Melancholy Ivories

This short cue is in response to a request for submissions to TAXI, an A&R company. The request was for a cinematic-based piano underscore cue. In other words, it should be primarily piano, with some pads and other instruments, provided that they do not overshadow the piano.

Also, the request was for a simple motif or melody. Also, the cue should retain a single mood throughout.

This track also uses a few sample libraries. First, the piano uses Pianoteq 7.5, a recent upgrade that seems to make the sound shine a bit more than previous versions. The string pads and bass pizzicato are from the Spitfire Originals “Intimate Strings”, and the ostinato is from “The Orchestra Complete 2” by Sonuscore.

The idea in a cue like this is to be repetitive, but build up gradually. So, here I begin with a simple piano motif following a harmonic progression. I gradually add additional elements; string pads, then double-bass pizzicato, variations on the piano melody, and finally an ostinato pattern in the strings.

Enjoy!