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Mood Motif: Difference between revisions
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{{examples}}
== Brass ==
{{quote|Featuring French Horns, Tubas, Trumpets, Trombones, Flugelhorns, Sousaphones and such. It may come as no surprise that James [[Meaningful Name|Horner]] has written many of the brass examples.}}
* '''Horns:'''
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*** The triumphal march from Verdi's ''[[Aida]]'', various others.
** Heroism
*** Pick any ''[[Superman]]''-related theme music.
*** The same is true for [[Captain Ersatz]] of [[Superman]]; the music will sound heroic but have a dischordant or off-note if the character is intended as an [[Affectionate Parody]].
*** Siegfried's [[Leitmotif]] in [[Richard Wagner]]'s ''[[Opera|Ring Cycle]]'' makes this [[Older Than Radio]].
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*** As heard on ''[[Conan the Barbarian]]'' soundtrack
** The Tuba of Overweight Awkwardness or Ponderous Size
*** Heard extensively in {{spoiler|Porky's Theme}} from ''[[Mother 3]]'' and ''[[Super Smash Bros.]]. Brawl''.
*** [[Star Wars|Jabba the Hutt]]
*** Parodied in ''[[Family Guy]]'', where Stewie gets a job following fat people while playing a tuba.
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*** The [[James Bond]] theme and also the ''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-5f8IWXCTI 007]'' variant, which counts in "Imminent danger" as well.
** Failure
*** Heard on ''[[The Price Is Right]]'', ''Blockbusters'', ''[[Card Sharks]]'' and a few other [[Mark Goodson]] shows, when a contestant loses a game.
*** Also heard on ''[[Sesame Street]]'' when a skit ends with Muppets who shake their heads and sob, such as when the Beautiful Day Monster ate the ukulele Ernie had just repaired..
** [[Proud Warrior Race Guy|Proud Warrior Race Guys]]
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*** [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxEl_fBlXWU Star Trek 2: Wrath Of Khan]
*** [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcHGNaLLb8A&feature=related Star Wars Episode 4 Opening]
*** [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uS5b8aQ6z8 Voltron theme]
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* '''Timpani and Kettledrums of:'''
** Great importance
** Epic
*** ''[[2001: A Space Odyssey]]'''s main theme, "Also Sprach Zarathustra"
*** Played with in ''[[Spaceballs]]''. When Spaceball One transforms into <Bom Bom Bom Bom Bom> Mega Maid, Colonel Sandurz gives a dramatic pause for [[Sorry I Left the BGM On|the Timpanist who is standing right next to them]].
** Scariness
*** When [[The Government]] shows up in ''[[E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial]]''
*** When something big and dangerous is approaching, rather like ''[[The Terminator]]''.
** A timpani glissando may be used for an [[Incredibly Lame Pun]] or other joke too corny to deserve a rimshot.
* '''The Taiko Drums of Battle'''
** ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'' has taiko drums when Orcs, Uruk-Hai, or the Balrog are attacking.
** ''[[Master and Commander]]'' uses them on its soundtrack to evoke the sound of cannons.
** ''[[Gaia Online|zOMG!]]'' has taiko drums that [[Everything Trying to Kill You|attack you]] (lending a new meaning to "percussion battery"), either by ramming you or using some sort of earthquake attack.
** ''[[Warcraft]] 3'' had units with big taiko drums, that caused various area-effect status changes when used. Buffs and debuffs, to use the lingo. Also used in a couple of the cutscenes for the mood-setting.
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{{quote|Instruments in which a tone-producing series of notes is produced by mallets, hammers, etc. (...includes piano.)}}
* '''Church bells of:'''
* Joy
** [[Wedding Day]], happy endings, Christmas
*** Ridiculously common in [[Opera]]. The opening of Gilbert and Sullivan's ''The Sorcerer'' is even based around this.
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** Warning
*** The British are coming!
*** The sky is falling! (Disney's ''[[Chicken Little]]'')
*** A storm is upon us! (Though sometimes sirens are used instead.)
* Ominous Bells
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*** The [[Trope Maker]] here might be the "Sinfonia antartica" by Ralph Vaughan Williams (originally written as movie music), which had many passages with glockenspiel, celesta and piano playing over eerie harmonies.
** Little girls
* '''The Celesta of:'''
** [[Slippy-Slidey Ice World]].
** Childhood Innocence.
** Warped Childhood Innocence.
*** see: a lot of Danny Elfman-scored movies (''[[Edward Scissorhands]], [[Corpse Bride]], [[Charlie and the Chocolate Factory]]'', etc.)
* '''The Piano of:'''
** [[Lonely Piano Piece|Loneliness]]
*** The piano theme from ''[[The Incredible Hulk (TV series)|The Incredible Hulk]]'' was meant to underscore how sad and lonely David Banner's life was, and that he could never settle and find a home while the Hulk dwelled within him.
