Music in Your Stories

[IrelandBeaver]

So I currently have two stories that involve music, the first being fantasy and the second being a contemporary. While the main focus of the music will be the emotions that the characters feel, I believe I have that part down. What I would like to involve the sounds of instruments into the story. How do you do describe the sounds, outside of writing doo doo dah or uhm papa mow mow? I'm open to any suggestions you all have.

 

[Twook00]

If you haven't already, I'd suggest reading the Name of the Wind by Pat Rothfuss. The main character is a musician and Pat does a great job of describing the music as he plays.

 

[cupiscent]

I'm amused by the fact that I'd never recommend writing music as it sounds, but I'm pretty sure I know what music you mean by "uhm papa mow mow" so does that count as effective communication? Hee.

My approach is usually to layer the music together out of the instruments, and its overall effect. So, say, "a driving, syncopated beat on a tambour" and "rippling, enveloping harp" and "an elusive, darting melody on the piccolo" overall creating something that had the character listening, "wanting to leap up and frolic off into the forest".

Your reader has probably heard a variety of different sorts of music. You can use all of that experience in evoking what you need for the scene.

 

[Svrtnsse]

There's multitudes of different ways you can do this. You can describe the sounds as they sound, or the melody as a character in its own right. You can describe it through the emotions the music instills in the listener, or the imagery it conveys.

Here's a section from my WiP where someone appears playing a flute:

He laid down all the way, clasped his hands under his head and stared up into the tree. Above him the leaves, more shades of green than he could ever count, swayed back and forth. He closed his eyes and listened to the wind as it played through the branches and rustled the leaves. Somewhere in the distance a flute began to play.

The melody, small and shy but oh so curious, grew slowly louder as it crept closer. Careful it stole through the lows, hiding here and waiting there. It paused. Dashing forward the tune leapt off the middle of the scale and slapped an unsuspecting high note out of the air, before it giggling returned to the safety of the deep end.

Sure, it's a bit purple, but it's what I was going for at that specific stage.

 

[Xitra_Blud]

I'd say describe how it sounds using similes and the like. Like the piano always sounded like raindrops to me or I always founded that a violin sounds like humming or mourning (if it's used for a sad scene). But those are just examples.