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Hello It’s a piece packed with ideas, and the interweaving of the string parts is well crafted. I’m not sure what your level of experience is, although you mention that you want to improve your harmonic structure… I mention this because the piano part reveals a certain lack of experience in handling the instrument’s idiom. One point in particular: when you’re accompanying with block chords, it isn’t necessary to ‘fill’ the entire range. And especially in the lower register – the left hand from F on the fourth line downwards, more or less – avoid stacking thirds, as it all sounds very muddled. In the lower register, you need to open up the intervals, to at least a fifth. This is very evident from bar 23 onwards, with the ‘presto giocoso’. Writing for solo instruments in ensembles such as quartets, etc., is very difficult because, on the one hand, you have to maintain the independence of each instrument and keep the listener engaged with what it is doing, whilst, on the other hand, ensuring that the combination results in proper counterpoint and derived harmony. I believe that to begin developing a grasp of harmony (more or less exclusively), it is best to write for a polyphonic instrument (piano) or for piano and a solo instrument.

Greetings once more. Bridge - A Fairy Tale 3. The Spell (orchestration) #16.mp3 Bridge - A Fairy Tale 3. The Spell (orchestration) #18.pdf

I haven't even begun to think about conducting lol. I haven't written anything bigger than a quintet in a long time, so the need for a conductor just hasn't been there. In the case of the piece I'm working on, I think the best thing to do would be to conduct it as 5/4 with uneven note lengths, similar to how I've seen 7/8 conducted, although I'm sure that would be a pain for whoever actually has to do the job. That's certainly something for me to think about if I decide to expand this beyond what it is. I will be making the suggested edits later today. My main issue with it when I was sketching the idea in the first place was handling long tones (which, it starts out that way), but you addressed that. Thank you!

Thanks for explaining. I suggest you keep it simple for the time being. Focus on smaller scale and short pieces with two part harmony only. Perhaps a waltz or minuet which provide a clear and simple structure to adhere to. Listen extensively to music you like to build up a creative vocabulary. Learn the art of voice leading: that is, rather than viewing harmony as static, consider the linear relationship between the notes that you write. Transitions should be smooth and each part independent where possible. Share those small pieces on this forum for targeted feedback. The added advantage of smaller scale works for intensive feedback is that the reviewer is not overwhelmed by the amount of material to analyze. I welcome you to tag me in such future posts and i will try to offer some in depth feedback.

This audio is from MuseScore. I have finalised this piano quartet. I want to convey the feeling of flying and dancing in the clouds. It is like the music you would hear while on a carousel. Now, as I am new to composing and still exploring, I find it difficult to develop my own style. I enjoy romantic pieces, but I can't figure out my own style. The second difficulty I have is having clear harmony- the right chords. Where should I start in music theory? I have the basics of theory, like intervals and keys. Thanks. Mouvement de l'air.mp3 Mouvement de l'air_Score.pdf

Just the cause you have “quite bad” skills in counterpoint does shouldn’t discourage you from sharing the score. We are all learning here, no matter where we are on our journey. Importantly, we learn from each other through the feedback and suggestions we offer and receive.

Apologies for being blunt, although the sound sets are not at all pleasant. You should try MuseScore, perhaps? It’s free, do you know? The music itself sounds quite erratic. I suggest that, in order to receive constructive feedback, explain: What you intended to convey in this quartet (stylistically & narratively) What are the current limitations you feel? Otherwise you leave it to the reviewer to work it all out, in addition to dissecting your approach to music composition.

Thanks for the comments! Yes, it’s largely homophonic as I kept it simple for my workflow and to get it submitted for YCF. However, after being reached out to by a composer based in North Dakota, he wanted to work together on this piece of music. He’s a composer with over 30 years of experience and during our call, he gave me a lot of practical advice for this work and what would happen if it were played live. Thus, I’m currently undergoing revisions for this work to address the ensemble aspect and to remove the dependencies between the piano and strings.

If I had a nickel for every time I’ve been called Mark on YCF, I’d have two nickels, which isn’t a lot, but it’s weird that it happened more than once.

Hi @GMoneywroteasong ! I think you should just keep the meter displayed as 13/8 but change how the 8th notes are beamed/grouped in your piece accordingly in each bar. I think this also allows you to have different instruments group the 8ths notes differently specific to what they are doing. I once wrote a piece that was in 5/4 but with many instruments playing in two groups of 5/8, each half of the bar being grouped again differently depending on the specific situation as 2+3/8 or as 3+2/8. The only problem I see is that of such a piece being conducted. In my case, the conductor would still conduct the piece in 5/4 as that was the displayed time signature. But the individual instruments would be encouraged to count the piece in 5/8 if their part was displayed that particular way. In your case you could display your rhythms like so: The notes are clearly grouped, and even if not using 8th notes can still be grouped according to the beat lengths you described, regardless of what kind of particular rhythm they might be playing. Hope this helps!

Thanks everybody for the reviews and comments! Yes, I played it by myself. It was the same day I finished composing it, so I didn’t have much time to practice! Thanks! While composing I didn’t actually think of the chord structures I was using, or any styles and influences. I basically just wrote what sounded right to me, polishing for coherence. I agree—I just felt I had to start with something small that I knew would be achievable. Also, I don’t think the piece has much potential for expansion unless it’s really restructured. Thanks for the compliment! It means a lot to me, because I always feel my technique is lacking. I think what I’m learning is that ideas seldom come perfectly polished—it’s the diligent work afterwards that matters. If you analyze what you’re doing too early, it blocks the creative flow.

