained!folder.!!!!!!!
!
Diminished!chords!are!generally!used!as!passing!chords,!and!are!generally!used!to!
create!anticipation!for!the!next!chord!in!the!sequence.!For!instance,!if!in!the!key!of!Ab,!
and!the!chord!progression!was,!4!d!6.!A!diminished!chord!would!bridge!the!gap!
between!the!two!chords,!if!executed!correctly.!Please!refer!to"Diminished.m4a!located!
in!the!Tension"Explained!folder!to!here!an!example!of!this.!I!have!also!presented!
another!example!on!this!concept!in!my!main!practical!element.!Please!refer!to!
Example_10_400!to!here!this!in!context.!Other!ways!of!creating!rising!tension!would!
be!to!use!the!diminished!chords!to!move!up!in!semi!tones.!To!hear!an!example!of!this,!
please!reefer!to!Diminished"Crawl.m4a!located!in!the!Tension"Explained"folder.!!!!!!
!
Triton&Substitution&
This!section!will!contain!information!on!why!tritons!create!such!an!aggressive!
dissonance!in!music.!I!will!also!discuss!the!way!an!interval!is!constructed,!and!its!
implementation!into!my!practical!contribution.!Jazz!and!gospel!music!has!a!distinctive!
dissonant!sonic!characteristic,!because!it!is!integral!to!this!specific!music!genre.!Tri!
meaning!three!is!constructed!from!three!whole!steps!from!any!tone,!i.e!F#!dand!C!
would!form!a!triton!because!there!are!three!whole!steps!in!between!the!two!tones.!
(Wilkin,!2004).!!
It!is!a!not!a!chord!which!is!used!for!resolving!to!a!consonant!position,!because!the!
substitution!puts!forth!extensive!dissonance!thus!would!cause!too!much!discomfort!to!
listeners!coming!from!a!musical!perspective.!It!is!however,!used!as!a!passing!tone!to!
- 15. 15
transition!into!the!next!chord!segment.!The!substitution!can!be!found!in!a!dominant!
7th!chord3
.!By!substituting!the!first!and!fifth!tone!from!the!‘major’!4
!dominant!7th!
chord,!you!are!left!with!an!interval!that!consists!of!the!third!and!flatted!seventh!tone,!
which!is!known!as!tritons.!I!have!demonstrated!an!example!on!the!piano,!on!how!
effective!tritons!can!be.!Please!refer!to!folder,!Tritons.m4a"and"Tritons"and"Passing"
Chords"in"context!in!the!Tension"Explained!folder.!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!
Dominate&Chords&&&&&
In!this!section,!I!will!discuss!the!importance!of!the!major!7th!dominant!chord!(which!is!
known!as!a!deceptive!cadence!because!of!its!dissonance!caused!by!the!triton)!The!
Major!7th!dominant!chord!holds!a!very!large!degree!of!tension!because!of!the!triton.!
Theoretically,!a!triton!exists!within!the!major!dominant!7th!chord!because!it!contains!
the!third!and!‘flattened’5
!degree!tone!of!a!major!scale.!!!!
!
Cadence”&and&“Deceptive&Cadence&
“Cadence”!and!“Deceptive!Cadence”!is!a!key!tool!that!implements!rising!expectations!
and!creating!tension!in!music.!As!mentioned!above!(on!page!seven,!paragraph!two),!
Cadence!and!Deceptive!Cadence!are!two!very!important!factors!in!music.!!
In!order!to!materialize!this!concept,!one!could!avoid!resolving!the!musical!fragment!to!
the!tonic!chord!after!playing!the!dominant!chord.!Alternatively!one!may!resolve!to!the!
sixth!or!sub!dominant!chord.!Tension!may!be!increased!by!the!type!of!chorddvoicing!
the!composer!chooses!over!the!bass!note.!The!following!chord!progressions!receive!
two!alternative!endings.!The!first!progression!demonstrates!that!ending!on!the!tonic!
from!the!dominant!7th!chord!could!inflict!an!unresolved!resolution!if!the!leading!chord!
is!“voiced”!accordingly.!The!second!progression!demonstrates!that!ending!the!chord!
sequence!on!a!completely!different!chord!fragment,!which!is!in!a!different!key!from!
the!original!progression,!should!evoke!a!strong!element!of!musical!tension!that!does!
require!the!music!to!continue.!In!Figure!1!(P.18),!I!have!demonstrated!that!it!is!in!
actual!fact!the!right!hand!voicing!on!the!piano,!which!could!play!a!role!in!increasing!
anticipation.!From!the!dominant!chord!(less!stable!degree),!the!tonic!(most!stable!
3
Dominant 7th chord is viewed in the number system chart above on page 4, as (Key of C) 1 - 3
- 5 - b7 (Flat Seventh)
4
Major consists of tones: 1 - 3 - 5 tones in any major key on the piano. Minor constitutes of
tones: 1 - 3b - 5
5
A tone, which is moved down a half step (semi tone) to the immediate.
- 16. 16
degree)!is!played!to!resolve!the!pattern,!which!is!known!as!a!cadence!as!mentioned!
above.!Concluding!to!a!tonic!during!a!musical!phrase!with!a!strong!supporting!rhythm!
is!thought!to!be!a!fairly!weak!maneuver!in!generating!musical!tension,!as!the!musical!
prolongation!is!sought!to!be!not!essential,!thus!assuming!the!musical!phrase!
concluded.!This!concept!is!an!integral!part!to!include!in!this!thesis,!as!I!will!be!
providing!examples!on!implementing!this!into!musical!context.!
This!inherent!factor!of!tension!revolves!around!taking!advantage!of!one’s!neurological!
thought!process!regarding!anticipation!and!imaginative!activity.!!
‘Cadence‘!signifying!the!close!of!a!musical!phrase,!which!results!in!what!known!as!
“Resolution”:!!‘Deceptive’!meaning!an!ambiguous!or!inconclusive!action!towards!the!
listener.!In!musical!terms,!it!does!not!provide!any!means!of!rest.!!This!particular!kind!of!
behavior!revolves!around!the!composer!leading!the!listener!to!a!possible!resolution,!
prolonging!the!wait!process!(usually!a!tonic)6
,!but!never!closing!the!deception!with!a!
cadence.!This!‘delay‘!in!the!process!results!in!the!listener!generating!psychological!
stress,!known!as!tension.!(Neuwirth,!2014)!!!!!
Levitin!(2006,!p.109)!redestablishes!that,!“A!cadence!is!a!chord!sequence!that!sets!up!a!
clear!expectation!and!then!closes,!typically!with!a!satisfying!resolution.!In!the!
deceptive!cadence,!the!composer!repeats!the!chord!sequence!again!and!again!until!he!
has!finally!convinced!the!listeners!that!we're!going!to!get!what!we!expect,!but!then!at!
the!last!minute,!he!gives!us!an!unexpected!chord!d!not!outside!the!key,!but!a!chord!
that!tells!us!that!out's!not!over,!a!chord!that!doesn't!completely!resolve"!!
!
It!could!be!because!it!is!an!easily!predictable!movement!which!listeners!may!be!
subconsciously!familiar!with,!however!when!a!chord!progression!is!stopped!on!an!
unpredictable!note,!it!induces!the!highest!amount!of!tension!that!then!requires!the!
musical!phrase!to!continue!(Cross,!1993).!Listeners!may!not!anticipate!the!odd!
movement!to!maneuver!in!this!particular!way.!Huron!(2006)!explains!that!listeners!
may!feel!tension!solely!from!expecting!a!degree!of!resolution.!Furthermore,!he!states!
that!each!time!a!possibility!of!resolution!might!occur,!listeners!are!likely!to!feel!a!small!
amount!of!psychological!stress!each!time!a!possibility!of!resolution!approaches.!!
Ultimately!there!may!be!a!number!of!alternative!viewpoints!upon!the!two!statements!
each!author!has!given!regarding!resolution!from!a!Dominant!chord!perspective,!it!all!
