Impressionist Harmony: Scales, Planing & RPGs

Learning Goal: Mastering Impressionist Harmony: Applying Chord Planing, Pentatonic Cascades, and the Whole-Tone Scale to Compose Whimsical RPG Exploration Themes.

Prerequisites

• Basic familiarity with a keyboard or piano layout.
• Access to a Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) like Ableton Live, Reaper, Cubase, or Logic Pro.
• No prior formal music theory degree is required; the curriculum builds systematically from foundational concepts to advanced orchestration.

Estimated Total Study Time

14 Hours (including guided video analysis, practical composition exercises, and DAW mockups).

Module 1: Foundational Music Theory: Keys, Intervals, and Seventh Chords

Module Overview

To break the rules of classical functional harmony, you must first master them. This module provides a solid musical foundation by breaking down scales, intervals, and the construction of seventh chords. You will learn to recognize semitones, calculate intervals, differentiate relative major and minor scales, and stack thirds to construct the essential seventh chords that serve as the building blocks of Impressionist textures.

Recommended Videos

Notes, Intervals, and Chords (Intro to Music Theory)

@HarmonyDecoder08:28609

Notes, Intervals, and Chords (Intro to Music Theory)

This video introduces the fundamental building blocks of music theory, explaining that notes are named C-D-E-F-G-A-B with sharps and flats indicating semitone adjustments, while intervals are the 12 possible distances between notes within an octave (unison, seconds, thirds, fourths, fifths, sixths, sevenths, and octaves), each creating distinct emotional qualities from stability to tension. Simple chords are built by combining a root with a third and fifth (major chords use happy major thirds, m

@HarmonyDecoder · 08:28

• Why this video: This video introduces the most fundamental building blocks of music theory. It demystifies how notes are named and adjusted via semitones (sharps and flats) and shows how intervals—the distance between these notes—scale up to construct basic chords.
• Knowledge Checkpoint:
  • Understand the 12 chromatic semitones and how sharps/flats alter pitches.
  • Define what an interval is and recognize how pitch distances are measured.
  • Identify basic triads built from stacking basic intervals.

Lesson 1 Advanced Music Theory Keys, Scales & Intervals

@topscoremusicacademy18:1362,484

Lesson 1 Advanced Music Theory Keys, Scales & Intervals

This section explores the relationship between major and minor keys sharing identical key signatures. To find a relative minor, go down three semitons from the major key; to find a relative major, go up three semitons from the minor key. Most flat keys have 'flat' in their names (Bb, Eb, Ab, Db, Gb, Cb), except F major. The harmonic minor raises only the 7th degree, creating an augmented second interval between 6th and 7th degrees, historically difficult for singers. The melodic minor raises bot

@topscoremusicacademy · 18:13

• Why this video: Moving beyond isolated notes, this lecture details keys, scales, and intervals in depth. Crucially, it explores how relative major and minor scales share identical key signatures, a concept critical for shifting emotional landscapes in RPG soundtracks.
• Knowledge Checkpoint:
  • Calculate the distance of major, minor, and perfect intervals.
  • Understand key signatures and determine a key based on its sharps or flats.
  • Find any relative minor scale by moving down three semitones from its relative major.

Intervals in 7th Chords - Music Theory

@GracieTerzian35:3271,991

Intervals in 7th Chords - Music Theory

Seventh chords are built by stacking three intervals of thirds, and each type of seventh chord contains specific interval combinations: major seventh chords contain a major third, minor third, and major third (with the root to seventh being a major seventh interval of 11 half steps); dominant seventh chords contain a major third, minor third, and minor third (with a minor seventh interval of 10 half steps); minor seventh chords contain a minor third, major third, and minor third; half-diminished

@GracieTerzian · 35:32

• Why this video: Modern and Impressionistic styles rely heavily on four-note harmonies. This video teaches you how to construct seventh chords by stacking intervals of major and minor thirds. It provides the exact interval formulas for major, minor, and dominant seventh chords.
• Knowledge Checkpoint:
  • Explain how a seventh chord is built from three stacked intervals of thirds.
  • Distinguish the interval formula of a Major 7th chord (major 3rd, minor 3rd, major 3rd) from a Minor 7th chord.
  • Construct a dominant 7th chord starting on any given root note.

