Music - MYP 4 and 5 - Samuel Wright - Hodder 2020

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Knight
Shovel
Knight is a scrolling platform game developed by
Shovel
1 Test out the rising 3rd intervals on your instrument –
Now play through the C- and Lydian mode on
pedal
2
Team gave me some keywords, which were
“Sonic
names. The volcano stage, the green stage, and
stage
ACTIVITY: Sonic’s sound
forth… thinking back on it now, I was so lucky,
so
I had freedom and I could be a creator, or
because
ATL
That’s the reason why I was able to make
songwriter…
melodic tunes and unusual rhythm patterns.”
such
Media literacy skills: Interacting with media to use
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create ideas and information
and
In ‘Green Hill Zone’, Nakamura starts with intervals of 3rds
the F
for the start, then he uses the last
Lydian mode
from
‘Sonic The Hedgehog’ was first released in 1991 to home
four notes of C major (known as a
SEGA consoles; and now you can play it on your phone!
to build a
tetrachord )
Composer Masato Nakamura, bassist and songwriter of
series of patterns that are used throughout the theme.
the J-Pop band Dreams Come True, was limited to using
only four sounds at the same time when he began scoring
this is the iconic ‘Sonic’ opening sound.
for the game. This limitation actually gave him the chance
creating
truly melodic
a keyboard or guitar. This pattern creates a floating
to apply his musical knowledge to
effect that helped Nakamura establish the world
themes for each level:
of ‘Sonic’.
itself. Take a look at the two melodies of
and
Main Theme
Game score mission
In the Halls of The Usurper written by Jake Kaufman:
Sing them using or note names. They are
solfeggio
1
both very easy to remember, and use either the Dorian
2 b3 4 5 6 b7 8) or (1 2 b3 4 5 b6 b7 8)
Aeolian
(1
Yacht Club Games in 2014 via crowdfunding on Kickstarter.
modes
It is an 8-bit gaming adventure that will have you hooked
in repeated phrases called .
sequences
by its musical themes and storytelling. But what is 8-bit
in music? Here it is referring to the synthesising of sound
2 The rhythm of the bass is also intended to drive home
the idea of heroism and energy, with the repeated
within a computer processor. In computer language, it is
the amount of information available to represent graphics
quaver + semi-quaver (8ths and 16ths) patterns.
3 Finally, the use of a descending perfect 4th or 5th
or audio. For example, if we hear a pure sound wave from
an instrument, a computer working with 8-bit memory
interval in both tunes helps communicate the heroism
restrictions would render this wave form as best as it can
of the character.
into the square-like shape as seen in Figure 7.8 below.
Figure 7.8 Audio sine wave, 8-bit conversion
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What ‘Shovel Knight’ did was to apply the 8-bit approach
and combine it with melodic themes that fit each stage
of the game. You can even collect pieces of music for a
Figure 7.9 Shovel Knight gameplay
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wandering musician (the bard) to play inside the game
Music for the IB MYP 4&5: by Concept
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