Year 10 - Music
The development of video game music
Extending understanding in film music: video game music
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This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
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Lesson Summary
You will learn to explain how video game music developed from film music, and can create a simple video game theme.
Key Notes
- Video game music has transformed as computer technology has developed over the last 50 years.
- Modern video game music fulfils similar roles to film music - creating mood, energy and helping to 'tell the story'.
- Video game music is based on repeating linear loops that need to be able to repeat indefinitely.
- It is also adaptive, changing in response to the player's actions.
- Video game theme songs should capture the overall mood and atmosphere of the game.
Vocabulary To Learn
- theme song: a piece of music that introduces a film or game and captures its overall atmosphere
- linear loop: a repeating musical idea in a video game that can be looped indefinitely
- adaptive music: music that can change by reacting to a stimulus; video game music does this when it reacts to the player's actions
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- Video games composers just have to compose different music for different scenes, like a film composer.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain the lesson in two key points.
Video game music has transformed as computer technology has developed over the last 50 years. Modern video game music fulfils similar roles to film music - creating mood, energy and helping to 'tell the story'.
2. What does this key word mean in this lesson? 'theme song'
a piece of music that introduces a film or game and captures its overall atmosphere.
3. Correct this common mistake.
Mistake: Video games composers just have to compose different music for different scenes, like a film composer. Correction: To be really effective, it is more complex than this. The music they compose must be able to repeat indefinitely, while sounding musically interesting. It also has to seamlessly transition into different moods, reacting to changes in the action.
More Lessons In This Unit
Browse all guides in the Year 10 Music guide library.