6
Fundamental Tone - First degree of the major scale often known as the ‘one’ chord.
- 17. 17
boils!down!to!the!individual!listeners!feeling.!Huron,!(2006),!“The!expectation!of!
resolution!will!lead!to!a!degree!of!tension.!That!is,!a!slight!amount!of!psychological!
stress!will!arise!as!each!moment!of!possible!resolution!approaches.”!!!!!!
!
Usually!a!deceptive!cadence!would!entail!going!anywhere!from!the!dominant,!but!
never!to!the!major!tonic.!In!figure!1,!I!demonstrate!going!straight!to!the!tonic!from!the!
dominant,!however!still!inducing!a!little!tension!just!from!the!way!in!which!I!have!
voiced!the!chord.!I!have!chosen!to!voice!the!tonic!(D)!in!a!minor!key!rather!than!the!
regular!major,!adding!higher!note!extensions,!which!translate!from!the!sheet!below!as,!
D!minor,!with!a!G!dominant!7!13th!on!top.!!
In!figure!2,!I!chose!to!move!to!the!flat!5!of!D!major!from!the!dominant!which!translate!
in!the!musical!stem!as!an!Eb!Major!7!add!9.!This!could!be!seen!as!a!“Deceptive!
Cadence”,!as!I!did!not!resolve!to!the!tonic.!Listeners!could!expect!the!music!to!
continue!on!in!this!example.!Both!Figures!1,!and!Figure!2!are!available!to!here!in!the,!
Cadence!and!Deceptive!folder.!!(Please!refer!to!Cadence"and"Deceptive"Folder!to!here!
these!examples)!!!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
In!order!to!materialize!these!concepts!into!my!practical!element,!I!decided!to!
experiment!with!a!chord!progression!which!developed!from!a!two!chord!loop,!E!minor!
and!A!minor.!(Often!abbreviated!as!a!6d2!progression!in!the!key!of!G!major)!This!
developed!into!a!6d2/7d3d6!progression!(E!Minor,!A!Minor,!F#7/b5!d!B!Major!Dominant!
7!d!E!Minor).!It!is!also!necessary!to!mention!that!resolving!to!the!one!chord!after!
playing!an!slightly!altered!Dominant!7!chord!is!often!known!to!be!common!in!create!
rising!tension.!In!this!case!I!chose!to!voice!the!B!dominant!7!chord!with!a!G!augmented!
Figure!1! Figure!2!
!
- 18. 18
on!top.!!At!random!moments,!I!chose!an!triton!for!D!major7
!in!the!left!hand!with!a!
regular!A!minor!in!second!inversion!on!the!6!chord,!to!alter!the!listeners!anticipation!
before!resolving!back!to!the!consonant!interval.!This!chord!cycle!is!repeated!for!fifty!
bars,!until!the!abrupt!transition!chord!comes!into!place,!which!was!an!A!Diminished!
with!Eb!being!the!root!note.!Note!that!I!did!not!stick!with!the!same!root!note!as!A!
Diminished,!instead!I!chose!Eb!because!the!resolving!chord!would!fall!on!a!D!minor!7th!
add9!that!creates!a!deceptive!cadence.!Another!example!of!this!is!present!in!my!main!
practical!contribution.!
!
When!the!linguistic!second!linguistic!phrase!is!featured,!the!last!phrase!is!met!with!a!
major!7!chord.!In!the!second!example!(located!in!the!same!folder)!I!have!provided!
another!version,!however!this!time,!I!have!changed!the!last!chord!to!a!minor!9th.!
Notice!how!both!of!these!chords!change!the!emotions!slightly!on!the!very!last!phase."
Smith!has!expressed!that!the!highest!point!of!tension!reached!at!the!point!of!a!
dominant!chord,!only!to!be!resolved!to!a!chord!other!than!the!one!chord.!This!is!
known!as!an!interrupted"cadence"(2012)."To!here!please!refer!to!Example_22_400"!!
!
Melody&
Melody!is!a!result!of!‘organized’!tones!and!pitches!assembled!together.!It!has!an!
interregnal!role!in!music!and!for!many!people,!a!sentimental,!reminiscence!and!
cultural!value.!In!general,!melody!has!a!natural!place!in!music.!We!all!perceive!it!in!a!
different!way!from!everyone!else.!The!reasons!that!one!individual!finds!it!more!
appealing!than!another!is!a!phenomenon!that!is!not!quite!understood!yet,!the!
interpretation!of!any!given!piece!of!music!being!very!individualistic!and!unique.!
Aldridge!(2008,!p.10)!comments:!“It!is!an!integrative,!and!important,!means!of!
expression!in!many!different!societies”!Composers!have!commonly!expressed!
concerns!that!in!the!absence!of!melody,!music!may!be!inconceivable.!It!is!essentially!
the!central!‘essence’!of!music.!(Aldridge,!2008)!!He!further!references!other!authors!to!
further!emphasize!his!initial!views:!“Eimert!calls!melody!within!atonal!music!‘the!
highest!expression!of!the!atonal!idea’,!and!even!Alban!Berg!advocates!a!‘singable!
melody’!(Blume!1989a!p.23)”!
7
Triton for D major: F# and C - left hand voicing
- 19. 19
The!interaction!between!melody!and!tension!can!be!extremely!strong!in!some!
circumstances.!For!instance,!in!the!midst!of!an!‘epic‘!cinematic!composition,!
composers!would!particularly!be!conscious!of!the!dynamic!level!of!tension!within!a!
melody.!It!is!sought!to!be!sometimes!consistent!to!its!range.!By!this!I!am!referring!to!
the!relationship!between!the!timbre,!modulation!intensity!(Controlled!using!an!
modulating!expression!wheel!in!my!case)!and!dynamic!level,!to!the!melodic!behavior.!
Each!one!of!these!components!must!fit!into!context!within!the!composition’s!
distinctive!mannerisms.!Smith!stresses!that!the!physiological!responses!in!melodic!
tension!is!dependent!on!pitch!range:!The!wider!and!dynamic!the!pitch,!the!greater!the!
level!of!tension.!If!the!melody!is!lacking!in!pitch!range,!then!the!less!musical!tension!
will!be!present.!(Smith,!2012)!In!order!to!support!the!claims!of!this!research,!I!put!forth!
an!exemplar!(Example_17_400)!of!this!in!my!practical!element.!Each!extract!from!
example_400_17,!A,!B,!C,!D!increases!in!wider!dynamic!character.!In!example!A,!there!
is!only!one!violin!taking!over!the!melody.!At!this!point!of!the!composition,!I!try!to!give!
the!listener!a!relaxed!therapeutic!sound.!This!was!done!to!relax!the!listener.!In!B,!the!
dynamic!spectrum!is!greatly!increased,!now!with!an!entire!string!orchestra!playing!a!
multitude!of!complex!independent!arrangements,!timbre!modulation!and!
articulations,!which!I!painstakingly!programmed.!I!focused!on!Smith’s!point,!to!achieve!
a!greater!level!of!philological!response,!now!shaping!the!harmonies!over!the!piano!at!
half!speed.!In!C,!I!use!a!twelvedhorn!section!to!dramatically!to!cut!through!the!mix!and!
to!communicate!to!the!listener!which!transient!the!focus!should!be!on.!By!opening!the!
horns!timbres!comprehensively,!it!enabled!them!to!dominate!the!space!to!transition!
into!the!next!segment!of!the!composition.!In!example!C,!I!challenge!the!listener’s!
anticipation!by!bringing!the!composition!back!down!to!a!low!point.!This!was!to!confuse!
the!listener!as!to!where!the!composition!might!be!going,!whether!it!would!climb!back!
to!the!peak!point!in!the!dynamics,!timbre!and!rhythmical!density,!or!the!diametrically!
opposed!paradox.!Smith’s!theory!works!perfectly!in!the!respect!of!experimenting!with!
dynamics!and!pitch.!!!
