Lesson 4 - TV Theme Music
Establishing Creating Conventions
Over the past three lessons, we analysed iconic works to identify creating conventions for 1980s/1990s instrumental TV theme music. This lesson consolidates those findings in preparation for their application with a student example of a creating exercise. The information is viewed to identify conventions in the works analysed in the previous lessons, moving, therefore, from informed listener to informed practitioner.
“Creative Conventions” Photo by Dragos Gontariu on Unsplash
Based on the thorough analysis of all three instrumental TV themes from the 1980s and 1990s - Murder, She Wrote (John Addison), Dynasty (Bill Conti), and St. Elsewhere (Dave Grusin) - the following can be considered genre conventions (shared characteristics across these works) rather than idiosyncratic features of a single piece or composer.
By clicking on the TV titles, you will be automatically redirected to the lessons.
NOTE:
Should you wish to explore the understanding of a cultural convention more deeply - rather than focusing on an isolated musical element or a generic observation within a work - you may wish to visit HERE, which uses Brazilian Popular Music and Heavy Metal as frameworks to guide you toward a fuller understanding.
Here is an edited version of the student's work, which attempts to synthesise observations drawn from an analysis of the other TV themes in order to piece together accurate musical conventions of the period.
You may find it necessary to undertake similar steps, with the assistance of your teacher, should there be a lack of credible and/or academic sources in the areas you wish to explore.
Instrumentation
The first step was to extract information regarding the use of instrumentation, reiterating the roles assigned to individual instruments in each of the selected works, and then identifying commonalities. This information is then summarised in order to formulate assumptions about conventions within the genre.
| Theme | Role of Lead Instrument | Role of Supporting Instruments | Texture | Register & Timbre | Alterations in the Recapitulation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Murder, She Wrote | The piano establishes the primary thematic material and functions as the central voice of the ensemble | Violins colour the homophonic texture; glockenspiel adds timbral colour; tuba provides a foundational presence; trombones introduce the modulating passage; flutes and piccolo supply comic interjections | Predominantly homophonic, with a clearly defined lead voice | Deliberate extremes within a chamber-sized ensemble (piccolo at one end, tuba at the other) enhance the comedic aspect; the piano returns in the treble register for the cadential close | String-led texture restored in the recapitulation; the contrasting passage previously given to woodwinds now remains with strings; the moto perpetuo figure returns in a higher register and as a leading melodic figure |
| Dynasty | The trumpet carries the bulk of the melodic material, projecting grandeur and strength | Upper strings double the melodic line to strengthen it; horns provide imitative fragmented responses in Theme A using the same dotted rhythm; woodwind tremoli frame the work (start and end), creating a sense of wonder; lower strings (sustained tremolo) and timpani (rumbling roll) accompany the final sparse statement | Largely homophonic, with imitative dialogue between trumpet and horns | Mood remains largely static within each theme; contrast is achieved through musical material rather than timbral change | Theme A returns with the violins rather than the trumpet, creating a grander setting; the trumpet returns in a sparse final statement, fanfaring at the top of its register before the opening woodwind tremolo punctuates the conclusion |
| St. Elsewhere | Synthesised "horn" sounds emulate the harmonic patterns of natural horns (3rds–5ths–6ths), grounding the theme in solemnity | Synthesised bass provides a repetitive ostinato that mimics the pulse of a rapid heartbeat; synthesised strings and percussion complete the palette; the "horns" function as the melodic voice within an otherwise electronic texture | Layered and texturally shifting; a tonic pedal anchors the A section before the texture opens up in the B and stop-time sections | Bright, modern aesthetic from manufactured sounds, yet with a slightly sterile feel mirroring the clean aesthetic of a hospital; synthesised timbres evoke modern, impersonal machinery, while the "horn" writing evokes human dignity and loss | The ostinato returns in different octaves; the material is reharmonised with a dominant pedal rather than a tonic pedal, producing a more unsettling effect |
Summary
In all three themes, a single melodic voice dominates (piano, trumpet, or synth-horn), while the ensemble provides harmonic support, textural contrast, and structural punctuation.
