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Yes, I mostly write in a stream of consciousness. I often use either modes or pitch-classes. Although, when I have 3-4 different, contrasting parts, I often try to repeat some or all parts, maybe in another way, slower, faster. Just now, I'm writing something where I take the first theme, which was made in C aeolian, I repeat it with the first two bars in A harmonic minor, the next in B harmonic minor (not transposed just fitting the notes in the new mode) and then harmonizing in these modes. So I rarely use strict functional harmony, although I sometimes do. My ideas for harmony is also inspired by modern jazz-fusion as well as classical. Someone like Allan Holdsworth, that wasn't educated in music, but created his own weird harmonic language with complex chords that sounds great (IMO) but without functional harmony. If my choice of harmonies reflect that, it's an honour! My "stream of consciousness" are also inspired by Danish late romantic composer Rued Langgaard, especially his 4th symphony ("loevfald" - the falling leaves). However his harmonic language is not always so advanced. So I try to go a bit further sometimes, like taking some ideas from "twentieth century harmony" by Vincent Persichetti, and using that as a starting point.

To be clear: this is a really awesome and impressive work. I have included a bunch of constructive notes in this since you seem keen for some 🙂 listening/reading notes: Introductory page is extremely beautiful. Love the improvisatory nature, spacious without feeling empty [Have to say I am not a huge fan of the F major melody on page 2, it feels a little straightforward to me] Modulation in bar 26 is very nifty 🙂 Love the bass motif in the main F minor subject, very characteristic and memorable Reappearance of the intro subject at 67 is great, everything up to the build and surprise Bb chord (fun trick) at 94 is awesome [95-108 is a little meandering for my taste] Modulations through 117-143 are very compelling and exciting 160-163: *chef's kiss* reminds me of some Rach climax harmonies here. Arpeggios at 165-180 are a little extravagant for my taste Fugue at 181-196 has a nice idea, you have a great subject, I just wish it had a little more time to breathe (4 voices enter on the subject without any development time between their entries). in this area bars 190-195 feel the most effective to me because they feel the most balanced; the voices here have rhythmic variety to distinguish themselves clearly and there's a little more negative space to guide the ear. I feel like the classic fugal structure of introduce voices 1 and 2 (maybe 3 if you're feeling brave), and then have some development time before introducing more voices, would work well here. It feels a little more like a gesture towards a fugue than a fugue (maybe it's a fughetta). Recap is great 🙂 i do like this theme a lot. The crunchy move in bar 229 is great 263-290 feels like it could be trimmed. We've just heard this theme in the recap a few moments ago anyway, and the straightforward dotted rhythm is not the most exciting thing to zone in on for several more bars. It feels the movement on top of the tremolo is a bit slow. But the exit out into 291 is very beautiful. I love the intro, so obviously I love the outro too 🙂 And to be fair, the F major theme from the start pays off pretty well in bars 317-318, great way to finish. (Maybe just something a bit briefer / less extravagant than page 2 would suit me.) I really like this piece! I think there is possibly a 12-13 minute version that I *love*, but it is not my place to play editor haha

Hi Stig. Just listened to "Evening Sun" It seemed like a stream of consciousness; rather than something with a fixed structure (such as Sonata form, Rondo form, etc...). I found some of your harmonies quite interesting and unexpected. Perhaps this is your unique was of composing. Have subscribed to your You Tube: so will try to listen to more of your work in the future.

harmonies in bar 3 (loove the surprise Csharp) and 34 (yay raised sixth!!!) are my faves 🙂 whole thing has a wonderful melancholy vibe. the tresillo rhythm of the middle section is a fun vibe to bring into it

It is well-constructed but reminds me too much of these semi-atonal things I wrote in college, like my monstrosity of a clarinet sonata! So, I love it, but do not like it.

Very nice! It sounds to me a bit proto-impressionistic, like a young Debussy.

@Kvothe Hey thanks for listening! 🙂

Interesting...I might look into it if life gets a bit less crazy, as it has been for me this Fall!

