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  1. after a quick listen if you want some feedback I think this needs more contrast in terms of instrumentation at least like what happens at around 1 minutes and 40 seconds. Nuances in all aspects is good for the ear but if you stay to long for the same instrumentation, tonality, what ever it may become boring for the ear as is quickly get used to the sound. Instead of the Guitar (i think) Having the main theme always try to give it to other instruments. Let them have sort of conversation so the speak where maybe the strings have the main theme then the Guitar becomes background element and then the Guitar takes over instead of mostly having the theme. I just think switching the main focus here and there could improve it overall. Maybe also some Rythmic variations as the Rythm or tempo seem to be constant through out. Maybe a few Nuances here could help as well. I also think that the piece starts too sudden maybe spend a few minutes building up to it. It feels sort of like starting at a climax at the piece. If you want some listening recommendation i would recommend Mozart - Jupiter fourth movement (as it demonstrates what i am talking about regarding instruments having a conversation) Maybe some music from Ramin Djawadi some of his horror music? Like Slender Man, Game of thrones? Maybe Penderecki - Threnody for inspiration. Overall i think the concept is really promising. Good work.
    2 points
  2. Just putting this out there: I just finished my piece! It can be found over here: I've just posted a new thread for it. If you've been following this work for some time (for some reason; either way I thank you 😉), you can go check out the finished work there. Thanks for the support, @PeterthePapercomPoser and @Henry Ng Tsz Kiu! Your kind words gave me enough strength to keep going 🙏
    1 point
  3. Hello! I recently started writing this Nocturne for my final project in my Music Appreciation class. I wanted to know your thoughts on the A section so far. As you can tell there will be a contrasting B section that hasn't been completed. But what can I improve on this piece? Nocturne_in_E_major.mp3 I FORGOT TO ADD "ADAGIO" TO THE TOP PRETEND ITS THERE.
    1 point
  4. We must pronounce restaurant differently. I've always pronounced it "rest-raunt", as long, long. I never realized there were Americans who pronounced all three syllables, I thought that was a british thing. Anyways, I find that I quite often break the rule you're talking about. Because even though the word is pronounced as [stressed, unstressed] I find myself wanting to extend it. I imagine it as a trailing off at the end of the phrase, with an assumed softening (rest-raunt) that I find natural in the way I might sing these lines, with less forward motion, specifically with no intent to move forward, but rather hold to a pitch. I'm curious as to whether after this explanation you still disagree with me. Because this has become something I have accustomed to doing, hearing another perspective would be quite helpful. I've also edited the score a bit, mostly minor harmonic stuff, singability things.
    1 point
  5. well you don’t know me - am I expected to? "I’m older than you" If you say so. "and have greatest regard for my teachers of the past and for the luminaries I seek to marinate my mind with." Mine taught me how to use the tools but not how to create unique work. My important teachers were dead or very old when I arrived on the planet. DAWs. I use Reaper because it has an exceptionally good midi editor for its price as a private, non-commercial composer, along with very good audio editing. Like other DAWs it has its complexities and its failings. Trying to get a detailed specification for any DAW is difficult and probably best to look at its user manual (at least the index where it should tell you what it can do). Notation software: people here speak highly of Musescore's latest incarnation. It comes with its own sound sample library which produces some pretty good results. I do not use notation software for the actual process of composing. For engraving (preparing the final copy) I use Dorico. It has strengths and weaknesses. Basically I don't like notation software but use it if I have to produce a score (because individual parts can be extracted). So I go from a paper draft into the DAW, make adjustments then create a midi export which can be picked up by Dorico. .
