Film Scoring - How To Use Drones In Your Film Composition

In this video, we are exploring a compositional technique that is frequently used by some of the top film composers, such as Thomas Newman and James Newton Howard.
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[@KM-tv5km]

Drones are huge for me, it’s one of the things I’ve always loved and as a result put a huge emphasis on my own stuff. I usually use sound design for my drones as opposed to real orchestral instruments, and I find that synth drones go really well under orchestral arrangements and give it a really surreal and otherworldly quality

[@vincewarrenabas6961]

Hello, may I ask what software are you using?

[@RyanHarris77]

I'm a drone musician and I'm so happy you covered this topic! Thank you!

[@Jamsville]

For a second I thought you were gonna show us how to use drone footage for film scoring lol

[@BATTIS94]

I'm glad I'm not alone on that hahaha

[@ChuloDavidcito]

Yeah! And the key to adding dramatic tension would be shooting it down. :)

[@MM-rr1kp]

yep, same here...imagined a drone flying over the edge of a cliff or somthing to match a section where the composition soars

[@TheCueTube]

Haha I was looking forward to seeing some footage flying around the string section during a recording....

[@ridgero]

Rick is such a genius and so grounded. Thank you so much for your effort, you are doing so much for the music community.

[@sancho316]

Oh finally someone touched this topic. thank you rick

[@philenealvarado5008]

Thank you so much for this illustrious demonstration of the sonorous drones in soundtracks! You make it easy for a layperson to understand. Your choice in songs was very commendable!

[@KenNickels]

The Village is one of my favorite films, and the score is one reason why. So magical. It helps us to believe in everything that follows. Without it, the ending wouldn't be the slam dunk that it is.

[@indiefilmcomposer]

Thomas Newman has a magical touch that I love, those chord progressions are part of his signature sound

[@ToastedCigar]

This is a great! The soundtrack for "The Village" is probably one of my favourites ever, and now I know that a lot of the sound for this particular score comes from this technique, brilliant!

[@carminemasi]

Quebec, Canada. I can see and hear the whole video. Great !!

[@anthonyclark6236]

This was awesome! So much subtlety to dronage. Loved this.

[@ChuloDavidcito]

Gorgeous stuff, so much emotion in it. Great analysis, too, of course.

[@Tallguymark]

This video was made last year early Dec. So much great content then and now. thanks Rick!!

[@ajadrew]

There used to be a hurdy gurdy player in my group, Fisherking..Loved the D- drone..;-))

[@AniKhang]

This is really cool, thank you for the upload!

[@ronwhite8324]

Mark Isham: "Life as a House." He does this a lot in his score. Beautiful stuff! Thanks for expanding on this concept, Rick! : )

[@picksalot1]

The analysis is fantastic. Thanks

[@xD3MONxIxSOULx]

Video not available in North Korea 🙁

[@dennismenezes9423]

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[@tiluriso]

Great examples.The Shawshank's is a beautiful, moody, haunting one. Great channel. Cheers from Brazil.

[@KrimoErra]

For real, i needed this right now!! Much thank :)

[@13opacus]

drones are my current favorite technique and this video plays fine in australia, thanks

[@RisikoAO]

great, great, great video. Thank you!

[@SquideeStreams]

ha this is so helpful! i got a project to do for college for Friday, we need to write music for private Ryan sniper scene! saved my degree man thanks!

[@beyondz55]

Absolutely fantastic videos. Thank you. Time to fire up Omnisphere and Albion and try out these tips!

[@LuisSilva-rk1ye]

Portugal ok, great video!!!! Cheers!

[@mybiggrin]

Thank you Rick!

[@guitardudeguy3139]

Very beautiful drone sections from some of the greatest scores ...seems like they all have that add 9 tension builder before they resolve..interesting.

[@longtrang5706]

This is great has anyone heard the Medal of Honor air born soundtrack it’s amazing.

[@thefilmfrontier6822]

This is amazing!

[@GrantTregellas]

I can see this in South Africa. Awesome!

[@karthiksathian2931]

Great video Rick ! Maybe for your next video, you can do one on voicing full chords for the orchestra. Thanks!

[@ArthurStone]

Thanks; much appreciated...watching from Wales.

[@will_of_europa]

Amazing as always. I always learn a ton from these videos. Not to mention the next video in my playlist is about starcraft drones, so I was confused for a bit :D -Adventure Orchestra

[@ParsevalMusic]

so greatttt

[@lopezb]

Amazing!

[@indikasampath4832]

This is really helped telling my story in nee tv series

[@alexfire8101]

Thank you!)

[@edelcorrallira]

Tijuana Mexico... Working fine Thank you for all the energy invested, I believe there are many who appreciate it; hope fair use (which this is) will make a well deserved come back.