You don't really need to learn how to use MuseScore. All you need to know is how to import a MusicXML file, and then export the audio file. Two very basic functions. The virtual instruments and voices are assigned automatically. Of course you can get better results by tweaking some of the dynamics and articulations; but you'll get a decent audio without doing any of that.

@Churchcantor Almost nobody is familiar with Jommelli, and more is the pity. His Requiem is in E-flat major, yet it still sounds appropriately sombre. There are several good performances available on YouTube. Here's a link to my favourite:

@Monarcheon I see what you mean. Luckily, though so far I have used high-D a few times, it was only on short notes, if I remember my own piece rightly.

I'm not familiar with Jommelli, though I do know the Michael Haydn Requiem (influenced Mozart's), the Bruckner Requiem (modeled on Mozart's and in the same key of D Minor) that he wrote at age 24 and revised later in life, and even the Salieri Requiem, which has some great vocal writing! Gee Whiz; the Jommelli Requiem was written in the year of Mozart's birth! How weird is that? I will listen to it. My Requiem is MODELED on Mozart's unfinished Requiem, if you listen closely and see how I broke out the text. It does not SOUND like Mozart, except for the occasional turn of phrase.

I guess I will do at least a BIT of musical work this morning, and go into Noteflight and extract what I have entered (most of it!) in order. Requiem in Bb Major-Introitus Free Sheet Music by Robert C. Fox for Various Instruments | Noteflight Requiem In Bb Major-Kyrie Free Sheet Music by Robert C. Fox for Various Instruments | Noteflight Requiem In Bb Major-Dies Irae Free Sheet Music by Robert C. Fox for Various Instruments | Noteflight Requiem In Bb Major-Tuba Mirum Free Sheet Music by Robert C. Fox for Various Instruments | Noteflight Requiem In Bb Major-Rex Tremendae Free Sheet Music by Robert C. Fox for Various Instruments | Noteflight Requiem In Bb Major-Recordare Free Sheet Music by Robert C. Fox for Various Instruments | Noteflight Requiem In Bb Major-Confutatis Free Sheet Music by Robert C. Fox for Various Instruments | Noteflight Requiem In Bb Major-Lacrymosa Free Sheet Music by Robert C. Fox for Various Instruments | Noteflight Requiem In Bb Major-Domine Jesu Free Sheet Music by Robert C. Fox for Various Instruments | Noteflight Requiem In Bb Major-Sanctus Free Sheet Music by Robert C. Fox for Various Instruments | Noteflight Requiem In Bb Major-Benedictus Free Sheet Music by Robert C. Fox for Various Instruments | Noteflight Requiem In Bb Major-Agnus Dei Free Sheet Music by Robert C. Fox for Various Instruments | Noteflight The Quam Olim I and II have been entered, but not the Hostias or the final, cyclical movement.

Measure 11: low B shouldn't be too much of a problem, for a good tenor! Measure 17, advice taken! Yes, the C was awkward and might have been an entry mistake...I like the open fifth ending; reminds me of the Kyrie from the Mozart Requiem.

Those octaves ARE divisi; I just don't mess with musical directions or even bowings on Noteflight. It's hard enough for me to just enter the notes! My manuscript has everything, though I'm not sure I even messed with that in the ms of this particular number! Vocally, this is beyond the means of the average church choir, obviously I would think! 😆

Thanks for the compliments! I definitely know Noteflight has problems, and one of them is that it does not do well with vocal music! At age 56, I don't really have the energy to learn a whole new program. The first half or so of my Requiem was written 2010-2012 or so, then I put it aside for years, finishing this Spring! Well, the final movement is cyclical, like the part of Mozart's Requiem Süssmayr completed, and I have to transpose a D Minor fugue to Bb Major, write a coda...this Fall has been really crazy, but I'll at least complete the manuscript some day when I have the energy, because it would be pretty weird to die with an unfinished Requiem partially modeled on the Mozart, but really that last movement I could do in a day. By the way, Noteflight either does not count external views, or doesn't update views. I get most of my views here, admittedly more for instrumental and piano music than vocal...

