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Hey for an exercise its enjoyable. It's fun to listen to, and I think this is a great way to learn different types of harmony. You stayed true to the motif, which makes it easier to follow.

I've written yet another piece prompted by an exercise from Persichetti's "20th Century Harmony"! This one is for 2 Clarinets and 2 Bassoons. The prompt is: "Extend the following passage for two clarinets and two bassoons." I tried to make an actual piece of music out of it instead of just a harmonic exercise, but let me know what you think! Thanks for listening and I'd appreciate any comments, suggestions, critiques or just observations!

Thanks very much for your review Archie! The tab score is mainly for my benefit, so I can see what hand shapes are needed to play the chords I've written. Some of them look very awkward: so I'm sure these chords will have to be thinned down. I did wonder whether the strumming hand can sometimes assist the fretting hand. E.g. When you need to depress several frets near the top of the neck, and also one much lower down, close to the strumming area. I wonder whether the thumb of the strumming hand can be used to depress the low fret? Anyway I've manually edited the tab score now, so it's looking a bit more sensible (see below) Another thing I'm not clear about, is what happens when you release the frets while a chord is still ringing? Does this produce an unpleasant pitch change effect as the strings slacken? In my piece this fret release would be required, where I have chords in rapid succession. Anyway, thanks again, Alex

That is very cute! Have to admit I don't know the instrument. I have heard of the pipa, mainly because it comes free with GarageBand!

A fun exercise, and very expressive! I think you should take this idea and turn it into something. Love how you ended it!

Title: Porcelain Dreams (Verse 1) Underneath the floorboards, secrets softly creep, Painted little faces whisper while you sleep. Dolls with broken lashes, glassy haunted eyes, Smile wide and watch you, waiting for sunrise. (Pre-Chorus) Tiptoe down the hallway, shadows start to bend, Porcelain hearts are fragile, easy to pretend. Cracks beneath the surface, stories left untold, Nightmares dressed in lace, and hands that feel too cold. (Chorus) Porcelain dreams, spinning in the dark, Pretty on the outside, hiding all the marks. Sing me lullabies that sound like screams, I’m waking up inside my porcelain dreams. (Verse 2) Whispering in riddles, ribbons in their hair, Tiny velvet secrets floating in the air. Hollow giggles echo, footsteps on the rug, Dancing round in circles, waiting for a hug. (Pre-Chorus) Tiptoe down the hallway, shadows start to bend, Porcelain hearts are fragile, easy to pretend. Cracks beneath the surface, stories left untold, Nightmares dressed in lace, and hands that feel too cold. (Chorus) Porcelain dreams, spinning in the dark, Pretty on the outside, hiding all the marks. Sing me lullabies that sound like screams, I’m waking up inside my porcelain dreams. (Bridge) Pull the strings, I’ll play along, Broken but I don’t belong. Wrap me up in feathery lies, Watch me shatter when I rise. (Chorus) Porcelain dreams, spinning in the dark, Pretty on the outside, hiding all the marks. Sing me lullabies that sound like screams, I’m waking up inside my porcelain dreams. (Outro) So close my eyes and count to three, Will you wake or break me free? Porcelain dreams, I hear your call— One more night behind the dollhouse wall.

