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MOMENTUM

SUSPENSE
1. Suggested Tracks
To Have In Your Template
2. Style Definition
3. Step By Step
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SUGGESTED TRACKS
TO HAVE IN YOUR TEMPLATE
Must have
Strings Sustain (Ensemble)
Piano
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STYLE DEFINITION
Tempo and Rhythm
Slow to moderate with rhythmic subdivisions not
faster than 260 subdivisions per minute
Commonly utilizes ostinatos and steady pulses,
but can also be non existent
Tempo would range from 65 to 110 BPM.
Hits can be used for dramatic effect
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STYLE DEFINITION
Harmony
Plays a central role to set the tone/mood of
the scene
Usually in minor modes.
Moves slowly. Sustained pedals and slow chord
changes are common
Triads with added notes are frequent
Dissonances and clusters are welcomed.
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STYLE DEFINITION
Melody
Can be either short and fragmented -
sometimes non existent
If not present, the dissonant harmonic
textures will drive the music
Long sustained notes are frequent
Mostly utilizes dissonant intervals
Mostly uses foreign or non traditional modes.
Chromatism is frequent
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STYLE DEFINITION: ORCHESTRATION

Emphasizes darker tones
and textures

Pedal notes played by the

Double bass and low
Woodwinds are frequent

Ostinatos can be played by either

the string section, the harp or
electronic synth pulses. Any
combination will work
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STYLE DEFINITION: ORCHESTRATION

Ostinatos are often supported
with light percussions

Low tone percussions can be

added to the ostinato or be
used for dramatic hits

Long sustained notes are

typically played by the high
strings with the support
of woodwinds
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STEP BY STEP
Before you start - you may wanna start by recording or writing down
a quick melody/harmony sketch

1. Combine Direction and Movement

to come up with the thematic
material that creates the Suspense feel

2. Create the Background -

keep it simple

3. Bass - add low end enhancements

for dramatic moments
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TIPS AND TRICKS

Can use non-conventional
minor scales for the melody

Twist triadic minor chords

with dissonance for
the harmony

Suspense is more motivic

and less melodic
than Sadness
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TYPICAL INSTRUMENTATION
(ORCHESTRATION)
In general… piano and strings will do it.

SOFT
Piano
(motivic/repetitive melody)
Soft sustain strings
Harp to add movement
(optional)
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TYPICAL INSTRUMENTATION
(ORCHESTRATION)
In general… piano and strings will do it.

BIGGER
Melodic (motivic) High Strings
(maybe add woods for color)
Mid Strings for support/background
Low Strings when we need
more weight (more “serious” mood)
Piano/harp for movement
High Strings (or harmonic strings)
for more tension
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TYPICAL INSTRUMENTATION
(ORCHESTRATION)
In general… piano and strings will do it.

A BIT OF PULSING (MOTOR)...

SAME AS ABOVE… BUT ALSO ADD:
Light ostinatos
Subtle stacc strings
Low pulsing synth
Subtle stacc woods
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MOMENTUM AND INSPIRATION

Any musical passage can have up to five elements. These are not layers. They are more
like musical components. They can either be combined or not. The five elements are:

1. Direction
Anything that creates a tendency.
Something that leads from point A to
point B (a melody, a harmonic
progression that creates more
tension as it progresses,
increasing/decreasing orchestration
density or thickness, etc).
This element makes the listener
feel like the music is progressing
from one point to another.
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MOMENTUM AND INSPIRATION

Any musical passage can have up to five elements. These are not layers. They are more
like musical components. They can either be combined or not. The five elements are:

2. Movement
An aspect of the music that creates
flow or action (a rhythmic pattern,
ostinato, harmonic progression
that repeats/modulates, call and
response between instruments
or families, etc). This element creates
motion and also aids
in creating direction.
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MOMENTUM AND INSPIRATION

Any musical passage can have up to five elements. These are not layers. They are more
like musical components. They can either be combined or not. The five elements are:

3. Background (Glue)
Anything that sits behind in the mix.
It will usually be something that
is not obvious, but it is there, and
you can tell when it is missing.
This element fills in the gaps
and helps join the different
musical ideas together.
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MOMENTUM AND INSPIRATION

Any musical passage can have up to five elements. These are not layers. They are more
like musical components. They can either be combined or not. The five elements are:

4. Enhancer
Something that intensifies,
augments or develops a musical
idea, helps connect sections, or adds
sparkle and “ear candy” (textural
flourishes like runs, scales, and trills,
woodwinds fluttering around behind
a soaring melody, cymbal or
timpani roll swells, etc).
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MOMENTUM AND INSPIRATION

Any musical passage can have up to five elements. These are not layers. They are more
like musical components. They can either be combined or not. The five elements are:

5. Bass
Anything that adds an extra low end.
The contemporary modern orchestral
sound requires an extra layer of a solid,
compact and controlled low end.
It is important that you are able to
create it. We have many resources
available like low synths, electric
basses, sub-boom percussion hits,
and well-recorded or sampled
double basses.