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Haha... well I've listened to Mahler's second symphony while working out at the gym, so there! The prelude for guitar is lovely, by the way! It reminds me a bit of Scarlatti, though maybe it's because of my lack of exposure to this particular style.

@Luis Hernández and @Seni-G it's neat that Charles Ives came out in the discussion, because I was definitely reminded of his work when listening to the sonata, though I forgot to mention it. A lot of pieces of the aesthetic puzzle fit together with Ives' influence in mind!

Thanks @Lithl & @CrystalCanon Do not disparage your contribution to discussion on this forum, Lithl. Your feedback is as important to us as anyone else here. The second movement is indeed different. To some extent it is more stylictsticaly reminiscent of earlier galant chamber music, particularly in my use of the initial bass pattern that contains semiquaver passing notes. This is quite common in, for example, the chamber music of Carl Abel (a close associate of JC Bach) of late 1750s & early 1760s: But structurally it is quite different and in my view more akin to a fantasy - more liberal with greater meandering in the development and license in the recapitulation. I leave it to other's to determine whether it is a good fit or not... after all it was composed initially as a standalone piece that I thought would complement this suite. Listen carefully to some of the bass motifs at cadential in Abel's flute concerto in the below video (first piece) to see what I mean:

Exactly! Some of the best chorus' of Bach's festive cantatas, with the splendor of the full baroque orchestra, are in 3/8. I personally recommend that of Vereinigte Zwietracht der wechselnden Saiten, BWV 207, for which he reused the first movement from his Brandenburg Concerto no 1. Such clever stuff! I listen to it while working out in the gym... I must be the only one in the world doing that 🤣

@Lithl Thank you kindly for the review! The kids are doing great, thanks for asking. That was a picture of my oldest some when he was a newborn, and now he’s a tween. Time flies. I’ve never heard of Kapustin but I’ll definitely check him out! @Luis Hernández Good call about dropping the repeat in the first movement. I left it in because I wanted to keep that classical sonata form, but maybe it should be an optional repeat. And thank you for the Ives comparison. I have always felt a certain kinship with Ives. He achieved so beautifully what I long to achieve: a prolific quantity of ear-stretching music that never breaks away entirely from classical harmony and form. I appreciate the comparison!!

@Luis Hernández I think this is lovely! Though it’s modern, it still sounds tonal and classical-influenced to my ear. That’s my favorite kind of sound, something that feels new and classic all at once. I like that the music has a distinct shape and direction, despite the modern sound. The orchestration is lush and beautiful. It feels like you’re having fun, which makes it fun for the listener. My only suggestion would be this: if you use the entire color palette on the front end, you don’t save very many arrows in your quiver for later. You might try limiting the number of colors used at the start, so that later on you can introduce more in order to keep it fresh and exciting. Sometimes many colors used one after another can start out interesting, but quickly becomes a bit flat since they lose their uniqueness, and the thrill of introducing a new color wears off too quickly when it’s surrounded by other interesting colors. In a way, it’s about restraint in how you deploy your instruments, so that each important color change has a chance to stand out and shine. I’m excited to hear more of your orchestral work!

Great thread Lithl. Lots of good stuff here. By the way...how do you pronounce your name? Is it...lith-el? Like "little" but with a lisp? At least that's how I say in my head when I see your name pop up. Please correct me if I am wrong! I will share one guy....this guy is incredible. I drew inspiration from him in writing my own music.

Hi Markus! It’s a really nice quartet, definitely in the spirit of Mozart and Haydn. The portamento in the sound samples of the strings can be mildly distracting. Also for some reason, I was slightly unsettled by bar 17 for some reason, though maybe the effect was intentional, or maybe it was partly because of the portamento. Great piece though, and I’m excited to hear the final version!

Hello @Fruit hunter ! I wish, I could press both buttons, „Thank you“ and „Ha, ha“, but since that is not possible, I did a simple „Like“. And even though the “fruit hunter award of excellence” will not really appear in my collection of badges, I’ll collect it in my mind! Thank you, very much. It’s nice to hear, that you don’t find the use of the muted trumpet as „too annoying“. And yes, this time, I tried to blend the instruments together (as it is done in a full orchestra) as far as possible and not only to simple distribute the four-part voice leading of the original piano work to the instruments. Unfortunately, I have no practical experience how fast a cellist can change from bowing to pizzicato. I hope that it is possible in the relatively slow tempo. I remember discussions on that topic on even faster tempo, where finally came around that nowadays string players would be able to do so, even in relative fast tempo. And, by the way – ha, ha – I remember that you’ve earned similar concerns with your mallet changes in your „On Pastel Skies“ submission ... Yes, always after finishing one of my piano pieces, I try out the fingering (and test the playability). Perhaps my fingering instructions are somewhat exaggerated, but it is not as easy even in passages one might find simple at the first glance, so that I often struggle which fingering marks are redundant and obvious. Another fun was for me to learn about the notation for the Accordion, applying registration hints and the notation for the bass.

