The decrescendo before the dragon theme ensures that the suddenly loud dragon theme does not appear entirely unnoticed but as a contrasting event. Unless you want everything to slide smoothly into one another. ... My comment 🧐
I guess you can pick and choose, and try to make a smooth transision for some elements, and let other have more of a contrast. I feel like this is an area where you can do a lot of experiments and learn a lot by trial and error. Great video!
I liked what he did there too. Tease your audience, flirt with them, be the over-dramatic siren you cannot be in real life. Toy with them, but only as far as the narrative allows. A film score has a narrative you must obey, but a concert work allows you to be more beguiling.
Keep the transition videos coming! I once had a composition professor tell me that "transitions are the hardest part of writing music," but then she never actually taught us anything about transitions! 😅
@@Tyrell_Corp2019 "I fear I can offer you no guidance, for that is a foe each of you must face… alone." *swirls cape and disappears in a puff of smoke*
LIKEWISE! My composition professor actually grabbed the pencil from my hand, scribbled in some notes (the transition), and then we moved on. WHAT KIND OF TEACHING IS THAT?
Transitions are what I feared the most in arranging/ composing. Breaking the process down into bite size chunks makes the process more manageable and less daunting. Love your videos! Thanks for sharing.
This is incredibly insightful and the example used is pretty much a perfect match! Somehow never thought about making a "sentence" to bridge the gap of sections. Glad I came across your channel!
I'm not familiar with the text he cites, but I think "sentence" just means it's multiple phrases, lasting about 8 bars depending on context. And it makes perfect sense. We generally under-write and struggle to add more in - I think we all could do well by over-writing and then cut some out! It's the mark of an artist to be able to throw away a golden idea just because it doesn't fit the needs of the work.
@@Qermaq Yeah pretty much. I normally write chronologically (i.e. intro to outro) but I had more trouble starting off with, say a drop first and then figuring out how to connect it later on, so I tend to rewrite and end up scrapping out more ideas because sections I wrote sometimes just don't translate too well. Hurts to do that but it's served me well.
These transitions are generally left out of sheet music, and they're some of my favorite parts of music. I particularly enjoy Beethoven's transitions so to hear it done with new themes is neat.
I really enjoy these technical process breakdowns. I've gotten a lot out of other folks theory content, but they are often overly descriptivist and lack motivation. These worked examples are priceless in terms of 'putting it all together' and picking up conventions, terms, etc that are generally omitted from more abstract content. As an overly-bookish, self-taught composer that has mostly pursued the art for my own satisfaction, there's great value in getting a window into a professional's approach and technique. You strike a great balance between depth and brevity. Your presentational style and demeanor are also on point. You've helped me get out of several structural cul-de-sacs I didn't even know I was in, already, and I look forward to each new video. 10/10 content, I feel like I'm finally learning how to 'draw the rest of the f*cking owl.' Thank you!
This is awesome stuff, man. I realize that in my own arranging, my intuition has pulled me in a couple of the same directions, but hearing it all laid out and explained like this was very helpful.
This was very well done in many ways. It was smooth, balanced and colorful enough that the second theme didn sound awkward or too different, but still contrasting enough.
This was a really interesting example! I have to say, since I'm pretty familiar with the score and its themes I was surprised and unsure where exactly you were going with this; I couldn't think of any part of the score where this could come in. But I really like how you made something original out of it from two very different themes, the kind John Powell would probably have to struggle to find some kind of bridge between in a film score, so it's a very valuable lesson to composers and problem-solvers. John Powell is very adept at adapting his own themes in different variations and he designs them so he can pull as much out of them as possible. Also, your bridge of chords at 3:08 actually ends kind of similarly to the end of the Fate Theme from the third movie, confusingly not the same Fate Theme from the first. I'm finishing up an analysis on a cue from that one (Legend Has It/Cliffside Playtime), so I've been hearing that ending a lot! It's interesting that your solution would sound so similar to something else from the third movie.
I always struggled with transitions, and even though I have the feeling I got a bit better over the years, it's always nice to get some new perspectives on this :)
Super helpful video, thank you!! I'm really trying to improve the way I write transition material and modulations at the moment and I learned loads from this video. Love your style of teaching, it's so concise and you have a great way of making complicated things way easier to understand.
