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https://andrewhugill.com/manuals/violin/harmonics.html I usually use this website to check with the harmomics stuff on strings, as I'm no string player myself. Henry

Hello @Tristan25 Below is my feedback of your piece. Motive(s): Throughout the piece you have recurring motive that makes the piece cohesive. And yes, there is variation of the motive to interest, overall. However, I feel that interest is lost after so many times we hear it. This creates your thematic material short melodic phrases. This is usually fine. However, there is need something else to grab our attention. Harmony: As your first piece, it is fine to stick to more diatonic harmonies. Later, you should try learn chromatic harmony! Form: I am not certain what the over form of the composition is. Overall, it is great start

Last year, I decided to try my hand at writing an opera. I have just one more scene left to finish, along with the overture and an Act 2 interlude. It’s written more in the style of Debussy or late Wagner, so there are no choruses, duets, trios, or arias (though there is a “folk song” at the beginning of Act 1, Scene 4, sung in character by the female lead). My vocal emulations aren’t very good, and it can be a little confusing to distinguish between multiple tenors, sopranos, and baritones. However, I was listening to just the orchestration and decided to bounce those tracks out without the vocals, essentially, opera without the words. I’ve started scoring it (I hate scoring), and the first scene is already done. Once I get the whole thing scored, I’ll add the vocals, since that will make it easier to follow which character is singing. I’ve included a short summary of the scenes. The story is a variation on the biblical tale of David and Bathsheba. If you have a moment to listen, I know that without the score you might not be able to give detailed comments, but I’d appreciate any impressions you have of the music. Another Man’s Cage Setting: Salem, West Virginia, circa 1910. Act 1: Scene 1 – Train Station Nathan and his son David arrive at the train station in the small West Virginia coal‑mining town of Salem. It’s immediately apparent they are not close, as they argue, Nathan accusing David of being a playboy who only cares about having a good time, while David fires back that he learned not to care from his father after his mother died when he was young. Their argument is interrupted by the mayor, a band, and a small group of residents who have come to welcome them. Nathan has recently purchased the town’s coal mine and has come to inspect it. David is shocked when his father announces that David will be staying to run the mine. After the crowd leaves, Nathan informs David that he will either run the mine and do a good job or be financially cut off. Nathan reboards the train and leaves town, while David is left behind. Act 1: Scene 2 – The Creekside Later that day, a group of women wash clothes in the creek and talk about their husbands. Among them is Elizabeth Hutton, the wife of the mine foreman. After the other women leave, Elizabeth stays behind and is startled when David appears, he has been watching from the trees. David is immediately struck by her beauty, but Elizabeth is not charmed. When David remarks that she reminds him of himself, “trapped in a cage,” Elizabeth quickly leaves. David watches her go, remarking that she is the only thing of value in the town. Act 1: Scene 3 – The Creekside The next morning, Uriah Hutton, the mine foreman, gathers several miners and their wives to host a reception for the new boss. Uriah grows irritated as David is considerably late, and the others joke about why that might be. When David finally arrives and meets everyone, tension rises as Uriah introduces his wife and David remarks that they have already met. After David gives a short speech and leaves, Uriah mutters that David isn’t here to work, only to please his father. Act 1: Scene 4 – The Hutton House A few days later, Elizabeth sings a folk song about a mountain girl who dreams of going to the big city, a dream Elizabeth shares. A knock interrupts her. It’s David. After telling him that Uriah is at the mine, Elizabeth learns David has come to see her. He makes an impassioned declaration of love, but Elizabeth insists he would only bed her and leave her to face the scandal alone. David continues trying to woo her, but Elizabeth orders him to leave. As he walks away, she stands in the doorway watching him go. Act 2: Scene 1 – The Mine, East Tunnel A few months have passed, and David and Elizabeth have begun an affair. Some miners gossip about it and how oblivious Uriah seems. When Uriah approaches and asks what they’re discussing, no one will tell him, though he clearly suspects something. Alone, Uriah admits he has noticed David’s attraction to Elizabeth but cannot believe she would betray him. He informs the men they will soon be working in the West Tunnel, which needs repairs, and vows he will not give up his wife to David. Act 2: Scene 2 – The Royce House David and Elizabeth lie in bed after being intimate. When David asks what’s troubling her, Elizabeth reveals she is pregnant. She knows their affair cannot be hidden now, no one will believe that after years of marriage to Uriah, she is only now with child. David insists that nothing will stop them from being together. Act 2: Scene 3 – The Mine, West Tunnel As the men inspect the West Tunnel, Uriah notes that the beams need replacing, but David is impatient and wants progress. Suddenly, one of the miners hears something, and before they can react, the tunnel collapses. When the dust settles, David and Uriah are cut off from the others, who tell them to stay put while they dig them out. David presses Uriah about Elizabeth, and accusations fly. As one of the beams begins to give way, David realizes the only way to be with Elizabeth is to eliminate Uriah. He pushes Uriah beneath the falling rocks, which crush him just as the miners break through the rubble. They are shocked to find Uriah dead under the collapsed beam, while David lies and claims that Uriah saved his life by pushing him out of the way. Another Man's Cage - Act 1- Scene 1.mp3 Another Man's Cage - Act 1- Scene 2.mp3 Another Man's Cage - Act 1- Scene 3.mp3 Another Man's Cage - Act 1- Scene 4.mp3 Another Man's Cage - Act 2- Scene 1.mp3 Another Man's Cage - Act 2- Scene 2 .mp3 Another Man's Cage - Act 2- Scene 3.mp3