!
In!Example_16_400!(A,B,C),!I!put!Smith’s!research!into!practice!by!experimenting!with!
a!twelve!horn!brass!section,!versatile!enough!to!provide!both!wide!and!narrow!
dynamic!behavior!in!the!middle!of!a!very!active!mix.!In!Examples_16_400!A!and!B,!
there!are!two!distinct!differences!between!the!lead!instruments!dynamic!distinctions.!
- 20. 20
The!dynamic!spectrum!for!the!brass!section!in!A!is!in!the!mix!at!the!same!volume!as!B,!
however!the!dynamic!modulation!is!much!lower.!At!the!introductory!stage!of!A,!there!
are!no!string!arrangements!to!harmonize!with!the!brass!lead.!This!gives!the!brass!
section!an!opportunity!to!dominate!the!space!in!the!stereo!field!as!a!lead!instrument.!
When!the!string!section!comes!into!play,!the!horns!immediately!relinquish!their!
responsibility!as!the!melodic!lead!instrument.!This!is!because!the!strings!are!more!
dynamically!stronger!in!pitch.!Smith!was!correct!in!this!respect!regarding!pitch!
dynamics!and!its!relationship!to!musical!tension.!The!strings!are!also!harmonizing!the!
melody!line!that!the!brass!section!was!previously!playing,!adding!more!depth!to!the!
overall!sound.!!I!achieved!this!by!keeping!the!melody!line!at!the!top!of!my!chords,!
using!Buckler’s!knowledge!of!Inversions.8
!He!also!comments!that!chords!in!versions,!
“are!found!in!musical!compositions!because!they!give!variety!to!the!vertical!sound”!
(2012,!p.182)!!!
The!sequence!of!chords!in!this!example!‘drives’!the!music!in!a!forward!motion!to!
maintain!the!tension.!May!(1980,!p.70)!expresses,!“The!movement!from!chord!to!
chord!furnishes!the!tensiondrelaxation!complexdthe!motor!power!that!drives!the!music!
forward.”!In!B,!the!dynamic!spectrum!for!the!brass!section!is!changed!to!a!higher!
pitch.!I!did!this!by!increasing!the!value!of!the!modulation!wheel,!which!‘opens’!the!
timbre!as!well!as!the!dynamic!volume.!In!doing!so,!the!brass!section!in!this!example!
immediately!reclaims!the!leading!role.!The!purpose!of!this!maneuver!is!to!convey!to!
the!listener!that!they!are!at!risk!of!reaching!an!even!greater!level!of!tension.!In!C,!the!
brass!travels!back!down!to!a!lower!key!register!alongside!the!modulation!wheel,!
resulting!in!a!much!softer!timbre.!When!this!occurs,!I!imminently!choose!another!
instrument!to!take!the!leading!melody!line.!In!this!case!it!was!the!piano.!Using!the!
pedal!tone,!I!kept!on!hitting!the!highest!note!on!of!the!E!minor!chord,!which!is!a!B,!
whilst!changing!the!left!hand!octaves.!For!each!octave!change!I!made,!the!right!hand!
followed!the!corresponding!chord,!with!the!exception!of!the!last!note!of!the!Minor!
chord!(B),!remaining.!This!results!in!a!clash!with!the!other!changes,!as!it!does!not!
correspond!to!the!other!chords!in!a!consonant!way.!!
!
Please!refer!to!Example_14_400!and!Example_14_400_(No!Lead)!to!listen!to!this!in!
context.!Notice!how!the!stress!level!changes!with!and!without!the!simple!piano!lead.!
8
Whenever a chord member other than the foot is lowest or bass note, the chord is inverted
- 21. 21
The!last!note!leaves!a!‘tail‘!of!harmonics!that!clash!with!the!harmonics!derived!from!
the!synth.!This!is!another!example!of!dissonance!that!increases!the!threshold!of!
tension.!Please!refer!to!Example_15_400!to!hear!in!context!how!the!tension!behaves!
with!and!without!the!harmonic!overtones!clashing!with!the!rest.!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Rhythm!
In!this!section!I!will!be!speaking!about!the!integral!responsibility!that!rhythm!holds!in!
creating!a!field!of!tension.!My!final!practical!contribution!will!be!the!result!of!research!
findings!I!gathered!from!others.!I!will!go!into!detail!on!how!experienced!composers!
have!contextualized!their!theoretical!aspects!on!rhythmic!tension!techniques.!
!
Rhythm!is!the!movement!of!repetitive!redoccurrences!that!provide!a!pulse!to!the!
music.!It!provides!a!flow!of!strong!sonic!signatures!that!is!created!to!support!an!
arrangement!consisting!of!various!syllables,!which!could!be!stressed!or!unstressed!
depending!on!the!composition.!Rhythm!can!largely!influence!one’s!state!of!mental!
emotional!strain,!pressure!or!tension!and!general!mood.!!
!
The!meter!is!an!organization!of!beats!of!a!pulse!in!a!repetitive!accented!pattern.!It!is!
inferred!from!accents,!mainly!at!grouping!and!phrase!boundaries,!groupings!and!
phrases!which!are!heard!as!either!conforming!to!the!accent!pattern!of!meter!or!not.!If!
grouping!boundaries!do!not!reinforce!the!accented!pattern!that!is!accustomed!to!the!
meter,!then!metrical!tension!is!the!result!(Snyder,!2000).!This!can!therefore!be!seen!as!
a!side!rule9
.!May!(1980)!explains!how!two!drum!patterns!can!be!mixed!together,!which!
are!not!locked!on!the!first!measure.!She!further!elaborates!about!the!impression!one!
experiences!when!hearing!two!rhythmical!units!that!appear!to!sound!as!if!they!are!not!
in!synchronization.!In!actual!fact,!the!rhythmical!behaviors!between!the!two!units!are!
correctly!placed!together,!but!are!not!set!on!the!first!beat.!These!techniques!are!
consciously!used!in!Japanese!music!in!order!to!produce!tension,!which!has!been!
described!to!drive!the!music!forward!to!its!point!of!cadence!where!a!rhythmical!
agreement!is!reached.!!
!
9
Side Rule: A rhythm which does not start on an irregular measure such as the second or third
- 22. 22
‘Duration’!signifies!the!temporal!element!of!music.!This!includes!rhythmic!density!that!
accounts!for!articulation!and!velocity.!Composers!experiment!with!this!single!element!
to!induce!much!greater!heights!of!anticipation!and!emotional!stimulation.!“higher!
rhythmic!density!and!bass!ostinato!signify!a!higher!level!of!excitement!and!intensity.”!
(Harper,2009,!p.114)!!
Please!refer!to!Example_18_400!to!listen!to!this!demonstrated!in!context.!In!
Example_18_400_No_Pulse,!I!have!bypassed!all!rhythmic!elements!to!demonstrate!
how!the!song!would!behave!if!these!elements!were!withdrawn!from!the!composition.!
Immediately!their!is!a!complete!change!in!feel!for!the!piece.!!
!!
In!order!to!materialize!the!above!concept!into!practice,!I!programmed!in!a!rhythmic!
pattern!that!differed!slightly!from!the!leading!repetitive!drum!pattern.!Initially,!I!
followed!the!leading!drum!pattern!with!the!stick!percussion,!however!during!the!
middle!of!the!bar,!the!pattern!changes,!but!still!follows!the!measure.!Please!refer!to!
Example!1_400!to!hear!both!isolated!and!mastered!examples!of!this.!I!used!this!
technique!on!a!synth!pattern!also,!to!evaluate!how!this!would!react!to!the!rest!of!the!
percussion!accompaniments.!In!Example_12_400,!you!will!here!a!pulse!generated!
synth!beginning!on!the!first!measure!when!the!strings!section!starts,!however!notice!
the!synth!pattern!slightly!changes!when!it!starts!on!the!second!measure.!Please!refer!
to!Example_12_400!(isolated)!before!listening!to,!Example_12_400!(mastered!mix).!