Aw! well, your feedback regarding any other aspects of my work is just as valuable as feedback regarding Brass as a whole. I am always open to any/all perspectives of what I submit here for review, and have always made honest attempts to consider the responses I receive while writing / editing my scores. I am not a professional composer, by any means, and I don't consider my work to be of top-notch quality, however, I am always looking to improve, so any feedback that you are able to give is much appreciated and valued! I am also glad that you were able to enjoy my work, as, after-all, that is the point, isn't it? To respond to the Major/Minor comments, No, I didn't choose to utilize the minor sonority very much in this score, since, as I explain in the description of the score above, It's meant to have a sense of reverence and patriotism, so I tended to focus more on creating that atmosphere, which tends to lean more towards the Major Sonority, rather than the minor one. Although, I made attempts to utilize the minor sonority in select areas where it might be the most impactful.

His name is Mason! 🤣

I listened twice, and you managed to put a smile on my face. You evidently know your stuff for it is very well crafted. I have no constructive feedback with regards to your writing. Keep up the good work. Looking forward to the next upload. ;)

Good evening! I listened to the whole piece. I love it! Unfortunately I am not really in a position to offer any constructive feedback about the brass writing, for I am least experienced with brass. In addition, the transpositions make it difficult to judge the voice leading at face value. More broadly, however, your use of the major and minor modes does come to mind. Pardon me if I am mistaken in my impression that you don't really utilize the minor mode much; nor do you appear to explore different tonalities, remaining very much in the same key signature (with exception to changes at certain new sections). Whether that is a weakness, though, I am not sure; as I was still very much engaged with the work. I will be sure to follow your profile to keep an eye on your new posts ;)

Anytime! To an extent you're right about the baroque idiom creeping through in my example. But do recognize that the classical idiom is based on the same principles. You cannot really escape the 'rules' when applying traditional approaches to harmony. In addition, I did not intend to influence the direction of your work, but illustrate how one might otherwise approach the initial compositional process. Credit to you, though, for approaching composition in a free spirited way. I do understand your reasons. But don't feel intimidated by the 'rules'; they are only there to guide best practice. If you need help with anything please feel free to message me.

@Markus Boyd Hey! I really appreciate your time and effort, especially since you took the time to actually rewrite parts of the piece. That's really valuable to see! I just wanted to clarify that my main focus with this sonatina is Classical motivic integrity and structure. I feel like some of your suggestions approach the piece from a stricter Baroque counterpoint perspective, whereas I'm aiming for a somewhat different stylistic direction. That said, I really appreciate seeing how you reworked the material, and I'll definitely think about some of the things you pointed out. It's just that I don't think I'd want to take the piece entirely in that contrapuntal direction. I actually used to be very obsessed with counterpoint, but I found that it made me way more burned out from writing music. So nowadays I try to use it as a tool but break a lot of its rules when I want the motivic integrity to be the more important role. Thanks again for taking the time to review it!

Thank you for your very inclusive feedback. I am definitely going to take into consideration everything that you've added here. I've uploaded my most recent progress/changes to the score. (I hadn't seen your comment prior to that, so some issues you mentioned are likely still present. However, moving forward with editing, I will most definitely be utilizing some of the changes that you suggest!)

Thank you! Like i've said i'm not a theoryst or anything similar to a composer. What I do is from hearing a lot of music. The choise of the First inversion is to mantain a non perfect start. The other chords seems also not to finish themself. I don't know if you understand. But the objective was to make the start like an "ambient" music. The melody itself is quite hidden in is length (there all semiquaver or longer note). This is also the first time i try to compose in a sonata form (probably i've missed something), but the real piece is in the development, with primary and secondary melody going togheter. Also the recapitulation is more "classic" with more voicing also for introducing the third movement (which i havent started to compose) Hope i satisfaied your question :)

It is very beautiful, Filippo! It sounds a little like Max Richter. I hope you don't mind me having a play around with your ideas? Im curious, is there a reason why you invert the tonic chord in the beginning (A in the bass, rather than F)? Im genuinely curious... I am not skilled in this style of music.

Hello! it seems like you're trying to write in a classical style, perhaps inspired by Clementi's sonatina's? The opening movement starts a bit like an invention and as such there are opportunities to contrast the treble and bass parts. To illustrate those opportunities, I have reworked some of your ideas (first and second movement). I have altered your leading in certain places that demanded it (to facilitate better two part harmony) and the motivic development to improve coherenceI hope this helps you. My advice: Focus on the outer parts first and listen. Remember the three types of motion: parallel, oblique and contrary Prioritize opportunities for contrary motion, otherwise consider parallel thirds or sixths, Oblique motion can be useful for pedal points (and suspensions if your experience allows). Avoid parallel motion if octaves or 5ths apart. If you do this, you are most probably missing an alternative and better solution. With regards to the development of your ideas You have the right idea with mirroring the left and right hand. But compare my solution in the first two bars of the first movement. How does it differ? Feel free to ask me any questions. I am here to help with anything :) MinGry's Sonatina.mp3 MinGry's Sonatina.pdf

Ah, I thought I changed the title on this post, only to realize I did so on my profile, not the thread. The title has been updated and as of now, I’m indecisive to share or not. Short answer is TBD

Ok! You should upload your more recent version. Doesn't matter if it's not finished. Just to update the thread :)

Hi Markus, thanks for the comments. This version of the work is severely outdated. Over a year old now, and the most recent copy I have made functions as a complete rewrite. This said, I agree with the points you made as large form music like this is no simple task. We’ll see what happens over the next year or two. Thanks again!

Interesting. Reminds me of Sigur Rós and a little Radiohead 🤷 Nice ideas and instrumentation, although the tuning sounds very off. Was that intentional?