I've been playing violin/viola for over 20 years now and I still find it hard to describe harmonics, lol. There's like a whole physics lecture behind them and most of it goes over my head Basically, there are two kinds of string harmonics: natural and artificial. In short, natural harmonics occur when the player lightly touches a point on the string to produce the harmonic tone. These are a little confusing to notate since what one might see on the page isn't necessarily the pitch heard. I In the example above, it's basically telling the player to lightly touch the note where the player would normally play the E on the open G string. This will produce the B harmonic (as notated in the parenthesis). Some composers might just notate the diamond note on the E, and not have the G...players will know what to do. . Artificial harmonics are a little easier to notate. In the example above, you're telling the player to press the string (in this case the G string...the IV means G string...but the B notated is only possible on the G string so it's redundant) with the 1st finger (the index finger), and then lightly touch with their pinky finger a fourth above (if the player presses hard with their pinky finger, the note produced will be an E). The resulting pitch will be a B, but a harmonic that sounds 2 octaves higher than notated. These perfect 4th harmonics are pretty much standard in orchestral repertoire and will always produce the lower regular note 2 octaves higher than notated. Obviously, you can't do these harmonics on open strings, there always has to be a stopped note. Both examples above will produce the same B harmonic. The natural harmonic might be easier for players to play/find. Hopefully that made sense!

Hey everyone, It's been a while. Here's my submission to the Spring competition; overall while composing this I did a lot on like, 5 different days, because I kept forgetting about it and then working on It! the instruments I chose are: Guitar, Piano, Violin, and Cello. I tried to make it (sort of?) Interesting with my Instrument choice which of I forgot to put the 5th one. Its a little short, but It'll do. I mostly did this for fun and have no intent on winning. oh, and also I misspelled the MP3 file. Great. spring competiton.mp3

Having read the program notes page, I think you capture the atmosphere of some of the themes (ie. betrayal, turbulence) you mentioned. It would be interesting to hear the rest of the soundtrack to see how the themes/motifs you have here develop. Though, I gotta be honest...film scores lately have a very generic sound to them and this (for me anyways) falls in that category. Some things musical things from the score I noticed: The way these harmonics are notated is confusing. I'm saying that as a string player. Some 2nd violinists might think you want an open E string, which I'm pretty sure you don't want. If these are actual sounding pitches, the 1st violinist would have an easier time understanding these notations (one is a natural harmonic, the other is an artificial....don't really have a preference): The 2nd violin note (if that is the sounding pitch) is impossible to play as a harmonic on a violin. As I said, players would probably play an open E string. The viola one looks alright, it'll be a natural harmonic on the G string. Saw this in the score a couple of times. Wondering if you could move the pp before the barline to avoid those awkward looking measures with rests. Overall, there seems to be over-reliance on doublings between instrument groups. E to the end is the prime example. I think most of the wind/brass instruments can drop out at 47 for a quieter ending. Also that section felt a little...static? Could use some more rhythmic drive (maybe bring back the bass guitar/cello figure from the beginning?) or just some counterpoint.

