Making Game Music: The Fundamentals of Composition
Learn how to make unforgettable video game music by mastering the core fundamentals of melody, harmony, and arrangement.
So you want to make your own video game music?
You can do it, and I can help you get there in this comprehensive video game music composition course.
Take a peak inside the video game music composition course!
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2
Level 1 - Foundations of Harmony
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Why is Harmony so Important?
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Intro to Functional Harmony
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Examples of Functional Harmony in VGM
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CHALLENGE #1 - Functional Harmony Practice
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Functional Harmony in Minor Keys
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Level 1 Recap
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Test Your Knowledge! (Level 1 Quiz)
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3
Level 2 - The ii - V - I
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Introducing the ii - V - I Progression
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The Classic ii - V - I in VGM
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BONUS LEVEL - The Circle of Fifths
FREE PREVIEW -
Altering the ii - V - I
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Targeting other chords with the ii - V - I
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CHALLENGE #2 - ii - V - I Practice
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ii - V - I Modulations
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Level 2 Recap
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Test Your Knowledge! (Level 2 Quiz)
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4
Level 3 - Extensions, Voicings, and Substitutions
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Chord Extensions
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Chord Voicings
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Smooth Voice Leading
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Chord Substitutions
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Level 3 Recap
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Test Your Knowledge! (Level 3 Quiz)
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5
Level 4 - Melody
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Becoming a Great Melody Writer
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CHALLENGE #3 - Contrafact Practice
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Strong and Weak Beats
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Syncopation
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Two common melody-writing techniques
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CHALLENGE #4 - Transposing a Melodic Figure
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Test Your Knowledge! (Level 4 Quiz)
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6
Level 5 - Arrangement
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What is Arrangement?
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Horizontal Arrangement: Sections, Figures and Notes
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CHALLENGE #5 - Composing a Scratch Track
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Vertical Arrangement: Mise En Place
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Free Tools and Resources for Game Composers
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Vertical Arrangement: Doubling Instruments
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Vertical Arrangement: Workflow
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Test Your Knowledge! (Level 5 Quiz)
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7
Course Recap and Next Steps
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You've made it!
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Here's what students are saying:
8-bit Music Theory
"Matt introduces you to looking at composition in a more informed, musically literate way without the fussiness and pedantry that turns so many young musicians off of taking a serious approach to learning their craft. If you’re interested in understanding how music works and want to hit the ground running with practical strategies for composition, you’re gonna love this course."
Dac Croach
“Matt does a phenomenal job of presenting complex ideas in a very clean and memorable way. Days after taking the course, I found myself naturally exploring the ideas and methods showcased, even without rewatching. This is the quintessential toolkit for budding VGM composers!”
Alec Weesner
"This course covers everything you need to know to get started composing great video game music. By the end of the course, you will understand and be able to implement the fundamental chord progressions in VGM, compose interesting and memorable melodies, and have a solid knowledge of selecting the right instruments for your songs.
I love the course challenge sections, which helped me fully grasp the topics.
Finally, we've got a great fundamental course on composing VGM. It's about time!"
Julia M.
"Matt’s course is essential for learning the fundamentals of composing video game music. He breaks down aspects of music composition in a clear and engaging way, with actionable steps for improvement. I found that I finally grasped concepts that I hadn’t understood after years of music classes. With the exercises, challenges, and downloadable content, this course puts you on the road to gaining confidence in your composition skills."
AJ Mills
"Matt's course offers an incredible blend of music theory depth and practical composition insight that I haven't seen in any other course on video game music. Matt gives you not only the theory behind important concepts such as voice leading, chord progressions, melody writing, and arrangement, but also how and why they can help make you a better video game composer. I'd recommend this course to anyone looking to get started in VGM composition, and anyone looking to become a better composer in general!"
Who is this course for?
No matter your budget, skill level, or goals, you'll come away from this course as a better VGM composer.
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GAME DEVELOPERS who want to learn the craft of composition for their own projects
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ASPIRING COMPOSERS who want to learn the craft of VGM and jumpstart their career
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WORKING COMPOSERS who want to learn, grow, and take their skills to the next level
Your course instructor
Matt Kenyon is a working musician, composer, and podcaster. He's spent the last five years studying and transcribing game music as well as interviewing some of the best working game composers on his podcast Composer Code.
