OpenTube

How John Williams Writes a Theme (We Wrote 5 to Prove It)

Master The Score

38,053 views

John Williams' themes have a formula — and once you see it, you can't
unsee it. So we didn't just analyze his scores. We reverse-engineered
the method and wrote 5 original cues in his style to prove the concept
actually works.

The pattern: he tends to open on a static pedal-tone foundation, then
lets the harmony turn more adventurous in the second half of the theme
— which is what makes the melody feel inevitable. In this video we show
you the pattern, then put it to the test with 5 cues of our own.

🎹 DOWNLOAD THE MIDI FILES of all 5 cues (free): https://www.masterthescore.com/willia...

What's inside:
The pattern hiding in so many John Williams themes
Why the harmonic "turn" almost always lands in the second half
5 original cues we composed in different Williams styles
What worked, what didn't, and what it teaches you about writing themes

Timestamps:
0:00 – Intro: The Pattern in John Williams' Themes
0:49 – Cue 1: Broad
7:20 – Cue 2: Soaring
11:03 – Learn This Yourself (Summer Sale)
12:15 – Cue 3: March
15:04 – Cue 4: Quirky
19:30 – Cue 5: Star Wars Style
25:24 – Outro

Want to write music like this yourself? Master The Score offers in-depth online courses on film, game, anime and trailer music — from composition and orchestration to mockups, mixing and full orchestral music production, taught by working composers.
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Photo: "John Williams performs with the Boston Pops" by Chris Devers (via Flickr / Wikimedia Commons), licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 — https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... — Image cropped and edited.

#JohnWilliams #FilmScoring #FilmMusicComposition

20 Comments

@curioushybrid 2 months ago (edited)

Well this is a rarity for YouTube - a "how to write like John Williams" video where the examples actually sound a lot like John Williams! Great analysis, thanks for the video.

@dagoelius 2 months ago

Mark Griskey & his team of composers for the Star Wars The Old Republic soundtrack is a masterclass in how to write like Williams.

@AlexKurilovMusic 2 months ago

Another thing that's also very characteristic of John Williams is his use of syncopation in his themes. His movements often land on varying off-beats and that adds yet another beautiful layer to his music.

@form347 2 months ago

People often miss the fact that he knows jazz harmony. You can hear jazzy voicings and voice leading even in his work that sounds more like conventional classical-based scoring.

@Jan_Skácelík 2 months ago

I spent quite a lot of time experimenting with these approaches - and I found that melody is as important as harmony here, the most JW sounding parts - like the one in Soaring - F-Ab-D-Bb - it only sounds JW when the melody is just right, in most cases it sounds like a standard movie music, but to have it click "that is JW!" it really needs the melody to be done in a right way.

@AndrewHarrisWilson 2 months ago

I think the analysis of the harmony here is very good and includes a lot of William's traits but I would argue that the melodic writing is the more identifiable trait of John Williams -- that's the part of the code that no one seems to be able to crack! And while these melodies worked in themselves, I can't say that I found myself humming them or remembering them after the video, which tends to happen for me with a lot of his music.

@WMfin 2 months ago

This was interesting.
Would be nice to see similar break-up of Howard Shore's style, especially when it comes to LOTR soundtrack.

@Jointknight 2 months ago (edited)

love this thank you, John Williams is the high-water mark for distinct Disney-esque caricatures, archetypes, motion, emotion etc. Cartoons are distilled into function enough that we see the same this done over and over. via steps, so too music seems to be.

@ObsessiveCostumingDude 6 days ago

Thank you for this superb video! That last example was fantastic! :)

@RicoDerks 2 months ago

Jeez Mattia! Awesome music examples and writing here!

@Noeticus5 2 months ago

I'm impressed! Please do a John Williams MELODY video.

@StevBarretMusic 3 weeks ago

wow Mattia... awesome video. Thank you !

@kingcandy80 2 months ago

If the thumbnail said “we cracked him” it would’ve had generational reach and influence

@MattiaChiappa 2 months ago

Thank you for having me. It was a blast!

@alexdilan7824 2 months ago

Wonderful teaching! Thanks. Gonna start saving for your classes.

@casey339 2 months ago

Fantastic video! Great examples and explained will too!

@Miles-d6w 2 months ago

Very well done. You definitely captured the vibe.

@mybiggrin 2 months ago

Chappia! 🙌🏼

@martijnvanbeek4387 2 months ago

Thanks Matt; great works and I downloaded your MIDI. I must say I do miss your YT video's lately.

@kitsworld 2 months ago

This reminds me of the scene in Dead Poet's Society when Robin Williams is enraged at the poetry book introduction that attempts to measure the merits of poetry on a graph! The genius of John Williams isn't hidden in a formula. And it can't be replicated using science, algorithms, or analysis. His compositional genius lies in the combination of his vast general knowledge of music, combined with a savant-like instinct for cue placement. These are then augmented by a natural (and unlearnable) emotional core - the expression of which isn't a smile or a tear-stained cheek, but a musical phrase. Where a great actor comes equipped with the facial architecture that he was born with - and for some lucky ones that includes large, expressive eyes into which the audience can project their emotions - for a composer those eyes, or that smile, or that ability to make tears stream down their cheek, doesn't come from learned music theory; it comes from their soul. John Williams has signature sounds, just like an actor has their own unique frown, but his music is informed by something from deep within - the difference between an actor who knows his lines and hits his marks, and one who draws you in and won't let go. Williams is a master film score composer because his music is a main character, performed by a world-class thespian. You can't replicate that.