Please!keep!a!mental!track!of!the!beat!clock.!!
!
In!my!practical!contribution,!at!approximately!00:04:04,!a!musical!linguistic!phrase!is!
heard,!which!starts!quite!abruptly.!This!was!implemented!to!challenge!the!listener’s!
expectation.!The!goal!was!to!apply!this!as!a!surprise!element,!hoping!that!the!listener!
would!not!predict!the!composer’s!decision.!There!are!small!similarities!to!Musical!
Syntax!and!its!relationship!to!Linguistic!Syntax.!The!linguistic!phrases!can!be!altered!to!
apply!small!amounts!of!psychological!stress!to!listeners.!Arbib!provides!an!example!of!
this!using!Yesterday!d!The!Beatles,!in!Language,!Music,!and!the!Brain:!A!Mysterious!
Relationship,!
“Their!is!a!silent!metrical!beat!between!“dday”!and!“all,”!as!suggested!by!the!comma.!
The!result,!based!on!prosodic!criteria!independent!of!the!Beatles’!setting,!is!triple!
meter!at!the!largest!level,!with!strong!beats!on!“Yesd,”!“troubd,”!and!“dway.”!The!notes!
- 23. 23
on!“Yesd,!“troubd,”!and!“dway”!are!raised!slightly!to!convey!the!heavy!stresses!on!these!
syllables!(pitch!height!is!a!contributor!to!the!perception!of!stress).!(Arib,!M.A,!2013,!
p.262)!
Strong!emphases!on!linguistic!phrases!contribute!in!helping!to!raise!tension!in!music.!
The!linguistic!artist!can!increase!the!tension!across!her/his!vocal!chord,!which!
determines!and!controls!the!constitutional&frequency,!while!the!positioning!of!the!
tongue,!jaw,!inner!mouth!muscles!and!lips,!controls!the!peak!in!the!spectrum!
(Bregman,!1990).!To!incorporate!this!philosophy!into!400,!I!needed!to!insert!an!abrupt!
linguistic!break!in!the!middle!of!the!composition,!shortly!after!the!crescendos!part.!My!
reasons!behind!this!particular!choice!manifested!firstly!when!I!heard!an!Arabic!phrase,!
which!started!with!a!note!that!was!completely!out!of!the!key!in!which!the!composition!
was!written.!Secondly,!the!phrase!lasted!eight!bars,!which!could!be!seen!as!a!long!
break,!considering!the!fact!that!everything!before!this!abrupt!break!was!flowing!
smoothly.!Please!refer!to!Example!2_400!to!listen!to!the!conveyed!example.!Notice!
how!on!the!fifth!syllable,!the!singer!elaborates!on!the!phrase!adding!a!touch!of!vibrato!
to!draw!emphasize,!similarly!to!the!example!given!by!Arib,!M.A!above.&
!
The!duration!of!the!composition!featured!multiple!percussive!and!orchestra!
instruments!playing!in!simultaneous!unison!on!different!measures!whilst!
synchronization.!This!particular!musical!behavior!is!known!as,!syncopation.!
Syncopation!is!another!technique!associated!with!rhythm!to!create!rising!tension.!This!
involves!composers!to!draw!strong!prominence!on!inadequate!areas!over!a!fairly!
strong!rhythm,!i.e,!in!a!4/4!time!signature!measure,!usually!the!strongest!emphasis!is!
expected!to!be!made!on!the!second!and!fourth!of!every!measure.!Carolus!(2013,!p.25)!
writes!about!syncopation!as!being!a!“technique!that!involves!giving!emphasis!to!a!
weaker!beat!over!a!strong!beat.!A!bar!in!4/4!time!with!stresses!located!on!the!second!
and!fourth!bars!of!the!beat!is!an!example!of!syncopation.”!Furthermore,!he!
emphasizes!the!importance!of!syncopation!in!rhythmical!tension:!“Musicians!often!use!
syncopation!when!they!want!to!create!a!rhythmic!tension,!by!denying!us!the!regular!
pattern!of!strong!weak!bears!that!were!used!to.”!(2013,!p.27)!!Other!techniques!
involve!avoiding!emphasis!on!a!specific!measure,!where!it!is!usually!expected!to!be!
stressed;!tension!is!created!because!the!measures!that!that!are!expected!to!be!
stressed!are!ignored.!!Carlolus!(2013!p.25)!provides!another!example!of!creating!
- 24. 24
syncopation!by,!“placing!a!rest!on!a!beat!that!is!normally!stressed!(i.e!making!the!third!
beat!of!a!bar!in!common!time!a!rest).”!!
In!order!to!utilize!this!concept,!I!needed!to!provide!a!prominent!difference!between!
the!beginning!and!concluding!stage,!since!the!start!of!the!composition!already!has!a!
fairly!strong!rhythmic!element!with!powerful!bright!timbres!cutting!through!the!mix.!
During!the!concluding!stage!of!400,!I!completely!changed!the!time!signature!to!a!3/4!
setting,!and!revived!some!key!elements!from!the!beginning!stage!of!the!song,!back!
into!the!concluding!section,!such!as!the!chord!progression,!and!brass!section.!The!key!
signature!change!provided!an!excellent!opportunity!to!use!syncopation.!Jones!
expresses!that!a!“rhythm!which!is!written!in!3/4!timing!with!a!lilting!waltz!rhythm!
always!provides!a!satisfying!tension!and!drive”.!Before!the!crackle!of!the!thunder,!the!
emphasis!on!the!drum!rhythms!could!be!labeled!as!predictable.!Every!first!measure!on!
each!bar!is!met!with!a!kick!and!snare,!followed!with!a!snare!roll!lasting!across!
measures!two!and!three.!Please!referee!to!Example_4_400.!!
!
After!the!bass!sweep,!a!second!drum!pattern!is!heard,!and!suddenly!every!four!bars,!a!
strong!emphasis!is!given!on!the!first!measure,!which!is!expected,!however!the!
emphasis!on!the!second!measure!is!not!as!strong!as!it!should!be!expected.!It!is!in!fact,!
the!same!sound!as!the!first!measure,!but!at!a!lower!velocity.!I!wanted!to!break!the!
tension!in!some!bars!at!this!point!in!the!music,!as!the!tension!needed!to!be!released!in!
a!short!burst,!so!on!the!second!measure,!I!featured!a!choir,!passionately!screaming!the!
phrase!‘Ahh’!in!a!suppressed!nature.!Please!referrer!to!Example!5_400.!!!!!!!!
!
Berg!explains!that!jazz!music!takes!full!advantage!of!experimenting!with!syncopation.!
It!occurs!when!every!first!measure!or!an!eighth!note!is!played!on!the!second!half!of!a!
beat!which!is!followed!on!by!a!rest!on!the!two.!!
“A!constant!virtue!of!jazz!melody!is!the!use!of!syncopation,!which!is!an!offdbeat!
(seconddhalf!of!a!beat)!accentuation.!Syncopation!in!4/4!timedstandard!for!most!jazz!
musicdoccurs!when:!1)!an!eighth!note!is!played!on!the!seconddhalf!of!a!beat!followed!
by!a!rest,!2)”!(2004,!p.29)!
!
!
!
- 25. 25
Dynamics&
In!400,!their!is!a!wide!range!of!dynamics!which!came!from!multiple!instruments,!such!
as!the!brass,!percussion!kits,!strings,!choir,!piano!and!special!effects.!The!more!
dynamic!emphasis!I!program!into!an!instrument,!the!bolder!my!statement!is,!that!I!am!
showcasing!this!specific!sound!during!the!composition.!However,!dynamic!control!
needs!to!be!handled!with!delicacy,!control!and!sharp!intuition.!!
Findlay!(1971,!p.9)!comments,!“Repose!follows!movement,!release!follows!tension”!
