Music began purely as language...a conversation, and the first instruments were drums. If there was a wild animal on the prowl or whatever, the drummers would gather and play and the sound would carry to the next village. They'd change the rhythms depending on what was going on, and then the drummers in the village over would respond, and then pass the message along to the next village in line. They might have a slow, easy rhythm that meant "Have a nice day," or maybe a fast and frenetic rhythm to say "Danger, Oog Robinson!"
Music evolved directly from that as people built different instruments, but to make music that has any real feeling to it, you must use humans, and they still have to have a conversation, although directly through their instruments. If the guitarist does a lick the drummer might accent that. The drummer and bass player usually lock in, and that's a conversation that becomes unspoken. You start a tune and check with the bass player to make sure things are groovin' and he says "Yeah" with a nod and so you lock that in and then maybe go off to comment on what the keyboard player is doing. That's a musical conversation. I realize that sadly an entire generation of people has grown up listening to nothing but computer music, but deep down their brain craves the real thing. It's been proven scientifically, yo.
I was really surprised that I could remember the theme note-for-note and play along in my head and catch every countermelody and everything, and I haven't heard this tune in close to 100 years. I definitely have a memory for music, and I'll definitely add this to the jukebox in my head. This tune is about as upbeat as it gets for orchestra music and it practically dares you not to watch the show. All the horn stabs just shout "action." The flute trills after the horns state the first phrase of the melody are classic. For those keeping score they're very fast triplets, or groups of three notes...1-2-3, 1-2-3. It adds a "rolling" or "wheel within a wheel" effect. It's perfect for the horse majestically galloping along or wagon wheels flying by.
Moreover, while it has a bit of a "suspended" effect in some of the chords (see: music theory 101), which lends a sense of adventure and the unknown, it mostly has a major-key feel. As most songs of the day, and as mandated by law in past times, the song resolved to a big major chord at the end. Major chords have a "happy" feel while minor chords sound sad. In this case it tells the listener that there's going to be some action for sure, but in the end the good guy wins. In much of modern theme songs; again done synthetically, they often end on a suspended or even a minor chord, which would indicate an uncertain ending or even a bad one.
In this day of antiheroes and bad guys really being the good guys, it's appropriate I suppose. That one thing in music affects everyone, and much more than most people would ever know. A song that ends in a suspended or minor chord can be cool and all, but it leaves the brain (which is paying much more attention to the song than we realize) in a state of unresolved confusion or sadness. I realize that the theme needs to fit the mood of the show, but which ending would be healthier just from a mental-health standpoint? Music is very powerful that way. It's also a gradual downward trend I've seen over a long time, so this is also a commentary on the direction society is taking, since art imitates life.
Speaking of life, it's really true that a composer could be put to death for ending a song (for public use anyway) with a minor chord, or using a Tritone, which is a certain interval that gives a very powerful feeling of unease, tension and even fear. it was utilized first in modern music, and well after laws were changed, by bands like Black Sabbath and King Crimson, who used it strictly for the dark and spooky effect. People a couple of centuries ago and beyond understood the powerful, either/or effect of certain chords, and knew that lots of people could all be affected at once, so in some places it was made illegal. Adding a major chord to a minor-key tune would drastically change the mood and what the composer was trying to say, and a few rebelled. They never composed again.
These days most people would never hear music like this and they'd find the Virginian series to be laughable. They wouldn't know a trumpet from a violin and it's understandable. They're only exposed to artificial music. I mean it's music, since it has notes and shit, but it's mostly machines. There's no conversation at all. People mostly hear music that fits the darker vibe of current times. Good or bad? Please listen responsibly. Have a melodic day.
"The Virginian" theme: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjjUlljGNK0
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