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Creative arts K–12

Video game music

An aural analysis of music from different video games.

Outcomes

  • 5.7 demonstrates an understanding of musical concepts through the analysis, comparison, and critical discussion of music from different stylistic, social, cultural and historical contexts.
  • 5.8 demonstrates an understanding of musical concepts through aural identification, discrimination, memorisation and notation in the music selected for study.
  • 5.9 demonstrates an understanding of musical literacy through the appropriate application of notation, terminology, and the interpretation and analysis of scores used in the music selected for study.

Duration

15 lessons.

Focus

Analysing the concepts of music in video games.

Content

Since 1972, music has been a crucial component of video games. Evolving from a game titled Pong in 1972, to the use of a few simple notes in the handheld game of Simon in 1974, video games have been enhanced by music in a range of ways. From cover bands to orchestral scores, games and their use of music has developed over time and will continue to do so, in order to enhance the player experience.

The games explored in this sequence are outlined below.

  1. Journey - released in 2012. Rated E (everyone). In this first-person gameplay, you are an anonymous traveller exploring a forgotten civilization.
  2. Mario and Rabbids Kingdom Battle - released in 2017 and is a turn-based tactical role-playing game, rated E 10+. Mario and friends team up with four Rabbids heroes to battle through new worlds containing puzzles and surprise enemies.
  3. Dishonored 2 - Released 2016 and is a first-person action-adventure stealth game, rated MA15+. You play a supernatural assassin faced with choices to which the game responds, as you work through different missions.
  4. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves - released in 2009 rated T (teen) is third-person action-adventure game. Part of a series of four Uncharted games. The music, composed by Greg Edmonson, serves a narrative function, given that he uses the instruments from the countries and areas in which the plots are set.
  5. Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception - released in 2011 and is a third-person action-adventure game, rated T. It is set largely in the Arabian Desert and the music by composer Greg Edmonson is indicative of the Middle East.

  • Information and communications technology
  • Difference and diversity
  • Work and enterprise
  • Numeracy
  • Literacy.

Assessment

All activities require students to demonstrate their learning and are all assessment for learning activities.

Teaching and learning activities

Students will:

  • read and discuss the analysing music handout (PDF 4.48 MB)
  • listen to the piece Nascence (01:46)
  • attempt to analyse the piece, setting out the sections in boxes, as explored in the analysing music handout, whilst addressing the following
    • Making reference to performing media, discuss the structure of this piece.
  • compare their analysis to the completed one in the nascence handout (PDF 4.28 MB)
  • discuss the process as a class.

Students may use the analysing music handout (PDF 4.48 MB) to assist them when completing this activity.

Students will:

  • listen to Rabbid Kong rumpus (up to 01:30)
    • identify the structure of the excerpt
    • write a list of the unifying devices in the excerpt
    • write a list of the contrasting musical events that occur during the excerpt
  • write a complete analysis of the excerpt by answering the following question
    • How are unity and contrast achieved in this excerpt?
  • compare their analysis to the completed one in the Rabbid Kong rumpus (PDF 4.32 MB) handout
  • discuss the answer as a class.

Please note - this activity contains a link to some music in the video game Dishonored - rated MA15+. Students are in no way encouraged to play the game. Students will only aurally analyse a selected score from the soundtrack.

Students may use the analysing music handout (PDF 4.48 MB) to assist them when completing this activity.

Students will:

  • listen to an excerpt from Drunken Whaler(up to 02:16)
    • identify and label the structure of the piece
  • write a complete analysis of the excerpt, addressing the following
    • Discuss the composer's use of texture and pitch in this excerpt. In their analysis, students should consider the following questions about the texture and pitch of each section
      • How many layers of sound can you hear?
      • Can you name the instruments and their roles (melody/harmony/rhythm)?
      • Does the texture sound dense or thin? Why? (Lots of instruments, multiple rhythms with short note values or a distorted tone colour for example, can make it sound dense and vice versa)
      • Can the section (or the overall excerpt) be given an appropriate texture term? For example, monophonic, homophonic or polyphonic.
      • Is the melody mainly high, medium or low in pitch?
      • Does the melody use repetition?
      • Does the melody move mainly by steps or leaps or is it quite stagnant in its contour?
      • Does the tonality sound major, minor or atonal? Does it change at all throughout the excerpt? If so, when and how?
      • What instruments play the harmony?
  • compare their analysis to the completed one in the Drunken whaler handout (PDF 4.29 MB)
  • discuss the answer as a class.

Students will:

Students will:

  • listen to the piece Reunion from Uncharted 2, addressing the following
    • Making reference to sound sources, discuss the concept of duration. In their response, students should elaborate on the following points
    • identify the structure in the music
    • identify the instruments in each section and their role
    • attempt to notate the rhythm of individual, labelled instruments, identifying where this occurs in the music
    • describe the rhythm of different instruments
      • Are mainly long notes or short notes used?
      • What type of note values?
      • How does the rhythm of the melody compare with the harmony?
      • Does the rhythm of sections differ?
    • identify when repetition is used? When and by whom?
    • identify when rubato is used? When and by whom?
  • compare their analysis to the completed one in the Reunion handout (PDF 4.32 MB)
  • watch the clip Uncharted 2: Among Thieves Game Movie (All Cutscenes) (from 01:54:53 - 01:56:33). Write a paragraph about the relationship between the music and the scene in which it is played. (Be sure to check its suitability before showing students in your class.)