Understanding 7th Chords - Easy Music Theory

@nathanielmusicschool29:383,483

Understanding 7th Chords - Easy Music Theory

Seventh chords are constructed by adding a seventh interval (major 7th, minor 7th, or diminished 7th) to five fundamental triad types: major, minor, augmented, diminished, and suspended. This systematic approach reveals that all seventh chords can be understood as extensions of these basic triads, with modifications to the fifth (sharp five or flat five) creating variations like augmented seventh chords, half-diminished chords (m7b5), and fully diminished seventh chords. The key to mastering sev

@nathanielmusicschool · 29:38

• Why this video: This video bridges basic chord theory and creative keyboard application. It systemically explains how to append major, minor, or diminished seventh intervals onto five fundamental triad types (major, minor, augmented, diminished, and suspended), preparing you for non-functional harmonic structures.
• Knowledge Checkpoint:
  • Memorize the five core triad types that act as bases for seventh chords.
  • Construct minor-major sevenths and half-diminished chords.
  • Visually map these seventh chords on a keyboard layout.

Module 2: Impressionist Color: Chord Planing and Parallel Harmony

Module Overview

With traditional theory established, you will now learn how Impressionist masters like Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel intentionally broke traditional voice-leading rules. This module focuses on "chord planing"—the technique of moving identical chord shapes (parallel harmony) up and down the scale or chromatic spectrum. This strips away traditional functional tension and resolution, replacing it with a fluid, drifting "wash of sound" perfect for atmospheric gaming environments.

Recommended Videos

Impressionism in Music: Characteristics of the Style and Composers who Created It

@PianotvNet03:24139,275

Impressionism in Music: Characteristics of the Style and Composers who Created It

Impressionist music emerged from the Impressionist art movement, inspired by Monet's 'Impression, Sunrise.' The core philosophy emphasized conveying moods rather than distinct melodies or detailed structures. Key characteristics include: instrumental innovations with flutes/clarinets producing darker tones and muted horns; extended chords (ninths, elevenths, thirteenths) creating blurred harmonies; lack of traditional resolution leaving listeners unanchored; exploration of atonality and ancient

@PianotvNet · 03:24

• Why this video: This video introduces the philosophical shift of Impressionism in music. You will discover how early 20th-century composers prioritized mood, timbre, and textures over strict, goal-oriented classical structures.
• Knowledge Checkpoint:
  • Describe how Impressionist music prioritizes mood and tone color over formal melodic development.
  • Differentiate the "atmospheric" philosophy of Debussy from traditional, dramatic Romantic period music.
  • Identify how texture acts as a primary musical theme.

Peter Bernstein Chord Melody Snippets

@RichieZellon14:402,336

Peter Bernstein Chord Melody Snippets

Chord planing is an impressionist harmony technique pioneered by Debussy and Ravel that involves voice-leading non-functional chord sequences using parallel motion as if they were a single melodic line, allowing guitarists to reharmonize dominant or 2-5 progressions with colorful chord sequences that resolve smoothly to the target chord, creating sophisticated harmonic textures while maintaining functional resolution.

@RichieZellon · 14:40

• Why this video: This lesson defines "chord planing" as voice-leading non-functional chord sequences in parallel motion. It explains how to move a static chord voicing across a scale, treating the entire harmonic structure as a single, thickened melodic line.
• Knowledge Checkpoint:
  • Define the term "chord planing" (or parallel harmony).
  • Explain how parallel motion bypasses traditional rules of resolving dissonances.
  • Construct a basic parallel chord sequence using consecutive minor third or seventh chords.

Fundamentals of Orchestration Part 2 -- Chord Spacing and Timbre (2 of 2)

@AlexHeppelmann05:383,956

Fundamentals of Orchestration Part 2 -- Chord Spacing and Timbre (2 of 2)

Debussy's La Mer (1903-1905) moves away from simple homophonic textures toward more complex orchestral landscapes. Key techniques include planing—parallel chord motion creating pulsating horizontal motion—and register separation that guides listener perception of melodic versus harmonic material. Muted brass removes mid-high frequencies preventing muddiness in low-positioned chorales. Soltato technique (bowing on fingerboard) produces softer, warmer tones by removing high frequencies. The video

@AlexHeppelmann · 05:38

• Why this video: Using an analysis of Debussy’s orchestral masterpiece La Mer, this tutorial demonstrates how chord planing functions in full-scale orchestral arrangements. Learn how parallel block chords create pulsating horizontal movements and rich orchestral timbres.
• Knowledge Checkpoint:
  • Identify planing textures in a symphonic score.
  • Explain how chord spacing and instrumentation choice affect the clarity of parallel chords.
  • Understand how Debussy used orchestration to emphasize the horizontal contour of planing chords rather than their vertical function.