Hello @Kvothe! Thank you very much for your instant review of my submission. You have mentioned a number of concerns or suggestions with my engraving, which I now have thoroughly checked out, so that I can give some explanations for some of the decisions I made concerning them: Piano and Accordion. When I came around with my unusual instrumentation, I asked myself how to organize the score, especially the ordering and grouping of the instruments. In a „normal“ piano quintet (i.e., for example, a piano and four strings) we would have the strings at the top (in their usual order), grouped together, and at the bottom the piano as a single instrument of the „piano group“. But in my case, the piano is not the prominent or single accompanying instrument, thus I considered my ensemble as an „orchestra“ – while only consisting of five instruments. I Googled somewhat around how to organize such a kind of „orchestra“ (and interestingly, there were various responses, some of which contradicted each other). So I finally decided to use the answer suggesting the following grouping/order: 1. Brass section – Consisting of the Trumpet only. 2. Plucked string section – Consisting of the Guitar only. 3. Percussion/keyboards section – Consisting of the Accordion and the Piano 4. String section – Consisting of the Cello only. That kind of grouping/order finally leads to the impression, that the Trumpet, Guitar and Cello are „sole instruments“ (since each group consists of only one) and the only real section or „family“ are the Accordion and Piano together, so that they share the bar lines (as it is usually done for instrument families in an orchestral score). However, I must admit, it might look a bit weird at the first glance. Stem direction. There are different rules applied determining the stem direction for different instruments/staves: For the homophonic or single-voiced instruments (that are the Trumpet, the Guitar and the Cello), I used „neutral stem direction“ where notes below the middle staff line have upward stems, and notes on or above the middle line have downward stems (which is exact the opposite of that you have supposed). I think, my Lilypond software did it correct, since I did not declare that there is a particular voice for that staves. For the treble and bass staves of the Piano part and the treble staff of the Accordion part, I used „voice stem direction“, since those parts are derived from the original piano composition which has a strict four-part voice leading. Thus, the „pickup“ you mentioned (e.g. the first four notes of the Piano) are in the alto voice which always has the stems down. I must admit that the four-part voice leading is not recognizable everywhere, since lots of the notes of the original piano composition have been removed, since they have been „handed over“ to the other instruments. The bass staff of the Accordion uses the „Stradella Bass“ system where notes below the center of the staff are bass notes and notes above the center of the staff indicate chord buttons (labeled with M, m, 7, or D (or d, or dim) to a signify major, minor, dominant seventh or diminished seventh). Yes, you’re right. There are passages with „unbeamed“ eights and sixteenth notes, especially in the trumpet part for the reason that this is the vocal part where the poem is set to music (with the muted trumpet as a substitute for the human voice). Other occasions of „unbeamed“ notes have been introduced intentionally, as the result of the texture of the second fugue subject and its counterpoint – whereas that is, admittedly, not easy to recognize in the orchestrated version. Dynamic markings. Perhaps, I somewhat exaggerated with the dynamic markings. But I’ve listened to many orchestation/scoring tutorials where hairpins without a starting and ending dynamic were considered as an error. Thus, all my hairpins lead from a distinct dynamic to another one. And, yes, „mezzo“ (either mp or even mf) isn’t always welcome.

@Luis Hernández Good point! Sorry I didn’t really process that this was a sketch until you said that.

@Seni-G Hello Thank you for listening and commenting. Yes, I also feel at home with this sort of more or less post-tonal music. I very much agree with what you say about using the orchestra’s timbres sparingly. There are a few reasons for this: it’s an exercise I completed in just two days; it’s so short that, well, this is how it turned out. And the priority was to work on the set of four notes.

Don't think anyone has posted this yet... Star Fox 64, Sector X. I prefer the quartet version.

this production receives the “ fruit hunter award of excellence” !!!

Hello @Markus Boyd, thanks for sharing this beautiful baroque inspired prelude for acoustic guitar! Congratulations for the good scoring. Unfortunately, I had needed this a few weeks earlier, since I also featured an acoustic guitar in my last composition (for the ongoing 2026 Summer Competition). I hope that I did not cause many playability issues there, since the part is mostly single-voiced. That would be great, already excited. Yes, pieces in 3/8 are wonderful for their beautiful and thriving character, but that meter has – in my opinion - always the inherent danger from constantly listening as „hum-ta-taa, hum-ta-taa, hum-ta-taa“. There are a number of recordings of, for example, the opening choir and the choir „Herrscher des Himmels“ from Bach’s Christmas Oratorio, which suffer from that problem to be as rhythmically monotonous, regardless of the tempo. However, in your prelude this is not the case, perhaps since the repeated staccato eights are (wisely) used sparsely.