[@stewartmoore5158]

That piece from James Newton Howard's Signs was from The Village.

[@jimbeaux4988]

So good

[@Table-Top]

Really, really helpful. Thanks Rick. +++++

[@TheAloweWolf]

Wow.. interesting!

[@JDODify]

This was a particularly good video, Rick... now I just have to do my usual thing of working out how to apply it to punk.

[@oscarbilly547]

Cool!

[@pYtHaGhOr]

fantastico!!

[@TomHawkComposer]

Awesome video as always! Thanks, Rick :) P.S. It IS working in the UK now, hurray!

[@ricardotavares5544]

OK in Portugal. For now at least. Nice video Rick.

[@SteveGilson]

Hi Rick, this video is not available in the UK, you might want to check your settings...

[@SteveGilson]

Ah! There it is, looks like it's sorted out now.

[@ThatLethargicMoose]

What are your thoughts on the music of Ryuichi Sakamoto and do you think you'd ever do a "Secrets of Film Scoring" video for him?

[@davidgroeneveld1382]

In The Air Tonight: How to use a drone in pop music :-) I love using drones! They add so much atmosphere to music! And it's a perfect way to have the music unintrusive

[@danieltirado3579]

I Cannot See His Color From The Village. I Love Hilary Hahn! And! Great Scoring Techniques! So Helpful!

[@cacauceluque]

Dear Rick, Thank you very much for showing us some hidden secrets from movie composers! Do you have any video upon Jerry Goldsmith music? I love his music! Thank you

[@johnb2602]

Can't see it in the UK?

[@FranciscoHernandez-xp9yi]

Great video Rick! I had a quick question. How did you go about gaining proficiency on the piano? I mainly play guitar and I wanted to work on my piano playing in order to compose for film and create demos for a band I'm in. I have an understanding of how to play scales and chords on the instrument from my piano requirements in college but I'm having trouble finding a way to systematically work on them so I can use them in a real world setting. Any tips would be helpful. Thanks!

[@ziggydeath9397]

Regarding the UMG copyright claim, have you considered just making your own versions of each of the songs? You definitely have the ability and time to do that, since after you play the originals, you recreate the piano part to teach how the chords fit with the drone notes. For a typical score like this, it would only take a few overdubs. I plan on teaching music theory of the rock songs I love but will only be showing my recreations of the songs due to the copyright claims which I am sure would come if I played the original.

[@christopherolivo6787]

Still available in Fallon, NV @ 1703, 12/6/2017

[@gjtube37]

What string library are you using? The violin sound is beautiful.

[@NorbertVarga]

It still works in Safari browser on my Mac, but not available in the IOS app in my iPhone. London, UK

[@phillattel7917]

Can see in Australia

[@Shadow_Warri0r]

Hi, Rick, I can see it NZ

[@FranciscoMorales-qk4ux]

Hi Rick, I have a question, ¿What's the difference between a drone and a pedal note? Because I think they have the same role. I love your videos :D

[@edmccormack8032]

Bass pedal vs drone (8:01): Are there established properties exclusive to either that allow for a distinction? For me, it's the degree to which the low sustained tone impacts the perception of harmony. For example, let's say the high brass are playing modal triads in the key of C, and the low sustained tone is a low A note. If that low sustained A note were played by a Tuba, the homogenous sonority would make that A a pedal (since the tuba's similar timbre and physical location strongly tie all notes together into a single harmonic structure). However, if that exact same A note were played by some breathy synth drone panned up the center with a different reverb, that for me would be a drone (since it sonically is detached from the modal trumpet chords, and thus has less influence on the perception of their harmony). Would love to have others' perspectives!

[@zakwasny]

Blocked in Poland too...

[@edjacobs1750]

Rick...would you consider the c f c sequence from Baba O'Reilly a sort of drone?

[@Add9Sus4]

Hey Rick great video! Quick question, how do you know the scale is F Dorian at 3:15 if there's no D natural in either the melody or the chords? Is that implied based on the musical context even without the natural 6 that would indicate the dorian mode? And if so then what other musical indicators point to Dorian as opposed to a simple F minor scale? Not trying to criticize, genuinely curious about how that distinction is made. Now that I think about it, I haven't heard the continuation of that musical section... but if that section is in the key of Eb major then it would make sense that the scale is F Dorian so maybe that's the reason?

[@TaffmanGuyo]

Anyone tell me which midi keyboard is being used please? Thanks.

[@oommggdude]

Not to distract from the video, but I can't help point out that the video timeline is perfectly lined up with the edges of his keyboard when you pause the video :-O

[@fab0017]

What Piano and string library do you use Rick?

[@symzie]

This is available in UK

[@Ardjano234]

"I can't see his colour" sounds actually like a legit concert piece. I like it when soundtracks don't need the film to "speak."