Although!I!was!using!virtual!instrument!technology,!the!libraries!did!enable!me!to!have!
real!time!control!of!the!expression!and!dynamics!with!the!use!of!my!mod!wheel.!I!was!
completely!relaxed!when!playing!each!string!section!in!400,!at!exactly,!00:04:08!d!
00:05:47.!!
!!!!!!
Arrangement&&
In!this!section!I!will!draw!upon!the!influences!which!inspired!the!development!and!
decision!making!process!on!elements!such!as!the!implementation!of!chord!
progressions!in!400.!I!will!explain!why!and!how!my!structure!changed!drastically!from!
the!first!draft!(attached!to!submission!folder),!to!its!final!stage.!!
In!my!production,!400,!I!wanted!to!create!a!moderately!slow!build!up.!The!nature!of!
this!composition!is!to!take!you!to!one!extreme!of!tension,!right!down!to!its!release!in!
an!instant.!!
This!arrangement!was!inspired!by!a!multitude!of!means,!from!urban!genres!such!as,!
Neo!Soul!and!Jazz!to!East!Asian!Chinese!styles!and!orchestral!music.!The!score!needed!
to!be!versatile!enough!to!prove!the!multiple!areas!of!tension!and!release!that!I!
gathered!from!my!research.!The!orchestral!instrumentation!was!versatile!in!terms!of!
conveying!my!compositional!ideas.!Some!concepts!however!did!not!serve!the!
composition!in!a!beneficial!way.!The!reason!was!due!to!the!implementation!of!black!
gospel!and!jazz!music!aesthetics!such!as,!chord!voicing,!passing!chords!and!chord!
progressions.!A!sequence!of!strong!jazz!chords!can!be!heard,!accompanied!by!a!calm!
sounding!drumbeat!in!the!Initial!Stage!(00:01:45)!folder!(attached!to!submission).!The!
outcome!of!the!initial!stage!resulted!in!a!simplified!version!in!the!final!version!because!
of!the!implementation!of!the!Asian!oriented!the!string!section!(Heard!in!400_Master!
00:04:10).!Please!listen!to,!Final!Stage,!located!in!the!initial!stage!folder,!to!recognize!
how!the!final!stage!developed!from!the!initial!stage.!I!bypassed!the!string!section,!just!
- 26. 26
to!guide!the!listener’s!attention!to!the!piano.!Notice!how!the!piano!did!not!change!the!
chord!progression,!but!only!the!rhythmic!characteristics.!!
For!inspiration,!two!film!composers!contributed!to!the!‘sound’!sonically!and!
compositionally.!Hans!Zimmer,!and!Tun!Dun.!Both!composers!produce!very!different!
styles,!however!I!thought!it!was!essential!to!the!influential!stage!of!my!practical!
element.!
Hans!Zimmer's!influence!manifested!from!The!Dark!Knight!Rises!(2012)!main!theme.!
Compositionally,!It!consists!of!an!arrangement,!with!a!wide!variety!of!orchestral!
instruments.!The!percussion!provides!a!strong!density!of!rhythm,!tempo!and!drive.!For!
me,!there!was!a!balanced!mixture!of!tension!and!release.!During!the!first!stages!of!my!
practical!element!up!until!the!crescendos,!I!attempted!to!create!the!percussion!‘stabs‘!
and!string!elements!in!a!similar!‘feel‘!as!heard!in!“The!Dark!Knight!Rises”.!I!did!this!by!
layering!two!different!drum!sounds.!The!first!sound!transient!had!a!very!sharp!attack!
(Attack!d!This!term!is!used!often!in!audio!production.!It!signifies!the!speed!at!which!a!
transient!is!engaged!with!proportion!to!its!velocity!curve.!!(Case,!p.207),!and!the!other!
had!a!slightly!late!attack.!This!made!the!sound!more!‘present’!in!the!overall!mix.!!
When!I!attempted!to!layer!the!brass!section,!I!listened!carefully!to!the!characteristics!
of!the!actual!timber!in!“The!Dark!Night!Returns”!soundtrack’s!thick!powerful!horns!
section.!I!layered!twelve!horns!together,!which!included!trombones,!tuba’s,!which!
provided!me!with!a!similar!sound!to!Hans!Zimmer’s!composition.!
Tan!Dun’s!influence!emerged!from!his!compositions!such!as,!For!The!World!and!
Farewell,!from!the!film!title,!Hero!(2002).!From!a!compositional!perspective,!he!used!
both!traditional!bowed!Chinese!and!western!string!instruments.!The!expressive!sound!
of!the!erhu!greatly!lifted!the!emotional!tension!of!the!musical!arrangement.!This!was!
achieved!with!the!use!of!dynamic!control!and!expressive!articulations!played!by!the!
instrument!player.!Vertegaal!speaks!about!instruments,!which!require!a!large!amount!
of!physicality,!and!explains!that!it!takes!a!tremendous!amount!of!energy!and!control!to!
trigger!certain!timbres!of!the!sound.!This!is!dependent!on!the!musician’s!ability!to!
internally!generate!tension!energy!from!inside!his/her!body!when!governing!these!
functionalities!(1996).!
Chinese!instrument!d!Erhu!highly!expressive!in!China,!which!is!made!up!of!a!head,!axis,!
rod,!Qianjin,!Qinma,!Sound!Box,!strings!and!a!bow.!Playing!techniques!which!have!
known!to!be!developed!over!centuries!include,!fast!bowing,!bow!separation,!trembling!
- 27. 27
bow,!sudden!bow!and!jump!bow.!Other!methods,!which!involve!using!fingers,!include,!
sliding!tone,!plucking!and!beating!!
(Jin,!2011).!!
!
Tan!Dun’s!ability!to!capture!the!essence!of!‘tranquilly‘!in!both!(2002!)Farewell!and!
(2002!)For!The!Word!was!an!integral!inspiration!for!the!materialization!of!my!practical!
contribution.!!
!
The!outcomes!of!my!research!were!applied!in!my!composition!400.!The!initial!key!is!G!
major.!The!first!note,!starts!on!the!sixth!tone.!However,!using!the!pitch!bender!wheel,!
as!a!means!of!modulating!the!note!up!a!whole!tone!up,!the!first!tone!falls!on!a!F#,!and!
holds!in!this!region!for!a!couple!of!bars!before!bending!back!to!the!relative!minor!of!G.!
Once!the!harddhitting!piano!note!is!struck!(bar!26),!a!constant!rhythmic!pulse!starts!
with!a!gated!synth!pulsating!to!sync!with!the!rhythm!pattern.!
!
Timbre&
In!music,!timbre!refers!to!the!mannerism!of!any!sonic!signatures!produced!from!a!
musical!instrument!in!psychoacoustics.!This!phenomenon!correlates!with!perceptual!
attributes,!which!in!essence,!enables!us!to!differentiate!different!bands!of!resonances.!
String!instruments!such!as!Piano,!Violin,!Guitar!and!Sitar!all!produce!different!
resonances,!which!are!perceptible!to!human!beings.!(Deutsch,!1982)!!
American!Standards!Association!states,!“Timbre!is!that!attribute!of!auditory!sensation!
in!terms!of!loudness!and!pitch!are!dissimilar”!!(1960,!p.45)!
In!the!following!example!(Example_3_400)!I!tried!to!implement!this!concept!into!my!
practical!element.!In!the!first!eight!bars!in!this!particular!example,!which!is!the!last!
transition!in!the!composition,!I!have!tried!to!raise!the!listeners!expectation!to!its!
highest!by!raising!the!tension!back!to!a!high,!as!felt!in!the!beginning!of!the!
composition.!However!I!have!taken!away!many!instruments,!and!increased!the!volume!
of!the!percussion!elements.!The!accentual!characteristics!of!this!drum!pattern!are!
struck!on!the!first!measure!of!every!beat,!until!it!is!interrupted!with!a!sweeping!
baseline.!At!this!stage,!the!listener!is!at!the!final!part!of!the!song,!where!a!multitude!of!
transients!is!thrown!at!the!front,!including!a!choir,!brass!and!orchestral!string!and!
percussion!system.!Many!different!wave!shapes!are!being!absorbed!by!the!listeners!