    1 point
  6. An astute comment if ever! Agreed, and I suppose it's an exercise and something to aim for among beginner to intermediate experience composers (if you'll pardon those descriptions, please). I also agree with about 5 minutes being a reasonable time for a concert piece. Perhaps there are cases when a piece may go on for longer but they should be the exception. Maybe a concertante movement since there are soloists still around. I half-heartedly tried a single movement Sinfonietta (which I thought was ok but failed with inadequate rendering), then a Symphony which was unsatisfactory so I kept just the middle movement as a lone piece. I've no intention of writing another unless it's for fun - light music, e.g. Don Gillis' Symphony 5 1/2. Like many musical forms if you include dances of the same era, they're now outdated, relics from the days of the Sunday concert being "higher-brow" entertainment. Minuets, Sarabands, Bourees...enjoyed by the elite and the effete. This doesn't mean that these forms or the associated music shouldn't be the basis of composition, as long as the composer is aware of their provenance. .
    1 point
  7. You are welcome and that make sense. However i would recommend that each piece should be able to be a standalone piece yet continuously work together further moving the drama forward for a more impact full listening experience. James Horner does this for example very well In his film scores such as Krull, Star trek the wrath of khan, and others.
    1 point
  8. Frankly, and I know I'm in the minority here, but most long-form musical works are simply vanity projects in an era where rich people no longer pay you to compose them. I do not know that I have ever listened to any symphony in its entirety, in a single sitting, no matter how good it is. Honestly, most pieces of music longer than 5 minutes really have no business being that long, and starts to either descend into an unnecessary amount of variations and repetition, or may as well be multiple pieces. Elvis had over 20 #1 hits and I don't think any of them were longer than 3 minutes. This was in the '50s and '60s, when we are told people had longer attention spans. I feel there is an important thing to learn there. Most people here don't seem to be film composers or TV, but rather aspiring concert composers (at least from what I've noticed) and thus they don't really realize just how much story can be told in 1-2 minutes. In most cases, that is plenty long enough to say what you want to musically, in one coherent idea. So in short: I don't have any plans of writing a symphony. Right now, I'm putting the finishing touches on an album of adventure orchestral music for TV. The company requires at least 10 tracks, but if I'm being honest, I do feel like I said what needed to be in 8.
    1 point
  9. Hi @Guardian25! I think the trills can be fixed and redered better if you use the Musesounds Violin instead of the MS Basic soundfont! I think whenever Musescore renders a trill with the MS Basic soundfonts, it just alternates between the two notes as quickly as possible which does not sound good and results in a very robotic sound, like you said. But if you use Musesounds it will be much more humanized and realistic sounding imo! I think there are some notes that sound really wrong to me! Meas. 18 & 19 - the G#'s sound really bad to my ear! I think if you kept them as G naturals, it might sound better because an E minor chord is more diatonic to the key than a major one. Also at measure 24, the B natural sounds out of place to me as well, since the key has a Bb in it - I think a Bb would fit much better (but it's just my opinion and you are the composer and are free to do as you wish of course). Thanks for sharing! Peter
    1 point
  10. The overall sketch has been completed minus a couple parts where I need to change some stuff. So it’s almost completely done at least for my presentation in class. I plan to extend it later though. I do play piano but unfortunately playing this is too high of a level for me. But someday I’ll be able to perform it. I know I will.
    1 point
  11. So you want someone to notate that recording for you or something? I'm not sure I follow. Or maybe you have questions on how to properly notate for percussion? If so, there's a plethora of info I could direct you to. Happy composing 😄
    1 point
  12. Oh I like where you were about to take this! Those heavy triplets at the end were really cool, it gave me Rach or Debussy vibes. I'd continue that and develop it into something mysterious... idk lol. Have you been working on this? I'd love to hear this completed. Are you a pianist? Can you play this?
