Demos in the Details: How Music Tells a Story in Media

Credit: Peggy Marco

I can recall the first time I knew music was the career I wanted to pursue. I was in grade school, zoning out in math class, and the teacher said something to me I’ll never forget: “Andrew, please solve for x.” And that was the moment I knew, music was the path for me.

In all seriousness, the thing I love about media music is how it represents the medium. We can all think of the more standard examples: a super high piano plays during a sad scene, the sleigh bells rock around the Christmas tree when you enter a snowy area, a sitar inexplicably takes the lead when a desert appears, etc. However, I want to talk today about more interesting examples of music’s interaction with the story and medium than “sleigh bells because cold”.

(Spoilers Ahead for Featured Films and Games)

Credit: heliofil

Vertigo’s Eerie Climax

Alfred Hitchcock’s 1958 film ‘Vertigo’, scored by Bernard Herrmann, stands as one of the classic iconic movies in my mind. One of the main themes of the movie is obsession; every main character is obsessed with something. Scottie, the protagonist, is obsessed with the idea of his friend Gavin’s newly deceased wife, Madeleine (yeah, pretty weird). He is so obsessed, in fact, that when he starts dating Judy, he makes her dress up and look exactly like Madeleine. This leads to the climax where Scottie is looking at “Madeleine” for the first time since she died.

Vertigo Directed by Alfred Hitchcock - TM & © Universal (1958)

Herrmann cleverly uses rising tremolo strings to almost literally grab the attention of listeners, just as Judy has grabbed Scottie’s adoration. When Judy is actually revealed in the bright light, the music sounds almost sickly sweet. This is because of a clever use of non-chord tones (notes not normally found in the chord) being used on strong beats in the melody.

On the A♭major chord, the melody hangs on a D natural, then falls to a C and quickly moves to B on a C major chord. The non-chord tones on strong beats draw attention to themselves, but almost in a sickly sweet way.

Credit: Pixamio

Foreshadowing in Silksong

‘Hollow Knight: Silksong’ by Team Cherry features score written by composer Christopher Larkin, who had also worked on their previous game, ‘Hollow Knight’. Larkin’s music got a production upgrade from the first game, since this game had the budget to record more live musicians. However, the thing that makes Larkin’s music really shine to me is his incredible attention to detail and use of musical foreshadowing.

For example, relatively early on in Act 1, the player will stumble upon the dreary area known as Greymoor. The music in this area starts with a cello solo, and is followed by the rest of the strings joining in. Listen to the high string motif below:

Greymoor Composed by Christopher Larkin - © Christopher Larkin

Later on, in Act 3, the player might stumble across the Lost Verdania, which is only accessible through the east side of Greymoor. In its current state, the Verdania is damp and dull like Greymoor, but if you enter the dreams of one of the former rulers, you can see it in its heyday. The Verdania is lush, vibrant, and full of life, and while the beauty of this area is captivating the player, this part of the music plays:

Lost Verdania Composed by Christopher Larkin - © Christopher Larkin

It’s the same motif! Larkin was foreshadowing the existence of an entire lost kingdom with just four notes, and the aha moment never really hits until you enter Lost Verdania and hear the melody.

But even before the player reaches Greymoor, they’ll reach Hunter’s March, a brutal area full of proud ant warriors called Skarrs. It’s hinted at in Act 1, but in Act 3 the player will meet and fight their fading ruler, Skarrsinger Karmelita.

Karmelita was once both a proud warrior and singer who loved her people like family. However, in her current form, she is feeble and losing power. This is brilliantly nodded to in the music, listen to this snippet carefully.

Hunter's Trail Composed by Christopher Larkin - © Christopher Larkin

If you didn’t hear it, don’t worry. It’s subtle, and I didn’t notice until listening to the soundtrack in my car (yes, I do that… it’s good music!) If you listen really carefully to the cello, you can hear that it’s being doubled by a singer, but quietly. This is brilliant foreshadowing and a pretty apt representation of what’s happening in the Hunter’s March before the player can ever figure it out through dialogue and environmental alone. Karmelita’s voice is literally fading into the background (music).

Credit: Chiem Seherin

Everyone’s “Favorite” Deltarune Character

Yep, it’s Berdly.

For those who haven’t played Deltarune, Berdly is the type of guy to correct you for using the wrong their, there, or they’re when you’re talking face-to-face. However, in Chapter 2 we get to see his deeper insecurities and feelings of inferiority through the lens of him being a secondary antagonist. Before we enter the Dark World (in short, a world that is semi-parallel to the real world), we hear this theme for Berdly.

Berdly Composed by Toby Fox - © Materia Music Publishing

The music sounds, in my opinion, maybe a little pompous, a little holier-than-thou, but nothing ultimately powerful or intelligent. With the 3/4 time signature and the melody starting on a weaker beat, it almost sounds like Berdly trying to put up a facade of high and mighty. However, after the player enters the Dark World (in short, a world semi-parallel to the real world), we get the opportunity to fight Berdly twice, and we hear this in his battle theme:

Smart race Composed by Toby Fox - © Materia Music Publishing

When we hear Berdly’s motif come in during the battle, it feels really different. The melody swaps, with the first note being on the downbeat, and the second being on an upbeat, which makes it sound “stronger”. While Berdly is not actually strong, this shift reflects Berdly’s inner want of being powerful and intelligent, and almost admits this before Berdly does.

Additionally, and perhaps equally as important, it sounds super cool. This song scratched some kind of itch in my brain while I was playing through, and it wasn’t until I listened outside of the game (in the car again, don’t judge me) that I realized what was happening compositionally.

Credit: Ri_Ya

To sum it up, music is too freeform and boundless to limit yourself to something that just sounds good or a simple cliché. Music tells a story, and the more detail you put into the music itself, the better a story it will tell.

If you like what I write, want to ask me a question, or anything else, feel free to either reach out or leave a comment below!

All photos are from Pixabay and linked/credited appropriately. All videos are from YouTube and linked/credited appropriately. No AI (Artificial Intelligence) was used in the writing of the blog nor are any of the images/videos AI generated. However, this blog was created using copious amounts of AI (Andrew Intelligence).