- 28. 28
auditory!senses,!which!can!seem!very!overwhelming!in!some!cases,!“Changing"the"
phrase"relationship"between"the"harmonics"of"a"periodic"tone"can"alter"the"timbre”!
(DEUTSCH,!1982)!!
!
!!!!!!!!!!!
Technical:!
In!this!section,!I!will!discuss!the!soundscape!techniques!I!implemented!in!my!practical!
contribution!and!the!reasons!why!I!chose!to!do!so.!!I!will!start!of!by!explaining!the!
significance!of!the!use!of!drones,!and!how!its!implementation!can!chance!the!
characteristics!of!a!composition.!Next!I!will!go!on!to!explain!the!gated!synths!that!you!
here!in!the!introduction!stage,!!!
A!drone!is!a!harmonic!effect,!which!could!be!played!throughout!a!peace!of!music!or!in!
certain!parts.!The!effective!use!of!drones!can!add!an!element!of!tension.!This!may!
depend!on!how!it!is!used!in!the!composition,!which!may!provide!various!levels!of!
tension.!For!example,!one!could!play!a!drone!in!a!repetitive!or!sustained!motif,!or!layer!
multiple!timbres,!which!are!not!in!the!same!key!to!add!harmonic!distortion!that!may!
be!likely!to!increase!the!level!of!tension.!The!importance!of!a!drone!“lies!in!tension!and!
release:!consonances,!where!the!melodic!pitch!coincides!with!the!drone!notes,!are!
positions!of!rest!or!release,!whereas!dissonances!create!the!tension!that!drives!the!
music!to!find!again!a!consonance”!(Montagu,!2007,!p.100)!
!
To!materialize!this!concept!into!my!practical!proportion,!I!used!a!synth!patch!that!
triggered!various!notes!on!top!of!the!fundamental!note!that!I!played.!Then!using!a!
guitar!pick,!I!captured!at!a!high!sample!rate,!the!sound!of!myself!strumming!the!lowest!
A!register!string!of!a!Steinway!D!concert!grand!piano.!In!postdproduction,!I!inserted!
this!file!on!top!of!the!long!sustained!drone,!and!time!stretched!it!two!times!slower!to!
its!original!tempo.!I!also!programmed!in!a!long!low!sustained!note!at!the!highest!
velocity!setting!on!the!piano!seconds!after!the!drone!was!initiated!to!initiate.!I!did!this!
to!reinforce!increased!harmonic!distortion!into!the!soundscape!of!the!drone.!In!the!
beginning!phase!of!my!composition!I!wanted!to!create!an!immediate!source!of!tension!
using!a!similar!idea!used!in!the!film,!The!Dark!Knight!(2012),!where!the!idea!of!razor!
blades!placed!on!long!sustained!legato!strings,!to!create!the!feeling!of!tension.!Using!
this!information,!I!tried!to!apply!the!idea!of!creating!a!long!sustained!drone,!with!
- 29. 29
dissonant!harmonies!being!sustained!on!top!of!the!synths.!With!this!being!done,!I!
captured!the!sound!of!scraping!the!lowest!string!on!a!grand!piano!with!a!guitar!pick!
which!I!later!on!in!post!production,!time!stretched!across!the!duration!of!the!synth.!!
!
Production&
I!was!not!familiar!with!orchestral!composition!before!I!started!this!project,!nor!was!I!
familiar!with!what!DAW!(Digital!Audio!Workstation)!would!prove!to!be!most!efficient!
for!my!project.!Ableton!live!provided!the!best!user!experience!to!produce!a!cinematic!
score!due!to!the!simplified!midi!routing!and!midi!automation!facilities.!!
My!main!source!of!instrumentation!and!synthesis!sounds!came!from!Native!
Instruments!Kontact,!which!is!a!Virtual!Studio!Technology!host.!It!provides!the!sound!
libraries!user!interface!within!the!host!program,!which!then!routes!the!digital!audio!
information!known!as!MIDI,!into!individual!channel!sections!in!Ableton.!I!used!very!
high!quality!sample!libraries,!which!replicate!a!true!sense!of!realism!from!many!angles!
of!from!a!musician’s!point!of!view.!Many!companies!such!as,!‘Audio!Bro’!which!
produce!string!libraries,!and!‘Project!Sam’,!which!produce!a!wide!variety!of!orchestral!
elements,!implemented!into!the!libraries,!Timbre!effects!which!reacts!in!real!time!
according!to!how!the!instrumentalists!changes!the!expression!or!velocity!midi!value!in!
the!DAW!(Digital!Audio!Workstation),!and!hardware!controller!i.e!Keyboard!which!
supports!midi,!Drum!machine!pad.!Expression,!such!as!the!“Flutter!Tonguing”!for!wind!
instruments!and!realistic!glissando!string!articulations!are!very!appropriate!effects!
(Dan,!2011).!!
Dan!highlights!the!importance!of!using!high!quality!instruments!to!provide!a!rich!
source!of!realism!to!musical!productions.!“Purchasing!a!sample!library!that!can!
emulate!highdquality!symphonic!sound!can!get!quite!expensive,!but!this!level!of!quality!
has!come!to!be!expected!in!commercial!music!fields!such!as!film!scoring”!(Dan,!2011,!
p.!242)!
To!keep!my!project!as!neat!as!possible,!I!opened!multiple!instances!of!Kontact!Player!
(Virtual!Sound!Interface!Host)!d!assigning!each!section!to!a!specific!instrument!family!
category,!i.e!d!Brass,!Strings,!FX,!Percussion!etc.!In!each!instance,!I!could!have!a!
maximum!of!sixteen!MIDI!channels.!With!this!capability,!I!had!compensated!a!huge!
amount!of!central!processing!unit!space!and!Random!Access!Memory!space.!!!!
!
- 30. 30
!
Mixing&&
During!the!mixing!stage!process,!I!realized!the!audio!quality!was!already!at!a!high!
standard.!This!was!due!to!the!sample!libraries!worlddclass!song!profile,!being!captured!
using!worlddclass!audio!equipment,!which!was!recorded!in!the!most!prestigious!
acousticaldrecorded!spaces,!i.e,!SONY!Pictures!Scoring!in!Los!Angeles.!Hence,!I!
reflected!upon!this,!and!came!to!a!conclusion!that!I!was!not!going!to!make!any!severe!
changes!in!the!nature!of!the!audio!samples.!Subsequently,!I!went!with!an!approach!to!
do!more!level!balancing!and!volume,!and!modulation/expression!automation.!
Expression/Modulation!automation!involves!MIDI!channel!editing.!These!two!channels!
alter!the!timbre!and!volume!of!an!instrument.!Depending!on!the!complexity!of!the!
actual!sample!library!it!self,!this!may!vary.!Subsequently,!I!was!using!industry!standard!
sample!libraries,!which!enabled!me!the!luxury!of!taking!full!control!of!most!human!
articulation!parameters!of!the!instruments,!in!my!practical!element.!!
On!each!instrument!section,!i.e,!Brass,!Strings,!FX!etc.,!I!used!a!separate!convolutional!
reverb!unit.!However!during!the!bounce!process,!I!cancelled!the!reverb!for!the!choir!
and!brass!sections,!as!I!wanted!to!use!the!Lexicon!hardware!unit,!as!it!gave!a!much!
more!realistic!sound!of!the!reverberation!space!I!space!that!I!was!trying!to!create.!For!
the!strings,!I!had!chosen!to!keep!the!convolutional!software!reverb,!because!the!sound!
space!that!it!gave!was!a!good!blend.!I!did!try!to!recreate!this!space!with!the!hardware!
lexicon!unit,!but!unfortunately!I!didn’t!succeed.!!
I!bounced!all!the!groups!from!Ableton!Live,!at!the!current!fader!position,!into!Pro!Tools!
