Transcripts
1. Intro: There was once a time,
not so long ago, that 8-bit music was the
only music available. If you wanted to
score a video game. Back then, composers
were scoring the music within the software that was used to develop the video game. As you can imagine,
very little of the software was
dedicated for music. And as a result, these
composers were often working just within one
octave or not even that. They might only have
five nodes from within the C major scale to work with five whole
notes, and that's it. So today, I want to
recreate 8-bit music. I don't want to create it
within video games software, although that would be the
most authentic way to do it, I'm going to use Ableton Live, but to that end, I'm going to use a plugin
called magical 8-bit. I'm also not going to
stick to just one octave, but I will only stick
to eight bits sounds for everything from
percussion to the codes, to the melody, everything. If it's not available for eight bit, I'm not
going to use it. No external drum kits. Nothin like you say, all the time people sneak
in an extra things. Now, if it's not
in magical 8-bit, why not going to use it? Today? We're going to score, we're going to rescale
the video game brave, which is a procedural
side-scrolling game that suits our needs. It just suits 8-bit music, so we're going to use it and we're gonna make
our own soundtrack. My name is Jordan.
I'm a composer, producer from Australia. And join me as we
create 8-bit music, a style that was once a
necessity and is now a luxury. It's now something that we
make just for pleasure, just because we can and
because it sounds great. So let's get started.
2. Our Scoring Goals: Hey, bit music has its
roots in functionality. It was invented so that
games could have music, but it's made
entirely with Midea, which is a lot easier to store and transferable
between software. And just relies on the sounds generated by
the software itself. So adaptable for
different software. It's, it's, it's
the perfect music, functional, functionality wise. But in more recent days, it's become something
that we can pose just because
we enjoy the sound, just because we don't
need it anymore. It doesn't mean it's still
not a pleasure to listen to such incredible
composers in the past. I've come up with
such amazing music that were inspired and we
want to make stuff ourselves. So today we're going
to use the game brave and we're going to recompose a new
soundtrack for it. It does have a
soundtrack already, but that soundtrack
is not a bit. So we're going to
create It's very first eight per cent check. Well, we're going
to keep in mind is that we need
this soundtrack to stay simple enough that the player is
focusing on the game. With these game soundtracks. What matters more than
the ongoing score? What matters more is sort
of turning point moments, how the music develops at certain turning
points in the game. We're about to have
a look at the game and you're going
to notice there's a Start screen and then it's the first time the
player can move. And then it's the first time the player can talk to someone. And then it's the
first time the player swings their sword in
the tutorial area. And then it's when they go into the initial level and then when they're fighting
their first real bad guys. Key moments that the
school needs to highlight. It's important that we create a melody that's as simple
as we can make it so that we can raise score the same melody in future
levels in different ways. So if you've ever
played a curvy game, you'll know what
I'm talking about, where that Kirby
theme is racecourse, so that it sounds aquatic
and an underwater level, so that it sounds frigid
and a snow level. The melody can be developed and there can be other ones created
and then re-introduced. But the best games bring melodies back in a way
that's fresh and exciting. And the player can get attached to them because they've heard them
so many times. I really love soundtracks like the Shovel
Knight soundtrack, where you'll hear themes for Shovel Knight themes
for the buses, and then Shovel Knight
and the buses soundtracks will be combined during
really epic moments. It's, it's beautiful,
it's gorgeous. So today we're gonna get started just on a premolar preliminary, on an early soundtrack
for the game. Something that the game can suddenly that
the composer could, could use to make the
rest of the game with, we'll start with an
early piece that is sort of a theme for the character
and a theme for the game. That starts bright and cheerful, compels the player
to keep going, compels the person to play more, and to keep exploring and to
feel excited about the game. And then from there, it can be built and
get more complex as the game goes on
while bearing in mind, it's all about those
pivotal moments, and it's about safe
staying simple enough that the player isn't distracted
from what's going on, on this, on this screen. People like me, I will be
distracted by even simple music because I will watch a movie and play a game for the music. But for the average person, they should feel
completely undistracted. They should feel completely
within the game. So that's the goal that
we need to achieve. Alright, so let's turn to our
software and get started.
