How to write ENGAGING piano INTROS | Motherless Brooklyn Trailer Music Walkthrough

In this video, I use my track ‘Theory of Rain’ to showcase how to write engaging piano intros.

This track has been featured in quite a few trailers now and it is almost always the same part, the intro.

I knew when I wrote this cue that it was going to do well as it was engaging and more importantly it got me excited.

How I write a piano intro that gets used

The intro is Act 1, and its job is to set the mood. It generally lasts 30 to 45 seconds. Keep it simple and paint a picture of the tone of the film. Editors often want to hold onto that mood while feeling it grow, so the intro has to stand up on its own.

My formula for almost all my piano music has three steps. First, map out a progression of four to eight chords. That’s the whole track. Something like A minor, C, F, G is plenty.

Second, choose your arpeggio. This is what turns a plain set of chords into a cinematic idea. It’s worth spending time on, because the pattern changes how the chords feel. Six-eight gives you pace. Three has a whimsical, nostalgic feel.

Third, write variations. You can vary the pattern, the harmony, add a melody, and later add orchestration. Idea, variation one, variation two, variation three, and you’ve got your track.

In Act 1 I don’t throw everything in straight away. I might only use part of my chord sequence at the start and save the rest for later, so there’s somewhere to go. Then the pattern comes in properly at the start of Act 2.

Detail matters too, because these tracks are being pitched for big films. I check that the sustain pedal never cuts out and that no note dies before I want it to. If I’m using two piano parts, I make sure they sustain together so it sounds like one piano. I also like lower octaves for the left hand, because the long strings have more overtones and mingle nicely.

For more on this, 6 Easy Ways To Write For Piano covers arpeggios, rocking notes and other patterns, Better Piano Music in 5 Steps works through basslines and melody, and Creating A Dramatic Trailer Cue Using Only A Piano turns a piano sketch into a full cue. My Cinematic Piano Course goes through writing a dramatic trailer piano cue step by step.

Happy composing!Rich