Lesson Objectives:
To understand what a pedal note is and an inverted pedal note.
To understand what is meant by quartal harmony.
To analyse Luke Skywalker’s leitmotif (bars 4-7) and what contributes to it sounding heroic.
To choose a composition or performance task based on this theme.
To choose a performance or a composition task based on the first 3 bars.
Leitmotif
You have listened to the title music of the film Jaws, composed by John Williams.
Listen to it again and you will clearly hear the famous 2 note chromatic motif that is heard when the shark is about to appear!
This is called a leitmotif – a short, repeated musical idea, which is associated with a certain character (in this case a shark) This technique can be heard in the operas of Richard Wagner, where in his epic opera cycle, The Ring, lasting some 20 hours, many characters and even objects (a sword) have their own leitmotif. Below is the leitmotif of the hero of The Ring called Siegfried. Sound familiar?!
Luke Skywalkers Theme:
In Star Wars, many characters have their own leitmotif, including Princess Leia, Yoda, the Emperor and the one we will hear today – Luke Skywalker
Luke is the hero of this film. What kind of music would fit a hero? With the person next to you, come up with some ideas.
Grand Loud Heroic March Leaping
The link below shows how Luke’s theme gets transformed depending on what he is doing or feeling (from 2’33’’)
Pedal Notes and Intervals
When film composers want to create suspense and tension, they often choose to use pedal notes.
A pedal note is a repeated or sustained note in the bass above which the other parts/instruments change notes.
An inverted pedal is a sustained or repeated note in the treble above which the other parts instruments change notes.
These are usually the tonic or dominant and there are many examples throughout Star Wars. Here is an example of one played on the piano.
Quartel Harmony
Throughout the music for star wars, there are many examples of Quartal Harmony.
This is when a chord is made up of a number of 4ths placed on top of each other.
Can you work out what the other notes will be to create quartal harmony starting on C?
Review Questions:
1) What are the violins playing during the 1st 6 bars and how are they playing it?
2) What 2 notes make up the majority of Luke Skywalker’s leitmotif?
3) What harmony can be heard accompanying this theme in bars 5-7?
4) What 2 rhythmic features can be heard in bars 5—7?
5) Which 2 intervals feature in Luke Skywalker’s leitmotif?
6) State 2 ways that Williams creates a powerful, heroic feel for Luke Skywalker’s leitmotif?