All Activity

Evening, I've decided to come out of my comfort zone and, today, compose for my primary instrument, which is the classical guitar. I have played since 9 but in recent years have lost touch with it; but I have recently picked it up again and it has been giving me a new lease for life. Of course, it will be great to play my own music and this is my intention. Composing for the guitar has added difficulties owing to the layout of the fretboard. In addition, one must work out at which position of the fretboard certain passages should be played. If, for example, I tried to play this music up to fret 7 only, there would be a lot of awkward jumping around that isn't practical. On the score, I have added numbers beside certain notes which fingers should play them. The circular numbers above the stave denote the position I have determined. The next task will be to learn to play it at a reasonable standard. Once I have done, I will endeavor to upload my performance to this thread. This piece is largely baroque in style with some hints of classical, too. I have written it mostly in two parts, due to the speed and my intention to play it (I am not virtuosic!). In terms of my influences, I have been listening a lot to Bach's Keyboard Suites lately. I love his 3/8 movements (for example, the prelude for BWV 808. Prelude for Guitar.mp3 Prelude for Guitar.pdf

Hello, I didn't know much about music theory when I started composing around age 12/13. I am in my late 30's now, and still writing. Never took a lesson in music theory, but I am more interested in music theory these days. If you write music long enough, you will notice the patterns yourself and if you pay close enough attention to what you are doing, or willing to take risks you will eventually pick a few things up on music theory. One obviously does not need to know music theory to compose music. As people have pointed out...it does depend on what kind of music you intend to write. You have gotten extreme good advice I think. I will give you some advice from my perspective. I think that if you intend to pursue music as a hobby, it might be fun to simply use music theory as an adjunct to your purposes. Here's what I mean by this: In my opinion, so much of western tonal music (there is so much out there that is not conventional western music like traditional folk music, instruments that use microtuning etc) is sort of "figured out". To me, music theory is simply a map that intrepid and pioneering composers have drawn out and analyzed/labeled after their own efforts in exploring the music landscape. To embark on your personal journey, you probably don't need the whole map, but it might to help to have some starting spots. Your starting spot will likely come from the type of music you find personally compelling. Of course, if you are thinking about being a professional musician/composer I think that music theory may not be technically necessary (especially if you are a genius!) but extremely useful. Once again, if you are just here for the fun...I think that it's nice to explore the musical landscape yourself through composition. There have been many times that I found something that I thought was mine while composing only to realize that the "greats" of music have already explored these concecpts and often time explored them more carefully than I had done so. As I go older, this feeling of finding something new started to become more and more rare, and so I started to try to actively learn more about it. The older I get, the more I appreciate all the musical words that have before me. But that's part of getting old I think. It's very normal to be young and want to conquer the world. I think most of have been there to some extent :) Hope you keep writing and learning and sharing! EDIT - some spelling errors, whoops.

OCD is actually a tricky thing. It can mean a different things to lay people and has specific meaning to mental health professionals. So, I have no idea your background and hence cannot deduce what you mean by OCD spectrum or OCD. From my perspective as a professional, OCD is much more about "doubt" than perfectionism. And the doubt is very specific and pathological and carries with it a unique meaning, with some overlap between the lay person's idea of doubt. One theme in OCD would be symmetry. I could perhaps see someone with OCD (if the music is a severe manifestation of their psychopathology), writing music that is very mathematically rooted. Maybe sort of like some of Bach's music which seems to be almost symmetrical? Anyways, I have no idea...just hypothesizing since you brought up OCD. Of note, perfectionism is moreso seen as a OCPD trait/disorder. And I 100% can see that many composers would have OCPD traits or disorder. Heck, most professionals (lawyers/doctors/dentists etc...) will have OCPD features. I've always wondered if ADHD help with improvisation and therefore acts a bridge to better composing. Just a theory....a composition theory! This is great stuff. I really enjoyed the caretaker piece. I am really hoping to write something like this, but for solo piano. Your musical taste is very broad Lithl!