Title: Rebel in Disguise (Verse 1) They see your quiet smile, your calm and easy style, But underneath, there’s thunder rolling all the while. You walk the line in daylight, but at night you come alive— A secret spark of trouble in the way you thrive. (Pre-Chorus) You play it cool, you wear the mask, But your restless heart is built for breaking glass. You’re not the kind to follow every rule, You’re the wild card, bending what’s true. (Chorus) You’re a rebel in disguise, they never see you coming, Hiding flames behind those eyes, your heartbeat’s always drumming. You fool them with your gentle ways, but I can see the signs— Underneath it all, you’re a rebel in disguise. (Verse 2) You chase the thrill in silence, with laughter in your veins, You make your own adventure, you love to break the chains. There’s more to you than meets the eye, a story to be told— You’re fire wrapped in velvet, a spirit uncontrolled. (Pre-Chorus) You play it cool, you wear the mask, But your restless heart is built for breaking glass. You’re not the kind to follow every rule, You’re the wild card, bending what’s true. (Chorus) You’re a rebel in disguise, they never see you coming, Hiding flames behind those eyes, your heartbeat’s always drumming. You fool them with your gentle ways, but I can see the signs— Underneath it all, you’re a rebel in disguise. (Bridge) So own your fire, let it shine, Let the world know you’re one of a kind. No more hiding, let your colors rise— You’re the storm behind the blue skies. (Chorus) You’re a rebel in disguise, they never see you coming, Hiding flames behind those eyes, your heartbeat’s always drumming. You fool them with your gentle ways, but I can see the signs— Underneath it all, you’re a rebel in disguise. (Outro) Yeah, you’re a rebel in disguise— Breaking free before their eyes.

Title: Good Boys Aren’t for Me (Verse 1) Polite smiles, tucked-in shirts, All the right words, but it never works. I tried the safe route, I tried to believe, But my wild heart just wants to break free. (Pre-Chorus) Give me tattoos, give me trouble in his eyes, Lean in close, I can feel the butterflies. The good boys call, but I let it ring, 'Cause I need more fire, I need more sting. (Chorus) Good boys aren’t for me, I want a rebel, a little risky. Give me the thrill, give me the heat, Someone who owns the darkened streets. Good boys aren’t for me, I crave the edge, the mystery. I want a bad boy, want a gangster man, Who gets my heart like no good boy can. (Verse 2) Buttoned up boys with their polished shoes, I can’t keep up with the life I've chosen. I’m drawn to danger, to the wolves who run, To the boys with a past and a loaded gun. (Pre-Chorus) Give me tattoos, give me trouble in his eyes, Lean in close, I can feel the butterflies. The good boys wait, but I just can’t stay, 'Cause I need a lover who can sweep me away. (Chorus) Good boys aren’t for me, I want a rebel, a little risky. Give me the thrill, give me the heat, Someone who owns the darkened streets. Good boys aren’t for me, I crave the edge, the mystery. I want a bad boy, want a gangster man, Who gets my heart like no good boy can. (Bridge) Call me crazy, call me wild, But I love the danger, love the style. He’s the king of the night, I’m his willing thief, With a kiss that tastes like disbelief. (Chorus) Good boys aren’t for me, I want a rebel, a little risky. Give me the thrill, give me the heat, Someone who owns the darkened streets. Good boys aren’t for me, I crave the edge, the mystery. I want a bad boy, want a gangster man, Who gets my heart like no good boy can. (Outro) So let the good boys wave as I walk by, I’ll take my trouble with a glint in his eye. Good boys aren’t for me, now I see, Give me a bad boy, set me free.

My quest to become a composer continues with multiple arpeggiated improv-piano parts. Welcome:

Thank you for organizing this event. It has been wonderful to listen to such a variety of proposals.

I wasn't wanting to modulate there...I was thinking of staying in the B M/G#m area

It sounds very good, very musical and coherent.

Thank you! On the ending, if I may ask for advice, do you think the instrumentation would work, or are there some that could work better?

Thank you for your kind words. I agree about the development comment, I definitely think it would benefit from a longer continuation, but I need to start planning ahead for developments like that to make sense for me. And yeah I'll change the key, I wrote the melody starting on a C, and then immediately changed plans lol.

30 minutes?!

I am reviewing Vincent Persichetti's "20th Century Harmony" and just finished chapter 3! And so I decided to do the first exercise that looked good to me to try to make an actual piece of music out of (I don't like exercises for their own sake - I think I should always be trying to make living, breathing music). Here is the prompt for the exercise: "12. Harmonize the following melody in four string parts using dominant seventh chords exclusively. Much contrary and oblique motion and several inversions should be used." Like I said, I tried to make an actual piece of music out of it and not be too much of a stickler to the rules. I also tried to approach it not like a chorale exercise - let me know if I've succeeded on that front! Thanks for listening and I would appreciate any suggestions, critiques, comments or just observations!

