Creating Unity Through Thematic Repetition and Saturation

The need for unity is underscored by the unpredictable nature of musical accompaniment: depending on how gameplay proceeds, the theme song will fade in and out as necessary. How does it remain recognizable, even during a secondary motive or a bridge? The answer is through repetition—filling the soundscape with characteristics of the theme song, such as distinctive motives, to drive constant association with the show. This chapter explores techniques used to create such repetition, including motivic transformation and the vampvamp, in several prominent game shows of the era, including Card Sharks, Concentration, Family Feud, Match Game, Password Plus, and The Price Is Right.