** Introspection
** Nostalgia
** Family Drama, etc.
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== Reeds and Woodwinds ==
{{quote|Instruments such as Clarinet, Oboe, and Saxophone.}}
* '''The Saxophone of:'''
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** Pornographic Soundtrack
* The Slide-Whistle of Wackiness/Cartoon Falling
* '''Flute of'''
** fluttery flying things
** mischievousness
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** Arthur Sullivan (of Gilbert and Sullivan) is well known for his bassoon jokes.
** Sorrow
*** Good way to convey the loneliness of a character is by having a mournful oboe solo.
** ''[[Tangled]]'' has the love theme "Now That I See You" played in a mournful oboe solo as Flynn-becoming-Eugene-Again realizes that his old criminal friends have caught up with him and want the crown from him.
* '''The Bamboo Flute of The East'''
** Seen in ''[[Kill Bill]]'' part 2
* '''The Clarinet of Klezmer'''
** Remember: If it's Jewish, it's accompanied by clarinet in Hijaz scale.
** Bonus points for "Hava Nagila" or "Tradition" from ''[[Fiddler On the Roof]]''.
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{{quote|Instruments with strings, from Guitar to Harps. ''(See'' Tone Percussion ''for piano, vibes etc.)''}}
* '''Violins, Violas, Cellos, etc.'''
** [[Psycho Strings]]
*** Heard when the [[Ax Crazy]] is attacking or about to.
**** ''[[Psycho]]'' is the ur-example.
**** ''[[Lost]]'' works the [[Psycho Strings]] frequently.
** Tense Suspense: when there's a moment hanging in the balance, the strings will crescendo and then hold a long note.
*** The [["I Know You're in There Somewhere" Fight]] in the "Sister Sledgehammer" episode of ''[[My Life as a Teenage Robot]]''
*** The "Here goes no mercy" moment at the end of "Slipping" in ''[[Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog]]''
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*** As when Neo encounters the burrowing thing in ''[[The Matrix]]''
*** Seen in the "Dark Heart" episode of ''[[Justice League Unlimited]]''.
*** ''[[Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom]]'' has it in the bug chamber.
** [[Playing the Heart Strings|Strings of Emotion]]
*** See also [[Cherubic Choir]], Piano of Tragedy (above).
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*** Stravinsky's ''Histoire du Soldat'' is another well-known example.
** [[Theme Music Power-Up]]
*** [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtcnt_VkvGU&feature=channel_page Summon The Worms] from the Children of Dune miniseries.
*** After years and years of being the [[Redshirt Army]] in ''[[Doctor Who]]'', UNIT gets to make an impressive comeback with the appropriately named [http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=unit+rocks&oq=unit+rocks&aq=f&aqi=g1g-m1&aql=&gs_sm=e&gs_upl=15648l16668l0l16767l10l7l0l0l0l0l154l583l5.2l7l0 UNIT Rocks]
** The frantic strings of Stuff On Fire.
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* '''The Electric Guitar of:'''
** [[Badass]]
** Battle
*** See ''[[300]]'' for an example.
** Asskicking
*** [[Autobots Rock Out|Especially if said ass belongs to a final boss]].
*** The ''[[Resident Evil]]'' movies tend to invoke electric guitar when Alice is kicking ass.
** Porn
*** You are required to use a wah-wah pedal here.
** Hero Under The Gun
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** Dramatic Death Scenes
** European Immigrants
* '''Acapella Choir of Whimsy'''
** Bobby McFerrin's ''[[Standard Snippet|Don't Worry Be Happy]]''
** The interstitial music on [[Glee]]
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* '''[[One-Woman Wail]]'''
* '''Human Whistling of:'''
** Warm Childhood Memories
*** In a word: Disney.
** [[Not-So-Innocent Whistle|Not So Innocent]]
** [[Hell Is That Noise|Utter Creepiness]]
*** Used to excellent effect in [[Kill Bill]] when Elle Driver whistles the theme to ''Twisted Nerve''.
*** Strangely enough used in [[The Walker Papers]], because apparently Whistling thins the walls between worlds. That's pretty creepy.
** "Fun" defiance, when done in a march (the [[Colonel Bogey March]] was the trope codifier)
* '''Rhythmic Chanting of African Heritage'''
** As with Ladysmith Black Mambazo on [[Paul Simon]]'s "Graceland" album.
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== Composers ==
{{quote|These composers have a certain [[Mood Motif]] that is a kind of auditory trademark in their music.}}
* [[Danny Elfman]]
** [[Mood Motif]]: Ominous, Spooky, Wacky
*** ''[[Batman (film)|Batman]]'', ''[[Beetlejuice]]''
* [[John Williams]]
** [[Mood Motif]]: High Adventure
*** ''[[Star Wars]]'', ''[[Indiana Jones]]'', and... ''[[NBC]]''(as well as [[Seven Network|Channel Seven]]) News
*** [[Two Words]]: ''[[Steven Spielberg]]''. Basically every single movie he has done has been scored by [[John Williams]]!
* [[James Horner]]
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