Semi-finished trailer track

[SirDort]

Totally went for the stereotype, but had a blast doing it. I’m kind of unsure though about how high I should aim in terms of the caliber of libraries I submit to for tracks like this, so any thoughts on that would be appreciated.

[Mark_Petrie]

David I really like this track. Musically it’s a lot more interesting than ‘stereotype’.

But as it stands, it’s more an approximation of trailer music.

To really get into trailer music, you’ll have to live and breathe it.

It’s all too easy to listen to a little trailer music, and then run off and do your own thing – to get carried away by the piece you’re writing. Trust me – I know this all too well! (Having written over 300 attempts at trailer music at this point)

Here’s a trick that really helps to get that all important AUTHENTICITY:

Start out doing a sound-alike.

load the audio of a piece of music (used in a trailer) into your DAW, find the tempo, then transcribe it with piano, exactly to the grid.

transcribe the bass movement, top lines, inner voices, and maybe the drums, then mute the source material, transpose your sketch, and try turning it into a different piece.

Be careful what you end up doing with it as it could easily be too close to the original – this is more an exercise than a way to create a track you’ll give away to a publisher.

But this is how you get ‘under the hood’.

pay attention to these things:
– the HOOK(s)
– the structure (how things keep getting bigger, hold together as a singular idea)
– the FEELING

I can always tell when someone has done this. It’s the same with any style really – you have to transcribe, then make it your own, to fully internalize it.

[SirDort]

Thank you very much – the advice you’re giving is so applicable. I’ve listened to your pieces before but I’m going to again while keeping the things you mentioned in mind.

[Author]

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