3. Percussion: Alright, let's get to work. So here we have video game
that we are scoring today. This is a procedurally generated
indie game called brave, and it already has a soundtrack, of course, but it is not
an eight bit soundtrack. It looks like it would
suit a bit really well. But they didn't go that route. We're going to go
that route for them. So it's a general
side-scrolling action RPG. Okay, cool. Tutorial
combat. I like that. We have that title sequence
in the beginning that we can use to set up a
theme right here. Establish our sound before
being taken into the world. We have our character. So we can have a simple
melody that builds as the adventure
unfolds with a bit, we really want a distinct
melody that's simple, easy-to-follow,
easy to remember, then is also
something that can be adapted for other levels. So the same character goes underground or
goes in the water. We can just retool the
theme for what we need. So I like to start with percussion with whenever I'm
doing stuff like eight bit. But also if I do like
household Lo-Fi, I'm using magical eight bit. So this is pretty great. We've got three options. You've got square,
triangle and noise. Square is the one that I
usually use for melodies. Triangle I hear
is good for base. Oh yeah, for base, but I will use it for the base. Um, it's not super easy
to tell the difference. This is what it sounds like. A sort of sounds like a pretty, pretty much what you'd expect. And then of course
you can play with the attack, decay, sustain, and release to get a difference on the
sound that you want. Attack, of course, influences the sound as it's beginning, as the note is ramping
up, the decay. Of course, on the other end, it affects the end of the
node as the node is ending. So that there is a
really fun to play with. And of course, the sustain. This is stain. And the release out what
we're going to play with for our percussion
sounds, attack, and decay. We're not going to
need it all. But let me show you what
we're going to need. Square and triangle of what
I've already talked about. Noise is what we need. Noise, sounds useless. It's what you hear. It's a static from a TV. Basically. It's that
horrible sound. We're going to use that
horrible sound for good, for our percussion section. With the sustain and release, we can play with it and get
a drum sound out of it. I think there's the
composers who originally worked with this white noise sound to make
artificial percussion, I think are truly admirable. See how that kind of sounds like a drum already. That's great. That's great. It sounds like I'm
hitting a drum. It's not white noise sound. Okay, so let's space this out. That's great. Great. Great. I just wanted, just
want that even sound. Awesome. Alright, so we've got
our basic drumbeat. Alright, I'm going to add
a base to it down here. Sound familiar with memories. Great. Excellent. Then of
course, hi-hats, right? I've had, I think,
two octaves higher. How are we making music out of this horrible white noise?
It's pretty amazing. Yeah. That's because I just
didn't grab that firstNode. That's why. How does that sound? I think it shouldn't
start that complicated, but it could become
that complicated. Maybe. Maybe I'll copy and paste it and then the
first one, simplify it. Maybe take out the
high ads that off. See it without it.
It sounds weird. Can always can always adjust it later. Maybe it's too low. I did that helped. Or maybe the germ could stay
alone or the base. It's still are definitely needs a baseline. Definitely. Alright, so we can adjust
it later if we need. But that is a good start
for our percussion.
4. Experimenting with Melody: Melody, let's get
a melody going. Okay, so put our
plugging back in. We're just going to use
the flag in early square, some attacks and to k. But
we can play with that. Alright. Turn this back on. It's pretty cool. That might come in
handy at some point. Okay. So as always, are going to just
experiment a bit and then try to come
up with a melody that is something
we can build on and something we can
base this space, the entire game on once
the melody is made, once the rest is just
derivatives of it. So this is the hardest
work right here. This is, this is the most
work you'll put him. And it's entirely off of feel. No. Now it's tough. You know, we're trying to
get that adventure feel, that side-scrolling
off on a quest, that inspirational get going. That's what we want to emulate. Maybe I'll put the Germans arm. Germans really helped. Give me a feel. All right, Let's,
let's work on that. I see that name wasn't
maybe I can harmonize it. All right, let's see that. All right, We're off
to a great start. We just need to build on
the melody from yeah.
5. Expanding the Melody: Alright, so here's our melody. Let's, let's see if we can't
do what we did before. But to greater effect,
they buy before. I mean, when we tried
to put a third night above that one node and the
melody and Asana kinda weird. Sounds. Maybe underneath. That sounds weird. Alright, I know what to do. Let's create another
line for it. And just change some
of the presets. Give it more attack. She's like that. Pretty distracting me. I kinda like that. Shown that insurer. How many is too aggressive? I don't think the harmony
and the melody count. Repeat that, Ellie, we need a continuation
of this melody. Maybe you can, maybe I continue it afterwards. Final note.
