Jungle Dance - A piece for drumkit, congas and bongos.

I composed a piece called "Jungle Dance" which is a percussion only track that I composed for a contest. The instruments used are all percussive consisting of a drumkit, congas and bongos. Anyway, here it is, please give your ciritique...

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It just sounds like the drum track of a song.

You could have actually used the percussion to create "melodies", layering timbres and families of sounds. As it is, it's just boring. Come to think of it, it's not terribly "jungle" unless the jungle has decided to do backup for Lindsay Lohan.

Yes, but it's not supposed to have a melody though, it's suppose to be straight percussion, like say a jazz solo. Not like a percussion solo in an orchestra, where there would infact be melody. It's suppose to more "rythmic" percussion than melodic. Thanks for critiquing it though.

If you don't want to know what people think, don't ask for critiques.

Originally Posted by Young Prodigy

Yes, but it's not supposed to have a melody though, it's suppose to be straight percussion, like say a jazz solo.

Like any good drum solo (frig, I hope Spherenine doesn't see this) it's got to have a melody.... You can hear them through good improvisor's solos (dig some Art Blakey for melodic jazz drum solos).

Without some sense of melody, then all you're left with is (as QCC said) a beat... That said, I didn't feel this piece was completely devoid of melody, but they're certainly not developed much, and the whole thing seems a bit convoluted and disjunct.

Thanks for the advice. I'll listen to that Art Blakey guy and see if I can make my drum solos more "melodic".

I disagree that melody is a requirement for good percussion music. But of course it also depends on how you define "melody". I wouldn't call a piece like Varèse's Ionisation "melodic" (and I don't think Varèse would have either), but of course there's a strong musical organisation of different sounds/timbres.

But even without any timbral variation I believe it is possible (though very hard) to write good percussion music, through rhythm and dynamics alone. This requires a strong rhythmic concept though that is not only complex enough to "make up" for the lack of other musical parameters, but also manages to bind the piece together while allowing variation and development. If the rhythms sound too simple or arbitrary it just won't work without placing more emphasis on timbre or "melody".

That's what I'm saying. Like have you ever heard a percussion ensemble? They don't always have melodies. And I wouldn't call this rhythm "simple" as it would probably be difficult for a real drummer to perform.

Originally Posted by Gardener

...it also depends on how you define "melody". ...

Precisely....

Originally Posted by Young Prodigy

...Like have you ever heard a percussion ensemble? They don't always have melodies. ...

Yes I have ... and yes they do. You just aren't listening for it.

I'm not talking 'melodic' in a cut and dried 'do-re-me'/Bb-Major scale/hum-it-on-the-way-home sense. There needs to be some sense of contour, flow, development, energy going on. It's a different (and often neglected) plane of musical thought.

AND, like I said, this piece does have some melodic content - but to don't recognize it, and don't develop it.

...

Originally Posted by Gardener

I wouldn't call a piece like Varèse's Ionisation "melodic" (and I don't think Varèse would have either), but of course there's a strong musical organisation of different sounds/timbres.

Actually, you'd be wrong to think Varèse didn't consider that "melodic". He did. His conception of melody included the idea that timbres organized in certain ways can generate "melodic" material even if (or rather PARTICULARLY if) it is not diatonic.

I suspect that YoungProdigy understood my criticism to mean that there were no "lyrical, melodic, pitched" instruments in his peice. This is NOT what I was referring to.

I do believe that there is inherant melody in the organization of sound, whether fixed-pitch or not.

You can create a beautifully melodic passage for three snares of various sizes. Throw in some woodblocks and claves and you've got a rich tapestry.

Congas and bongos are incredibly melodic instruments.

As a matter of fact, most tribal music is heavily melodic in its use of percussion.

I'm sorry that YoungProdigy didn't appreciate my initial criticism, but I stand by it, especially considering the title of this thread and the paucity of melodic treatment for the instruments announced.


***To be fair, however, I will say that a MIDI rendition is not the best way to get a good idea of the potential for melodic treatment of unpitched percussion. General MIDI contains at best only a sampling of the true potential of this sort of ensemble.