Hans Zimmer Masterclass Review 2022 | Honest Review

This article on “Hans Zimmer Masterclass Review” will provide you with the opportunity to read an in-depth evaluation of Hans Zimmer’s MasterClass, including information on how the courses are presented, who the course is best suited for, the cost, and which course, online class I enjoyed the most, etc.

The work of Hans Zimmer. The Dark Knight, Pirates of the Caribbean, Interstellar, Gladiator, Sherlock Holmes, and The Lion King all have memorable soundtracks. Infinite possibilities abound!

I’m a fan of Hans Zimmer’s music and had high hopes for the Hans Zimmer MasterClass, which I did enjoy on occasion…

Since I was six years old, I’ve been a full-time professional musician who has devoted my life to music. I’m an arranger and composer who’s worked on a few short film soundtracks throughout the years.

For this reason, I persuaded a few non-musicians to join me in viewing the classes with the intention of getting a more complete picture of what this MasterClass is all about.

The merits and weaknesses of this course will be discussed in this review of Hans Zimmer MasterClass to help you determine if it’s the correct one for you.

Who Is Hans Zimmer?

Hans Zimmer is a name that is instantly recognizable to even the most casual fan of cinema music. He is an iconic figure in the film scoring industry and possesses exceptional adaptability that allows him to perfectly capture the spirit of any picture he works on.

As of the time of this writing, he has composed the scores for more than 150 films and has been honored with a staggering 122 award wins and 243 nominations.

These include victories at the Academy Awards and the Golden Globes for the film The Lion King, as well as a Golden Globe for the soundtrack of the film Gladiator.

On social media platforms such as Twitter, where he has more than 318 thousand followers, Hans Zimmer posts content that is both entertaining and informative.

What Is MasterClass?

MasterClass was established in 2014, it has only just begun to make a significant impact in the marketplace. They have classes taught by celebrities such as Samuel L. Jackson, Serena Williams, Deadmau5, Gordon Ramsay, and of course, Hans Zimmer.

The masterClass is well-known for its exceptional production values, and it is equally stringent when it comes to the quality of the content and learning resources it provides. This combination delivers a unique and captivating learning experience.

As someone who has participated in a significant number of MasterClasses themselves, I can attest to the fact that many of them are excellent and illuminating.

Having said that, there are unquestionably some that are superior to others. In addition, it is critical that you do our preliminary research to ensure that the class you are considering enrolling in is the most suitable option for you.

Course Overview – Hans Zimmer Masterclass Review

We’ve all fantasized about composing in front of an orchestra, so don’t pretend otherwise. And yes, I’m referring to using a pen in place of a baton when conducting.

We recommend attending a few classes from the Hans Zimmer MasterClass if you’re interested in learning how film composers arrange melodies.

In a class led by Hans Zimmer, the multi-platinum-selling composer will demonstrate the steps he takes when conducting a piece. An in-depth examination of his prior works is part of this process.

Students can learn how to write arrangements based on environment, emotion, and character by viewing their online courses.

More than five and a half hours of viewing time is required for this course’s 31 sessions. “Scoring Under Dialogue” and “Music Diary: Sherlock Holmes” are just a few of the class titles that give readers a taste of what’s to come.

Introduction

Good teachers always begin their lessons with a brief introduction. In the absence of a face-to-face meeting, students can get a taste of MasterClass by watching this two-minute introduction from Hans Zimmer.

An overview of the topics covered in this lecture, such as composition analysis and writing with emotion, is included here. Are you giddy with anticipation? In other words, we’re both thinking along the same lines here.

“Ideas are not constrained by budget,” says Hans Zimmer. A lot of the creative process takes place in your mind. Some of the most innovative concepts originate with a high school student in the Bronx. You just have to dispel the misconception that an iPad can’t be used to make a big-budget Hollywood film.

Themes

Is it a pleasant, sad, action-packed, or angry movie? In order to develop a theme, there are a variety of approaches to do it. Learn how award-winning composer Hans Zimmer composes his first few notes of music in this Hans Zimmer MasterClass.

