by Versilaryan » 13 Jul 2012 20:14
Minor? Scales don't affect the mood nearly as much as you might think. Even the differences in what note the scale starts on are nothing compared to the harmonies you use, the textures, the voicings...
In that example, of the background music where Twilight accuses Cadence of being evil, you get that feeling of animosity not because it's in a minor key, but because the textures play off of what's being said so well. When Twilight Sparkle makes her accusation, you have low brass and snare drum hammering out a deliberate, angry line, mirroring Twilight's deliberate, angry accusation. There are swells, tremolo strings, and other flighty elements as everyone acts doubtful, and then the low rumbles and deliberate, angry lines appear again when Twilight goes off on her tirade.
If you just want a nudge in the right direction, start with a minor scale and lots of rumbly low instruments like trombones. But it also does depend on the melodies you use, how your different instruments work off of each other, and the harmonies you end up using. And that's not something anybody can give an easy fix for.