Kia Ora Alex, Nice piece. A few suggestions: Although tabs are quite common for notating guitar parts in pop styles, classical guitar pieces are generally only notated using standard musical notation. While you can still include a staff of tab in your score, it might be more conventional to remove it. If you do choose to include tab, please, PLEASE get an actual guitarist to write it out for you. The tabs generated by notation software are almost always shite and the one that Musescore generated for you is no exception. It has suggested some ridiculous unplayable shite (like in bar two, who the hell has hands large enough to press both the second and seventeenth frets at the same time?!) which render it's inclusion in your score quite pointless. All in all, this is a good start. I'm excited to see where this piece goes next! Ngā mihi, Archie

Hi @Alant, The chord progression sounds familiar but this one is quite interesting to listen to when you use different variation techniques. Just beware of some playability issues: the left hand passage in b.136-137 is barely playable and the constant 32nd notes at the end for the right hand would be quite difficult and exhausting to play. Thx for sharing. Henry

Hi @PaavolaPyry! I do like this minimalistic music, it's like the poem you quoted which reflect a passage in your life. I like the ending, it sounds oppressive with the bass instruments getting in in octaves. Thx for sharing. Henry

Hi @therealAJGS! It really sounds like cool game music! in 0:57 the passage sounds especially 8-bit like. Thx for sharing! Henry

Hi @Chikotora The folk elements in the music is very well noted with the Eb-F# major 2nd and the constant ending of each phrase on D rather than G. B.50 sounds really interesting with the glissando and it almost sounds like Chinese instrument Gaohu! i suspect the triple stop in b.33 is playable or not but I don't play violin myself so I can't tell. Thx for sharing your first post! Henry

Hi @Alex Weidmann! I am no expert in guitar writing so I can't tell whether it's playable or not, but I would say the whole music would sound like something written in Chinese instrument Zhongruan (my fav. Chinese instrument due to its cute look lol!). It's also a plucked string instrument like guitar: Thx for sharing! Henry

Hi @jejrekmek! I don't find the intro boring at all; on the other hand I find it very religious which reminds me of Buddhist or Hindu music. Your singing is like chanting which is religious as well, and the chords, like Peter said is other-worldly. After it it's more in the world but the accompaniment reminds me of Gamelan music in the interlocking repetitive structure. Nice use of some microtones as well. The section after 5:30 is so interesting to listen to, it's almost like a musical example in a World music class with those drums and percussions! The rhythm throughout the piece is fascinating, again reminds me of world music! The ending is really calm to listen to like many of the pop Japanese music! I really enjoy this one, thx for sharing! Henry

Hi @BlackkBeethoven! What about having the original B-C#-D# in b.3 of your melody to a B#-C#-D# so you can easily modulate to F# major? Henry

Hi @Some Guy That writes Music! I got to say, this one is the best music I have heard from you on this forum. It's full of Mahlerian dissonance which really portrays your stress and sadness which I can feel clearly. I love the constant F#-Gb to G-F dissonace and other direct minor 2nd chords throughout to show how intriguing you were. The dissonant counterpoint is well handled throughout. Also I love the pacing of the piece, you just slow introduce each family of the orchestra without forcing it, for example you only let brass get in in b.28 and let them slowly grow to a climax to b.36, unlike many brainless film music which always bombard without reason. The ending is very luminous and well prepared; it's a bit surprising to me that you end the piece in Eb major but I love it! I would wish it to stay longer and add a bit development onto it! One small thing: maybe a key signature with four flats would be more convenient since most of the piece is in F minor. Thx for sharing this very emoitional piece! Henry