10 Ways to Make Your Music Sound Like Spyro (Stewart Copeland Analysis)

Having transcribed and analysed Stewart Copeland’s score for the first entry in the Spyro series, I have tried to summarise some of its main features, and have suggested ways to integrate them into your own compositions. TIMESTAMPS: 0:35 - Background on Stewart Copeland and the Spyro project 1:16 - The rhythm section and the roles of each instrument 3:29 - Auxiliary percussion: crotales and bass drum 4:00 - Polyrhythmic texture: a tool for stratifying parts 5:04 - Dynamics and phrasing: percussive melodies and ghost notes 5:39 - Countermelody and its textural role 6:01 - Rhythmic and melodic traits of bass-lines 6:25 - Overview of harmony and form 7:25 - Commonly used modes and scales 7:53 - Preamble to the list of guidelines 8:29 - 10 Ways to Make Your Music Sound Like Spyro (w/audio examples) 10:05 - “Spyroid Gland“: and original piece demonstrating the rules in action ___________________________________________________________________________