Dynamic music
Encyclopedia
Dynamic music is a concept used in many video games, whereby specific events cause the background music to change. Its first uses in major video games were Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge
and Ultima Underworld: The Stygian Abyss
. It has since been used in such games as Mushroom Men
and Guitar Hero
. It is a staple of the role-playing game
genre, often being used to change the music when the player is in combat, such as in The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind
.
The music in video or computer games and certain films are meant to draw you through a storyline using two distinct techniques. Horizontal re-sequencing and Vertical re-orchestration
. Horizontal re-sequencing is the method by which pre-composed segments of music can be re-shuffled according to a player’s choice of where they go in a storyline or environment. Vertical re-orchestration is the technique of changing the mix of separate parts of an ongoing loop of music in relation to a player’s movement within the narrative
of a game. Recent games such as Bungie Studio’s Halo 2 (2005) employ a mixture of these techniques in the creation of their soundtracks. Street Fighter II
is an example of a game which changes the music's tempo
under certain circumstances.
Dynamic music was used notably in theatre in 2010 in the play 'Dom Duardos' from Gil Vicente
, co-produced by Companhia Contigo Teatro and Grupo de Mímica e Teatro Oficina Versus, with music by Pedro Macedo Camacho
Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge
Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge is an adventure game developed and published by LucasArts in 1991. It was the second game of the Monkey Island series, following The Secret of Monkey Island, and the sixth LucasArts game to use the SCUMM engine. It was the first game to use the iMUSE sound...
and Ultima Underworld: The Stygian Abyss
Ultima Underworld: The Stygian Abyss
Ultima Underworld: The Stygian Abyss is a first-person role-playing video game developed by Blue Sky Productions and published by Origin Systems...
. It has since been used in such games as Mushroom Men
Mushroom Men
The Mushroom Men video games were developed for Nintendo on the Nintendo DS and Wii systems. Both games were developed by Red Fly Studio and published by Gamecock Media Group. The story revolves around a civil war between Mushroom Men in a human world...
and Guitar Hero
Guitar Hero
Guitar Hero is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems and published by RedOctane for the PlayStation 2 video game console. It is the first entry in the Guitar Hero series. Guitar Hero was released on November 8, 2005 in North America, April 7, 2006 in Europe and June 15, 2006 in...
. It is a staple of the role-playing game
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
genre, often being used to change the music when the player is in combat, such as in The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind
The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind
The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind, often simply referred to as Morrowind, is a single-player computer role-playing game developed by Bethesda Game Studios, and published by Bethesda Softworks and Ubisoft. It is the third installment in The Elder Scrolls series of games, following The Elder Scrolls...
.
The music in video or computer games and certain films are meant to draw you through a storyline using two distinct techniques. Horizontal re-sequencing and Vertical re-orchestration
Orchestration
Orchestration is the study or practice of writing music for an orchestra or of adapting for orchestra music composed for another medium...
. Horizontal re-sequencing is the method by which pre-composed segments of music can be re-shuffled according to a player’s choice of where they go in a storyline or environment. Vertical re-orchestration is the technique of changing the mix of separate parts of an ongoing loop of music in relation to a player’s movement within the narrative
Narrative
A narrative is a constructive format that describes a sequence of non-fictional or fictional events. The word derives from the Latin verb narrare, "to recount", and is related to the adjective gnarus, "knowing" or "skilled"...
of a game. Recent games such as Bungie Studio’s Halo 2 (2005) employ a mixture of these techniques in the creation of their soundtracks. Street Fighter II
Street Fighter II
is a competitive fighting game originally released for the arcades in . It is the arcade sequel to the original Street Fighter released in and was Capcom's fourteenth title that ran on the CP System arcade hardware...
is an example of a game which changes the music's tempo
Tempo
In musical terminology, tempo is the speed or pace of a given piece. Tempo is a crucial element of any musical composition, as it can affect the mood and difficulty of a piece.-Measuring tempo:...
under certain circumstances.
Dynamic music was used notably in theatre in 2010 in the play 'Dom Duardos' from Gil Vicente
Gil Vicente
Gil Vicente , called the Trobadour, was a Portuguese playwright and poet who acted in and directed his own plays. Considered the chief dramatist of Portugal he is sometimes called the "Portuguese Plautus,"[3] often referred to as the "Father of Portuguese drama" and as one of Western literature's...
, co-produced by Companhia Contigo Teatro and Grupo de Mímica e Teatro Oficina Versus, with music by Pedro Macedo Camacho
Pedro Camacho
Pedro Macedo Camacho, born September 4, 1979, in the city of Funchal, Portugal, is an award-winning film and video game composer.-Biography:Pedro Macedo Camacho started learning composition with Argentinean composer Roberto Pérez in his home city's Conservatoire and Arts School.After three years,...