Hello @Woofi_9, since you are (relatively) new at this forum, first my warm welcome! Whenever one posts an unfinished piece – what I think is here the case due to the title and the plenty bars at the end with rests only – there is a good chance to receive rich feedback with usually polite suggestions for improvement. So I very appreciate @MK_Pianos explanations on „Melody and Harmony“ which are not only intended and useful for you, but for all readers of the forum. I can’t compare myself to him because I don’t have an entire „tutorial“, but only a repost with some considerations about „Rhythm and Texture“ which, I think, supplements Mason’s explanations. I intentionally just did not listen to the piece and am focusing only on that I am seeing in the score, trying to formulate my concerns and suggestions – however the piece might sound fine. A string quartet consists of four individual instruments, usually playing a single voice (and, furthermore, of four individual humans). Thus, it perfectly fits for a four-part-voice leading where each voice is „independent“ and „equal“ to each other. Such kind of music is called „polyphonic“ or even „counterpuntal“ music – the opposite to a musical „style“ that consists of a (prominent) melody voice and (subordinate) accompaniment. I think, your piece is a kind of this approach. However, we do need a memorable melody and rhythm, often called a „theme“, which is played multiple times (sometimes unchanged like in a canon or fugue - or otherwise slightly altered) by all instruments throughout the piece. So the role, which instrument is most prominent and which are the accompanying ones changes, finally creating variety. And there I’m coming now to my concerns or „criticism“: I can’t recognize such a memorable „theme“ which I would usually expect at the beginning of the piece in the upper voice. Instead, the Violin 1 has a somewhat repetitive texture with repeated half notes for the first 6 bars. Although the piece has enough distinctive textural motifs (each one bar long), they are not distributed well enough between the voices resulting in that the same motif is repeated too often by the same instrument (for example, the Cello in bars 9-14). My suggestion is, to take the one-bar motifs and create a „theme“ from them. In the example below, I have taken two passages, snippet them out and glued them together to create such a „theme“ from then which I would consider to distinctive enough. (Note, that I didn’t take care of the melody, i.e. the pitches and didn’t bother how it would sound, it is a rhythmic or textural example only). I would start with that „theme“ in Violin 1 and would repeat it at least two times (or better three times to involve all four instruments) thereafter by other voices. The other instruments should than apply rhythmical motifs which are contrary to that bars of the theme, meaning where the theme has a slow motion, the other instruments should have the faster motion – and vice versa.

Hello. A brilliant piece of work. I have to say I really liked it. It strikes me as fresh, well-crafted and natural all at once. I think the three movements complement each other. There’s just one thing I wouldn’t have done – though this is purely a matter of personal preference – and that’s repeating the opening section in the first movement. I know it’s a sonata, but this sort of piece, with such an ‘progressive’ musical character – constantly adding new elements and moving forward – doesn’t need a literal repetition. Besides, the length of the movements is just right. The first movement reminded me very much of one composer: Charles Ives. Mind you, I’m not drawing a direct parallel, as that composer’s textures were quite intense. Well, one always tries to find points of reference. And I love Ives. I found the second movement beautiful – nostalgic at first, and reflective in the second part. And the third… I liked the twist you’ve introduced here, which (this time, YES, in my view) is a neoclassical-neobaroque homage. Congratulations on your work.

Hello @Seni-G! I apologize for straying from the music itself, but I wanted to start by mentioning your profile picture. It is absolutely lovely! How are your children and family doing? I imagine the kids have grown quite a bit by now. It captures musical elements and family life beautifully—and the fact that you’re smiling at your child rather than looking at the keyboard is wonderful. That photo truly embodies the feeling that "Everything In Its Right Place," haha! As for the piece itself, the two people above have already left such excellent comments that there isn't much left for me to add in depth. Regarding the Allegro, I got a vibe reminiscent of Kapustin—especially around the 0:04 mark. I’m sorry I can’t recall the specific track right now, but if I find it, I’ll edit this post to include it. Of course, the note density and tempo are different. It’s packed with ideas—including the development around 6:49—but I did feel it was a bit long for a casual listen. It might be good to try condensing it—prioritizing the elements you most want to express, trimming the rest, and ensuring a smooth flow. Of the three movements, the Largo was my favorite. I imagine that if performed on an actual piano, the nuances of the timing and pauses would come through beautifully! Best, Lithl.

Hi! I enjoyed listening to this work! I like the second movement, which is a bit reminiscent of Mozart's Violin Sonata, but don't take my ears too seriously, haha. The second movement has a nice tempo, and although the style is different, it somehow evokes the atmosphere of a village from Lord of the Rings; it's bright and lovely. I'll listen to your other works when they're uploaded! Best, Lithl.