Students will:

  • brainstorm adjectives that could be used to describe instrument sounds. For example - muddy, warm, hollow, bright, shrill, nasal
  • complete the tone colour activity (PDF 5.36 MB) in small groups of four or five:
    • each group is provided with:
      • separate, laminated words
      • tape or Blu-tack
      • two A3 sized pieces of paper with 9 different groups of instruments on them. The list of words and pictures of groups of instruments can be found in the tone colour activity resource.
  • Activity instructions:
    • using a timer, groups have 30 seconds to stick their adjectives around the 'correct' group of instruments. Tone colour can be somewhat subjective and can also depend on how the instrument is being played (if there is use of expressive techniques) so allow for some variations. Students can justify why they've placed the adjective in a certain place if it differs to the majority of answers.
    • the tone colour answer sheet (PDF 5.28 MB) has been provided as a guideline.
  • listen to Mystic warriors from Uncharted 2 (up to 01:00)
  • write a list of the sound sources in the previous track and next to each instrument write 1 or 2 adjectives describing its tone colour. Sample answers could be:
    • Membranophones
      • medium-sized drums = tight sound (played with fingers near the edge of the drum) and resonant, hollow (played more in the middle of the skin)
      • large drums = deep, sonorous, booming.
    • Idiophones
      • gongs = metallic, tinny
      • cymbals = scraping
      • sticks = tapping, clacking, hit against rims of drum).

Students will:

  • use the internet to research and summarise the plot of Uncharted 3.
  • listen to Science and magic from Uncharted 3 (up to 01:07), addressing the following:
    • Discuss the composer's use of pitch and duration in this excerpt.

In their response, students should elaborate on the following points

  • identify and label the structure of the music
  • under each subheading (the labels used for the structure) write points on the duration and the pitch
  • attempt to notate the rhythm of individual labelled instruments in each section.
  • describe the rhythm of different instruments. Are mainly long notes or short notes used? What type of note values? How does the rhythm of the melody compare with the harmony? Does the rhythm of sections differ?
  • identify any repetition used - When and by whom?
  • identify if rubato is used - When and by whom?
  • explain the roles of the instruments - Who plays melody/harmony/rhythm and when?
  • describe the melody. Is it mainly high, medium or low in pitch?
  • describe the role of repetition in the melody
  • answer the question - does the melody move mainly by steps or leaps or is it quite stagnant in its contour?
  • state the time signature and tempo (using an appropriate Italian term)
  • state the tonality and any ostinatos that are present - noting any changes within the piece and when.
  • compare their analysis to the completed one in the Science and magic handout (PDF 4.3 MB)
  • listen to The caravan from Uncharted 3 (up to 01:20) and address the following:
    • Discuss the use of texture and duration in this excerpt. In their response, students should elaborate on the following points
    • identify the sections in the excerpt
    • answer: Do all instruments start together or one/a few at a time? (This is called a staggered entry)
    • identify the layers of sound. Does this change? How and when?
    • name the instruments and their roles (melody/harmony/rhythm)?
    • answer the questions: Does the texture sound dense or thin? Why? (Lots of instruments, multiple rhythms with short note values or a distorted tone colour, for example, can make it sound dense and vice versa)
    • answer the question: Can the section (or the overall excerpt) be given an appropriate texture term? For example, monophonic, homophonic or polyphonic.
    • attempt to notate the rhythm of individual, labelled instruments in each section.
    • describe the rhythm of different instruments. Are mainly long notes or short notes used? What type of note values? How does the rhythm of the melody compare with the harmony? Does the rhythm of sections differ?
    • answer the questions: Is repetition used? When and by whom?
    • answer the questions: Is rubato used? When and by whom?
    • state the time signature and tempo (using an appropriate Italian term).
  • read through the analysis example in The Caravan handout (PDF 4.33 MB).

Students will:

  • learn and use metalanguage associated with the concepts of music:
    • excerpt – a section of the piece and or song
    • performing media and or sound sources - the instruments (including voices) that are playing
    • structure – the order of sections and ideas in a piece of music
    • texture – layers of sound
    • pitch – highness and lowness of sound; use of melody, harmony and tonality
    • tone colour – varying types of sound production and using adjectives to describe the quality of sound.
  • identify patterns present in music examples.

Differentiation

Extension

Students can demonstrate higher-order thinking skills by including other concepts of music in their aural analyses. However, these concepts must be linked to the concepts in the question. They should not be separate musical observations. For example, tone colour words can be used as adjectives for instruments in a pitch question, thus demonstrating higher-order thinking:

  • 'the shrill, high pitched flute'
  • 'the booming, resonant bass drum'.

Life skills

Outcomes

  • LS 7 a student experiences music from a variety of social, cultural and historical contexts
  • LS 8 a student communicates responses to a variety of music

Students could:

  • experience music of different cultures
  • recognise sound sources
  • recognise tempo, beat, rhythm
  • recognise high and low sound
  • recognise sections or patterns
  • recognise layers of sound
  • verbally or non-verbally communicate to indicate like or dislike for particular music
  • discuss their response to the music being studied.

Evaluate

Formative feedback - submission and/or discussion of in-class aural questions for feedback; active participation in class discussion; individual or group research on the activities provided for activity four.

Summative feedback - one or more of the aural tasks could be used for exam purposes.

Resources

Syllabus

Please note:

Syllabus outcomes and content descriptors from Music 7–10 Syllabus (2003) © NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) for and on behalf of the Crown in right of the State of New South Wales, 2017.

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