In two of the three, orchestration is deployed structurally: instrumentation is altered on the return of thematic material to signal formal arrival and to create a sense of grandeur. In Murder, She Wrote, the recapitulation restores the string-led texture while reassigning the contrasting passage from woodwinds to strings, and the piano returns in the treble register for the cadential close. In Dynasty, Theme A returns with the violins rather than the trumpet, producing a grander setting, before the trumpet reasserts itself in a sparse, high-register final statement. St. Elsewhere departs from this pattern: its instrumentation remains unchanged on the return, and the variation is achieved instead through register (the ostinato reappearing in different octaves) and harmonisation (a dominant pedal replacing the tonic pedal), unsettling the stability of the opening.
“Blurred Image” Photo by ELIANO DAVIDE on Unsplash
This suggests that while reorchestration on return is a shared tendency of the era, it may not be a universal convention. Nevertheless, variation on return seems to be a common trait achieved through reorchestration, harmonic, or registral means.
NOTE:
St. Elsewhere introduces synthesised timbres as a modernising element, reflecting the technological shift of the 1980s. Even here, however, the synthesised sounds emulate traditional acoustic roles, such as the "horns" replicating the harmonic intervals characteristic of natural horns, and the bass ostinato functioning as a pulse. This suggests that the orchestral model remained the default expectation, with electronic timbres adopted as a colouristic and expressive extension of it rather than a replacement.
Creating Conventions
A traditional orchestral palette (strings, woodwinds, brass, piano) is therefore presumably employed to ensure clarity, immediate emotional resonance, and a sense of sophistication. The texture is predominantly homophonic, with a clearly defined lead instrument carrying the main melody, and orchestration is used strategically to demarcate formal sections and to heighten expressive contrast.
Again, here is an edited version of student work:
Given the importance of the melodic material, the second step was to extract information regarding its construction, focussing on the phrase structure, contour, and rhythmic character of the principal themes in each of the selected works, and then identifying commonalities. This information is then summarised in order to formulate assumptions about conventions within the genre.
| Theme | Phrase Structure | Contour | Rhythmic Character | Developmental Treatment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Murder, She Wrote | Balanced 4-bar antecedent (lyrical) + 4-bar consequent (staccato, chromatic); two-phrase unit establishing the core thematic identity | Arching/convex antecedent, spanning two measures; descending consequent | Staccato articulation in the consequent; chromatic grace notes adding wit | Fragmentation (head of the lyrical theme presented in the bass during the developmental passage); ascending sequence in the main theme; motivic transformation in the codetta, where the chromatic moto perpetuo figure is recontextualised as a diatonic melodic figure in the treble register |
| Dynasty | 4-bar Theme A, itself divisible into two 2-bar halves; 8-bar Theme B, essentially repeated verbatim | Theme A built on falling perfect 4ths and 5ths, with an octave leap; Theme B largely rhythmically static, step-wise, outlining triads | Dotted rhythms in Theme A; tendency for the second beat to be accented in both halves; semiquaver figuration in Theme B | Foreshadowing technique with the opening fragment of Theme B used as "filler" during the second half of Theme A before its full presentation; descending sequences in Theme B, including an inexact descending sequence in its closing portion |
| St. Elsewhere | 8-bar main theme (4 + 4), subdividing into 1 + 1 + 2 units; 7.5-bar B section (3.5 + 4) | Narrow range (only a 5th, F–C); largely stepwise, but outlining the tonic triad; questioning ending (G–A) in the first four bars of the introduction; more definitive ending (G–F) to conclude | Half-bar anacrusis in the main theme; embedded hemiola (3 + 3 + 2); swung 8th notes; syncopation disrupting natural barline stress | Foreshadowing (the introduction prefigures the embedded hemiola of the main theme); fragmentation (melodic material isolated in the Coda); transposition of the first four bars to B♭ on the final return |
The most striking commonality across the three themes is the reliance on short, clearly bounded phrase units. This is likely linked to ensuring memorability, as a theme must establish its identity. However, what differs is the degree of subdivision - from the balanced antecedent-consequent pairing of Murder, She Wrote, through the two 2-bar halves of Dynasty's Theme A, to the 1 + 1 + 2 subdivision of St. Elsewhere. Repetition, in turn, functions as a memory aid: the listener is given the material more than once before any variation occurs.