Module 3: Whimsical Textures: Pentatonic Cascades and Whole-Tone Scales

Module Overview

To evoke a truly whimsical, mystical, or dreamlike atmosphere, you must escape the directional gravity of major and minor scales. This module explores two powerful tools used by Impressionist composers: the whole-tone scale and the pentatonic scale. Because the whole-tone scale consists entirely of equal whole-step intervals, it lacks a standard tonic or "home" note. This creates a state of suspended animation, often associated in media with dream sequences, floating castles, and magical portals. You will also learn to write cascading pentatonic runs that emulate the sweeping, magical textures of a concert harp.

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What is a Whole-tone Scale? | #musictheory #musicscale

@behindthescore332703:361,049

What is a Whole-tone Scale? | #musictheory #musicscale

The whole-tone scale is a symmetrical musical scale where every note is separated by a whole step (two half steps), resulting in exactly six notes per octave with no overlap between the two possible pitch collections; this scale creates a distinctive dreamy, ethereal sound often used in film and television to depict dream sequences or imagined scenarios, and its equidistant notes produce a dominant 7th type harmony with a somewhat nebulous tonic that makes it challenging to pin down a specific k

@behindthescore3327 · 03:36

• Why this video: This concise theoretical analysis dissects the symmetrical architecture of the whole-tone scale. It explains how skipping semitones results in a hexatonic (6-note) scale with exactly two possible transpositions.
• Knowledge Checkpoint:
  • Explain why the whole-tone scale has only six notes per octave.
  • Spell a whole-tone scale starting on C, and another starting on C#.
  • Describe why symmetrical scales lack a traditional tonal center or tonic note.

Why The Whole Tone Scale Sounds Dreamy

@theartofstorytelling106:427,979

Why The Whole Tone Scale Sounds Dreamy

The whole tone scale sounds dreamy because it lacks a tonal center or home note, making it structurally incapable of creating tension and resolution like other Western scales; this unique property stems from its perfectly symmetrical construction where every note is evenly spaced a whole tone apart, leaving the listener in a state of musical limbo that naturally evokes feelings of the unknown and otherworldliness.

@theartofstorytelling1 · 06:42

• Why this video: This video connects raw music theory to emotional storytelling, illustrating how the physical construction of the whole-tone scale eliminates harmonic tension and resolution. This feature makes it highly effective for score-writing designed to evoke curiosity, magic, or dreamlike wonder.
• Knowledge Checkpoint:
  • Explain the relationship between the absence of half-steps and the loss of harmonic gravity.
  • Describe how film and game composers use whole-tone clusters to represent dream sequences.
  • Compose a short melodic motif using only whole-tone steps.

4 amazing whole tone scale tricks!

@PianoWithJonny12:3936,068

4 amazing whole tone scale tricks!

The whole tone scale, consisting of six whole steps (e.g., C-D-E-F#-G#-A#), creates a distinctive dreamy sound and contains two hidden augmented chords; it can be applied in four ways: creating a dream sound effect by playing thirds or triads high on the piano, improvising over augmented chords (as the scale contains six different augmented chords), improvising over dominant seventh chords (hitting extensions like 9th, #11, and b13), and performing whole tone runs that resolve to related chords.

@PianoWithJonny · 12:39

• Why this video: This practical keyboard tutorial provides hands-on performance patterns for the whole-tone scale. Discover how to isolate the two "hidden" augmented chords buried within the scale, and learn to execute rolling runs and atmospheric fills.
• Knowledge Checkpoint:
  • Identify and play the two hidden augmented triads inside a whole-tone scale.
  • Execute a flowing whole-tone run using smooth keyboard fingerings.
  • Utilize the whole-tone scale over altered dominant chords to build musical interest.

