Keywords Psycho

Bernard Herman (1911-1975) - An American comp composer and conductor who

specialised in film music. His best-known work, apart from Psycho, includes the
scores for Orson Welles’ classic Citizen Kane (1941) and Taxi Driver (1976). He won
an Oscar for his score for The Devil and Daniel Webster (1941). Hermann is
particularly associated with the films of Alfred Hitchcock, with whom he collaborated
on 7 films between 1956 and 1966; the best-known of these are Psycho (1960),
North by Northwest (1959) and Vertigo (1958). He had a comprehensive knowledge
of 20th Century musical styles and used this in his own music (Psycho shows
influences of Debussy, Bartok and Stravinsky). His music often features ostinato
patterns and unstable, dissonant chords.

Psycho - a low budget black and white film (unusual in 1960), the 6 th collaboration
between Hermann and Hitchcock, who always acknowledged Hermann’s importance
to its success. Hermann matches Hitchcock’s cold black and white world by creating
what he called ‘black and white music’, using only the string section of the orchestra
and with a dissonant and sometimes atonal style. This use of only a conventional
orchestral string section (Violins 1 and 2, Violas, Cellos, Double Basses) is a radical
departure from conventional film music scores and creates a claustrophobic and
closed-in sound world. It forces him to be very creative in his use of texture and
timbre. His music also makes use of ostinato patterns and Leitmotifs.

Rhythm, Tempo and Metre

Adagio e mestro - Tempo mark indicating slowly and sadly. Heard in the Finale, it
helps to portray the sombre ending to the film; the extent of the killer’s crimes are
finally revealed.

Allegro feroce - Tempo mark indicating fast and ferocious. Heard in Discovery, the
marking reflects the horror and violence of these cues.

Allegro molto agitato - Tempo mark indicating fast and very agitated. Heard in
Prelude, it forebodes the horrors of cues/scenes to come.

Lento assai – Tempo marking indicating very slow. Heard in Marion, this slow,
funeral-esque tempo marking foreshadows the doomed ending of our protagonist.

Lento molto sostenuto – Tempo mark indicating very slow and very sustained. Heard
in The City, again suggests an impending sense of doom.

Molto forzando e feroce – Tempo mark indicating very forced and ferocious. Heard in
The Murder, the marking reflects the horror and violence of these cues.

Cross-rhythm – 2 or more different rhythmic patterns occurring simultaneously and

appearing to work ‘against’ each other. Heard in Discovery (b. 19-25), it depicts the
the horror of what is found.
Moto perpetuo – Italian term meaning a musical device of constantly running
quavers or semiquavers, creating a sense of perpetual movement. Heard in the
Cellar as contrapuntal ideas combine, building up the tension.

Polyrhythm – 2 or more rhythmic patterns happening at the same time. Heard in

Discovery (b.19-25), it depicts the horror of what is found.

Rhythmic augmentation – Elongating the note values of a phrase or motif, heard in

the upper strings in The Toys, which is related to the ‘Marion’ rhythm.

Instrumentation:

Arco – Playing an orchestral stringed instrument with the bow. Heard in Prelude, The
City, Marion, The Murder (from bar 17), Toys, The Cellar, Discovery. Hermann uses
the full range of string playing techniques, which creates a colourful palette of
timbres throughout the cues. Arco playing is more sustained, emphasising
dissonance in cues such as The Cellar and Discovery and helping to provide a
mournful tone to melodies in cues such as Marion. Arco is also the predominant style
of play in Young’s ‘The Grudge’ and Barry’s ‘King Kong’ (for example, ‘Maybe My
Luck Has Changed’).

Con sordino – Instruction to instrumental player to play with mute. Heard in all cues
except The Murder. This playing technique sounds repressive and creates a sense
of claustrophobia. This could be linked to Marion’s character, a woman trapped and
doomed to die at the hands of Bates. Also used in Debussy’s ‘Prelude a l’apres-midi
d’un Faun’.

Divisi – instruction to string players when 2 notes are written on the score to divide
the notes between them. Heard in Prelude (bars 126-130), The City, The Toys and
The Cellar. Creates a fuller texture and adds to the sense of horror in the darker
cues.

Double stopping – String players playing more than 1 note at the same time. An
extended technique, which creates a fuller texture and adds to the sense of
claustrophobia in the darker cues.