With regard to contrast, it appears to be mostly “internal”; that is, it occurs within a single theme rather than being deferred to a separate formal section. In each case, there is a change in one parameter at a time: articulation in Murder, She Wrote, interval and contour in Dynasty, rhythmic identity in St. Elsewhere. The result is a melody that is varied enough to sustain interest across its relatively brief span but unified enough to be recalled immediately.
In all three themes, the underlying melodic language is diatonic, yet each composer introduces a small number of chromatic or rhythmic "disturbances" - grace notes and raised scale degrees in Murder, She Wrote, chromatic passing tones and a brief modal shift in Dynasty, swung 8ths and an embedded hemiola in St. Elsewhere. These are not structural devices but serve as more expressive means: they add wit, character, or unease without undermining the accessibility of the melodic line.
“Moral Character” Photo by Dean Andre Cantanero on Unsplash
These themes also employ developmental techniques more readily associated with longer works. Fragmentation, sequence, foreshadowing, and motivic transformation all appear across the three themes, suggesting that the composers treat their pieces as a miniature sonata form with its own internal logic.
Creating Conventions
Melodies are therefore memorable and designed for instant audience recognition. They are constructed from balanced, four-bar phrases (often antecedent-consequent pairs) and feature internal contrast, achieved through a change in a single parameter - articulation, interval, or rhythm - within a single theme. Chromatic ornamentation and rhythmic irregularity are used sparingly to add character without compromising accessibility, while developmental techniques such as fragmentation, sequence, and foreshadowing create unity and a sense of progression within a short span.
Here is an edited version of student work on structure:
The three themes share a ternary structure, but each with a distinctive trait:
| Theme | Formal Structure | Key Features |
|---|---|---|
| Murder, She Wrote | Intro – A – A' – B (developmental) – A'' – Codetta | Sonata-like; modulation by thirds; recapitulation |
| Dynasty | Intro – A – B – A' – Coda | Clear ternary; balanced 4-bar and 8-bar sections |
| St. Elsewhere | Intro – A – A – B – Stop-time – A' – Coda | Ternary with jazz-influenced break section |
In Murder, She Wrote and Dynasty, the middle section modulates away from the tonic, both change texture or orchestration at the point of departure, and both return to the opening material with variation, but still with a recognisable return to the earliest material. Murder, She Wrote goes further, treating its middle section developmentally by fragmenting the opening theme and passing it through a sequence of modulations before the recapitulation restores it. The result is a structure that behaves like a miniature sonata form, with the same sense of argument and resolution but significantly compressed.
St. Elsewhere has the same underlying shape (statement, departure, return) but the demarcation is deliberately blurred. Modulations are approached through inverted chords, dominant substitutes, and pedal points rather than strong cadences. The shift to the relative minor in the B section arrives by interrupted cadence, and the minor-key cadences that follow omit the raised seventh, so the new key is never firmly established. Sectional boundaries are carried instead by changes of texture, register, and the stop-time break. The form is structurally the same as the other two, but not nearly as emphatic.
“Ternary Structure” Photo by Jamie Kettle on Unsplash
There could be a case made that the brevity in which these forms function, from statement to disruption to restoration, connects to the episodic structure of television drama, in which a situation is disturbed and then resolved within a fixed span. There is a limited degree of certainty in making this claim, but the structural parallel is certainly worth mentioning. Storylines are often resolved by the end of a single episode or by the ensuing one.