Play EPIC and BEAUTIFUL Piano Music [Exercise Suitable For Beginners] 🎹

@BitesizePiano01:5041,270

Play EPIC and BEAUTIFUL Piano Music [Exercise Suitable For Beginners] 🎹

An impressionistic chord shape creates a hypnotic, dream-like effect. The shape uses four fingers with a pattern: one note, missing a note, two notes, missing a note, then adding a fourth note. Maintain this shape in both hands while using contrary motion. You can flatten or sharpen notes, start on different notes, and play in different areas of the piano. This technique produces a blurred, impressionistic effect similar to Claude Debussy's style.

@BitesizePiano · 01:50

• Why this video: Beautiful, cascading textures can be simple to play. This video teaches an easy, four-finger hand shape that constructs a beautiful, open impressionistic chord texture, perfect for building cascading ambient arpeggios on a keyboard.
• Knowledge Checkpoint:
  • Recreate the four-finger open chord pattern on the keyboard.
  • Execute an arpeggiated cascade by hand-over-hand movement across different octaves.
  • Apply this physical pattern to build a sparkling, harp-like background layer.

Module 4: Composing the Theme: Orchestration and RPG Game Application

Module Overview

In this final capstone module, you will synthesize everything you've learned. You will step into your DAW to compose, orchestrate, and refine a whimsical RPG exploration theme. By studying real video game soundtracks, learning to layer organic virtual instruments, and utilizing smart orchestrator tools, you will construct a looping theme ready to accompany players as they explore magical forests, cozy villages, or ancient ruins.

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Gnome Playlist Vol. 2 (EXTRA WHIMSICAL)

@doggies4dinner03:21:26256,155

Gnome Playlist Vol. 2 (EXTRA WHIMSICAL)

This video presents a curated playlist of whimsical and playful music from various video games, featuring tracks from titles such as The Legend of Zelda, Donkey Kong Country, Deltarune, Paper Mario, Final Fantasy, Pokémon, RuneScape, Pikmin, Stardew Valley, Hollow Knight, and many others. The compilation showcases the diverse musical styles found in gaming, from orchestral themes to electronic compositions, all unified by a whimsical and charming aesthetic that celebrates the joy and creativity

@doggies4dinner · 03:21:26

• Why this video: This curated compilation acts as a comprehensive reference library of whimsical video game music. It features tracks from The Legend of Zelda, Donkey Kong Country, and Paper Mario. Use this resource to analyze how composers employ woodwind leads, auxiliary percussion (glockenspiels, celestas), and wandering melodies to construct lighthearted gaming soundtracks.
• Knowledge Checkpoint:
  • Identify recurring orchestration choices (e.g., flute solos, pizzicato strings, mallet percussion) in whimsical RPG tracks.
  • Analyze the balance between ambient chord pads and playful melodic ornaments.
  • Pinpoint moments where harmonic ambiguity (such as pentatonic or whole-tone shifts) is used.

Pathfinder: Kingmaker. The Music by Inon Zur

@OwlcatGames03:318,538

Pathfinder: Kingmaker. The Music by Inon Zur

RPG music serves as a narrative tool that follows the story-driven nature of the genre, telling the game's story rather than merely providing ambient background. Successful composition requires balancing team direction with creative freedom. The instrument palette combines traditional orchestral elements (strings, brass, percussion, woodwinds) with ethnic instruments from various cultures like Irish and Middle Eastern instruments to create a timeless fairy tale atmosphere. The composition proces

@OwlcatGames · 03:31

• Why this video: Acclaimed game composer Inon Zur details how RPG music operates as an active narrative device. Learn how to write music that supports the game’s lore, enhances exploration, and adapts to environmental shifts.
• Knowledge Checkpoint:
  • Explain how music transitions from a passive background element to an active narrative layer in RPGs.
  • Balance high-profile themes with simple background loops so players do not experience "listening fatigue."
  • Define how to structure exploration music to accommodate open-world gameplay.

Composing An Ori and the Will of the Wisps Inspired Track (Soundiron Session)

@SoundironAudio15:452,181

Composing An Ori and the Will of the Wisps Inspired Track (Soundiron Session)

This video demonstrates how to compose fantasy video game-inspired music by starting with simple chord progressions (such as B minor to E major), developing a memorable melody, and layering various virtual instruments including harp, symphonic choir, solo flute, strings with pizzicato and tremolo techniques, emotional piano, brass sections, percussion, and vocal elements to create an immersive, whimsical soundscape similar to soundtracks from games like Ori and the Will of the Wisps and Moss.