Hello, This is the 2nd and 3rd installment of my Kids Songs series, which follow "Kids Perfect". These songs were written with more conventional harmonic ideas, though I tried to add some variation and spice here and there to make things interesting. Once again, these are recorded on a nice grand piano at home. Feel free to crank the volume and enjoy :) Kids Born (Arthur) was written prior to the birth of my first born child. I had no idea what he was going to be like. I wrote the piece in anticipation while my wife was still pregnant. I am particularly satisfied with that chord transition at 1:16 to Bb major. If someone knows more about music theory, perhaps they can show me why it works? Or perhaps other pieces of music that might have a similar idea? In all honestly, I probably might have made a mistake while playing/composing and it just sounded good, there was not necessarily much conscious thought that went into that particular chord. Maybe it's not even that special! Kids Born Encore (Marlon) was written some 3 years after my youngest was born...at this point I had a sense of my second child's personality. So the writing process was very different. Anyone who has ever raised 2 young kids will tell you that the kids want to have the same of everything - same toys, same food, same everything. So, naturally it was important to me to try to keep some sense of sameness but also retaining some individuality. So I chose F major, a key that feels same enough to G major and with a goal of overall similar compositional style to the first one. But alas, I was not the same person. 5 years have passed in between writing Kids Born and Kids Born Encore. One cool fact about this song is the irregular key signature, which I had no idea even existed until I transcribed it onto sheet music! Anyways, here it is. Hope you all enjoy it and let me know any feedback/critiques/suggestions.

Sometime I enjoy just making a bad song. I was going for a late 80’s early 90’s adult contemporary sound. Bad Pop Rock Song No.3.mp3

Hello everyone. I have two very different pieces I'd like to show you guys First is my etude in E major, which I composed a few months ago. The overall form is very much like chopin etudes, but the harmonic language, particularly in the b section, can become more like late liszt or even impressionism. The main exercise of the etude is a focus on voicing and keeping the fast right hand very light, which is difficult since the voiced notes are double stemmed with the 16th note arpeggiated-like figure. The right hand can also get a little awkward in certain parts, the left hand requires specific articulation, and I even wrote the piece using 3 staves. The pedaling is also a big challenge, and I myself struggle with it as you may hear in the recording. With all that said, while I believe it’s very musically difficult, it is definitely nowhere close to the harder chopin and liszt etudes technically, but I hope you found it interesting to listen to and let me know what you guys think. Heres my recording: https://youtube.com/shorts/_oecn04h1xg Then this is my second etude in C# minor, the one after the one in E major, which is more recent. The main challenge of the etude is maintaining a cantabile melody in the left hand thumb (and index finger), alongside a smooth rolled chord gesture in the same hand, and a rapid, but light, right hand with a 10 note tuplet in 32nd notes, which acts as a sort of ostinato. As you can tell from listening to the piece, it is very different from the first etude, which was more chopinesque in form, lisztian in harmony (particularly mid period liszt), and slightly impressionistic in texture. In this etude, however, I decided to expand further on the impressionistic aspect of my writing, experimenting with these flowing textures and ambiguous harmonies through devices like polyrythms and tuplets, changes in meter, the arpeggiated like flow of the right hand ostinato, having two different time signatures with the same number of beats working together in measures (for example having 12/8 and 4/4 or 9/8 and 3/4 together, and ravel does exactly this in “une barque sur l’ocean” in his miroirs), as well as using extended harmonies and other other random harmonic stuff i figured out through hearing these composers and improvisation which may be too difficult to explain in this text lol. Anyway, I had a lot of fun with this composition, I learned a lot of new things through it, I hope you enjoy it, and let me know what yall think. Here is the recording: https://youtube.com/shorts/JzwQNJA4yO8 Etude in E major - Full Score.pdf Etude in C-Sharp Minor, No 2 - Full Score.pdf

Hello there @林家興 I do agree with everyone that you should bring out the RH. That has foreground. We can barely hear it. Second: Instead of writing out the swing triplets, you can easily indicate that. Two beamed 8ths=qauter-8th triplet. That way, you can notate two beamed 8ths that are not played "straight". When you want to straight 8ths, you can indicate that in score. :) The modern jazz harmony reminds of Gershwin! :)

Agreed, this is wonderful! I would bring out the RH just a touch to really let the melody be heard, but this is beautiful. I feel like I'm at a fancy restaurant drinking wine :)

Hi, 林家興. First, I don't know how this piece hasn't received any comments in two months. It is absolutely delightful, from start to finish! Smooth and spunky, all at the same time. I'm not sure if this is a live recording or not, but the playback was terrific. I love jazzy melodies and chord progressions... and the way you pull off the key change so smoothly to the complement (from Ab to D) is very impressive. Hats off to you! Amazing piece. So glad you shared it with us (and I'm glad your brother liked it)! Best, Jordan

I just fell in love with this track after 8-bit music theory covered it. Zelda - Majora's Mask - Astral Observatory: