Lesson with Erik Åström

Right Erik - you're clear to post this piece.

Ok, this piece isn't that near to completion, but it is I guess a compilation of different parts/ideas as for now. It's called "The Moth", because last night when I was sitting by the piano and composing/working on this piece a moth flew by and landed on the keys, and well, I thought it somehow was a good name for the piece so yeah, that's the story bout this one

And as I said in the PM, most of this is done by "ear" with no deeper understanding for the harmony really, I have no idea how the intro chords relate to eachother in a progression and other stuff, but I think most of it sounds good so... Ah well, just listen

So? Do you have something to add? Or do you think we should just go through some theory? I feel that is something I need to do, so maybe it's just right. Maybe give me some tasks or something.

Hi - sorry I haven't been around this thread much. I'm trying to take care of a bunch of schoolwork, and other such deadlines. I'm clear with most of them now though, and I should be able to be back full-time by next week.

I understand, I'm a student myself and I tend to take up all sorts of different work so I can totally relate to that. It's ok really, I'm just happy that you're even willing to give me some of your time

Okay. I took a listen/look at your piece. You have a few errors of counterpoint - hidden octaves and the like - which you may have wanted to do, but since for the most part your counterpoint avoids those intervals, in their current iterations, they sound out of place. I'm also puzzled by the sudden unison section in mm. 31 and 32.

How much counterpoint do you know?

To be completely honest I know nothing about counterpoint (I'd like to know though ). And could you tell me at which places those hidden octaves are a problem? I can't quite put my finger on where you think it sounds most out of place.

And yeah, as I said in my first post I've mostly just put all the ideas I got down for the piece as for now, so I know the unison section at 31-32 sounds sudden.

And I'm having quite the problem to create the tension I want as my harmony knowledge still isn't very vast. So I'd like to have some help with this.

Nifty.

Well, my own personal belief in that "harmony" doesn't exist without counterpoint, even if the counterpoint is just the simplest set of chords - so we'll start with counterpoint.

I must leave for my call time now, but I'll be back in five or six hours, and I'll post up some reading for you, and your first counterpoint assignment.

Right - Species Counterpoint:

article: ntoll.org: Species Counterpoint

This article will be extremely helpful. It spells out basic counterpoint very clearly. Let me know when you've read it, and I'll prepare an assignment or three.

Ok, I've read it now, so you're free to give me some assignments now. I've kind of gotten the grasp of what it's all about now. Now we'll just have to see how well I will be able to put it into "action"