Hello again, I couldn't resist giving it a go myself. Let me be clear that I don't do this kind of thing to diminish other people's efforts, or make myself look better. On the contrary, it's about creating a space for learning (we are all learning here). I mentioned that Bar 17 has opportunities for refinement I wish to illustrate how I would approach it should you find it useful. First of all, the I-V motif is repeated twice. In your solution, you end both instances in the tonic key. I would argue it is more effective to have the first instance ending on V, providing the foundation for a statement and response sort of idea (the response resolves the prior statement). In my realization I add the 4# in the bass to create a converging cadence into D major. In the response, I have written a semiquaver pattern for the piano's treble clef that provides momentum towards your cadential semiquaver flourish. Second, the antiphony/dialogue in that I-V motif is taken between the db and viola. One thing I would say is that many of your ideas have a solid foundation for this sort of thing. So you have a head start in that respect. I always look for opportunities to produce a coherent and convincing dialogue between the instruments I am using. I’ll share a video with you, in this spirit, that you might find interesting A Chen.pdf A Chen.mp3

Hello @Luis Hernández, This is a playful and nice piece. To me, it sounds like a kitten is walking around and discovering new things with joyful feelings. It will be nice if this piece is played in the background of such a situation. Thank you for sharing! Best, Lithl.

@ARCMusicPublishings By ineffective I was referring to areas where there is less spacing between the soloists (for example the passage starting bar 9). I do get your point about the viola being underrepresented, although my broader point was its pairing with a bass string instrument. That is unusual for the reduced range of pitch exploit. Regarding the engraving, there are a few things I’d like to ask. The note stems you use are sometimes joined between the bass and treble. Also some of the note values are written counterintuitively. For example, bar 50. The A in the db lasts a whole note, but is tied a dotted quarter note, quaver and minim. The viola also has a tied A across two quarter notes while effectively lasting one half note. I wonder whether this has something to do with the way you input the notes - perhaps you’re using a midi keyboard into which you play, and the computer inputs the notes on the stave? Last thing to mention, in that nice motif from Bar 17 that is repeated once, you could vary the dialogue slightly with diminution when repeated - perhaps in the piano part - as a way to intensify the passage towards the cadence. It’s just a suggestion, but it’s something I personally would look at.

@Yevgeniy Kazantsev This is very much a lovely piece of relatable woodwind duo that I can see being performed in many recitals and abound. I mostly appreciate your well-utilized 'echo'-imitative polyphony; as well as your few 'spiced' moments of visiting M2 intervals. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ One point of minor concern that immediately stood out to me is your giving what seems very easily an Oboe II part to the English Horn: with the except of the very end, the range is something that could be achieved on its default Soprano (Oboe). I usually advise string composers (or composers who include string in their composition; whether it's Quartet, orchestra, small ensemble, etc.) to be sensitive not to write another low Violin part and simply give it to the Viola. Violists will not be happy if you don't regularly visit their C-string; other than their powerful darker Alto intonation, this is the one characteristic that greatly sets them apart from the Violin. The above advice likewise applies here to the Alto Oboe: English Horn. Be careful that you don't write another Oboe part and simply give it to the English Horn. Under-represented instruments, such as the EH, want their moment to shine; to showcase themselves in those ways that set them apart from their dominant diva counterpart. What sets the EH apart from the Oboe? It reaches an E3 concert-sounding. (I'm confident you're fully aware of this, so I will speak no further about this very point.) My overall meaning: let the EH access those rich concert-sounding Alto pitches below B-flat-3. They are there because the Oboe cannot access them. Perhaps take some passage 8vb (maybe even 15mb). That would be my only advice; if you were to keep the EH part.

This seems cool! I intend to submit something. I'll also be planning on live streaming my composition process on Twitch throughout the week. https://www.twitch.tv/jdevormusic

Yes, this is very helpful. I've actually looked into historical records of Schuman and his mental illness. Some think it was a neurological condition, others not so much. I think politics gets involved too. I've ventured my own educated guess on the matter. For me, it's also a matter of professional interest in some ways. I've heard the stories of Rach and the failure of his first symphony and his come back piano concerto No2. I've heard about the stories of tragedy of Mahler's life, I think his children was killed tragically? I guess maybe I wasn't as specific...I am not really looking at composers who have mental illness. Music can be written by all sorts of people, I don't know that a mental illness is drastically going to alter the music with the possible exception of claiming that music is more authentic (if writing a song about, a mental illness that a composer actually has experienced. I am looking at deliberate depictions of mental illness in music. So, a song specifically written about a diagnosis, like Bipolar Disorder. It could be written by a person who has bipolar disorder, or a person who does not have bipolar disorder...if that makes sense. Thanks for sharing some tidbits on the other composers that I was not aware of. It may interest you that people have looked into the link between mental illness and creativity and there is some strong correlation with mood disorders (depression/bipolar disorder) and increased creativity. My ultimate goal isn't to romanticize or pathology these illnesses...I am trying to write a song to humanize these illnesses and perhaps to get people to understand mental illnesses better, reduce the stigma, maybe talk about it a bit more. So hopefully in this sense, this post is not overly controversial. I am not suggesting that people who compose music are more or less mentally ill than the general population.