Creating Conventions
The preferred structure is ternary form (ABA') or a miniature sonata-like design (exposition → contrasting middle → recapitulation → coda). Sections are demarcated by changes in key, texture, and orchestration, though the demarcation varies: it is emphatic in Murder, She Wrote and Dynasty, and deliberately veiled in St. Elsewhere, where the return is registered through texture, register, and harmonic substitution rather than through strong cadential articulation. In all three cases, the form is complete in miniature, with each section presented in a highly compressed fashion.
Here is an edited version of the student's work on harmony:
The harmonic language of all three themes is fundamentally diatonic, but each composer treats the diatonic frame differently, and the differences are more revealing than the similarities.
| Theme | Primary Chords | Colouristic Devices |
|---|---|---|
| Murder, She Wrote | C, F, G7 | Secondary dominants, modulation by thirds (Gm–E♭–C), borrowed chord (A♭) |
| Dynasty | E♭, A♭, B♭ | Brief modulation to Fm, borrowed chord (G major) |
| St. Elsewhere | F, B♭, C7sus4 | Modal shifts (Dorian), interrupted cadences, dominant substitutes (Gm7add4) |
Murder, She Wrote and Dynasty both use chromaticism in important ways. In Murder, She Wrote, the opening section is built almost entirely from tonic, supertonic, and dominant chords, and the chromatic elements (secondary dominants, a raised fourth and second in the melody, a borrowed A♭) appear briefly and then resolve immediately back into the diatonic framework. The same is true of Dynasty, where the primary chords (E♭, A♭, B♭) carry the bulk of the material and the borrowed G major chord (major chord III) appears once, at the point where the tonic returns. In both cases, chromaticism is used to signal structural arrival or departure.
St. Elsewhere uses chromaticism and modal elements as part of its character, rather than as a structural unfolding: the theme moves into the relative minor by interrupted cadence, the minor-key passages omit the raised seventh so the Dorian mode is implied, and the final cadence reaches the tonic through a dominant substitute (Gm7add4). The result is a harmonic language that is diatonic in its materials but perhaps more “sophisticated” in its effect. The other two themes use chromaticism to “colour” a traditional harmonic framework, whereas St. Elsewhere uses modal and substituted harmony as part of its language.
“Language” Photo by Hannah Wright on Unsplash
One device shared across two of the three themes is harmonic shifts by thirds, which appear in both Murder, She Wrote (Gm–E♭–C) and St. Elsewhere (F–Dm–B♭). In both cases it serves the same function: it creates harmonic movement within a short span without a more fully realised modulation to a closely related key. These harmonic excursions, again, appear to be related to efficiency.
Creating Convention
The harmonic foundation is primarily diatonic, relying on primary chords (I, IV, V) to establish key and support the melody. Composers employ strategic forms of harmonic colour - secondary dominants, borrowed chords, brief modulations, modal shifts, and dominant substitutes - to add interest and to demarcate formal sections. The moments of cadential articulation vary: Murder, She Wrote and Dynasty close with perfect authentic cadences and use strong cadences at structurally important moments, while St. Elsewhere deliberately avoids emphatic cadences, reaching the tonic through substitution and pedal motion rather than through a conventional dominant. Modulation by thirds appears in two of the three themes, suggesting it was a favoured means of creating quick harmonic movement.