    1 point
  13. Hey man, cool start you have to this They're very thin, perhaps fleshing out the piano chords would be a good start? Maybe arpeggiating the block chords after a while in the intro section? The crunchy spicy chords at 1:37 or so are really nice, I'd develop that. For the contrasting part, I think it's a good move to go there. Again, the sound is thin, and again I'd fill out the piano more. It's just an easy start, and the notes so far don't look very pianistic. Maybe have some bouncy chords play with that piano line? I think you're fine here I know you're using a DAW, so we don't have to talk about the score 😛 I'm gonna move this to the unfinished section, you might get some more help and attention in that sub forum. Thanks for sharing, and keep us posted on updates! Lovely start so far my friend
    1 point
  14. I wrote Pictures for String Quartet today with the idea in my head that the listener is in a space occupied by different paintings. This current work is called Gallery One. I will continue to write some more. Gallery Two, Three etc. All feedback welcome. Whatever you say, I will consider it for the upcoming movements.
    1 point
  15. Hi @PeterthePapercomPoser Thank you for your kind words. It's a relief and a great compliment when I see someone use the 'unique' word. And a hypnotic trance is certainly the effect I was trying to achieve. Yes, I used Musesounds. To achieve the portamento glisasandi, I went to the pallete, selected the guitar bending effect, and then applied it to the strings.
    1 point
  16. I have recently had an interesting mind experiment with myself. I have sometimes thought of maybe going back to school for a master's in music and I've heard some great advice on discord stating that one should seek out a good composer/composition teacher that one would want to study with and go to that school where you'd be able to study with them. So I imagine to myself that I have already done that and I'm sitting with my teacher in their office, listening to some of my music, and they ask me "So what are your musical goals in regards to musical composition? What do you really want to achieve here?" That question is what inspired the following list (in no particular order): Write mimesis music - mimicry of various natural/unnatural sounds through reinforcement of harmonics in the orchestra Feature aural illusions in my music Continue writing variations pieces on various beloved pre-existing themes or newly composed themes Write a programmatic symphony Write an original piano sonata in a unique style without resorting to cliche pianism Continue finishing old pieces that I started over a decade ago to stay connected to my past Learn galant schema and use them to write original pieces of music Continue writing old Baroque dances in a new style and include different dances besides the minuet in my symphony Write occasional pieces of music utilizing dice and/or chance/aleatoric techniques/elements But ultimately - just follow my heart and write passion projects rather than cerebral exercises. Those are the goals I came up with. Share what you think of them or what your own personal goals are and how they might be different from mine! Thanks for reading. Peter
    1 point
  17. For me, - To learn styles from diverse or even all sources - exposure to as many as possible, but to ofc focus on what truly resonates with you - and develop your very individualized styles . I learn a lot of and from western classical forms ( largely from Baroque to Modern ) and genres but also beyond that especially in terms of geography. But at the end of the day it is to incorporate the elements and understanding to composing what you want and not merely for the sake of fulfilling some numbers ( unless it becomes something official ), yet what you compose should be both personalized for yourself but also universal for others ( as many as possible ) to appreciate, enjoy and keep and ring with them and enrich their lives too. As much as I root myself in baroque and classical traditions, and be open and experimental when I really do, I still love Late Romantic music the most. As per my limitations and inclinations, I am only largely able and willing to compose for piano. And as I compose and publish, I realize most of my pieces are kind of programmatic - it has to be about something, whatever it is interpreted as. All that said, I have to agree that it is just this: Thank You Ke Shen
    1 point
  18. 100 % that I feel like i have a bunch more early keyboard stuff on the docket, whether it’s composing or playing. Late renaissance, besides just being a foundation for me is also a language I feel I can use to express my inner self and not merely a relic of the past, so i think it would be a shame if i didn’t do more of that. But eventually i would also like to get involved in something more popular and maybe more symphonic in scope, like film or video game music or something, but in a way that’s not too commercial and in which i can still be myself. Perhaps there will be someone with some interesting or eclectic project, as i think that is what id work the best with. that might be naive and optimistic but w/e
    1 point
  19. Almost all great themes share a few common traits • They fit within 8 bars • They follow either sentence or period structure • They have a clear apex (only one highest or one lowest point which is not repeated) • They have an obvious rhythmic pattern to such an extent that they would be memorable purely by rhythm alone Start with your C major scale on piano. Start at C and play down, one note in the scale at a time until you reach the C the octave below. Then, all you have to do is alter the rhythm in which you descend and you'll discover something quite famous That is how important rhythm is to great melodies. It can turn the most boring C major scale into one of the most recognizable tunes in all Western music
    1 point
  20. @gaspard I don't see a stand alone post of yours for the entry, so I'll just say here that your entry is awesome to me. It's very colorful and jaunty, and even if I didn't know the space battle theme beforehand, I would've definitely stood in favor of it depicting a battle. Very cool music! Your writing is superb, and only outshined by your handwriting. The score is beautiful 😄 Peter, your orchestration is awesome too, and really brought Gaspard's music to life. It's very rich and heavy, but lighter when it needs to be. I like when you took out the clarinets and trumpets, that seemed like a wise orchestration decision to make the music more gentle over the flurry of harp notes. I think the theme could be easily heard with both versions. Maybe a little easier with the orchestra since it's not all homogenous in sound.