[@QGMODS]

works fine in Greece

[@surveil3548]

How about Drones used in eastern music? Classical or contemporary

[@Ardjano234]

Byzantine Chant is mostly drones, really cool.

[@philenealvarado5008]

@@Ardjano234 Love that kind of music!

[@LivingImpressions]

Available in Portugal

[@RogerToye]

Rick do you have an Orchestra template in Logic ?

[@MaxTooney]

Great lesson, Rick. Particularly enjoyed your example from "The Village". (Too bad no sampler can do any justice to Hilary Hahn's exquisite violin playing.)

[@MaxTooney]

The entire soundtrack is worth listening to. Her playing is a textbook example of how a violin virtuoso should sound.

[@eamonnryan6602]

It says video is not available. Watching from Ireland.

[@edmccormack8032]

Rick, did you find any good solutions for that squeaky MIDI pedal (5:30)? I'm having the same problem, and I'm afraid WD40 will break the controller.

[@jaybone23]

I'm watching this video as Rick is doing a live stream and saying the video was dinged. I am in the US, no VPN!

[@willianwyler5941]

Not available in Switzerland

[@willianwyler5941]

JK - Chris Lüge?? Haha Versuch mal mit dem Handy..

[@MisterAppleEsq]

This is blocked in the UK. Why?

[@sandymoonstone855]

🍎 🎵 👌

[@trollwarlord368]

Can see this in India

[@leoholder7839]

I somehow knew Thomas would be an example in there for drones

[@perhaar]

Can see this video in Denmark 😐

[@ianjones1760]

working uk

[@wesleyprado2432]

👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏✌

If the drone is doing C F C in the bass register there would be a fourth between the C and F, and that's a dissosance, is that ok? Or am I thinking too contrapunctually..

[@MarkSemsel]

A C-F-C could function as a consonance - a 6-4 inversion of a F Major chord, for example. In Rick's example he mentions F Dorian mode.

Mark Semsel but isn't it weird to have a 6 4 pedal from the begining? I'd rather use a root position chord (being strict).but Well I mean the intention in the end could be to create more unstability and tension...

[@MarkSemsel]

I agree that a 6 4 inversion is less "settled" than a root position chord. But if I think about it, that might not be such a bad thing. It's still pretty consonant, I'd say, but it also has enough tension that the lister wants it to go somewhere.

[@sergioherrera2277]

It's weird in common practice music... this isn't common practice music.

True!, you guys are absolutely right. Cheers

[@futurebeats898]

Can't see it on my phone in canada

[@Beyondabsence]

Which piano sample are you using? It id excellent!

[@marekdomagalamusic]

I second this! Which one is it, Rick?

[@RickBeato]

+guscaldas3 It’s the gentleman from native instruments that has been EQ food and put through a lexicon reverb

[@RickBeato]

+Rick Beato I meant EQed:)

[@Beyondabsence]

Thank you Rick!

[@robertbrown1778]

Someone feed the Rick!

[@splashesin8]

Yay! I could hear it! Am in Texas. Was worried after hearing part of a live that I came in thirteen minutes into. Went to a movie with a friend that had a lot of this, very effective drone use. It was The Shack.

[@jaimelama]

No video in Spain. UMG?

[@RickBeato]

+Zezeando how did you guess? Agghhhh!!!!

[@frankspears4597]

This video is not available in England

[@ximontrespalacios1257]

Not available in Colombia

[@RickBeato]

+Ximon Trespalacios Chrome extension Hola is a VPN and will play it. You can also go to my Rick Beato Live KZbin channel and see the edited version

[@ramongomezaponte6353]

Not available in Puerto Rico.

[@RickBeato]

+Ramón Gómez Aponte Use the Chrome extension Hola or check it out on my Rick Beato Live KZbin channel.

[@nikolaystefanov5668]

Can't see in Sweden :(

[@martinolssonbass]

I can see it, I´m also in sweden.

[@rozarioperovic4800]

Shame on UMG!!! Stupid power play greed!!! Bad Karma man!! Was looking looking forward to this!! Saddened freternist, Ross.

[@TorkilZachariassenTZNG]

Not available in .fo

[@andyharpist2938]

Thomas Newman is the wizard of the drone... casting a spell through music. American Beauty theme music; a glimpse of eternity and the wonder of the universe, full of suspense and human irrelevance, capturing for us the very glory of life and being. Yet, about a bloke lusting after the girl next door. Sometimes musicians are too good for the film.

[@JDODify]

This is still available in the UK, or is this the edited version?

[@RickBeato]

+JDODify It seems to work for people with the Hola extension on the Chrome browser

[@JDODify]

Cheers, I don't think I have any extensions on my Chrome browser, but then I'm not the sharpest tool in the box when it comes to these things.

[@ThejusNair11gauge]

Not available in India too -_-