11!HD!where!I!remapped!all!the!channels!along!the!Neve!Genesys!console.!I!used!the!
EQ!very!sparingly,!because!I!felt!the!overall!mix!was!good.!All!instruments!sat!
comfortably!in!the!mix,!however!for!the!strings,!and!drums,!I!did!boost!the!high!end!up!
but!three!decibels,!at!7khz.!As!for!as!compression!is!concerned,!I!used!it!very!sparingly,!
to!add!some!colour!to!the!string!sections.!Using!the!Neve!2254!compressors,!I!used!the!
lowest!ratio,!and!kept!the!threshold!at!zero.!For!its!gain,!I!boosted!it!by!only!point!give!
of!a!DB!to!lift!the!strings!more!in!the!front!of!the!mix.!I!intentionally!left!stereo!link!off,!
for!a!subtly!more!immersive!listening!experience,!allowing!the!strings!to!ebb!and!flow!
along!the!natural!centreline!of!the!track.!I!much!preferred!to!bounce!back!into!Pro!
Tools,!all!transients!which!were!travelling!through!every!hardware!unit!during!the!this!
process,!so!a!series!of!automation!parameters!would!be!readily!available!for!me!to!
- 31. 31
use.!During!the!mastering!process,!Mike!Hillier!used!a!series!of!EQ!and!modules!to!life!
the!frequencies!around!3Khz!spectrum.!I!informed!him,!that!I!would!like!a!similar!
blend!of!sound!that!is!heard!in!Batman:!The!Dark!Knight!(2012)!and!Hero:!Farewell.!
(2002)!!
!!
!
!
!
Conclusion!
In!this!dissertation,!I!have!conducted!a!widedranging!research,!in!a!multitude!of!areas!
for!Tension!and!Release!in!music.!!The!theoretical!component!contributed!significantly!
to!the!materialization!of!the!practical!element.!At!the!concluding!stage!of!this!research!
topic,!I!have!found!the!research!to!be!most!valuable.!The!task,!in!which!I!endowed!
myself!with,!was!to!discover!how!tension!reacts!with!music,!and!its!psychological!
effects!on!people.!From!a!technical!musical!perspective,!I!successfully!managed!to!
prove!and!externalize!the!theoretical!factors!into!my!practical!section,!however!
speaking!from!a!personal!perspective!the!compositional!tension!elements!I!
materialized!into!the!musical!piece!successfully!had!the!correct!anticipatory!and!
desired!reaction!for!myself.!However,!the!question!arises!if!the!central!practical!
element!would!translate!in!the!expected!way?!According!to!Blacking!(1995,!p.37),!this!
crucial!element!of!responding!to!tension!and!other!motor!impulses!varies!from!the!
individuals’!relationship!with!music!and!society.!He!further!emphasis,!!
“We"became"aware"that"a"stimulus"is"exiting"only"because"of"cultural"experience:"
distinctions"between"music"and"noise,"chaos"and"order,"or"dissonance"and"consonance"
are"acquired"as"part"of"our"cultural"experience”!and!“Artistic!enjoyment!is!indeed!
“based"essentially"upon"the"reaction"of"our"minds"to"form!(Boas,!1927,!349)”.!I!contend!
that!my!practical!composition!had!all!the!necessary!elements!of!tension,!which!was!
directly!influenced!by!my!research.!However,!if!I!had!more!time!I!would!have!created!a!
preliminary!survey!to!record!other!peoples’!reactions!to!the!musical!work.!The!overall!
composition!was!the!most!challenging!aspect!of!this!research,!purely!because!I!had!the!
task!of!incorporating!different!types!of!musical!tension.!Also,!in!the!beginning!stage,!I!
met!with!many!problems!such!as,!computer!hardware!limitations,!struggling!with!
efficient!use!of!MIDI!routing!in!Logic!(DAW),!not!being!able!to!understand!the!concept!
- 32. 32
of!grouping!a!large!string!quartet!and!feeling!uninspired!most!of!the!duration.!I!found!
that!the!creative!ideas!came!forth,!when!I!felt!most!under!pressure.!I!had!started!my!
composition!in!March,!which!gave!me!just!a!month!to!start!a!composition!from!which!I!
didn’t!know!what!angle!to!start!from.!My!main!inspiration!came!from!listening!to!film!
and!game!soundtracks.!As!mentioned!above!on!page!25,!my!main!source!of!inspiration!
originated!from!Batman:!The!dark!knight!(2012)!and!Hero,!‘Farewell!and!‘For!the!world!
’(2002).!!Based!on!my!research!findings,!I!felt!that!it!was!enough!to!incorporate!all!the!
theoretical!concepts!into!one!composition.!For!me,!this!gave!the!composition!a!broad!
range!of!color!and!range.!I!needed!to!exaggerate!the!themes!between!the!main!three!
transitions!to!draw!a!bold!emphasis!that!I!was!experimenting!with!the!listener’s!
anticipatory!sensory!feelings.!As!the!research!had!already!been!verified!and!tested!
over!the!years,!I!believe!that!the!listener!response!to!a!similar!tension!that!others!felt!
when!they!listened!to!it.!My!peers!expressed!that!their!visual!cortex!in!their!minds!
were!very!active.!Many!gave!different!sceneries!of!the!imaginary!events!that!were!
cascading!into!their!minds!in!response!to!hearing!the!practical!element.!!
I!am!very!pleased!with!the!outcomes!of!the!practical!composition.!It!was!not!the!
process!of!being!forced!to!materialize!something,!which!would!spike!listener’s!
attention!immediately,!which!is!why!I!subsequently!applied!Montagu’s!idea!of!a!drone!
into!the!introduction!of!my!composition.!!
From!the!outcomes!of!this!project,!I!strongly!contend!that!my!ability!to!convey!a!
musical!statement!across!to!the!intended!listener!has!sharpened!considerably.!I!was!
not!previously!aware!of!the!term!‘Syncopate’.!When!researching!into!this!subarea,!it!
pushed!me!into!a!new!level!of!creative!thought.!In!fact,!this!was!the!common!result!
derived!from!all!the!theoretical!research!I!had!conducted.!!At!the!end!of!the!
composition,!I!was!very!grateful!for!the!information!that!I!had!absorbed!regarding!this!
subject,!as!it!played!a!key!role!materializing!my!creativity!into!this!practical!
contribution.!I!came!to!a!significant!conclusion!that!it!was!the!lack!of!research!I!had!
conducted!that!crippled!my!creative!thinking.!I!felt!that!once!I!started!doing!intensive!
research!on!the!individual!categories!on!segments!which!tension!is!based!from,!my!
musical!thinking!approach!changed!from!a!secluded!jazz!and!black!gospel!piano!player,!
to!a!capable!modern!composer.!!
I!am!grateful!for!the!opportunity!that!which!SAE!Institute!has!granted!in!the!
completion!of!my!major!project.!I!have!developed!a!new!skill!for!music!composition!
- 33. 33
for!which!I!thought!would!have!never!occurred.!This!project!has!given!me!the!valuable!
lesson!on!how!to!creatively!work!quickly!under!pressure!for!which!I!know!is!a!critical!
asset!to!have!in!the!music!and!film!industry.!Using!the!skills!that!I!have!developed,!I!
will!continue!to!research!into!this!subject,!and!compose!music!closely!with!the!
continuity!of!integrating!tension!and!release.!!
!
!
References&
&
Aldridge,!Gudrun,!and!David!Aldridge.!Melody"In"Music"Therapy.!London:!J.!Kingsley,!
2008.!Print.!
Aldridge,!Gudrun,!and!David!Aldridge.!Melody"In"Music"Therapy.!London:!J.!Kingsley,!
2008.!Print.!
American"Standard"Acoustical"Terminology.!New!York:!American!Stand,!1960.!Print.!
Arbib,!Michael!A.!Language,"Music,"And"The"Brain.!Print.!
