The Sounds of Magic: Faerie Fire

The second installment of my weekly exploration into the flavor behind the magic of the bards, expressed through word and sound.

Faerie Fire

Faerie Fire is not intended as an intrusive manipulation of the arcane energies. Rather, the melody strives to coax the emanations of the Feywild into a localized area. When properly executed, the concentrated emanations will anchor onto their closest material boundaries to produce a perceivable, ember-like effect in a variety of colors. In particular, the presented arrangement is known to generate a pleasant, blue-violet flame.

[Bars 1-2] Establish the focal point with a sweeping octave connected by neutral tones, then punctuate with a tension note.

• The goal is to establish context, while providing forward motion in the melody.

• Extending the envelope interval will naturally dull the focal note. Additional notes may be used to reinforce the focus, but this may require rhythmic adjustments to maintain proper phrasing.

• Conversely, a shortened set of envelope notes is not recommended – this is more suitable for single-target spells

[Bars 3-4] Using the harmonic minor scale, ascending from the 11th and curling back towards the root.

• Melody resolution is imperative in regulating the light intensity.

• On the other hand, when paired with a proper turn-around, an unresolved line may be used to propel the spell towards a result of a higher-energy variety (i.e. witch bolt, fireball, lightning bolt, etc.)

For clips of the past spells, check out my Soundcloud Playlist.

I'll also be throwing out updates on Twitter.

Let me know below what spells you want to hear next! Thanks for the listen :)