Pizzicato – Instruction to orchestral string players to pluck the string, rather than play
with the bow. Heard in The Murder and The Toys. The staccato, ‘stabbing’ plucks of
the string reflect the sudden violent moments in the darker cues of the film. Also
heard in Debussy’s Prelude a l’apres-midi d’un Faune’.

Senza sordini – Instruction to play without a mute. This can be heard in The Murder
and is the only cue where mutes are removed. This makes the aggressive violence
in the music even more effective.

Sffz – Dynamic/expression marking meaning a sudden, very strong accent.

Sometimes written as ‘sfz’. As heard in The Murder, this makes the aggressive
violence in the music even more effective.
Sul ponticello – Instruction to string players to play near the bridge, altering the
timbre, as it doesn’t allow the string to vibrate enough to achieve the usual warmth of
tone. It can sound metallic or more eerie. Heard in The Cellar (b. 47-61). Adds
suspense and tension to the scene.

Tremolo – String technique meaning the rapid repetition of a single note produced by
a quick back-and-forth movement of the bow or the rapid reiteration of two notes
(fingered tremolo). Heard in Prelude and The Cellar (b.1-2). There are also markings
for senza tremolando (meaning without tremolando) in The Cellar. These markings
emphasise the suspense and tension in this scene. Jarre also uses this technique to
create tension in ‘Lawrence of Arabia’.

Structure

Underscore – Music that plays in the background of a film score. For example, the
opening 3 bars of The City is repeated in various guises 6 times in the film. Mostly
associated with characters in mundane situations.

Cue – Each separate piece of music in a film score. Cues can also provide links from
one scene to another. For example, the ‘stabbing’ chords in The Murder are used 4
other times in the film, associated with the murder or consequences of the murder.

Tonality

Atonality – Music that lacks a sense of key or tonal centre. Heard in The Murder,
Discovery, atonality emphasises the horror of the scenes. Also, heard in Finale,
reflecting the total fragmentation of Bates’ descent into madness. Goldsmith’s ‘The
Omen’, along with many other horror film scores contain atonal cues.

Harmony

Chromaticism – The use of notes outside the key, or designed to destabilise the
key/tonal centre. Heard in Prelude (use of extension chords in b. 21), The Toys, The
Cellar, Discovery and Finale. Adds a sense of darkness and horror to the cues.
Chromaticism is also heavily used in Bartok’s String Quartet No 1, Mv 1.

Cluster chord – A chord made up of dissonant, closely spaced notes. Heard

throughout The Murder cue the final chord of The Cellar (Db augmented triad, with C
sharp dim chord). Adds a sense of darkness and horror to the cues. Williams uses
cluster chords during the opening battle scene for ‘Star Wars’.

Diminished 7th chord – a chord made up of 3 minor 3 rd intervals on top of each other,
The intervals are the same in each inversion of the chord. Heard in Prelude and
throughout other cues. Adds a sense of darkness and horror to the cues. Jarre also
makes frequent use of this type of chord in ‘Lawrence of Arabia’.

Dissonance – Notes of harmonies that clash, creating an ‘ugly’ sound. Used to

create musical interest and tension throughout all of the cues. Dissonance can also
be heard throughout Young’s ‘The Grudge’, Goldsmith’s ‘The Omen’, Barry’s ‘King
Kong’ and Pledouris’ ‘The Hunt for Red October’, again to create an uncomfortable
atmosphere.

Half-diminished chord – A diminished chord (root, flat 3 rd, flat 5th) to which a flattened
7th is added. Heard in b1.4 of The City. Adds a sense of darkness and horror to the
cues.

‘Hitchcock’ chord – The opening chord in ‘Prelude’. It consists of a minor chord with
added major 7th (Bb, Db, F, A), creating an unstable sound at the start. It is used
throughout this cue. Also heard at the end of ‘Marion’ (b. 17). Use of the Hitchcock
chord can also be heard in Hermann’s ‘Vertigo’.

Non-functional harmony – Chords or chord progressions that do not serve to

establish a key or move the music towards the tonic but are employed for their sound
or colour. Heard throughout the cues – one example being chains of parallel major
and minor 7th chords moving by step, heard in The Toys. Non-functional harmony is
typically used in horror genre, for example in Goldsmith’s ‘The Omen’.

