Performing and composing ideas
Jesper Kyd implements the following techniques and devices in the soundtrack of Assassin’s Creed. The same tools can be used to develop other performances and compositions.
| In performance | In composing | |
| Theme transformation | Learn to play a theme from a popular video game. Play the same theme but in a different key, at a different tempo, at a different pitch. Think about the impact this has on the mood or emotion conveyed in the music. | Compose a theme that links to a character. Try to portray the character by choosing a suitable timbre, tonality and rhythmic devices. |
| Cues | Watch a short clip from a video game on mute. Identify key emotions or action moments. Re-watch the clip and improvise on an instrument at the same time to create your own soundtrack. | Use the clip from a video game as a stimulus for a composition. Import the clip into your computer software to be able to synchronise the music with the action in the game. |
| Dynamics | Observe the dynamic markings in a piece of music. Notice how the moods of the music change if these are omitted. Perform the opposite of the written dynamics. | Add dynamics to shape the composition and create a sense of drama. A piano marking can imply a sense of stillness, whereas a crescendo can add to the action. |
| Theme transformation | |
| In performance | Learn to play a theme from a popular video game. Play the same theme but in a different key, at a different tempo, at a different pitch. Think about the impact this has on the mood or emotion conveyed in the music. |
| In composing | Compose a theme that links to a character. Try to portray the character by choosing a suitable timbre, tonality and rhythmic devices. |
| Cues | |
| In performance | Watch a short clip from a video game on mute. Identify key emotions or action moments. Re-watch the clip and improvise on an instrument at the same time to create your own soundtrack. |
| In composing | Use the clip from a video game as a stimulus for a composition. Import the clip into your computer software to be able to synchronise the music with the action in the game. |
| Dynamics | |
| In performance | Observe the dynamic markings in a piece of music. Notice how the moods of the music change if these are omitted. Perform the opposite of the written dynamics. |
| In composing | Add dynamics to shape the composition and create a sense of drama. A piano marking can imply a sense of stillness, whereas a crescendo can add to the action. |