Hi! Long time for not posting anything! I'm revising my old Clarinet Quintet and learning orchestration in the process. Here's something I'm working on. Clarinet Quintet in C minor is a work I finished 4 years ago in 2022 which I accidentally began my revision of it in April 2026. It's a work in four movements and in it I want to share my feeling towards despair, dream and hope. The piece is dedicated to my friend Ms. Merina Fung. Speical Thanks to @Thatguy v2.0 for making the audio for me. Here is the youtube video of the movement: Here is the structure of the 1st movement: 00:00 1st subject, Exposition. Introduce the "despair" motive (0134), in some sort of sad waltz in C minor. The passage in 01:26 is directly copied from an old piece of mine named "Boredom" 01:48 Transition. Follow the tonal plan of the first movement of Tchaikovsky's Fourth Symphony and modulate to tritone major Gb major (which is the tonic key of my next major work, String Sextet in G flat major). 04:09 2nd subject, Exposition. Introduce the "dream motive" (0247) and subsidary chromatic motive of (0123). Conflicts of the despair and dream motives continue, the dream seems to win at 06:53 with its own climax but easily defeated with a bold C minor half cadence right before the close of the exposition with a forceful perfect cadence in Gb. 08:42 Development, part 1. The dream breaks expectedly I really like the counterpoint in 08:59. Modulates to E minor for the transition theme, then build to a really beautiful climax in E major in 11:10 which I really love. Makes this movement sounds a bit less tragic. 11:36 Development, part 2. Another false serenity after the beautiful climax by a disappointed passage in G# minor in 12:38. The serene texture returns in B major in 13:17 but falls short to a dominant preparation of C minor in 13:50. I really love the retransition as it sounds really passionate to me (Actually I love all parts of the remianing parts in this movement after this point). A review of the keys visited in 14:27 with an octatonic falling scale, ending with two sorrowful monologue of clarinet and cello, just like the beginning. 14:53 Transition. I skip the 1st subject reappearence in the recap as it's completely meaningless to do so, given how the motive is developed in the entire movement. I really love the tragedy here, as I even have this passage reappears in the coda of 4th movement, after 40 minutes or so lol. Another false serenity in tonic major in 15:24, and I really love the nostalgic sounding passage in Ab major in 16:01, still base on the dream motive. The German sixth chord in 16:36 must be stolen from Schubert"s Quartettsatz. A fugato in 16:42 trying to fight despair and reclaim dream once more and "sucessfully" modulates to Gb major once again. 17:31 2nd subject, Recap. But when you want more you hurt more, as despair harms you more when you have hope. This time a hard C minor half cadence comes. The dream theme now becomes a nightmare in 18:07 and continues to sigh. 19:20 Coda. Previous themes keep reappearing as I myself used to ruminate my sadness all the time. Finally it ends with what begins the piece, the realization of despair in its original form. Structurally I am not really satisfied with how I expand the themes in the 2nd subject of exposition (Dream part) and how I treat the materials in development, as I am afraid I overextend too much. However I just retain most of the things originally as I wanna keep true to my old self. It's an absolute low when I composed this piece, as I really questioned myself whether I could really compose something good back then. Luckily I did finish the entire work and gave me some confidence, plus meeting some really good friends here. The whole 4 movement piece is composed with three motives mentioned above, as I wanted to keep the piece coherent. The inspiration of the work comes from Brahms’s Clarinet Quintet as I wanted to write a more tragic piece than his (of course this goal fails), but I am happy with what I’ve done. Strangely only now do I find how Brahmsian this piece is. One interesting thing is that despite the movement is in C minor, in the first 14 minutes (two-thirds) of the movement, only 2 minutes are in the tonic. In this revision I mainly modify spots I find unreasonble, some voicings and slurs, and breathing spots for Clarinet. Hope you listen through the music and read through the description, and my wish that enjoy the work! Feel free criticize the work as I know it's far from perfect. P.S. the old version of this same Quintet is posted before: It's my biggest mistake to post an hour long piece here as my first post. So I will chop up the 4 movements and post it one by one now! Henry Clarinet Quintet in C minor 1st mov V3.mp3 (For YT)Clarinet Quintet in C minor 1st mov final 20260501.pdf