Lots of points to address here! I was going for upper Classical era (1775-1799), but I can see a bit of Schubert era in it; perhaps not in the modulations I used but in the texture and techniques. (Modulation: I strictly stayed away from modulation by Chromatic mediant and heavier use of the chromatic scale. That would have occurred decades later. I did, however, stick to borrowed Major-minor and common dim. sevenths; both of which were highly characteristic of Piano Sonatas of the era!). As far as whether my music is absolute or programmatic: one may say it's in a grey area between. I do hope to paint a loose narrative at best. The rest is simply left to be enjoyed for the music it is. Thank you. And, cheers! The MIDI was indeed a little distorted. So, hopefully, that does clear up a lot of any questioning areas that you may have found. Otherwise, I suppose it would behoove me to ask specificallywhere you particularly saw issues with this ensemble's effectiveness. If limited range, as well as the DB playing too fast in its 'Altissimo' range where it wouldn't speak like the Cello, are it, I am completely aware of these issues; and have made revisions to an earlier addition that hopefully address them decently. Though, I am still open to addressing any lingering and persisting issues that may still be there. That aside: It was very much my knowing someone would say this that actually drove me to be a passionate Viola composer; and to develop the Alto Piano Trio ensemble to begin with. 😁 The Viola is, from my understanding, still an under-represented and continually under-appreciated instrument; in the orchestra and in general use. (Though, thanks to the classical movement that I am a part of to promote it, representation has improved since the Classical.) The Double-Bass is not too far from that same boat. And thus, my hope to see ever-changes to that gave birth to this ensemble. (As one Violinist, who actually supports my vision and mission, had light-heartedly told me: "You don't need to write anything more for us. We have enough Piano Trios, Violin/Cello Concertos, Violin/Cello orchestral solos, Violin/Cello Sonatas, Violin/Cello string duos, String Quartets featuring Cello/Violin I, etc. to last [Violinists/Cellists] a lifetime".)

Sometime I enjoy just making a bad song. I was going for a late 80’s early 90’s adult contemporary sound. Bad Pop Rock Song No.3.mp3

Was that the Slight issues with this. Sweeney Todd debuted in 1979 Bernstein died of a heart attack, brought on by emphysema, in 1990. He saw the show when it premiered and called it disgusting and that it made him almost throw up.

Robert Schumann is the most famous one. He was bipolar and was very prolific during his manic periods and produced almost nothing during his depressive states. He of course ended up in an asylum. Tchaikovsky suffered from severe depression and aniexty. He had a fear his head would fall off while conducting and would hold it with one hand. Mahler and Rachmaninov both suffered from clinical depression. While Bruckner had OCD, being famous for having an obsession with counting objects. And finally Arnold Schoenberg had triskaidekaphobia, a severe fear of the number 13.

Hi everyone! This small collection of three pieces explores the concept of an elegy from three different perspectives: I. Lento (Remembrance) – An intimate thought that lingers about someone who used to be an essential part of your life. II. Larghetto (Grief) – An emotional exploration of losing someone and the realisation that you will never be able to fix what has been lost. III. Larghetto (Acceptance) – Finding a way to accept the new reality of life without someone. Funny enough even though the order feels right for this compilation, my personal favourites are 3-2-1 in that order haha I hope I managed to capture some of the vision I had in mind when writing these three elegies! YouTube link Score I want to thank you like always for sacrificing your time for my improvement! Timestamps: 00:00 Elegy I 02:14 Elegy II 03:54 Elegy III Three Elegies.mp3 Three Elegies.pdf

Welcome all! Here is the fourth and final movement from my orchestration of "A Fairy Tale" by Frank Bridge. This one was particularly difficult to orchestrate, because it was very pianistic. I had to add two short linking passages of my own; otherwise the transitions sounded too abrupt. Not sure I've done a very good job; but anyway, I'll let you judge... The score is more or less complete; though I haven't had time to put all the slurs in. I am stretching the upper range of the oboes, clarinets and trumpets, and may have gone a bit too far with this? These high notes sound pretty good in the midi rendition; but maybe they would be too screechy in real life? Bridge - A Fairy Tale 4. The Prince (orchestration) #50 (midi).mp3 Bridge - A Fairy Tale 4. The Prince (orchestration) #51 (score).pdf

