Writing Comedy Music
Over the last few weeks I have been busy putting together a module on writing Comedy music for my composing course. I think out of all the styles film composers could be asked to write, I find writing authentic, humorous sounding music to be the hardest.
While there are a huge number of different techniques used by film composers to write comedy music, here is a brief list of my favourite techniques or 'gestures' for writing in a comedy style. Each of these are short, coming in at around 1-3 bars in length.
Comedy Techniques
Technique 1 - Doubling Pizzicato Strings with Bassoon
Perhaps one of the easiest and most effective decisions you can make when writing comedic music is the instrumentation you choose. Although extremely cliched, using Pizzicato strings is still a sure fire way of instantly injecting some humour into your music. Try taking a simple Pizzicato line playing in octaves in the Celli and Basses with a staccato Bassoon doubling the Celli.
Technique 2 - Clarinets in 3rds, moving chromatically, with Violins playing a minor 2nd trill
Pick two notes which are a minor 3rd interval apart (such as C and Eb) for the Clarinets to play. Then have them move up or down chromatically (moving by a semitone or half step) 3 or 4 times. Finally add the Violins playing a minor 2nd trill (a rapidly alternating pattern of 2 pitches a semitone apart) to play at the same time.
Technique 3 - Violins playing tremolo with Solo Tuba underneath
The Tuba is normally the brash and bold instrument, providing weight to a Brass section. When played as a solo though, it can be rather quite dainty! Try giving it a bouncy rhythm, outlining a major chord with individual notes, with a seventh thrown in, such as the chord of E7 - E, G#, B and D. Then you could try the Violins playing a held note with a tremolo articulation (rapid alternations of the bow) over the top, for added dramatic effect.
Technique 4 - Pizzicato Strings playing a chord progression, making use of the Lydian Mode
Sometimes just the simple orchestral colour of the Strings playing Pizzicato can achieve the job of making a scene funnier. By utilising the Lydian mode as well (a major scale but with a sharpened 4th degree), this can be a fast and easy technique to compliment a comedic action on screen, due to its feeling of hopefulness or rise. In this example, I'm making use of the A Lydian mode, with the chord of A major, followed by B major (which uses D#, the raised 4th in the A Lydian Mode). The two chords then repeat with a simple revoicing of notes for the final B major chord, for variation.
Technique 5 - Violins playing tremolo, divided so that they outline a Diminished chord
This one has the potential to be quite dramatic, but can amplify any intensity in a slapstick comedy effectively. Making use of the strings playing tremolo again, this technique is gradually building up a diminished chord (in this case G diminished). Each minor 3rd interval that gets added features a short two note chromatic lead in as well, for some heightened tension!
Technique 6 - Minor Triads moving down by step in Violins/Violas
This last technique involves the Violins and Violas playing arco, or with the bow. Starting with a chord of Gm, this descends down a half step to F#m. The Triads then continue descending, with Fm, followed by Em.
As I was putting these techniques together, it got me thinking about why Pizzicato has become so cliched as a technique for scoring comedy. After a little bit of research, I came across this answer from someone on the Vi Control forum:
"Pizzicato might have some implied comedy potential because it is a childish way to play - children will often pluck before they pick up a bow".
If you want to check out some clips from great comedy scores, see below for a couple of links by composers James Newton Howard and John Debney.
For more information & a link to the newsletter including the techniques in Cubase & Midi form, please send me an email using the Contact Us page.
