advice about composing battle music?

[Draco9898]

Hi, I have been trying to compose some decent battle music for quite some time, and if I do get something sounding good, I usually end up getting 'stuck' in the middle of the piece and can't find any good way to continue on... :roll: Do you have any advice for composition of such music or in general? Thanks. By the way, some of my favorite pieces of your music are: Fight 1 and 2 from Grandia 2, and Combat 3 from Grandia Xtreme. :o

[ManaMac]

Well, Draco.
What I do to compose battle type music (usually on the Piano) is sit down and take a deep breath.
I think of things in my life that make me somewhat angry and yet happy.
I usually start out slow, finding combinations of notes that fit my mood.
After that, I start to find another combination to bridge the first one to.
Finally, I discover the main chorus of the song and slip it in.
Don't fret, music takes time, but I am sure you can do it! :wink:
I am also sure that Mr. Iwadare can most likely give better advice. :)
I too, would like to know how he does it.

Mac Kellam (ManaMac)

[Noriyuki Iwadare]

Hello!!

I have many patterns for writing battle music, but first I always imagine
myself as the hero actually fighting enemies. What's the hero thinking at
such times? He'd be thinking things like "I have to protect my friends", or
"I'm saving the world", so when you get stuck mid-way through a piece,
consider putting in the character of those phrases. In my case, I often question as the hero, "Why do I have to fight?". When you hear a melodious phrase in my battle themes, it's usually a response to that question. I think of how the hero doesn't fight because it's fun, and wouldn't fight if he didn't have to; he fights simply to end conflict. You should try putting some sort of message into your music as well. With such meaning behind your music, you'll surely move peoples' hearts.

Thank you!!