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Hello, Here is a short piece, in the style of light, popular music from about 100 years ago, maybe a bit like music in old Charlie Chaplin films (hence the title “Past Times”). The basic motif is simple and has probably popped up earlier in different forms. But I played a bit around with it, and in the end, I was rather satisfied how the piece turned out to be, I would be quite interested to know what you think of it. Any criticism is most welcome. I have one particular question where I am in doubt. As you will notice, I use staccatissimo´s throughout to mark the short duration of the quarter notes. But you will also note that the meter is in “Alla breve”, Should I therefore use ordinary staccato marks instead of the staccatissimo¨s? I have not been able to find a guideline for this notation issue.

This is a little piece for two violins that I had a lot of fun writing. I hope to be able to record it myself in next months. First need to practice it😆That's why you shouldn't make your own works too difficult🙃 From the video's description: "Originally written for a Twoset competition where they would have to guess the country the composer is from (the piece is supposed to relate to it). Doubt they will be using this but it was fun to write nonetheless. I've used many fun ideas I had gathered over time and turned them into this duo. It is in ABA form with the A section being the blizzard obviously and the calm middle section depicting the common sub -30C temperatures where there is not a single hint of life found outside. Enjoy!" I have only realized later that having all fingering on print is quite messy and I should have left most of them out. Oh well, they'll help me learn it.

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Thanks Rich! Really glad you liked it. Duets sure are tough to write because you only have so much to work with. It has been an interesting break from writing for piano or orchestra. You can't just convey harmonies with blocked chords. I do have to work on my endings that they have more build-up but this is one was, as you said, a choice to keep more straightforward. Thanks again!!!

Hey Aaron, I really find you improve much in the voice leading. Even though this one is a short piece, the melody moves very smoothly without any large leaps, probably except the F natural which @PeterthePapercomPoser and @Luis Hernández mention which I agree with, both with the tritone reason Peter suggests or the harmonic reason Luis suggests. Now I really think you can start expand your pieces and develop your ideas, when your voice leading and harmony are start staying firm. You can also add more details to further polish your piece, for example the dynamic markings and expressions. You may even try styles other than the short classical pieces! Thx for sharing! It's nice to see constant progress from you. Cheers for that 🙌🙌🙌 Henry

Ressurection.mp3 An attempt at composing a more bombastic and loud piece with quiet sections, different from my usual style. Would be interested to hear your thoughts. Thanks!

Depends on the library, but still a true statement, generally I've personally never encountered the free version of a library that was actually worth having in the orchestral realm; maybe there would be some percussion libraries. As far as strings, brass and winds go though, I've personally never been impressed with free results. Most paid string libraries actually suck imo. I will say this though, and keep in mind I own around 5k worth of stuff that I didn't even get on sale and have no intentions of ever buying anything new at this point as I am satisfied with my setup: If you're going to buy samples, you really must evaluate them thoroughly beforehand and aim to get the most bang for your buck. That's why buying a lot of "middle of the road" libraries or cheap things can be a trap that will cost you more money in the end. I also do not know of anyone putting out professional-quality music who owns just one library or family of libraries; one sample library cannot do everything equally well. What you have to ask yourself is: How far do you want to take your craft? If you're interested in Spotify, then presumably you want to attract as many listeners as possible, and if that is the case: NP and Sibelius or free libraries simply will not cut it. If you want the best presentation of your compositions possible, then there is no way around it: In the absence of a live orchestra, you will have to spend some money (not necessarily 5k) and time learning the art of using high-quality samples and virtual orchestration. Technology like NP or MuseSounds is advancing rapidly, but still cannot compete with stellar sample mockups. Lastly, there is another important thing to consider: When I was younger, I used to think it was just hipster nonsense when synth guys and stuff talked about how owning the same gear as everyone else made you sound just like them, but now I see that it is at least half-true. If you own multiple sample libraries, you will pick and choose instruments and articulations from them and come to favor certain combos that are unique to you, along with your own personal tricks in sequencing and audio processing that will give you a signature sound. For example, I do not know anyone who is using the exact same setup as me, and — at least as far as I can hear — it shows. I don't know of anyone else's mockups who would be mistaken for mine, and that has real value both on a personal and professional level.

Really love the chords you used. A very spacey work, fits the image

This is quite nice. The funniest thing is that I have used the first 5 notes of the melody in a just-messing-around composition myself a couple years ago haha. Really caught me by surprise there.

I don't think I have much else to add: everybody here seems to have provided heaps of constructive criticism and then some, so I'll just be providing my own opinions regarding the piece. indigo card jjsploit.click