Hi all.
I make scoring for independent films. Horror, tension and emotional sounds are ok for me but I get mad when it's come to make a music for a happy /funny/comic scene. I just feel like I'm in a desert with anything. I can't build.

I know I must work in major scale with high bpm values. Nothing more. So, have you got more hints about that or could you advice me something? Maybe some spesific instruments, maybe some fx?

 

Staccato. Fast ascending glissandos. Thrills.

 

Smile.

 

I IV V chords

 

A course of Prozac?

 

Sorry, but I think you do yourself an injustice in aiming your sights to seek a formula or specific sounds to achieve a goal that is an ever moving target, akin to a game of say, musical chairs; when the music stops, if you try to sit in the same chair every time you can and never be the last one sitting. It is both limiting to yourself creatively and doing an injustice to the marriage of sound and vision that can be treated as artful, or in what you are seemingly seeking, average, pedestrian, obvious, repetitive and boring. Every opportunity you have to mate action with score has a different tack, rhythm and endless variables such as location, lighting, characterization, to name just a very, very few. When creating a theme for a particular character or a repeating motif in the action is the only time when you might employ a formula, and that would be your own formula that can and must bind itself to it's mate. If you have not done so yet it might be advantageous to give a serious read and note-taking session to the iconic and industry last word on the subject of scoring by Claudia Gorbman's defining book on the subject entitled Unheard Melodies. I highly suggest it. As her title suggests, film music should be heard, not listened to by the audience, something not divorced from the action but rather an enhancement of the reality the film hopes to raise from the depths of our collective consciousness, and to plant in sound and vision a living, breathing unique entity that informs us of ourselves. Even a 15 second bit can embody these principles. Try it, you might just like it. I will now flush the toilet and walk away to start my day.

 

I think what the OP was getting at is that there are fundamental sounds, tones etc which make humans feel certain emotions -- happiness sadness etc. After making lots of cinematic, dramatic dance music I remember struggling to find 'the happy notes' one day.

 

Even then.

 

If it's electronic music, you might want to stick to major functions and add a bit vibrato to instruments. I don't know your specific goal but if it's more orchestrated stuff and you want to achieve something like this

or

you probably want to focus on the rhythm, short sounds and using silly instruments like trombones. Longer sounds probably should have a bit of vibrato. I'm not sure what's going on in there harmonically, either it's very specific modulation or some less popular scale, but maybe it will inspire you a bit.

 

Check out Project Sam Lumina for some very inspiring happy sounds. The runs/loops and playable instrument selection in that library focuses on cartoonish happy sound. Look closely at the instruments that are commonly associated with this particular sound, like high woodwinds, bassoon, clarinet, pizzicato strings, timpani, chimes, xylophone, mandolin, banjo, brass rips and slides etc. You will have trouble playing happy music with instruments associated with darker music, like duduk, electric guitar powerchords, etc. Some instruments can play anything, like the piano, acoustic guitar. Other than the selection of instruments, you should study this style by listening to film scores. Sometimes exaggerating a musical style can also result in comical results, like fast tempo, unusual layering of instruments, unusual and odd sounding instruments.

 

I think you need to learn and borrow from those who've nailed it. Download some comedy films that would contain the kinds of emotions you're trying to convey, even children's films coz the world ain't spinning for them unless it's fun right? Cartoons are worth a listen to for the music too, the music carries the emotions much more in the classsic cartoons where no one speaks and the music/sfx is informing you of the emotion. Pay special attention to the music in funny scenes in movies.

Also have look here: http://www.audionetwork.com/browse/m/musical-styles/comedy
These are free to use or to learn from.

 

@spidervis You are already experienced with cinematic sound design. So, IMHO, as @Thankful has indicated.. You can have some of your favourite or very well known scenes with happy..or comedy feeling. Mute it. And start your your creative juices flow. I think one needs to feel the scene while designing sound or background score for movies or games. I believe it will not take much time for you to get over your problem.

Keep Similing. Enjoy the happiness and fun around you...!!

 

Thank you all. I'll get off from this chair for awhile and listen your the examples you gave. Then I'll start working again with fresh mind. I really appreciated, thank you again. By the way, it's orchestral music I meant, but I'm kind of a guy who's hungry for any sort of information.

 

Listen to the Example btarddd put up!

1. What Instruments do you hear,
2. what registers and
3. Intervals do they play in?
4. How do they interact?
5. how is the "color"?

If you can answer all of that you can compose funny stuff…

 

"tom and jerry" is full of that kind of music... my first thought of happy, playful, soundtrack music is that cartoon...

 

For me, cartoon music is more funny musical accentuations than happy.In Happy, I see more stuff like "The Simpson" opening instruments, same as many American comedies starting with a travelling plan of the happy neighbourhood, like "Home Alone" or "Groundhog Day" for example.

 

Or more recent, I think about "Miss Meadows" or Pixar movie like "Inside Out" or "Wreck it Ralph".

 

Last edited: Nov 3, 2015

Reminds me the cartoon episode from Farscape TV show

 

that sound from 2:19... when they were started smashing those plates... priceless!