Instruments
COMP TRACKS IN REAL-TIME WITH OUR VIDEO PREVIEW TOOL
 | Fast - Find the right music faster by comping tracks with your video online |
 | Private - Videos load instantly and are never stored on our server! |
 | Multiple Sources - Use videos from your device or videos online! |
Learn more about our video preview tool HERE
Keyboard shortcuts
COMP TRACKS IN REAL-TIME WITH OUR VIDEO PREVIEW TOOL
| | Fast - Find the right music faster by comping tracks with your video online |
| | Private - Videos load instantly and are never stored on our server! |
| | Multiple Sources - Use videos from your device or videos online! |
Learn more about our video preview tool HERE
Keyboard shortcuts
DownloadRoyalty Free Pensive Music
56 
Using Pensive Music in your Project
In its many forms, pensive music plays a massive role in the world of film and video.
The reason it's so widely used in video is that any good film makes the audience think.
A good film makes the audience question what the character will do next and what they would do if they were in the same situation.
Pensive music is the soundtrack to those moments; it encourages reflection.
Deep in Thought
The great thing about pensive music is that it can add so many layers to your content.
If we start on a basic level, a scene that uses pensive music probably means someone is deep in thought.
So, the first question we need to ask is who is deep in thought? Is it the protagonist or the audience, or both?
There are times when it's straightforward, and the protagonist reflects on a bad decision or missed opportunity, and so on.
Sometimes, the audience will have similar thoughts about what comes next; other times, the audience might be thinking something along the lines of do the right thing if they reach their decision quicker than the character.
But, that scenario can be reversed where the character is sure of what to do (right or wrong), but the audience is still deep in thought.
In that case, the pensive music goes against the character's actions, but it suggests that maybe they should be thinking twice (which the audience is doing for them).
Studies show that music changes the way you think, and it goes beyond minor being sad and major being happy.
The use of harmony to trigger thought and emotion is ever-present in pensive music.
We have lots of awesome pensive music in our royalty-free collection and don't forget to use our exclusive video preview tool.
Trouble Ahead
When a scene provokes deep thought from the character or the audience, it often means there is trouble ahead.
The trouble doesn't need to be in the form of a confrontation, although it could be.
It can take many forms; it could deal with loss, sadness, grief, a monumental challenge, or many other variations.
Heading into a difficult situation would usually require darker chords/harmonies.
While it's true that it's about far more than minor being sad and major being happy, that generalization can still be the scene's foundation.
How the music builds on that foundation depends on the complexities of the scene.
So, you could go for something that stays in a minor key throughout or go for something that changes from major to minor.
That suggestion of going from light to dark mirrors the realization that something troubling is coming.
Harmony and context can dramatically change the mood of a piece of music.
You should check out this extreme but stunning example of changing emotion in music for better understanding.
Resolution
The other side of the scenario is that the scene comes after any trouble/challenges and focuses on resolution.
That doesn't mean there isn't still much to think about in terms of what lies ahead.
First of all, it doesn't need to be final; it could be some kind of temporary resolution.
In which case, the music may be vaguer, maybe having more complex harmony.
Even a final scene can be uncertain, which could be seen as a partial resolution.
This kind of ending is meant to leave the audience wondering what happens when the screen goes dark, and again, the music can be slightly vague.
Lastly, you can have an absolute resolution or a kind of happy-ever-after.
In which case, the music will lean heavily on major chords and consonant harmony.