The integration of interactive music in gaming can craft a dynamic and individualized score capable of shaping the storyline and evoking emotions in real-time. This diverges from the conventional linear process of film scoring.

Game scoring aligns musical events with real-time gameplay choices, necessitating diverse compositional techniques to adapt to this unique approach, ensuring a seamless and immersive audio-visual experience for the players.

Let us explore a few common interactive composing techniques that most composers with music degrees utilize in their video games:

1.  Horizontal re-sequencing

Horizontal re-sequencing in-game music involves music dynamically switching between cues in response to game events. Techniques like crossfading, waiting for musical phrases to end, or using transitions ease these switches.

Inspired by DAW timelines, this approach rearranges cue playback based on gameplay, with looping being a prevalent method. Looping enables seamless repetition of cues to match varying player pacing and game progressions.

2.    Vertical remixing

Vertical remixing in-game music involves adding or removing instrument layers during gameplay, like adding a drum loop when Sonic goes into high-speed mode.

This approach is used to smoothly transition between states, such as exploration and battle, enhancing the player experience with seamless musical adjustments.

3.    Digital signal processing

Digital Signal Processing (DSP) involves applying real-time effects like EQ filters, panning, reverb, and more to game music. For example, in SSX Tricky, bass frequencies are filtered out while airborne, and in combat games, music is filtered to signal low health.

4.    Musical stingers

Stingers are brief musical phrases used in games to signal events like goal attainment. When incorporating stingers into game scores, ensuring compatibility with the current music’s key and progression is vital.

These phrases are triggered by game events or specific musical cues for effective player signaling.

5.    Instrumental and arrangement alteration

In-game scoring, changing the lead instrument or ensemble based on specific events is a subtle yet effective technique. This approach maintains tempo, harmony, and melody while introducing variation.

For example, in Skyward Sword, each vendor’s unique instrumentation alters the arrangement during shopping.

6.    Tempo alteration

Tempo alteration, a classic interactive music technique, influences tension in games by adjusting tempo based on events. While effective, it may produce audible artifacts in tempo-manipulated audio stems.

7.    Harmonic approach

Dynamic chord and melodic progression changes during gameplay enhance the game’s dramatic storytelling. Key and modal alterations triggered by game events are potent.

Simple note manipulation or randomization extends music cue duration, often achieved using standard MIDI files and custom virtual instruments.

8.    Randomization

In-game scoring, randomization mitigates repetition by altering the playback order of musical phrases and the start point within a cue, diversifying the musical form.

This technique also applies to randomizing musical stingers, avoiding monotony, for instance, by creating multiple death stingers for frequent player deaths instead of a single repetitive version, ensuring a more varied and engaging player experience.

Locate two instances of interactive music in video games by searching for “gameplay no commentary” on YouTube. Consider the technique’s implementation and effectiveness within the game.