Baerman,!Noah.!Harmony.!Van!Nuys:!Alfred,!2000.!Print.!
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Co.,Inc.,!2004.!Print.!
Blacking,!John,!Reginald!Byron,!and!Bruno!Nettl.!Music,"Culture,"&"Experience.!Chicago:!
University!of!Chicago!Press,!1995.!Print.!
Bregman,!Albert!S.!Auditory"Scene"Analysis.!Cambridge,!Mass.:!MIT!Press,!1990.!Print.!
Brockmann,!Nicole!M.!From"Sight"To"Sound.!Bloomington:!Indiana!University!Press,!
2009.!Print.!
Buckler,!Lawrence!A.!How"To"Harmonize"Chords"To"Melody.![Bloomington,!IN]:!Xlibris!
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Carolus,!Mario.!Music"For"New"Zealand"Years"9"And"10.!Cambridge:!Cambridge!
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Case,!Alexander!U.!Sound"FX.!Amsterdam:!Focal!Press,!2007.!Print.!
Clayton,!Martin.!Time"In"Indian"Music.!Oxford:!Oxford!University!Press,!2000.!Print.!
Clynes,!Manfred.!Music,"Mind,"And"Brain.!New!York:!Plenum!Press,!1982.!Print.!
Cochrane,!Tom,!Bernardino!Fantini,!and!Klaus!R!Scherer.!The"Emotional"Power"Of"
Music.!Oxford:!Oxford!University!Press,!2013.!Print.!
Cole,!Bobby.!'Passing!Chords'.!Soundonsound.com.!N.p.,!2015.!Web.!10!Apr.!2014.!
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Cope,!David,!and!Douglas!R!Hofstadter.!Virtual"Music.!Cambridge,!Mass.:!MIT!Press,!
2001.!Print.!
Cross,&Ian,&and&Irène&Deliège.!Music"And"The"Cognitive"Sciences"1990.!Yverdon:!
Harwood!Academic!Publishers,!1993.!Print.!
Damschroder,!David.!Thinking"About"Harmony.!Cambridge:!Cambridge!University!
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de!la!Fuente,!E,!and!P!Murphy.!Philosophical"And"Cultural"Theories"Of"Music.!BRILL,!
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Dennis,!Simone.!Police"Beat.!Youngstown,!N.Y.:!Cambria!Press,!2007.!Print.!
Deutsch,!Diana.!The"Psychology"Of"Music.!New!York:!Academic!Press,!1982.!Print.!
Egeland!Hansen,!Finn.!Layers"Of"Musical"Meaning.!Copenhagen:!Royal!Library,!2006.!
Print.!
Erwin,!Edward.!The"Freud"Encyclopedia.!New!York:!Routledge,!2002.!Print.!
Findlay,!Elsa.!Rhythm"And"Movement.!Evanston,!Ill.:!SummydBirchard,!1971.!Print.!
Greene,!Ted.!Chord"Chemistry.!Melville,!N.Y.:!D.!Zdenek!Publications,!1981.!Print.!
Harper,!Graeme.!Sound"And"Music"In"Film"And"Visual"Media.!2009.!Print.!
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Hosken,!Daniel!W.!An"Introduction"To"Music"Technology.!New!York:!Routledge,!2011.!
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Huron,!David!Brian.!Sweet"Anticipation.!Cambridge,!Mass.:!MIT!Press,!2006.!Print.!
Jasen,!David!A,!and!Gene!Jones.!Spreadin'"Rhythm"Around.!New!York:!Schirmer!Books,!
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Lawn,!Richard,!and!Jeffrey!L!Hellmer.!Jazz.!Los!Angeles:!Alfred!Pub.!Co.,!1996.!Print.!
Leach,!Brenda!Lynne.!Looking"And"Listening.!Print.!
Levitin,!Daniel!J.!This"Is"Your"Brain"On"Music.!New!York,!N.Y.:!Dutton,!2006.!Print.!
Lippman,!Edward,!and!Leonard!Meyer.!Emotion"And"Meaning"In"Music"By"Leonard"B."
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May,!Elizabeth.!Musics"Of"Many"Cultures.!Berkeley:!University!of!California!Press,!
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Meyer,!Leonard!B.!Emotion"And"Meaning"In"Music.![Chicago]:!University!of!Chicago!
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Montagu,!Jeremy.!Origins"And"Development"Of"Musical"Instruments.!Lanham,!Md.:!
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Moody,!Gregory.!Handbook"Of"Harmony"A"Gospel"A"Jazz"A"R&B"A"Soul.![Lexington,!KY]:!
Creative!Music!Ventures!LLC,!2010.!Print.!
Neuwirth,%Markus,%and%Pieter%Bergé.!What"Is"A"Cadence?"Theoretical"And"Analytical"
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Pilhofer,!Michael,!and!Holly!Day.!Music"Theory"For"Dummies.!Hoboken,!NJ:!Wiley,!
2007.!Print.!
R,!T,M,!Vertegaal,!Ungvary,!Kieslinger.!'Towards!A!Musician's!Cockpit:!Transducers,!
Feedback!And!Musical!Function'.!Dept."For"Speech,"Music"and"Hearing"Quarterly"
Progress"and"Status"Report37.3!(1996):!029d032.!Print.!
Rawlins,!Robert,!Nor!Eddine!Bahha,!and!Barrett!Tagliarino.!Jazzology.!Milwaukee,!WI:!
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Reicha,!Anton,!and!Peter!M!Landey.!Treatise"On"Melody.!Hillsdale,!NY:!Pendragon!
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Smith,!Edward!W.!L.!The"Psychology"Of"Artists"And"The"Arts.!Jefferson,!North!Carolina:!
McFarland!&!Company,!Inc.,!Publishers,!2012.!Print.!
Snyder,!Bob.!Music"And"Memory.!Cambridge,!Mass.:!MIT!Press,!2000.!Print.!
Sonnenschein,!David.!Sound"Design.!Studio!City,!CA:!Michael!Wiese!Productions,!2001.!
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Starr,!Eric.!The"Everything"Rock"&"Blues"Piano"Book.!Avon,!Mass.:!Adams!Media,!2007.!
Print.!
Tan,%SiudLan,%Peter%Pfordhresher,%and%Rom%Harré.!Psychology"Of"Music.!New!York,!NY:!
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The"Dark"Knight"Rises.!Hollywood:!Legendary!Pictures,!DC!Entertainment,!Syncopy,!
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Wilkins,!Jack.!Just"Jazz"Guitar"Articles.!2004.!Print.!
Ystad,!Sølvi,!Richard!KronlanddMartinet,!and!Kristoffer!Jensen.!Computer"Music"
Modeling"And"Retrieval.!Berlin:!Springer,!2009.!Print.!
- 36. 36
Zimmer,!Hanz.!'Composer!Hans!Zimmer!FULL!Interview,!15Min!With!Subtitles,!Pirates!
Of!The!Caribbean2![PART!1]'.!YouTube.!N.p.,!2015.!Web.!14!Apr.!2015.!
Deutsch,!Diana.!The"Psychology"Of"Music.!New!York:!Academic!Press,!1982.!Print.!
!
!
Unused&References&
&
Conley,!Kevin.!'Play!Like!"YOU"!d!Piano!Masterclass!+!FREE!BONUS!OVER!4!
HOURS!!!'.!YouTube.!N.p.,!2012.!Web.!30!Mar.!2015.!
Fingers,!Gospel.!'The!Great!Diminished!Dvd'.!YouTube.!N.p.,!2015.!Web.!3!Apr.!2014.!
Jacobs,!Jake.!'The!Number!System'.!YouTube.!N.p.,!2014.!Web.!30!Mar.!2015.!
Jacobs,!Jake.!'Tritones'.!YouTube.!N.p.,!2014.!Web.!21!Mar.!2015.!
!
To!research!more!into!how!to!implement!tritons,!and!diminish!chords,!I!obtained!some!
information!from!these!instructors.!!!
!
!
!