He composes game music under the moniker "Mathonius," and his composition credits include Cybarian, One Gun Guy, and Orbus.
FAQs
In case you're wondering...
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What tools or software do I need to succeed in this course?
The good news is that all the software I recommend for this course is completely free. I'd recommend a DAW (digital audio workstation) and the free notation program MuseScore. That's it!
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Will you teach me specific tactics on how to make money as a game composer?
If you mean giving you a roadmap to improving your craft and becoming a valuable commodity among the competition, then yes. If you're talking about networking, soft skills, and contract negotiation, then no. Monetization is a huge topic that deserves a course all its own (perhaps sometime in the near future!). I'm a firm believer in not putting the cart before the horse. In other words, honing your craft so that you actually have a good product to sell in the first place.
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What if I'm not pleased with the course?
No problem. The course comes with a 90-day money-back guarantee. You've got nothing to lose.
More reviews from students!
Enroll now in this comprehensive video game music composition course.
Great course!
Robert Lehmann
As someone who takes his first steps into video game music composition, this course has been really helpful and gives me a lot of knowledge to start my compo...
Read MoreAs someone who takes his first steps into video game music composition, this course has been really helpful and gives me a lot of knowledge to start my composer journey. Thanks for the great work, Matt!
Read LessGreat course for aspiring composers
Pavel Bogomolov
The course is full of neatly packaged information I couldn't find elsewhere. Initially I bounced off it, but since then got a little bit more into music theo...
Read MoreThe course is full of neatly packaged information I couldn't find elsewhere. Initially I bounced off it, but since then got a little bit more into music theory, and the course became just what I needed. The challenges are great, they force you to get creative and apply the new knowledge without feeling overwhelming.
Read LessJust amazing
Diego Quevedo
If you're a fan of Video Game Music and want to create your own beats whether professional or for your passion hobby then you can't go wrong with picking thi...
Read MoreIf you're a fan of Video Game Music and want to create your own beats whether professional or for your passion hobby then you can't go wrong with picking this course up to start creating. My mind was blown with the breakdowns of game music, form, structure, you name it. This course has only just fuelled my passion more to create video game music with understanding and learning the foundations & fundamentals of composing a video game song just like the G.O.A.T (Greatest of all time) such as Koji Kondo is just amazing and practise makes progress. Matt has done an amazing job to get you started!
Read LessGreat course!
Carter Menary
The topics provided were very well and very thoroughly explained, and the challenges and examples helped a ton with showing the techniques in practice. The o...
Read MoreThe topics provided were very well and very thoroughly explained, and the challenges and examples helped a ton with showing the techniques in practice. The only critique I have of the course is that I wish that Matt had went into the topic of composing for adaptive music specific, particularly the arrangement of it and how to go about composing with the intent of being able to transition to a new section at any time. Excellent course! Definitely learned a lot through it!
Read LessReally enjoyed it
Diego Ruiz
Been looking for a course that covers these music topics and the video game space. Really helpful!
Been looking for a course that covers these music topics and the video game space. Really helpful!
Read LessHelpful!
N3 David
i noticed that i am rather experienced in melody writing without even realizing it to this point! Such a well crafted course so far!
i noticed that i am rather experienced in melody writing without even realizing it to this point! Such a well crafted course so far!
Read LessCourse Review
Dennis Nilsson
This course provides a structured introduction to VGM composition with lots of valuable information and tips. I really liked that it also gave advice on how ...
Read MoreThis course provides a structured introduction to VGM composition with lots of valuable information and tips. I really liked that it also gave advice on how to progress your craft long term. I found the videos to be both concise and enjoyable to watch. The challenges provide a great way to start creating music straight away. Overall, this course provided a lot of value for me. I would recommend it to anyone interested in VGM composition!
Read LessPerfect course for setting direction
kukrimbek kukrimbekovich
Thank you very much! This course helped a ton, especially Melody module. I've never heard about contrafact before, and this is really fun and useful practice...
Read MoreThank you very much! This course helped a ton, especially Melody module. I've never heard about contrafact before, and this is really fun and useful practice. The stable method of learning to write good melodies was revealed:) And the idea of starting the arrangement with scratch track is very effective, it helped to organize my workflow. And I hope that in future, there will be a course on arrangement!
Read Less