Here is an edited version of student observations of the relationship between the show's premise and its musical theme:
The three themes are each organised around a central duality, and in each case the duality corresponds to a tension within the programme itself.
| Theme | Show Premise | Related Musical Elements |
|---|---|---|
| Murder, She Wrote | Amateur sleuth solves murders | Duality of lyrical (warmth) and playful (wit); Baroque order + jazz spontaneity |
| Dynasty | Wealthy family's power struggles | Trumpet fanfares (power); Baroque intricacy (opulence); consistent dramatic tone |
| St. Elsewhere | Life in a declining urban hospital | Playful instability (humour); synthesised sterility (institutional efficiency); horn solemnity (human dignity) |
In Murder, She Wrote, the contrast is between warmth and wit. The lyrical antecedent phrase suggests a character with depth and empathy; the staccato, chromatically ornamented consequent suggests a sharper, more playful intelligence. The two are presented in complementary fashion, which matches the programme's central figure: a retired schoolteacher whose unassuming manner conceals a sharp mind. The styles adopted reinforce this contrast, as the Baroque-like moto perpetuo perhaps suggests order and method, while the jazz inflections suggest spontaneity and improvisation. The theme presents a figure with both of these characteristics in relatively equal measure.
Dynasty's theme music appears to be more concerned with consistency of tone. The trumpet fanfares project power and grandeur, and the Baroque-inspired semiquaver figuration in Theme B suggests ornamentation and excess. Both support the show's central premise of wealth, authority, and opulence. The contrast between Theme A and Theme B is one of texture and instrumentation, but both describe a singular environment.
“Adventures” Photo by William Topa on Unsplash
St. Elsewhere also has a form of duality, but of a more unsettling kind. The playful, slightly swung melodic material and the rhythmic instability created by the embedded hemiola suggest a programme that is fun and refuses to take itself too seriously, despite its subject matter. The synthesised timbres evoke the institution (the hospital as a system), while the evocation of the “natural horn” perhaps represents solemnity, loss, and human dignity. These materials are drawn from two different traditions and set against one another to summarise the nature of the series.
Creating Convention
The theme music functions as a compact dramatic synopsis of the show's premise, central character, or tone. Musical features, namely instrumentation, melodic character, harmonic language, and stylistic reference, are aligned with narrative content, often through the presentation of a central duality or a consistent tone. In each case, the features define the theme's musical identity, suggesting that the relationship is meaningful rather than incidental.
Here again is an edited version of the student's observation on the manner in which the themes have been developed:
The three themes are short, but the techniques employed appear to be those ordinarily associated with longer works:
Technique | Murder, She Wrote | Dynasty | St. Elsewhere |
|---|---|---|---|
Fragmentation | Head of the lyrical theme presented in the bass during the developmental passage | Melodic fragments isolated in the Coda | |
Sequential treatment | Ascending sequence in the development | Descending sequences in Theme B, including an inexact descending sequence in its closing portion | Sequential patterns in the B section |
Foreshadowing | Fragment of Theme B used as filler during the second half of Theme A before its full presentation | Introduction pre-empts the hemiola pattern of the main theme | |
Reharmonisation | Main theme presented over a tonic pedal, then reharmonised over a dominant pedal on return | ||
Motivic transformation | Chromatic moto perpetuo figure recontextualised as a diatonic melodic figure in the treble register in the Coda |
Sequence is the only technique common to all three, and its prevalence is unsurprising in the middle portion. Again, this may be related to the brevity of the theme music, but a sequence is a rather “economical” way of generating a sense of progression, without introducing new material or a formal development section. In Murder, She Wrote, the ascending sequence in the developmental passage carries the theme through a series of modulations before the recapitulation. In Dynasty, the descending sequences in Theme B give the section its internal momentum. In St. Elsewhere, the sequential patterns in the B section sustain the material over a longer span than the A section allows. In each case, sequence performs the same function: it allows a short theme to move without losing coherence.
Both foreshadowing and fragmentation create connections between sections that may not be so easily identifiable. In Dynasty, the fragment of Theme B that appears during Theme A is heard as filler, and its significance perhaps only becomes apparent when the theme is presented in full. In St. Elsewhere, the introduction's hemiola pre-empts the rhythmic organisation of the main theme, so the theme arrives as something already anticipated rather than as something new. Fragmentation works in the opposite direction, breaking material down rather than preparing it: in Murder, She Wrote, the lyrical theme is reduced to its head and passed through the bass register, and in St. Elsewhere, melodic fragments are isolated in the Coda. In both cases, the effect is to make the material unfamiliar enough to sustain interest.
