1. Appreciating music through the study of film
Film music
Appreciating music through the study of film

2. Ways music enhances film
A film usually tells a story.
Music enhances the story-telling through the following ways:
Preparing the scene / setting or evoking the atmosphere / mood
Expressing the characters’ thoughts / emotions / feelings
Accentuating / Highlighting physical movements

3. music’s basic building blocks
Rhythm:
Tempo: speed of the basic pulse
(Rhythmic) pattern: the way the pitches (or notes) are arranged as the basic pulse moves on
Pitch:
Melody: the way pitches are arranged horizontally
major / minor, intervals
Harmony: the way pitches are “stacked up” vertically
major /minor chords, augmented chords, diminished chords
Register / Tessitura
Low sounding range Vs. High sounding range

4. music’s basic building blocks
Timbre:
Peculiar tone quality belonging to a particular instrument / person played in a particular way.
Scientifically, the waveforms for each instrument playing the same pitch will be different but the frequency / period is the same.

5. music’s basic building blocks
Phrasing / Expression:
Articulation: Same pitch (or note) played on an instrument or sung by a person can be played or sung in limitless number of ways in the continuum ranging from extremely short and detached to long and sustained.
Dynamics: Same pitch (or note) played on an instrument or sung by a person can be played or sung in limitless number of ways in the continuum ranging from extremely soft to extremely loud.
The subtle variations of the above two (articulation and dynamics) are the basic ways a musician expresses himself / herself with a given melody.
Dynamics: Loud Vs. Soft
On its own, can be used as a powerful tool to indicate transition (esp. sudden transition)

6. music’s basic building blocks
Form
“Architecture” of a piece of music, the way music is organised
Based on ideas of continuity (familiarity) and diversity (surprise)
Pop music: melodies for Verse 1/2/3 remains the same (continuity), lyrics changes (diversity).
Usually a series of mini-climaxes with only one highest peak (the ultimate climax)
Pop song – “Chorus” sections are the mini-climaxes, bridge / climax after bridge is the highest peak
Same melody / Rhythmic pattern can be used in differing ways throughout a piece of music to act as reference points
Not so important in film music as the narrative structure (story-telling) will organise the music