There’s also information on his favored key (it’s D), as well as how to enhance the timbre of his compositions using various effects and tones. This Themes session, which is estimated to take 16 minutes, might help you get started in your musical composing.

You must decide that whatever those initial notes are, whatever the first thing you have to say, will hold water, is actually going to somehow take you through this great arc of a story,” Hans Zimmer says in his MasterClass. “You have to make a decision.”

Story

Without a plot, it’s impossible to write music. When it comes to composing music for a film, Hans Zimmer goes into great detail in this 10-minute Story MasterClass session.

Throughout this class, he emphasizes the significance of discovering a scene’s ‘hidden’ meaning. Zimmer’s own words are the most succinct:

There are moments when you want to travel deeper into a metaphysical or emotional realm, and other times when you want to just discover a new way to color a scene. “You want to get underneath and find that bit that they’re not illuminating yet.”

Directors: Part 1

“Teamwork Makes the Dream Work,” as they say. As a writer, Hans Zimmer stresses the importance of open and honest communication, especially with the director who is ultimately in charge.

Learn how to turn your ideas into a physical composition in this 9-minute segment of the Directors: Part 1 MasterClass.

This agreement is made by both parties, Zimmer says, “You and the director form a contract. You and the director are going to do this movie together. And you’ll both work tirelessly, even if it means you have to kill the director at some point.”

Directors: Part 2

This 8-minute Hans Zimmer MasterClass session is a continuation of its prior session, which explains in further depth how he thinks about composing a musical soundtrack.

Students should avoid using technical language in order to build a positive rapport with the director. Re-inspiring people is the best way to gain a sense of what’s going on in the room.

“I always regard this as part of my duty, is that the first chat we have when he comes from war is that I remind him why we wanted to go and do this thing in the first place,” he says in a memorable comment from the interview.

Directors: Part 3

When it comes to establishing a good working relationship with the director, this is the final episode of the director’s series.

To see how Hans Zimmer composes multiple kinds of music for the same filmmaker, watch this 6:46-minute instructional.

Ridley Scott, the Hollywood director of Thelma and Louise and the Gladiator, is particularly to blame for this. In this MasterClass, Zimmer gives some insight into working with an award-winning director:

All eyes are on the fantastic compositions and the amazing eye he has and the amazing craftsmanship he displays in his work. But behind it all, the base of it all is that he wants to go and tell a wonderful story.

TRY MASTERCLASS FOR A CHANGE

Sound Palettes

To put it another way, music is nothing more than a jumbled-up arrangement of distinct notes. Adding a dash of whimsy is all that is required to bring something to life.

Composing film music is all about layering sound, tone, and atmosphere, as demonstrated in this Hans Zimmer MasterClass.

In this 17-minute instructional, Zimmer explains how he came up with the soundtrack for Batman: The Animated Series.

As a team, we really sought to figure out how the music might be dissolved, metamorphosized, and reflected in the graphics that you saw.”

Creating with Synths

It’s not uncommon for cinema composers to use synthesizers heavily in their arrangements, as is the case with Hans Zimmer.

A 21-minute Creating with Synths lesson can teach students the value of incorporating this electronic musical instrument into their compositions in order to enrich the texture and atmosphere of the song.

When it comes to making Hollywood-style music, Zimmer says that you don’t need a lot of expensive gear.

“You just need to break through the myth, the myth of the elitism that—unless it’s a place where you can’t play music on it, you know? You need to break through that.” I’m saying if it’s a laptop, you can make music on it.”

Scoring to Picture

Music may have a significant impact on the atmosphere and mood of a place. Composing for distinct settings will be covered in an almost 10-minute MasterClass by Hans Zimmer.

As students progress through this section, they’ll learn how to avoid writing music in specific situations and how to develop momentum in a piece of music.

How do you get started? “As you start…you go into the situation, into the conversation, into the color that you want to utilize,” he tells his students. But how does a dialogue scene disrupt the overall pacing of the film when it abruptly stops the forward momentum?