Thanks for these videos Ryan, I really appreciate them. I love hearing exemples or work-in-progress a lot, so thanks for not just talking but actually letting us hear the ideas. And I love the stock footage used to illustrate your points, haha 5:50
I just stumbled on this video, I am changing from academic A levels to a music technology course next year and have zero experience writing or creating music but I have a good sense of what sounds good and that transition was so satisfying to listen to! thank you for this video :)
A very clear and practical explanation, thank you. What I like the most about it is seeing how an almost technical problem (transitioning between different themes) can be an opportunity to be an opportunity to really create something new and beautiful, and not just find a decent way to solve it.
I came across Ryan Leach recently and have found his explanations very clear and easy enough for even me, a noobie to orchestration. I have a long way to go, but every step helps to make my music better. I'm not looking for a career, I just enjoy making my own music. Hopefully others will find my music interesting, enjoyable and unique.
The way you explain the choices you’re making in this example, and why it all works, really helps me see the “design” side of composition, which is solving problems and achieving goals, and it really helps me to understand what’s going on, and believe it actually could be something I could learn. Thank you for making this content.
That was an amazing explanation! It really shows how clever and talented composers, musicians, and other music workers really are to create something as beautiful as the How to Train your Dragon soundtrack. If a soundtrack can make me feel the way the way the characters are portrayed, that's a huge thumbs up from me.
I've been binge watching a large amount of your videos over the last week or so as I have some scoring work to do and I'm feeling a little out of my depth to be honest. But your channel is an absolute gold mine of information! I don't think I've ever been so happy to discover such a rich resource. On top of learning about transitions here your one brief mention of Octatonic scale led me back to the bottomless pit of wiki music theory articles which talk about its Alpha chord and how that relates to the Fibonacci Sequence! Super inspiring, thank you 😁
Really great video Ryan, love your short videos. I learn something every time I watch one! I recommend my students at Pathways School in India watch them too, the students talking IBDP & MYP Music classes.
Thanks a looooooooot. I have no acces to formal música education so these videos of tours are a bless for me. Thanks you so much for the Amazing work. :D
Great illustration and explanation; look forward to learning more! (Got here from homepage, so whatever you’re doing with the algorithm seems to be working)
Amazing video Ryan! It's really helpfull to dive deep in the macro view of composition which is what sometimes makes us struggle more than a catchy phrase. Acknowledging the whole piece is an issue that goes pretty much under the radar.
Thanks for making these videos Ryan! Due to lacking a good theoretical foundation (due to hating music theory as a kid), videos like these, making practical use of those cadences, chords and harmonies really helps me get excited about learning theory again.
Insightful and succinct insight. Only part I was lost was the guy in the snow. I imagine these to be little trivias and he symbolize the distance between the themes was “a hike?” Great video.
I don't usually comment in videos, even the ones I like, because I just don't have anything to say about it. But this sort of content that you're putting out, really inspires and empowers beginner composers like myself. And that's great!
very interesting to watch, especially from perspective of not having a ton of music theory/composition knowledge. i never think of transitions as completely separate sections but now i will pay more attention to them!
Great job in breaking things down step by step and showing how to deal with each difference. It really de-mystifies the process to see it laid out so clearly and specifically. Your systematic approach in all your videos is very helpful! 👍
This video (and the previous one about transitions) really make me want to write some transitions myself, I like how smooth the transition was while still having some contrast to slightly catch you off guard
I absolutely LOVE this video! I love how it explains the process so simply. It’s my first time seeing any of your videos, but I’ll definitely be checking out more! Please keep making wonderful videos like this!
I think this is a great tip not only for making transitions between two different pieces of music, but it could also be good when composing an entirely new piece where you maybe have two sections already written and want to connect them. Nice!
Thanks Ryan - I don't really have any formal music education, and I'm keen to learn about the useful techniques (and even tropes) of modulation. I'd love to have the knowledge to think to myself, I'm starting in the key of Xmin, and I'm looking to get to the key of Z - so, what are my options for getting there? The section in the middle of this video kind of hinted at the hidden knowledge I'm lacking, and I'd love to see more vids examining modulation techniques if you have any on your channel, or perhaps as an idea for a future video. Great job!
I love your videos, I'm studying double bass, but knowing how the orchestra works together, and knowing how to understand the sheet music is key to a good play, and also one day I want to make my own music :b
🎹 Writing Transitions Is Fun! (no really) th-cam.com/video/C3xRCSp6P2E/w-d-xo.html
That was pretty smooth 😉
The decrescendo before the dragon theme ensures that the suddenly loud dragon theme does not appear entirely unnoticed but as a contrasting event. Unless you want everything to slide smoothly into one another. ... My comment 🧐
True, the fact that a new theme has started is still important and worth drawing some attention to
I guess you can pick and choose, and try to make a smooth transision for some elements, and let other have more of a contrast. I feel like this is an area where you can do a lot of experiments and learn a lot by trial and error. Great video!
