Terminator theme

[sonofagun]

Well, I suppose there's a number of musicians and movie buffs here - I've wondered for the longest time about how the theme music for the Terminator movie was structured.

Specifically, the time signature(s) used. Anyone have a link to the sheet music or can explain them?

[sonofagun]

btt

???

[louped garouv]

http://www.fretplay.com/tabs/m/misc_...ator-tab.shtmlcopied and pasted this, but it didn't paste well -- so here is a link to the guitar 'tabs' for the terminator theme....

[sonofagun]

Thanks, but I'd still like to see the orchestral sheet music.

Tablature doesn't really seem to answer my question. It is a complicated score.

[andrew22]

It's in 6/8 with every second bar accenting as if in 3/4. Think of America in Westside Story. I haven't seen the original score but that seems to be the only time signature that fits.

Andrew

[Allanvh5150]

What is complicated about it?

[sonofagun]

Quote: It's in 6/8 with every second bar accenting as if in 3/4. Think of America in Westside Story. I haven't seen the original score but that seems to be the only time signature that fits.

Andrew - Unquote

Seems is the operative word - sorry, it's not in 6/8 - as a drummer (former) I'm particularly cognizant of odd signatures and this theme just does not fit well or easily into any known signature. I have been trying for years now to get a DEFINITIVE answer to this question with no luck. Even posted on a popular drummer's site with no good answer. Anyone know how to ask the composer?

What is complicated about it? See above

Actually this thread should now be moved to the Music forum which I guess didn't exist 5-1/2 years ago when this was first asked! Hey administrator!

Seems ridiculous in this age of the computer and the internet you can't get a definitive answer to a simple question.

[sonofagun]

It is the drum part heard here (for the first 32 seconds):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKF-tOtK6nw

Any drummer or other trained musician will know what I'm speaking of when mentioning time signatures - is an interesting question when related to a film involving "time" travel.

[Eaulive]

It is the drum part heard here (for the first 32 seconds):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKF-tOtK6nw

Any drummer or other trained musician will know what I'm speaking of when mentioning time signatures - is an interesting question when related to a film involving "time" travel.

It's even more obvious when the music starts, it's then that you realize this score is indeed complicated.

I'm not a musician, but I can recognize when something is odd, and this score is

[Erenan]

I just watched this movie again today, and I was surprised at the meter. In my memory it was pretty standard, but that is not the case. It seems to be in a pattern of thirteen, either measures of 13:8 or alternating 7:8 and 3:4. The rhythm you hear in the percussion that continues throughout pretty much the whole thing seems to be as shown in the image below. I'm not sure whether the actual score is notated in 13:8 or the alternating measures, but I gave one and the other just for comparison. You can take your pick, really.



By the way, the theme from Terminator 2 is rhythmically much simpler. Sounds like 3:4 to me.

[JBL 4645]

It's in 6/8 with every second bar accenting as if in 3/4. Think of America in Westside Story. I haven't seen the original score but that seems to be the only time signature that fits.

Andrew

As someone been taking their medication recently? Let me see if I have this right? The Terminator theme sounds similar to West Side Story “America”






ANITA
Phase Plasma Rifle in 40watt range
My heart's devotion to terminating!
Let it sink back in the ocean
Always the hurricanes terminator blowing
Always the population growing
And the money owing “No deal”
And the sunlight streaming
And the natives steaming
I like the island Manhattan
Smoke on your pipe
And put that in!

GIRLS
I like to be a terminator!
Okay by me a terminator!
Everything free in America

BERNARDO
If you’re a Terminator!

[svollmer]

FWIW, there's a really good version of this piece on "The Great Fantasy Adventure Album" (Telarc CD-80342). While the original is menacing (I mean that in a good way), this version is more bombastic, as Telar and Erich Kunzel were known to do. There's an explosion at the end that gives my two 2245H's a real test.

The CD also has some other "sound effects" tracks including one called "Cybergenesis" that is an intro for the Terminator Theme. It's comprised of industrial punch press, robot, and other mechanical sounds. All in all, a great CD that you can still grab used.

http://www.amazon.com/Great-Fantasy-.../dp/B000003CZH

[JBL 4645]

FWIW, there's a really good version of this piece on "The Great Fantasy Adventure Album" (Telarc CD-80342). While the original is menacing (I mean that in a good way), this version is more bombastic, as Telar and Erich Kunzel were known to do. There's an explosion at the end that gives my two 2245H's a real test.

The CD also has some other "sound effects" tracks including one called "Cybergenesis" that is an intro for the Terminator Theme. It's comprised of industrial punch press, robot, and other mechanical sounds. All in all, a great CD that you can still grab used.

http://www.amazon.com/Great-Fantasy-.../dp/B000003CZH

I just listened to samples. I prefer original scores.
http://www.soundtrack.net/albums/database/?id=21

It’s like John Williams playing Jerry Goldsmith Star Trek the motion picture closing credits. Its a little out of tune.

[sonofagun]

Yes - listening to it again (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKF-tOtK6nw) it does "seem" to have a meter related to 13 - the pattern x 2 seems to fit into 13 counts BUT

the only definitive answer that I seek can likely only come from a transcript of the synthesizer score or other such input from Brad Fiedel. I've tried doing searches for the theme, electronic music, as well as Brad Fiedel but still can't find a definitive discussion or direct link to Fiedel - interetingly there are pages under his name on both My Space and Facebook but I'm too computer illiterate to go further or ferret out the specific information I seek. Perhaps someone here who's better at it can.

P.S. How can we get this discusiion moved to the correct (music) forum - or maybe it doesn't matter?