Scoring under Dialogue

Building tension and eliciting strong feelings is the key. In a brief 9-minute and 12-second cameo, Hans Zimmer emphasizes the importance of music in the context of dialogue.

Students can avoid overpowering crucial line reads and scenes by learning a few tactics from this Hans Zimmer MasterClass.

Here, Zimmer discusses the necessity of expressing the narrative and emotional content of the dialogue.

The best screenwriters, if there are any, know how to use the correct words and the perfect number of words to tell a tale. In other words, you, as a composer, must do the same.”

Tempo

Slow, medium, and quick are all available. When the mood or environment calls for it, a rapid shift in Tempo can be just the thing to get your point through.

This MasterClass portion covers the importance of percussion, BPM, and how to structure composition to match the intensity of the film in a quick 9 minutes and 42 seconds.

The metronome, according to Zimmer, is nothing more than a ‘click.’ You may hear something in your thoughts that isn’t a tune, but rather a texture or feeling—or something else—if you pay attention.

Tempo: Sherlock Holmes Scene

A case study is in order! Students may see how Hans Zimmer went about creating the music for a Sherlock Holmes scene in this engrossing 4-minute segment.

This award-winning composer was able to fit the song’s setting to the action-packed aspect of the film by adjusting tempo, and rhythm, and relocating particular notes.

“It’s like fate just grabs you and imposes its own beat on top of it. It’s as if he’s “boldly adhering to one note,” Zimmer says as he recounts his composition shot-by-shot.

Music Diary: Sherlock Holmes

All great masterpieces originate from a mess of ideas. To help avoid that dreaded ‘artist’s block, Hans Zimmer encourages students to keep a music diary when composing a certain arrangement.

He uses his work in Sherlock Holmes as a case study, as he details his thought process before putting the notes on paper.

In this 24-minute “Music Diary: Sherlock Holmes” session, Zimmer shares a few of his brainstorming methods:

“I just start writing my ideas down in a sort of diary-type fashion, where every day I just move forward in this piece. And it starts somewhere, and it’s trying to find the theme or trying to find a vibe or trying to find a mood.”

Character

It’s impossible to compose music while having your eyes closed. To put it another way, it’s not a good idea to write a song until you know who you’re writing it for.

In an 8-minute video, Hans Zimmer explains the importance of incorporating narrative, emotion, and character into each story.

We’ll take a look at Sherlock Holmes and Captain Jack Sparrow from Pirates of the Caribbean in this article in “Hans Zimmer Masterclass review.” Here are some of the more interesting questions that Zimmer addresses:

• Is there a backstory to this person?
• If so, what happened to him when he was younger?
• What is the character’s motivation?
• What is it about the character that we don’t know that causes him to act the way he does?

Character Theme: Batman

How did Batman’s theme become so well-known? It’s a good thing that this 10-minute MasterClass clip on Character Theme Background Composition is available. An inside look at how Hans Zimmer came up with the famous melody is presented to students.

This is partly because using a two-note gadget makes you doubt its effectiveness. A lot of people assume they’re supposed to accomplish more or compose a heroic theme. In this MasterClass, Zimmer explains that “no matter what we attempted in there, it always led us back to this.”

Character Theme: The Joker

Students receive a firsthand look at Hans Zimmer’s favorite composition, the iconic Joker theme, which is considered one of his all-time favorites. This award-winning film composer gives a fascinating insight into his creative process as a member of the Dark Knight trilogy.

On Character Theme, Zimmer discusses his interpretation of the character and how that influenced his final grade. He sums up: In Gotham City, it was more like a punk attitude, which I can sort of getting into.”

It’s like a string on a guitar that’s too tightly wound. In other words, the sound itself possesses inherent recklessness and danger.”

Character Theme: Jack Sparrow

Hans Zimmer put on a pirate helmet to obtain a sense of Jack Sparrow’s persona when writing the theme tune for the film.

Hans Zimmer MasterClass students may learn how he came up with the memorable theme from Pirates of the Caribbean in this 10-minute and 34-second presentation.