I liked what he did there too. Tease your audience, flirt with them, be the over-dramatic siren you cannot be in real life. Toy with them, but only as far as the narrative allows. A film score has a narrative you must obey, but a concert work allows you to be more beguiling.
Keep the transition videos coming! I once had a composition professor tell me that "transitions are the hardest part of writing music," but then she never actually taught us anything about transitions! 😅
Seems like she was right? 😂
@@Tyrell_Corp2019 "I fear I can offer you no guidance, for that is a foe each of you must face… alone." *swirls cape and disappears in a puff of smoke*
"My work here is done."
"But you didn't do anything..."
*Vanishes*
It is absolutely true! I faced with it by my own, so now I am here)
LIKEWISE! My composition professor actually grabbed the pencil from my hand, scribbled in some notes (the transition), and then we moved on. WHAT KIND OF TEACHING IS THAT?
It really gives me a lot of perspective on how insane a transition can get when you consider all of those contrasting elements- thank you so much
I really love how the first four chords of the transition are bright, and the last four incorporate minor chords that get darker and darker.
Transitions are what I feared the most in arranging/ composing. Breaking the process down into bite size chunks makes the process more manageable and less daunting.
Love your videos! Thanks for sharing.
This is incredibly insightful and the example used is pretty much a perfect match! Somehow never thought about making a "sentence" to bridge the gap of sections. Glad I came across your channel!
I'm not familiar with the text he cites, but I think
"sentence" just means it's multiple phrases, lasting about 8 bars depending on context. And it makes perfect sense. We generally under-write and struggle to add more in - I think we all could do well by over-writing and then cut some out! It's the mark of an artist to be able to throw away a golden idea just because it doesn't fit the needs of the work.
@@Qermaq Yeah pretty much. I normally write chronologically (i.e. intro to outro) but I had more trouble starting off with, say a drop first and then figuring out how to connect it later on, so I tend to rewrite and end up scrapping out more ideas because sections I wrote sometimes just don't translate too well. Hurts to do that but it's served me well.
These transitions are generally left out of sheet music, and they're some of my favorite parts of music. I particularly enjoy Beethoven's transitions so to hear it done with new themes is neat.
I really enjoy these technical process breakdowns. I've gotten a lot out of other folks theory content, but they are often overly descriptivist and lack motivation. These worked examples are priceless in terms of 'putting it all together' and picking up conventions, terms, etc that are generally omitted from more abstract content. As an overly-bookish, self-taught composer that has mostly pursued the art for my own satisfaction, there's great value in getting a window into a professional's approach and technique. You strike a great balance between depth and brevity. Your presentational style and demeanor are also on point. You've helped me get out of several structural cul-de-sacs I didn't even know I was in, already, and I look forward to each new video. 10/10 content, I feel like I'm finally learning how to 'draw the rest of the f*cking owl.' Thank you!
Interesting and very useful. Without transitioning, any composition is going to end up either jarring or boring. This example works really well.
This is awesome stuff, man. I realize that in my own arranging, my intuition has pulled me in a couple of the same directions, but hearing it all laid out and explained like this was very helpful.
This was very well done in many ways. It was smooth, balanced and colorful enough that the second theme didn sound awkward or too different, but still contrasting enough.
This was a really interesting example! I have to say, since I'm pretty familiar with the score and its themes I was surprised and unsure where exactly you were going with this; I couldn't think of any part of the score where this could come in. But I really like how you made something original out of it from two very different themes, the kind John Powell would probably have to struggle to find some kind of bridge between in a film score, so it's a very valuable lesson to composers and problem-solvers. John Powell is very adept at adapting his own themes in different variations and he designs them so he can pull as much out of them as possible.
Also, your bridge of chords at 3:08 actually ends kind of similarly to the end of the Fate Theme from the third movie, confusingly not the same Fate Theme from the first. I'm finishing up an analysis on a cue from that one (Legend Has It/Cliffside Playtime), so I've been hearing that ending a lot! It's interesting that your solution would sound so similar to something else from the third movie.