Thank you so very much @CrystalCanon for your thoughtful response, and for really taking the time to engage with this music. Your feedback mirrors many of my own concerns with this sonata. I agree that the first movement has a few too many ideas, one after another. It could probably benefit from another round of editing to trim it down. To be honest I’ve really struggled to “murder by babies” in this piece. I went ahead and fell in love with all my own ideas, and so have a lot of trouble cutting the unnecessary content. Maybe I should take a bit of time away from this music, get some distance. Then after a time I can return to it with my editing scissors and start making cuts. Your thoughts on the second movement really made my whole week! To hear my music called “devastating” is a feeling I can’t really explain, and I take it as an immense compliment. This is definitely the most expressive and feelingful movement in the sonata, and above all else I want the listener to feel something too. The language you use to describe that music is spot-on, exactly what I was aiming for. As for the rondo, damn you’re right. When you’re right, you’re right. It does seem naive after the revelations of the second movement. It doesn’t plumb the depths of feeling, but sticks rigorously to form, and compared to the first two movements seems slightly outmoded. Maybe I should just remove it and save for another project, and write something new for the final movement of this sonata. Maybe something in D flat major, music with a clarity of purpose, music that answers the questions posed by the second movement. I like that as a goal. I’d like this sonata to feel like a complete work, rather than a disjointed set of disconnected movements. I really value your time and feedback. Cheers!

Hello @Seni-G! I’m glad you posted this, because I’m currently studying sonata form, and it’s a good exercise for me to review it. You described the first movement as “a bit like an over-stuffed burrito”, and I must say, that was pretty close to my first impression. I still have trouble wrapping my head around it, though the structure feels clearer after a few listens, as another review noted of your Rondo. I do hear a lot of intriguing motivic development going on. I think one thing that makes it difficult for me to evaluate is that it keeps hinting at classical functions that create certain expectations for resolution or how things will continue, and then not fulfilling these expectations. Another thing I notice is that new material tends to grow in spurts from previous material, before the listener can track them. I would say that the form itself seems more self-multiplying than teleological. Again, these are more of observations rather than criticisms—my biggest critique is probably the length of the movement (430 bars!). I think there’s a certain overabundance of material that could be trimmed down effectively. There’s definitely a lot of great material and potential, but I think listeners would be able to take it better in a more condensed form. On to the second movement. Some may disagree, but I think this part is where your idiosyncrasies that I had trouble in the first movement really shine. While it’s definitely the most radical, for me it’s the highlight of the work. I find it both devastating and soothing. It’s like a tabula rasa after the organized chaos of the first movement, where half-remembered memories and desires coalesce and evaporate, the elusive fragments gradually gathering into something slightly more concrete. Absolutely beautiful! The third movement gives me a somewhat unsettled feeling, because of how much it contrasts with the previous movements in every way. On its own, or as part of a different sonata, it would work quite well. But in this context, it makes me wonder how it answers the question that the second movement posed—it seems almost naive in relation to what preceded it. I think you should seriously consider separating it from the rest of the work, and replacing it with something else. Or not—if I were in your position, I would probably keep the sonata at two movements, like Beethoven’s Op. 111, perhaps with some minor modification of the second movement. Just a suggestion! This analysis has made me really interested in your work, though. I hear a distinctive voice coming through, or maybe something more than a voice—a certain way of looking at reality. What are your musical influences? I noticed an emphasis on motivic development, that seems to be from the Beethovenian tradition, as well as some jazz undertones. Debussy, or even Boulez came to mind, though your music’s really its own thing. Good luck with your composing! I’m excited to see what developments your music will make.

Thanks Kyle! I have to be honest, I didn't put much effort into this orchestration. Just threw it together by instinct alone. Glad you enjoyed the result! Alex

Ah...I have a plan that is about to international competition which may recieve score veiled. So I don't know how I can request feedback. Really sry.

Charming .... I hear/see a ballet here! Mark

Score?

You can find the score here:

Score?

Thanks for the recommendations @Lithl! I would like to contribute two of my favorite post-tonal works. The first one is Luigi Dallapiccola’s amazing Quaderno musicale di Annalibera, which is probably one of the best twelve tone works ever composed. Dallapiccola is highly regarded here in Italy and his work deserves more attention. Then, from the late Pierre Boulez, we have his Sur Incises, a work of extreme delicacy and sensitivity to sound. It’s not serial or twelve tone, while still rigorous in design—it may surprise many to hear that in his later years, Boulez was highly critical of serialism on both artistic and perceptual grounds. This piece is a very sensual and complex exploration or “explosion” of the piano timbre.