When asked about his approach to filmmaking, Zimmer explains, “I try to develop the tone for the movie more than anything else.” What’s more, you’re talking about a person to someone who has never met them.

Case Study: Frost/Nixon

Simplistic arrangements sometimes yield the most stunning results. Frost/score Nixon’s is briefly explored in this MasterClass Case Study, which lasts roughly 13 minutes.

Hans Zimmer gives his thoughts on how to compose minimalist music for this politically charged film during this course.

There is only one cello, a lot of synths, and a riff all the way through—just it’s the variations on that theme all the way through that became sort of gold in terms of material. Zimmer says, “I had no idea I was writing the film’s opening credits.”

Case Study: The Dark Knight

With so many key moments in the film, Hans Zimmer made sure his scores were as intense as possible. Filmgoers may see how the well-known film composer developed tension for the acclaimed Batman picture by watching an 8-minute Case Study.

If you’d like to amp up the excitement, Zimmer suggests pumping in a lot of fast-paced music underneath the scene. “I’m actually trying to create an incredible amount of space, which does build tension,” Zimmer says in this MasterClass.

Working with Musicians: The Orchestra – Part 1

Directors and composers alike have to conduct casting calls for skilled actors and musicians. This 10-minute film from Hans Zimmer’s Working with Musicians MasterClass explains what he looks for in a musician. In this section, he tells stories of the artists he’s worked with over the course of his career.

Tina Guo has a special place in Zimmer’s heart.

The first thing you notice about her is her politeness, humility, and calm demeanor when she enters the room. Then, when she grabs the cello, “she has a certain manner of taking the cello and moving the bow in front of it—like it’s some ninja warrior princess, and all hell is unleashed.”

Working with Musicians: The Orchestra – Part 2

This MasterClass sequel, created in collaboration with other musicians, is a continuation of Hans Zimmer’s creative process.

Students in this 7-minute segment will learn how to effectively interact with one another in order to produce a high-quality final product.

As Zimmer puts it, “It’s all about the discussion.” In other words, “it’s all about experiencing what they’re feeling when you play them the piece of music,” as the saying goes.

Audience Feedback

The people can have their say on how art should be interpreted. If you’re a well-known film composer or artist, this is a terrifying prospect.

Viewers can get a glimpse into the mind of Hans Zimmer by watching this 11-minute and 37-second Audience Feedback segment.

“I enjoy performing in front of people. In a classroom with only 15 of your closest friends, you’ll never be able to gain any insight or understanding. With 600 people in the room, “you know quite quickly if your oversteps the mark,” Zimmer said.

Writing Tips: Part 1

It’s time to jot down those thoughts. Hans Zimmer talks about his note-taking approach to music composition in a 16-minute MasterClass clip.

Students can learn how to layer sounds in computer software and get beyond “artist’s block” by viewing this video.

Zimmer says in the Writing Tips: Part 1 session, “The reason I adore computer graphics is that those are the guys that are holding everything up. In other words, if I just flip the script, they are buying me some time. So now, I don’t use the spotting session anymore.”

Writing Tips: Part 2

This 11-minute and 12-second MasterClass focuses on expressing one’s own unique style. ” Hans Zimmer reveals where he gets his songwriting inspiration from in a new video.

A glimpse into the artist’s creative process can be gained by reading this section.

In my version of the film, which is my tiny section on the—left-hand side of the screen, there’s something going on that nobody pays attention to. It is some bizarre, strange rendition.” And that becomes really important to me,” Zimmer continues in the second piece of his writing advice.

Hans’ Journey

If you’d want to learn more about Hans’ journey, we recommend checking out the Hans’ Journey MasterClass.

Fans are given a fascinating glimpse into the life of a songwriter in this short 14-minute and 40-second video.

Because of this “freedom of structure” in music, Zimmer says he felt free to write a “psychedelic country & western heavy metal song” today without fear of repercussions.