I always struggled with transitions, and even though I have the feeling I got a bit better over the years, it's always nice to get some new perspectives on this :)
I really enjoy how you show the transitions they help me learn to play them right
Super helpful video, thank you!! I'm really trying to improve the way I write transition material and modulations at the moment and I learned loads from this video. Love your style of teaching, it's so concise and you have a great way of making complicated things way easier to understand.
I'm so glad I found this channel. :)
Connecting ideas is my weakness. Great example and ideas here. Thanks!
Thanks for these videos Ryan, I really appreciate them. I love hearing exemples or work-in-progress a lot, so thanks for not just talking but actually letting us hear the ideas.
And I love the stock footage used to illustrate your points, haha 5:50
Absolutely impressive, that transition matched at all levels! This was absolutely insightful and a true pleasure to watch! Thanks.
I just stumbled on this video, I am changing from academic A levels to a music technology course next year and have zero experience writing or creating music but I have a good sense of what sounds good and that transition was so satisfying to listen to! thank you for this video :)
It's a good thing you mentioned specific tools that we can use for a better transition. Thanks a lot!
Awesome video! I usually have issues trying to blend in different sections of my track so this was very helpful!
A very clear and practical explanation, thank you. What I like the most about it is seeing how an almost technical problem (transitioning between different themes) can be an opportunity to be an opportunity to really create something new and beautiful, and not just find a decent way to solve it.
I came across Ryan Leach recently and have found his explanations very clear and easy enough for even me, a noobie to orchestration. I have a long way to go, but every step helps to make my music better. I'm not looking for a career, I just enjoy making my own music. Hopefully others will find my music interesting, enjoyable and unique.
The way you explain the choices you’re making in this example, and why it all works, really helps me see the “design” side of composition, which is solving problems and achieving goals, and it really helps me to understand what’s going on, and believe it actually could be something I could learn. Thank you for making this content.
You should consider making a video course on Scoring and Composing… I’d definitely pay for that!!
That was an amazing explanation! It really shows how clever and talented composers, musicians, and other music workers really are to create something as beautiful as the How to Train your Dragon soundtrack. If a soundtrack can make me feel the way the way the characters are portrayed, that's a huge thumbs up from me.
I've been binge watching a large amount of your videos over the last week or so as I have some scoring work to do and I'm feeling a little out of my depth to be honest. But your channel is an absolute gold mine of information! I don't think I've ever been so happy to discover such a rich resource. On top of learning about transitions here your one brief mention of Octatonic scale led me back to the bottomless pit of wiki music theory articles which talk about its Alpha chord and how that relates to the Fibonacci Sequence! Super inspiring, thank you 😁
That's awesome. The sentence to transition, bravo! Why do I feel like I'm watching a genius. Thanks Ryan!
You sir make the transition between Ignorance and Wisdom seamless yourself. I like stopping by every once and a while and taking a lesson on music.
Great chat on transitions, keep them coming Ryan!
This is the kind of creators we need💪
Just wanna say I loved your use of stock footage in this video, you got several good laughs out of me!
I recently finished a track, but realized it had problems with transitions, so the timing of those videos is perfect
Its insane that these videos are free. Thanks Ryan for all the hard work that you put into these.
Oh man, so cool. Can't wait to put this one into usage. Thanks, Ryan.
I love your videos, I'm back to composing for a series of videos and since I'm very rusty on my composing these are helping a ton.
Man I really love your videos , never stop , is really helping in may journey
Love your content. You’re a great educator, Ryan! Thank you
Thank you for these composition videos, Ryan!
Informative clear. Packed full of useful information that’s immediately applicable.
Really great video Ryan, love your short videos. I learn something every time I watch one! I recommend my students at Pathways School in India watch them too, the students talking IBDP & MYP Music classes.
Wow finally some actually good content! Love you bro
I was stuck with a piece I've written, this was perfect timing.
I love the How to Train Your Dragon score
What a really hands on, useful and practical quick lesson! Big thanks!
Please keep doing these fantastic video, I was learned from your video a lot！
Heck yes, best soundtrack ever!!! Excellent choice using the HTTYD soundtrack as an example!! This was a great video and a great transition
Thanks a looooooooot.
I have no acces to formal música education so these videos of tours are a bless for me. Thanks you so much for the Amazing work. :D
Great illustration and explanation; look forward to learning more! (Got here from homepage, so whatever you’re doing with the algorithm seems to be working)
Just this morning I was thinking about transition between pieces in a mashup. This gives me a clearer idea of how to do it.
Once again, a musical gold mine of information and skills thank you Ryan!
Very nicely done!
