Obviously, a lot of awesome scores can be produced using a traditional orchestra to play the soundtrack.
But...there are times when using instruments not typically featured can really make the piece memorable.
This can be as simple as the oboe in the soundtrack for The Mission - while an oboe can be found in any orchestra, they don't often get solos like that.
But the intro to 'Concerning Hobbits' is not played on a flute, but a tin whistle, and touches like that are really quite cool.
In The Dark Crystal, Jen's gelfling song is played (onscreen) on a fantastical instrument (a jointed flute that does not exist), but the actual song is played on an ocarina. I suppose they thought that was unusual enough to fit the alien culture they were inventing.
Does anyone have any favorite unusual instruments that they would like to incorporate, and if so, which culture, 'mood' or event would you like to see them used for? I imagine we will have various party scenes throughout the show, and some music would be just the thing.
First up, a couple of Chinese instruments that I found out about 5 minutes ago:
The Pipa:
The Guzheng:
But no, in all seriousness, these instruments evoke a particular culture and I think we should definitely select some 'ethnic' instruments that are appropriate for our project. Suggestions?
Personally, I would be happy if we worked a hammered dulcimer in:
Apparently, the Swedish have something called a nyckelharpa:
And some Ethiopian instruments:
'Bahil' means 'culture', and there is a lot about this video that is uniquely Ethiopian culture - the language, the clothing, the hair, the styles of dancing (all about the shoulders!) and music, not to mention the setting and activities (selling things in the marketplace, etc). Now, I assume that this is not the native culture of anyone here, so this is something foreign. We...are creating some 'foreign' cultures for the elves (and eventually the dwarves and Men as well), so we'll have to consider all of this stuff to make a cohesive picture of each people's culture. Musical instrument choice can play a tiny part in setting different cultures apart.
I mean, Ethiopia is a country that is quite proud of its heritage, so that the number one pop singer in the country can produce a song commemorating a 1895 battle and produce this music video (Tikur Sew = Black Man, and this features Emperor Menelik in the Battle of Adwa):
But...there are times when using instruments not typically featured can really make the piece memorable.
This can be as simple as the oboe in the soundtrack for The Mission - while an oboe can be found in any orchestra, they don't often get solos like that.
But the intro to 'Concerning Hobbits' is not played on a flute, but a tin whistle, and touches like that are really quite cool.
In The Dark Crystal, Jen's gelfling song is played (onscreen) on a fantastical instrument (a jointed flute that does not exist), but the actual song is played on an ocarina. I suppose they thought that was unusual enough to fit the alien culture they were inventing.
Does anyone have any favorite unusual instruments that they would like to incorporate, and if so, which culture, 'mood' or event would you like to see them used for? I imagine we will have various party scenes throughout the show, and some music would be just the thing.
First up, a couple of Chinese instruments that I found out about 5 minutes ago:
The Pipa:
The Guzheng:
But no, in all seriousness, these instruments evoke a particular culture and I think we should definitely select some 'ethnic' instruments that are appropriate for our project. Suggestions?
Personally, I would be happy if we worked a hammered dulcimer in:
Apparently, the Swedish have something called a nyckelharpa:
And some Ethiopian instruments:
'Bahil' means 'culture', and there is a lot about this video that is uniquely Ethiopian culture - the language, the clothing, the hair, the styles of dancing (all about the shoulders!) and music, not to mention the setting and activities (selling things in the marketplace, etc). Now, I assume that this is not the native culture of anyone here, so this is something foreign. We...are creating some 'foreign' cultures for the elves (and eventually the dwarves and Men as well), so we'll have to consider all of this stuff to make a cohesive picture of each people's culture. Musical instrument choice can play a tiny part in setting different cultures apart.
I mean, Ethiopia is a country that is quite proud of its heritage, so that the number one pop singer in the country can produce a song commemorating a 1895 battle and produce this music video (Tikur Sew = Black Man, and this features Emperor Menelik in the Battle of Adwa):
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