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Showing content with the highest reputation on 10/20/2017 in all areas

  1. When I visit a member's profile, it would be nice, I think, to see a list of links to that person's music, that is, to pieces previously posted on this site.
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  2. I actually like it, but I think you really need to study counterpoint. This helped me too with solving illogical melodies and harmonies and voice leading. Maybe you should take a look at Fux' Gradus ad Parnassum.
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  3. To your question regarding the waltz: A bare-bones description would be: A dance in 3/4 or 3/8 time signature, phrases with a length of multiples of four (so 8 bars, 12 bars, …) and a bass line that emphasises the first beat, usually by using fuller chords and the utilising the lowest note in the bar. On the second and third beat, usually the same chord is used. If you hear something like oom-pah-pah from the bass, you are probably doing it right. Also, in a simple waltz, the harmony doesn't change in a bar. This has also to do with the fast tempo of a typical waltz (up to 60 bars per minute), except for a slow waltz ;-) A typical Viennese waltz has a certain “swing” in it (think Danube Waltz (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9vh-tSZCoI), where the first beat is strongly emphasised in the bass line, the second beat starts a tad too early, the third beat a tad too late. (Which is difficult to reproduce with notation software.) A very different type of waltz is from Shostakovich (Waltz No 2 from the “Suite for Variety Orchestra", but often known as "Waltz from Jazz Suite No 2“) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3pv2mAbQ7M). Still, you have this round, “swinging“ melodies and the strong first beat. Now, a waltz from Chopin is an entirely different matter, with note-rich, complicated melodies. But again, if you listen e.g to the Grande Valse Brillante (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=laSh3D_77ZM), and compare it to the other two, you could easily reduce Chopin’s waltz to a “swinging“ danceable waltz by simplifying the melodies. Now, this three waltzes are really masterpieces -- not really a good comparison for the first self-written waltzes --, but hopefully they give you some ideas.
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