Amazing video Ryan! It's really helpfull to dive deep in the macro view of composition which is what sometimes makes us struggle more than a catchy phrase. Acknowledging the whole piece is an issue that goes pretty much under the radar.
Very clever! I'm going to have to go check out your other stuff.
Great lesson!
I enjoy your analysis. Helps me with my own writing.
Every one of your videos are so helpful! Thank you!
Thanks for making these videos Ryan! Due to lacking a good theoretical foundation (due to hating music theory as a kid), videos like these, making practical use of those cadences, chords and harmonies really helps me get excited about learning theory again.
These example videos are so helpful!
Insightful and succinct insight. Only part I was lost was the guy in the snow. I imagine these to be little trivias and he symbolize the distance between the themes was “a hike?” Great video.
I don't usually comment in videos, even the ones I like, because I just don't have anything to say about it. But this sort of content that you're putting out, really inspires and empowers beginner composers like myself. And that's great!
Excellent video, definitely will keep it saved for future reference.
It is actually unfair how you make this look so easy...
very interesting to watch, especially from perspective of not having a ton of music theory/composition knowledge. i never think of transitions as completely separate sections but now i will pay more attention to them!
Using bits and pieces of this to stitch together my entry for the April 2024 competition!
Great job in breaking things down step by step and showing how to deal with each difference. It really de-mystifies the process to see it laid out so clearly and specifically. Your systematic approach in all your videos is very helpful! 👍
As someone who isn't good at reading sheet music but is still somewhat interested in orchestra/cinematic music the piano roll was helpful
This was really cool! Also the hard cut from love theme to dragon theme sent me 😂
This video (and the previous one about transitions) really make me want to write some transitions myself, I like how smooth the transition was while still having some contrast to slightly catch you off guard
That was a really a m a z i n g video ! So amazing that I instantly cliked when I saw it on my yt front page ^^
I greatly appreciate your teaching 🙇♀
Quite useful. Please include gradual morphing in your course which is to be released. Thanks.
Just what I needed, thanks! Nice Video, keep it up!
Awesome transition 🙏🏽
Another amazing vid, Ryan!!
Thank you for this. Transitions are always an incredibly thought-provoking discussion for composers.
Over my head for but fascinating.
Thank you for your videos! They really do help me a lot!
I absolutely LOVE this video! I love how it explains the process so simply. It’s my first time seeing any of your videos, but I’ll definitely be checking out more! Please keep making wonderful videos like this!
Very helpful video! Underrated channel-- wishing you the best, Ryan!
This video couldn't have come at a better time for me! Great video!
Wow Ryan you’re orchestration videos are amazing.
Thanks for making this!
How to train your dragon has to have one of the most underated soundtracks of all time
I learned a lot from this!! Good video 👍
Very high quality instruction
Very good! I always love content with HTTYD involved 🙂
Very nicely put, easy to follow, might go try this myself :)
I think this is a great tip not only for making transitions between two different pieces of music, but it could also be good when composing an entirely new piece where you maybe have two sections already written and want to connect them. Nice!
That transition with the horns is so powerful. Thanks for the video!
Thanks for checking it out!
This is a very practical and easy to follow process, thanks for putting this together!
Thank you this is very helpful for my music gcse
Great video, very useful topic and you gave the fundamentals in a very easy to digest way. 👍
Thanks! Are you submitting for the competition? I haven't seen your name come up yet..
@@RyanLeach I wanted to (actually started a sketch), but very busy time at work came up - I hope you get good entries! I'll definitely watch it.
Well as a person who wants to be a composer one day
This indeed will come handy one day
Great example! Thank you Ryan
Thanks Ryan - I don't really have any formal music education, and I'm keen to learn about the useful techniques (and even tropes) of modulation. I'd love to have the knowledge to think to myself, I'm starting in the key of Xmin, and I'm looking to get to the key of Z - so, what are my options for getting there? The section in the middle of this video kind of hinted at the hidden knowledge I'm lacking, and I'd love to see more vids examining modulation techniques if you have any on your channel, or perhaps as an idea for a future video. Great job!
I don't think I've done a video on modulation yet but Alan Belkin has some great videos about it: th-cam.com/video/XUb_s5XsxLM/w-d-xo.html
Honestly very interesting even though I don’t even know all that much about music😂 loved the video!!
I love your videos, I'm studying double bass, but knowing how the orchestra works together, and knowing how to understand the sheet music is key to a good play, and also one day I want to make my own music :b
Hi Ryan, great video as always!