“Development” Photo by Chen on Unsplash
Reharmonisation and motivic transformation appear to be distinctive and not necessarily a common technique. In St. Elsewhere, the return of the main theme is not a restatement but a reinterpretation: the same melodic material is placed over a dominant pedal instead of a tonic pedal. In Murder, She Wrote, the chromatic semiquaver figure that served as accompaniment at the opening is transformed into a diatonic melodic figure in the treble register at the close. Both techniques may only become apparent when pointed out.
Creating Convention
Despite their brevity, these themes employ sophisticated developmental techniques to create unity and a sense of progression. Sequence is the most widely shared, functioning in the developmental or contrasting sections of each theme as the principal means of generating forward motion within a short span. Fragmentation and foreshadowing are also common, creating connections between sections that are registered before they are fully understood. Reharmonisation and motivic transformation, though less widespread, represent the most structurally ambitious treatment of the material. Taken together, the distribution of these techniques indicates a shared approach, with each composer selecting the devices best suited to the material at hand.
Here, again, is an edited statement from the student about stylistic references:
Each theme combines a historical reference with a contemporary one, and in each case the combination is what gives the theme its character. Murder, She Wrote sets a Baroque moto perpetuo against jazz chromaticism; Dynasty sets a Romantic fanfare against Baroque figuration; St. Elsewhere sets jazz call-and-response against synthesised textures. The historical element supplies a sense of order, sophistication, or tradition, while the contemporary element offers modernism (at the time). The result is a theme that sounds both established and current.
The final step is to produce a creating exercise based on all of these findings. Here is a summary:
All three themes function as a compact representation of the show it depicts, and each does so by identifying a central duality or a consistent tone and then finding musical materials that embody it.
The conventions suggest that a theme is ordinarily constructed from short, clearly articulated phrases, typically four bars, often paired as antecedent and consequent, and that it should contain internal contrast achieved by changing a single parameter: articulation, interval, or rhythm. The analysis suggests that restraint is what makes these themes memorable.
All three themes are fundamentally diatonic, and all three use chromaticism sparingly and yet purposefully, as a marker of structural arrival or departure. The implication is that the harmonic language should be simple enough to be grasped immediately, with colour introduced at specific points. The exception to this is perhaps St. Elsewhere, which uses modal and substituted harmony to prevent the harmonic progressions from being traditionally too predictable.
The preferred shape is ternary or sonata-like, with a clear return to the initiating materials. The analysis shows that generally sectional divisions are clear, with St. Elsewhere somewhat blurring them.
“Style” Photo by Alexi Romano on Unsplash
The convention also appears to be a traditional orchestral palette (somewhat reduced) with a clear lead voice and homophonic texture, and the analysis shows that orchestration is used structurally: the return of thematic material is often reorchestrated to signal arrival. A single lead instrument should carry the melody, and the supporting ensemble should provide harmonic support, textural contrast, and structural punctuation. Synthesised timbres are used as a modernising element, but the St. Elsewhere case shows that there are still traditional roles in place.
Even within a thirty- to sixty-second span, the conventions suggest that some development is expected. Sequence is the most economical option and appears in all three themes. Fragmentation, foreshadowing, and reharmonisation were also identified.
The process of analysing works in detail and then summarising their commonalities in order to determine creating conventions is one you can adopt in your own portfolio, particularly where credible resources are limited.
Deriving conventions from the works themselves need not be seen as a fallback; it is a legitimate form of enquiry in its own right, and this process develops the same skills of close reading, comparison, and cautious synthesis that the exploring component of the course requires.
“The Road Ahead” Photo by Brett Patzke on Unsplash
The next and final page in the series (Lesson 5) will offer a student example of a creating exercise that applies all of these findings.