Lessons from the Podium: "Too Many Notes"

In the 1984 film, AMADEUS, one of the most famous lines is delivered by Emperor Joseph II to Mozart:

“Your work is ingenious. It's quality work. And there are simply too many notes, that's all. Just cut a few, and it will be perfect."

In the classical music world, "too many notes" can, in fact, be a real problem. And it isn't about virtuosity, as you might expect.

It’s often about style over substance.

Or overdramatization.

Or indulgence.

But whatever the cause, the result is always the same: Noise.

After two decades conducting orchestras and studying hundreds of compositions, I've realized screenwriters suffer from the exact same condition.

When a script has "too many notes," it manifests in a number of ways.

Exposition Overload 

Writers often use excessive dialogue to plant backstory. If you find yourself explaining a character's motivation instead of letting their action show it, you’re adding notes.

Cut them.

Trust the subtext.

Trust the audience to interpret the motivation without being told.

Or allow the information to be discovered later as a reveal.

The "Virtuoso" Set-Piece 

We all have darlings in our screenplays. The brilliant monologue. The explosive action sequence. The witty banter. The key is not to evaluate whether each scene works in isolation. Rather, it’s to ask…

Is the scene propelling the story forward?

Is it building or intensifying the conflict?

Is it enriching the character’s struggle?

If not, then it’s time to start killing your darlings.

Fear of Silence

Many screenwriters feel the need to fill every moment with dialogue, sound, or movement. We don't trust a held beat to do its work, so we write over it.

But the best stories are defined by what you don't say.

The space between the lines is where the tension lives.

Let it breathe.

The Flat Mix

Sometimes every single note is good, and that’s a real danger. If every line is a zinger, or if every scene is a conflict, then your script lacks dynamics.

Without quiet moments, your loudest ones lose their power.

And the read becomes exhausting.

Decide what matters most.

Then let everything else serve it.

Distrusting the Actors

Screenwriters love to direct from the page. We stack parentheticals; (angrily), (fighting back tears). And we write action lines describing every flicker across a face.

But good actors don't need to be told how to feel.

They need room to find it.

When you script the performance, you're playing their instrument for them.

Write the note.

Then let them play it.

Density as a Crutch

This is the toughest one, because you can't fix it by trimming. Sometimes the notes are concealing a weak structure. Frantic incidents. Multiple reversals. Dense dialogue. And all of it disguising the fact that the spine won't hold weight.

When the architecture is right, you need fewer notes.

The structure carries the load.

So, cut the notes.

And if the script collapses, then the notes were not the problem.

They were holding up something that should've stood on its own.

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Writing, like conducting, is the art of deciding what’s most important.

So if the audience is struggling to hear the melody of your story, stop adding layers.

Start stripping them away.

What is your process for killing your darlings when a story gets too crowded?

Ethan Danov

Conductor | Screenwriter

Creator, FIREBIRDS

#Screenwriting  #Filmmaking  #Storytelling #CreativeProcess #PerformingArts