Hi guys

I think only Emmerdale ever uses music for effect in episodes. Corrie did at Christmas for a split second with the Queen song but most often they don't.

I've read people saying 'music over scenes is tacky' or 'too American' etc, but it's never really played a part on the soaps so how can you tel? So I've made a video of an ending montage for Christmas Day on The Street with the song 'It Came Upon A Midnight Clear'. Click the link below to watch it.

It's quite heavily cut but flows well and gives you an idea. Do you think it works well or does it appear cheesy? Personally I like it and think it makes an episode special. Just to know there has been thought put into it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLkdiiuXH5s

Let me know what you think - tacky or great?

thaw

I love the use of music on Hollyoaks. I don't think it works on EastEnders, Corrie or Emmerdale.

I think having music played in soaps sounds dreadful

just keep things natural

Not sure what you mean. Like music on the radio playing in the background of a scene or actual background music to inhance a scene?

I like background music just like on all soaps around the world, its only British soaps that dont use music.

Music - as in songs - over more than one scene.

Watch the clip to see what I mean

I agree with that

Hollyoaks almost always seem to play music that adds to a mood/atmosphere.

There are loads of music channels if that's what you prefer.

Not at all... I think it adds to the atmosphere or feeling of a show, and can help 'bring it all together'. It's used all the time in dramas, just never in the soaps (Emmerdale does sometimes).

Define what incidental music is? I don't quite know.

To me, incidental music is what Neighbours does, with the sad/happy/angry/tense musical peices which come on during the scene.

Don't forget the jukeboxes in the Soap pubs which magically turn off when there is an argument etc

I hate incidental music and backing tracks in soaps. It sounds tacky.

I don't think it works. Sorry.

Music is just as important in soaps as it is in films. A film like Titanic would loose most of it's emotional impact if the music was removed.

Lack of music is one of the things that keeps me away from british soaps

Leave it to the US soaps, I think

Well none of the soaps here used to be soaps, so they did the drama serial route of no incidental music, Corrie dabbled with it - but only after the UK got it first British produced soap that used such music. But they still never used songs (well I've never seen them do it)

It adds to soaps, when its done rarely. Hollyoaks do it all the time and that just takes away the specialness of such scenes.

Incidental music (which is the music written for a show, not pop tracks played) can add a huge amount to a show.

I agree though, it's all dependent on it's quality.

US shows do have huge budgets, and so can add almost cinematic music to the episodes. As the software to write good quality music becomes more affordable, even the US soaps are sounding less tacky now.

It wouldn't hurt UK soaps if it was done well, but obviously adding music would face the usual, 'it's been this way for 40 years I don't want it to change' mentality.

However, music should never be used as the tool to tell the viewer what they are meant to be feeling (some US shows do do that, with an almost non-stop soundtrack), it should be sparing, and complement a scene.

Sometimes it works. I found the Dusty Springfield song with Pauline very emotional. Now it's one of my favourite songs.

jonparadise you summed it up there... People are just resistant to change.

It only sounds good on Hollyoaks.

Did you even bother to watch the clip?

I watched the clip, but putting different clips and putting the music on top doesnt have the same effect,

You needed to take two scenes,and put the music on interlinking the two.

There are two types of style here. There is incidental music, which usually is a variation of the regular theme tune, such as a sad version or dramatic ect. Also incidental can be just another piece of instrumental music to add to the scene - which most films use.

As far as I'm aware only Crossroads used this from the 1960s to the 1980s. Corrie as I say dabbled with it, but it was very rare.

The other style is the using a song and having other scenes happening during the song. Crossroads didn't really do that often, but they did do it sometimes.

But it was the only soap at the time to be called a soap, the rest used the drama serial format instead.

And I don't think it was disliked by viewers, after all Crossroads being a daytime soap - which got primetime ratings (despite Granada showing it at 3pm to make sure it didn't over-take Corrie) shows some of the British public do like incidental music over their dramatic/sad scenes.

The suspenseful music on Christmas Day Emmerdale was truly fantastic and great because you knew something was going to happen when you saw Pearl and Kelly walking about and the music became faster

All US soaps use their own commisioned background music. Santa Barbara the classic 80s ITV soap had the most fantastic music.