6. Taking Risks & Making Chords: Alright, So I did end up making a little
change with this. I didn't have it go up. I just kinda resolved
that a little bit. That's soya ended up going. So I think I should repeat it and then give it the
treatment of this pot. By the way, I lengthened
the harmony a little bit so that it carried over
into the secondary melody. And then that makes the
transition a little bit better. I guess the same
treatment. Harmonize it. I think what I did with the
other arm was just make a little bit less chain like denotes change
less frequently, have them carry longer. Maybe I'll be a
resolution or transition. Let's see how it looks
with the with the game. Oh, yeah. Also look new drum line. I just just simplify that and
just cut out a lot of it. Copy that across.
All right, cool. Let's say that what the game, right now, my favorite thing in a bit is when the
melody is combined. So I'm dying to see
if it'll work here. I'll bring back this germ line. Bringing back this malady. Like we didn't new track. Let's pull it down. Harmonizing one. Horrible, not sure about that, come back to that. But more importantly for now
is a baseline or courts. Let's see if I can just do
some some regular codes. Some triads. Oh, I didn't give
out any instruments. All right, Where do
we go from head? This first-degree triad? Gosh, I'm gonna give it a
lower root night as well, which I will carry
across to here. All right, Great. Great. Alright, that's okay. That's a cool chord progression.
Can start with that.
7. Putting It All Together: So I've made a
couple of changes. I've pulled things back. So I've got it said
that the cords, which I've just copied
out a few times, the chords and the drum
line, what starts first? So I've got the drum
line with the chords, which then moves
to the germ line with the basic melody with the codes than the germ
line with the melody again, but this time with the high
hats codes, of course. Then we've got the melody
again with the drums, with the hi-hat, with the codes. Here's the harmony line that
we made, but I deleted it. And what I'm thinking is
some kind of base line, some kind of baseline
instead of a harmony. Well, it's still a hot,
it's still a harmony, but something that complements
what we're listening to, but isn't a direct what the other one was was
the exact same thing, but a third apart. And I could just never get
it so that I liked it. So this is what I'm
gonna do instead. Let's quiet the other things. Groups. Maybe it's finally time
to try that triangle. Oh, I see the merit. Now, what does that noise
at the end of it? That's better. I might sound nice. Yeah, let's give it a try. Bringing everyone else back in. I had a ten down. I like it but I need to
change the patch. Just repeat the patch. I liked that a lot. That will work out very nicely. Still extra long from
my old experiment. Let's just meet,
as I said to you, hi, Nice. That's messed up. Oh, that
was my old experiment. Maybe the one without the high hats and then
put the high hats back. Oh, yeah. I like not having anything else going and then putting
everything back in. That could be cool. I want to create a
bit of a lead in. Alright. It's, it's the
precipice of music. It's, it's leading into music. That sounds wrong. I mean, like there's more to
come is what it sounds like. It sounds like more is
more is on its way. All right, let's see how
it looks with the video. Alright, I think we definitely have the beginning of
a game soundtrack. Absolutely. From here, we
would expand our musical idea. The whole thing sounds
like an insurer, which is great because
it means from here, we can really go
crazy and flesh out a melody that can keep the player's going through
multiple levels. Absolutely, That's a
first level sound. There we go. We've done it.
8. The Journey Isn't Over: There you have it. That's our 8-bit track of
for the video game brave. It is just the beginning. It is an early theme that if
I was to keep working on, I would develop further. I would try more ways of working harmonies and I would probably vary
up the percussion. I would probably find
more ways of sneaking in different drum cycles that could vary it up and
vary up the pacing. Like put the melody
into halftime, change up the drums,
stuff like that. I would also get in a
second melody to put over the primary melody and
make it sound good. Make it sound extra compelling. But with a bit you don't
want to over-complicate it. You want the player concentrating on the
game and not the music. But you still need to
make sure that it's compelling and
that it's changing and that you can recycle it in future levels in a way that
is not going to get bored. So it's quite a dense. I hope you had a great time. I hope that you've composed something that you're proud of and you can post it here on Skillshare and let us all
see what you've created. So up to you. Thanks so much for joining
me and have a look at the other Skillshare
classes that I have posted and I will
see you next time.
Misici, Music Composer & Producer