@SoundironAudio · 15:45

• Why this video: This video demonstrates how to arrange and build a modern, high-production fantasy track. The host starts with a simple chord progression (such as minor-to-major modal mixture), develops a memorable melodic motif, and systematically layers sample libraries to construct a lush, final arrangement.
• Knowledge Checkpoint:
  • Follow a step-by-step workflow for composing a fantasy track in a DAW.
  • Layer delicate instruments (solo woodwinds, celesta, soft strings) to build a fantasy atmosphere.
  • Integrate expression and modulation automation to make MIDI parts sound like a live orchestra.

Hollywood Fantasy Orchestrator専用 RPG拡張パック チュートリアル【日本語字幕】

@HighResolutionJapan20:081,122

Hollywood Fantasy Orchestrator専用 RPG拡張パック チュートリアル【日本語字幕】

The Hollywood Fantasy Orchestrator RPG expansion pack provides over 70 presets designed for composing RPG video game soundtracks, featuring environmental music (Badlands, Hunting Monsters, Worlds of Wonder), boss fight music, and character themes (Warrior, Thief, Wizard, Paladin, Necromancer), with variations for different intensities and moods to support gameplay scenarios from atmospheric exploration to intense combat.

@HighResolutionJapan · 20:08

• Why this video: This tutorial demonstrates how to leverage professional MIDI engine software (the Hollywood Fantasy Orchestrator) to build complex arrangements. Learn how to trigger string patterns, harp arpeggios, and woodwind runs automatically by inputting simple chords.
• Knowledge Checkpoint:
  • Set up and use automated orchestration plugins in a modern DAW environment.
  • Program and control ostinato patterns to keep your background tracks feeling alive and dynamic.
  • Combine strings, brass, woodwinds, and folk instruments to craft custom RPG presets.

Course Map

Key People Index

• Claude Debussy (1862–1918): Pioneering French composer who laid the groundwork for musical Impressionism. He rejected rigid classical forms to focus on tone color, parallel chord planing, and symmetrical scales (the whole-tone scale).
• Maurice Ravel (1875–1937): A master orchestrator and French composer. Alongside Debussy, he expanded the orchestral palette by using extended harmonies (ninths, elevenths), cascading instrumental runs, and unique instrument couplings.
• Inon Zur: Multi-award-winning contemporary video game composer (Fallout, Dragon Age, Pathfinder: Kingmaker). He is known for using music as a narrative tool, combining live orchestras with ethnic instruments to build immersive game worlds.

Final Self-Assessment

Perform this step-by-step composition audit to verify that you have mastered the materials:

• Interval Construction: Can you construct a Major 7th, Minor 7th, and Dominant 7th chord from any root note on the piano or in your DAW?
• Relative Keys: Can you identify the relative minor of a major key by counting down three semitones (e.g., C Major to A Minor)?
• The "Wash of Sound": Do you understand how parallel harmony (chord planing) differs from traditional voice-leading, and can you write a chord progression that moves in parallel blocks?
• Planing Practice: Have you composed a phrase where a single minor-seventh chord shape is shifted up or down a scale to thicken a melody line?
• Whole-Tone Symmetries: Can you build a 6-note whole-tone scale starting on D or E, ensuring every note is exactly two semitones apart?
• Harmonic Suspension: Can you explain why a whole-tone scale lacks a resolution, and can you utilize this to score a dreamlike transition?
• Sparkling Cascades: Have you programmed or played a hand-over-hand cascading arpeggio using a major or minor pentatonic scale to mimic a concert harp?
• Timbre Selection: Have you curated a primary palette of whimsical instruments in your DAW, including flute, oboe, pizzicato strings, and glockenspiel or celesta?
• MIDI Modulation: Have you written automation lanes for expression (CC11) and modulation (CC1) on your string and woodwind parts to make your MIDI instruments sound realistic?
• Loop Design: Does your final composition loop smoothly, allowing players to explore without hearing abrupt musical cuts or repetitive patterns?