Lessons made for modern media composers — video lessons, score PDFs, and orchestral examples.
Testimonials
Reviews from composers and students who have studied with Behind the Score and gone on to compose music for film, television, and video game projects.
“Overall, this course redefined what I believe music theory education should be, and I'm confident that my compositional skills have developed significantly throughout this excellent read. My creative process structure has been revamped completely, and I now have a cheat sheet for the problem solving aspect of writing music for media in the form of this book. I 100% recommend this book to anyone who is passionate about learning how to write music and score media.”
Justice
“This is something I've been seeking for such a long long time! I have always wanted a simple, to-the-point tutorial that teaches music theory specifically designed for writing film music. This is exactly what I needed. With plenty of musical examples, these courses provide clear explanations of many key harmonic concepts. This is definitely one of my best musical investments so far. Thank you guys!”
Eduardo K.
“I thoroughly enjoyed the short course, so much so that I will purchase the bundle! I find it very useful to have the audio with the text to really help understand the concepts. Something you cannot get with a book. Starting with a simple part and working your way up to the full composition is ideal. Having the content of a book, along with audio and video, now that's what I've been searching for!”
Brett C.
All courses · one purchase
Get full access to every course on Behind the Score — 9 courses focused on helping you write music, not just study it.
9 courses · 165+ video lessons
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Learn some of the most common melodic minor progressions and practice how they should be applied when playing them in descending order. Additionally, we will study the Mixolydian ♭6 scale (the fifth mode of the Melodic Minor scale) and practice implementing the scale into your composition.
Free
This course is a practical guide designed for media composers looking to infuse their music with rich, cinematic textures. By diving deep into six essential musical modes, you will discover how to instantly evoke specific emotions and vivid musical atmospheres. Through detailed score analysis and orchestral examples, you will master the distinct colors and mood of each mode. Elevate your storytelling and unlock a whole new palette of melodic and harmonic possibilities for your next score.
$59.99
Discover the chromatic harmony found in Richard Wagner, Anton Bruckner, and Richard Strauss, which stands as the foundation of modern film music. Chromatic harmony has been used extensively throughout the history of music, from Baroque music to the rich, expressive harmonic colors of Romanticism and Impressionism. Its influence has been heard in the works of prominent Hollywood composers such as John Williams, Howard Shore, Alan Silvestri, and many others.
$61.99
Discover how just two chords can instantly transform the emotional landscape of your scene. Perfect for media composers of all levels, this course reveals how simple harmonic pairings can unlock an endless variety of cinematic moods—from intense suspense to heroic triumph.
$54.99
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Become a master of modulation! Topics discussed in the course include common functional harmony modulation, pivot modulation, closely related major chord modulation, and just about everything you need to know to master the most fundamental and commonly encountered modulation skills. In Part 1 of the series, we emphasize "Pivot chord modulation" using common chords, whereas in later episodes we will apply the same technique, but move from mode to mode.
$64.99
Bridge the gap between music theory and real-world media scoring. designed for media composers of all levels, this practical course guides you through a diverse range of dramatic scenarios, teaching you how to adapt your musical toolkit to deliver high-impact cues for film, games, and modern media.
$62.99
When writing music for media, an ostinato can be a valuable tool for creating a focal point that builds on itself over time. We will examine ostinatos in the orchestral genre, where we can use them to create a sense of power and momentum.
Free
Explore a collection of scales beyond the conventional major and minor system and examine how they are used in film, game, and media music. Through detailed musical examples and composition studies, you'll learn how scales such as the Diminished Scale, Phrygian Dominant, Double Harmonic Major, Double Harmonic Minor, Hirajoshi, and the Whole Tone Scale can be used to create tension, mystery, exoticism, wonder, and other evocative musical atmospheres.
$62.99
In professional media scoring, writing great music is only part of the job. More often than not, the real challenge lies in adapting that music to fit constantly changing requirements. Explore different methods to adapt your own music for film and games. We will study timing, arrangement, and mood to help you become a more flexible composer.
$74.99