I probably should've included this in my original message, but if you guys could also share orchestrations for a modulation as well, that would be helpful. Mine sounds atrocious. Fm → Bbm9 → Dbm(add9) Fm → Amaj(add#11) → C#m9 Fm → Ab(sus4 add9) → C#m9/E Fm → E7(#9) → C#m9 Fm → Amaj → C#m → Emaj(add#11) → G#m11 → C#m

Hi! I'm looking for any feedback on a string quartet that I composed so that I can make some refinements before entering it in a few competitions. Thanks!

You know what... by seeing this sentence immediately those two opening chords play on my brain and the music plays itself non-stop.....

No Doubt C# minor!! My all fav. piece, Beethoven's op.131 Quartet is also in that key. And I write my 3rd Piano Sonata in the key too. My upcoming piano pieces set will be in that key too. Henry

Dear friends, hello everyone! I'm Zhang Wenhao, a singer-songwriter from China. Today, I'm here to share with you an inspiring rock song called "Unextinguished Spark". The style of this song is inspired by many classic Japanese anime theme songs, encouraging everyone to hold on to their dreams and never give up easily. 亲爱的朋友们，大家好！我是来自中国的创作歌手张文灏。这次来跟大家分享的是一首励志的摇滚燃曲，名字叫《不熄的火花》。 这首歌曲风格的灵感来源于很多经典的日本动漫主题曲，鼓励大家坚持自己的梦想不要轻易放弃。 歌词如下/The lyrics are as follows： 《不熄的火花》/《The Spark That Won't Go Out》 作曲/Composed by：张文灏 Zhang Wenhao 作词/Lyrics by：张文灏 Zhang Wenhao 一次命运 偶然眷顾的微笑 让他从此 将毕生热爱找到 踏上了一条 漫长的跑道 微弱的火苗 在冷夜里不熄灭地燃烧 失意常常在他身边围绕 也偶有微不足道的骄傲 前路多糟糕 身心多疲劳 他都没想要 放弃奔跑 理想和热爱就像不熄的火花 哦 他想 总有一天能燃起滔天的热浪 哦 他想 每一个人都会有 为理想战斗 奋不顾身的时候 每个人也都会有 看不到尽头 想要放弃的时候 请继续坚定地走 别太过担忧 再耐心等一等 你想要的一切都 在不远处 在向你招手 失意常常在他身边围绕 也偶有微不足道的骄傲 前路多糟糕 身心多疲劳 他都没想要 放弃奔跑 理想和热爱就像不熄的火花 哦 我唱 就在今天燃起了滔天的热浪 哦 我唱 每一个人都会有 为理想战斗 奋不顾身的时候 每个人也都会有 看不到尽头 想要放弃的时候 请继续坚定地走 别太过担忧 再耐心等一等 你想要的一切都 在不远处在向你招手 每一个人都会有 为理想战斗 奋不顾身的时候 每个人也都会有 看不到尽头 想要放弃的时候 请继续坚定地走 别太过担忧 再耐心等一等 你想要的一切都 在不远处在向你招手 你想要的一切都 在不远处 在向你招手

I've noticed that for Christmas music (yes - it's that time of year and I've already written a piece for the season!) I always tend to write in the key of Eb major for some reason. It also happens to be the key of my favorite Beethoven Symphony - No. 3. Perhaps it's because of that symphony that people ordinarily think of that key as "heroic" but I think of it more as a warm key. I also prefer flat keys, even if it causes way more flats in the key signature than is practical. For example - I prefer Ab minor or Eb minor to G# or D# minor. I'll just use the Ab major and Eb major key signatures and write extra accidentals for the notes I need to make it minor. Interesting topic!

What is your favorite key/Note? or really, When you think of a melody, What key is it normally in? I came across this about a month ago where I noticed most of my music was in the key of D minor, and when I thought of a melody it was also in D minor; even though now there's a bit of B mixed in. It's just sort of a simple question, and I really want to see what others have to say about it!