Texture

Fugal – Contrapuntal texture sharing some of the characteristics of a full fugue but
not all. For example, heard in The Cellar from bar 5. Creates a sense of confusion,
as Lila escapes from Bates. The use of subjects/countersubjects and fugues link to
the music of the Baroque era.

Fugal subject – Theme that starts a fugue or fugal passage in a piece; it is the
material that forms the basis for the melody throughout the section. For example,
heard in The Cellar from bar 5. Creates a sense of confusion, as Lila escapes from
Bates. The use of subjects/countersubjects and fugues link to the music of the
Baroque era.

Ostinato – Short recurring musical pattern. For example, heard in the quaver figure
from b. 3 of Prelude. Creates an obsessive atmosphere. Use of ostinato is typical of
film music writing and can also be heard Williams’ ‘Star Wars’.

Pedal note – A long held (or repeated) note, usually in the bass, over which the
harmonies change. If the pedal note is repeated, rather than sustained, it can be
referred to as an articulated pedal. A pedal note at the top of the texture is referred to
as an inverted pedal. As heard in the lower string parts of The Toys. A typical feature
of film music, pedals often portray a sense of the foreboding and can also underpin
the tonality. Young makes frequent use of pedals in his score for ‘The Grudge’, as
does Barry in ‘King Kong’ (in particular ‘The Opening’) to similar effect.

Melody

Anacrusis – beginning a melody on an upbeat. Heard in the opening of Marion,

which emphasises the ‘sighing’ 3 note melody, suggesting a character doomed to
die. Anacrusis’ are often used in films, an example could be found in the opening
melody of ‘Now We Are Free’ from Zimmer’s ‘Gladiator’.
Countersubject - 2nd melodic phrase in a fugal passage, played by the 1 st part it has
completed the subject. The use of subjects/countersubjects and fugues link to the
music of the Baroque era.

Leitmotif - A short musical phrase associated with a person, place or idea. First used
by Wagner. As heard Finale, in the 3-note motif introduced at b. 15 by the solo viola.
Called the ‘Madness Leitmotif’. The use of Leitmotifs is typical in film music writing,
for example Williams’ Luke Skywalker Leitmotif in ‘Star Wars’, and Elfman’s Batman,
Catwoman and The Penguin Leitmotifs in ‘Batman’.

Melodic inversion - Playing a melody with the intervals turned upside down (e.g.
when the original melody goes up a 3rd, the inverted version goes down a 3rd). This
develops the melody and adds more variety to the music.

Motif - Short melodic cell that can be developed or combined to create longer
melodies or left on their own. An example can be found in bars 26 – 36 of Discovery.
’The Opening’ from Barry’s ‘King Kong’, Hermann’s ‘Vertigo’ and Debussy’s ‘Prelude
a l’apres-midi d’un Faune’ also contain short, motivic material.

Retrograde - Playing a melody backwards. Can be heard in in bars 2-3 and 4-5 of
The Cellar. Adds variety to the melodic content whilst still sounding familiar. This
links to the 5th movement of Stravinsky’s ‘Canticum Sacrum’, with the melody being a
retrograde of the 1st movement’s melody.

Subject - Opening idea in a fugue or fugal section. There is an 8 bar subject in the
fugal passage of The Cellar. The use of subjects and fugues link to the Baroque era.

Transpose - Change a melody to a different key, raising or lowering the pitch. It can
be written with or without a key change. For example in Discovery, (b. 26, 28, 30, 32,
34) the highest notes of the chromatic scales spell out the first 5 notes of the Psycho
theme, transposed. The use of transposition links Hermann’s main thematic material
throughout the cues. The use of transposition is typical in music for film, for example
Elfman’s main thematic material is transposed in various cues in his score for
Batman.

Verticalisation - When the notes of a melody or motif are played as a chord (i.e.
‘vertically’). Can be heard in the F-E pedal in The Toys, which builds on the semitone
motif in the Prelude. The use of verticalisation links Hermann’s main thematic
material throughout the cues.

Dynamics – Hermann covers a full range of dynamics from ‘ppp’ in The Toys to
unmuted ‘sffz’ at the opening of The Murder. The range of dynamics reflect the
events taking place in each cue. William’s also uses a broad range of dynamics in
his film scores, for example ‘Star Wars’.