Learning by Listening

When it comes to music, progress doesn’t rely solely on the ability to see. An excerpt from the Sneak Peek MasterClass session explains the importance of listening to a finished piece.

For anyone interested in learning more about the art of editing and communicating, Hans Zimmer has put up a comprehensive guide.

Zimmer has a few words about the music business in general:

Observing musicians in action, but taking it for granted that they can play their instruments, is what I believe.” What occurs is that they learn how to listen for the first time in their lives. As a result, it may be more of a “secret” because it isn’t as clear.”

Life of a Composer: Part 1

There are highs and lows in every employment journey. This seven-minute clip, which is part of an exclusive Sneak Peek MasterClass, offers some words of wisdom from Hans Zimmer.

Motivational advice on how to keep going when things get tough is included in this section.

These stories are “funny and you know because they’re all the amusing stories that we got through,” says Zimmer. To paraphrase: “We made it through because we failed so many times.”

Life of a Composer: Part 2

Severe times call for tough measures. In this MasterClass Sneak Peek, Hans Zimmer shares some career advice to help budding film composers become fired up about their craft.

Students will gain an understanding of the value of keeping true to one’s goal and the importance of believing in oneself throughout this segment.

This person is so talented or this guy is so talented or that woman is simply an extraordinary talent,” Zimmer says. “People constantly telling me that.”

After further investigation, it turns out that the person in question is simply someone who works really hard and devotes their life to a cause they believe in.

Closing

Fans of Hans Zimmer here is your last chance to see him in action in this special MasterClass. This award-winning film composer leaves behind some important insights and thought-provoking quotes in this two-minute closing portion.

Students should leave with a sense of inspiration, motivation, and excitement to get their music careers off to a good start.

If you don’t want to waste your time listening to me, do it instead,” Zimmer says in jest. In addition, I wish you had already started working on something.

Plans & Pricing – Hans Zimmer Masterclass Review

When this article was written, there were three different ways to subscribe to MasterClass. The monthly cost of them is:

• Individual (1 user) $15
• Duo (2 users) $20
• Family (6 users) $23

All of these services are invoiced annually, which may appear to be excessive at first. It is possible, however, to lower your costs by taking as many courses as possible.

You’re sure to find something of interest among the platform’s more than 150 courses. Even if you purchase an individual subscription and only use 10% of the courses, you’ll only pay $12 per course.

$180 (year membership price for an individual) divided by 15 classes equals $12.

You can save a lot of money if you sign up with a group of people you know. See for yourself by reading our MasterClass pricing or MasterClass review posts.

Classes are given by world-renowned experts, so the price is unbeatable. An online course taught by someone you’ve never heard of can cost more than $100, let alone MasterClass’s teachers.

In addition, if you’re not satisfied with your purchase within 30 days, you can get a refund from MasterClass.

Is it worth it?

After seeing the first three videos in this course, I was ready to say “no” with conviction.

However:

Following the course, I have made a complete 180-degree shift in my thinking and would suggest it to anyone. Make the most of your all-access pass and watch this at least once.

It’s not worth your money if you’re only looking to learn how to produce a sample or what chord progressions sound dark. Learn from a living icon in this course, and you’ll walk away feeling inspired and emboldened to pursue your own musical journeys.

Not a how-to manual, but more of a set of general ideas that can be used for your own creative endeavors as a musician. That’s priceless to me. Have you considered taking a look at a free sample of the course?

What’s My Experience With Hans Zimmer MasterClass

As a child, I was fortunate to grow up listening to his soundtracks in some of the best movies ever made, and there were days when I would simply watch them for the music.

Hans Zimmer’s openness regarding the process of music composition, film scoring, and the creation of a theme was quite an experience for me. I was also able to learn more about his life as a composer.

As a musician, I got a lot out of this MasterClass, and I hope you do too.

Thank you for reading this article on “Hans Zimmer Masterclass Review.” If you have any concerns, questions, or suggestions regarding this article, please write them in the comment section below. And don’t be hesitant about passing on this piece of knowledge to others.

Frequently Asked Questions