Top 10 Best Classes for Film Music Composition
A truly great score can elevate a movie from good to great, its themes lingering in its audience’s mind long after the credits roll. What would movies like Star Wars, Indiana Jones, The Lord of the Rings, and The Dark Knight be without their iconic soundtracks? Maybe you have always wanted to compose music but don’t know where to begin. If that’s you, here are some excellent places to get started:
Hans Zimmer Teaches Film Scoring
Hans Zimmer is considered one of the greatest Hollywood composers working today. In this course, he teaches how to create iconic themes and craft a compelling score before ever seeing the film. Most importantly, he teaches how to tell a story through music.
If you are interested in a MasterClass annual membership, it costs $180, which provides unlimited access to all its classes. It also includes Sessions, which allow students to work alongside instructors and receive live feedback.
For more information, check them out here.
Sohn Compositions
While not an official course, this YouTube channel provides many helpful hints for the aspiring video game or film composer. In addition to dealing with the technical aspects of film composition, he also provides breakdowns of tracks from famous movies and games. You also have the opportunity to listen to some of his work.
Check him out here.
Film, TV, and Video Game Music Composition + Production Basics
Advertised as a class that teaches “How to Not Suck as a Composer,” this course covers all the basics of film composition. It also discusses how to make a living in the industry. If you want to explore mediums beyond the traditional film project, it also covers composing for corporate videos, YouTube series, podcasts, and more.
This course costs $24.99
Check them out here.
Soundtrack Composing: Score Films and Video Games
This course takes the theoretical aspects of creating music and transforms them into practical tools to create an unforgettable soundtrack. Not only will this course cover the music theory aspect of composing, but it will also teach how to effectively use software to create realistic orchestral sounds. With these skills, you will be equipped to be an effective collaborator with film directors and game designers.
This course is free.
Check them out here.
Compose Music Lightning Fast
Composing a score does not have to be a laborious process that swallows up precious hours of your time. In this course, Mike Baggstrom, composer and sound designer, provides tips for streamlining your music production process. You will also have the chance to test your new skills by creating a completed track in an hour.
This course is free.
Check them out here.
Soundtrack Composer Masterclass: Score Films and Video Games
If you have ever wanted to create compelling music for film and video games, this course was designed for you! Not requiring any prior musical knowledge, it covers everything necessary for composing a great soundtrack, from basic music theory to digitally creating orchestras.
This course is free.
Check them out here.
Film Scoring: Techniques For The Modern Composer: Parts 1-2
In Part 1, the student will learn the basics of music theory through analyses of famous scenes and soundtracks. At the end of the course, students will have the chance to develop a score for a movie. In Part 2, students will deep dive into the world of composition and music software and beginning to create a portfolio of their work to show off their musical talents.
Parts 1 and 2 both cost $29.
Film Music Cliches
Film music has its own language, meaning it has its own cliches. Marc Jovani, a composer and former teacher of Composition and Orchestration at Berklee, goes through how to avoid the most common musical cliches and compose a compelling track for action, fantasy, horror, and more.
This course costs $749.
Check them out here.
Film Scoring for Beginners
Do you want to get beyond simple harmonies and chord progressions? This course covers the practical aspects of scoring, like creating themes and weighing the music against dialogue. It discusses composition for a variety of genres, from thrillers to romantic comedies. It also covers the music used in social media like Instagram and TikTok, video games, animations, and film trailers.
This course costs $99.00
Check them out here.
Scoring Tools Masterclass
With the development of technology, film composers now have access to a virtual orchestra the likes of which could only be dreamed about a few years ago. Through assignments and private discussion groups, Award-winning Leandro Gardini walks you through how to create a sound from your computer that previously could be produced by full-scale orchestras.
This course includes several payment options, including the Pro Plan ($698) and the Premium Plan ($998).
Check them out here.
In many ways, a movie’s soundtrack says just as much about the story as the dialogue or the visuals, warning if they should feel happy, sad, or scared. The composer has the chance to tell a memorable story in a wholly unique way. These classes will give just a glimpse into the world of composing and hopefully inspire you to give it a go.
Good luck on your creative journey, and may the Creator of all stories be with you!