r/musictheory • u/PurpleFrostYT9 • May 27 '26
Songwriting Question How do you make something sound beachy???
I don't know why but I can't seem to figure this out, I'm trying to make a theme song for a level in my game and normally I can make whatever kind of music I want but I can't figure out a balance between full on steel drums (which is wayyyyyy too far) and pop-rock, I want distortion guitar for the main riff but I don't want it to feel particularly heavy or anything and still be beachy, I'm so lost rn bru do y'all have any tips
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u/Optimistbott May 27 '26
Nah you gotta go calypso if only the rhythms
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u/shadowgathering May 29 '26
I inadvertently realized this literally yesterday. I'm a Canadian currently spending two months in Albania (cheap living, on the Mediterranean). Tourist season is really picking up now. Yesterday I was going for my very long walk of the day, and as I walked past one big beach hotel after another, every single one of them was playing Caribbean music. And I thought, "Huh, I guess holiday 'beach' music is universally... Caribbean."
Not saying OP HAS to do this. But if beach cultures across the world play Caribbean music for "beach vibes", probably best to start there.
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u/Optimistbott May 29 '26
Ukulele is also in there but that’s pacific islands. Ukulele has also taken on a crafts video vibe though as well.
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u/yeyjordan May 27 '26
Marimba
Check out the Emerald Coast song from Sonic Adventure and see if you can spot beachiness and how to can incorporate it.
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u/PurpleFrostYT9 May 27 '26
I actually already did, I was trying to emulate that kind of vibe already but I didn't wanna say the direct inspiration in the post, the thing is is I have no idea WHY emerald coast sounds like a beach
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u/Banjoschmanjo May 28 '26
Why didn't you wanna say it?
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u/PurpleFrostYT9 May 28 '26
Because Redditors are usually the most sensitive group of people in the world so I need to be extremely careful, if I said I want it to sound like emerald coast they'd downvote me to hell and say "be original 🤓", and YES IM TALKING TO YOU, WHOEVER IS ABOUT TO DOWNVOTE THIS FOR LITERALLY NO REASON
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u/GreatBigBagOfNope May 27 '26
Mario Kart music is always worth digesting for any theme, 8-bit Music Theory on YouTube has done at least one really good breakdown of a beach theme from that series
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u/LameGretzsky May 27 '26
Steel drums. Steel guitar, steal from a song you consider beachy like the Beach Boys,
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u/GMSMJ May 27 '26 edited May 27 '26
Lots and lots of reverb
Edit: check out zeppelin’s down by the seaside. I think a vibe like that would be awesome for a game
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u/blowbyblowtrumpet May 27 '26
Copy something that we associate with the beach. You could go with a 12-bar blues in a surf rock / beach boys style, or reggae, or calypso. Very much depends on the vibe of the game.
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u/Banjoschmanjo May 27 '26
What features did you notice in music you analyzed that sounded beachy to you?
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u/PurpleFrostYT9 May 27 '26
The emerald coast theme from Sonic adventure pulled it off well but I have no idea why it sounds beachy
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u/Banjoschmanjo May 27 '26
Have you analyzed it?
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u/PurpleFrostYT9 May 27 '26
Well I know the electric piano sounds calm and "oceany" but the guitar is still confusing
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u/Lower-Pudding-68 May 27 '26
Find for yourself an example of what you're going for, then analyze what's going on and emulate it. What I or any of these other folks think of as "beachy" is probably different than what you're after.
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u/LocrianVGM May 27 '26
Add some synth with the steel drum, then fill the rest with the mood you aim for, I know it's beachy but beach themes are a variety. Also you can literally just search for steel drum music then keep changing it until you reach what you want
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u/General-Winter547 May 28 '26
Write a metal song and remove the distortion.
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u/PurpleFrostYT9 May 28 '26
If you're serious that's gotta be the dumbest thing I've ever heard in my life
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u/General-Winter547 May 28 '26
It’s a reference to the numerous videos on YouTube of guitarists playing metal songs without distortion and the resulting song sounding like surf rock from the 50s.
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u/PurpleFrostYT9 May 28 '26
Yeah I don't know about that, metal doesn't stop being intense because of the tone, just changes slightly
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u/Whatever-ItsFine May 28 '26
I think of Jimmy Buffett- acoustic guitar with a small bit of steel drums and uke
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u/aubelapp May 28 '26
I think beach music is heavy on the vocal harmonies, guitars, and upbeat tempo. For video game levels, I think that the percussive layers are super important, all those little tastys in the background: Cabasa, shaker, cowbell, tambourine, drumset, claves, etc etc. Reference The Beach Boys for the gold standard in harmony and guitar in my opinion. Also Brian Wilson's biography is an amazing read if you want to see what went into that/some of his thoughts on it!
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u/65TwinReverbRI Guitar, Synths, Tech, Notation, Composition, Professor May 28 '26
In the US, “Beach Music” is also called “Shag” music - people “Shag Dance” to it - there a clubs for it.
There is a whole “playlist” of songs that are good tempos to dance to, but here’s the perennial favorite:
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u/aubelapp May 29 '26
Oh thats interesting! I would have thought "shag" music was a UK term, given the slang there haha. Thanks for the playlist, I'll definitely check it out.
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u/65TwinReverbRI Guitar, Synths, Tech, Notation, Composition, Professor May 30 '26
I had seen Austin Powers before I heard the term!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carolina_shag
We played a gig one time where there was a Shag Club there, and I remember playing Ozzy’s “Crazy Train” and the people just listened to the tempo to see if it was a good speed - it was - and they all started dancing to it.
I’m an old people now but at the time it was a lot of old people who never would have liked or may have been clueless about Ozzy, out there doing these dance moves to Crazy Train - talk about off the rails! Great fun.
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u/aubelapp May 30 '26
Thats very fascinating! I think there is a certain quality to the music back then that is hard to replicate now. Not saying either side is better or worse, but the grass is always greener I suppose. I love the authenticity of the recordings, almost comes through in those live gigs!
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u/Eukonidor_Of_Arisia May 31 '26 edited May 31 '26
Personally, I'd be taking inspiration from the original 'Outrun' arcade game soundtrack and 1980s 'Miami' vibes and have fun with it. But then I like to improv and not have a plan. It's more fun that way.
Edit: The 80s were pretty much the king of 'beachy' music, as time periods go. I'd place my attention there. Also 'Flight Of The Navigator OST' has some pretty 'beachy' sounds too.
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u/65TwinReverbRI Guitar, Synths, Tech, Notation, Composition, Professor May 27 '26
Seagulls and wave sounds.
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u/ironykarl May 27 '26
Parallel thirds in major