    1 point
  21. Inspector Looso searched the entire manor to find the body of Dick Boneman and found him in a little study hidden behind the library and lighted by a candlestick. No blood, no knife and no rope. Dick Boneman was absolutely alive and perfectly healthy. However, he was laughing his guts. He spent the night preparing his fool trap. He had absolutely no intention to disclose any fraud report to the media that would put the value of Boneman & Sacks Relic Asset Management Inc. down the drain. Instead, he called every broker of the guests to setup a bad joke to his guests and the brokers made them believe during a phone call that their share had no value anymore, which was not exactly true. In fact, Dick Boneman used some of the asset of Boneman & Sacks Relic Asset Management Inc. to buy three Social Media companies, “Switter”, “Analphabet” and “Minigram” for 69 billion dollars with the intention to layoff every employee and replace them with Artificial Intelligence. He then named the new social media company Y. Y would be the greatest misleading social media in the world providing chaos and dumbness to every country on earth. This way Dick Boneman would be the new god of social media and lies. Consequently, Y would be able to help Ronald Dumm to become the leader of his country using stupid catchwords such as "Make Anemics Greed Again". Soon after, on a press release, Dick Boneman declared to all the shareholders of Boneman & Sacks Relic Asset Management Inc. “Rust & Bones is history”, our new moto will be “Mud and shitt is our Bread and Butter”. Dick Boneman is surely as slippery as a fish isn’t he? THE END “This story is a work of fiction. Any similarity to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events, is purely coincidental.” Music & Production: Syrel Photography of Marisol Escobar sculpture “The fisherman”: Syrel Musical Note: I started this track with a gentle blend of Ravel and Satie to express the underwhelming finding of Inspector Looso. User-461764443 – Rust-bones-betflix-tv-series-inspector-looso But then, when Dick Boneman started his evil plan to be the social media world leader I felt extreme and my score writing became as bombastic as Hans Zimmer. Was it a good choice? I don’t know. What do you think?
    1 point
  22. Hi @Symphonic! Very unique harmonic and melodic approach in this quartet! I love how the piece lulls you into a hypnotic trance. I also love the modal exchanges. The high violin ostinati are very interesting with the long lines underneath. You say you used Musesounds for this - how did you achieve the portamento glissandi? As far as I am aware portamento glissandi aren't possible in Musesounds at the moment. Thanks for sharing this! Peter
    1 point
  23. Hi there! I finally got around to sitting down and working on a symphony. So far, I've composed the major themes and motifs, as well as come up with an outline for everything, but the only thing that is ready to post is the Second Movement. The brassy pentatonic theme at 183 is actually a throwback to a theme that will be used heavily in the first movement. I also recycled and expounded on a melody I previously used for a TTBB choral piece. This is what I have so far. Looking for legit feedback. Thanks!
    1 point
  24. Hi @JorgeDavid, It would be great to have antiphonal effect in the first expedition between the two trumpets if you use different dynamics for them! Just like the opening of the 2nd movement of Mahler’s 7th Symphony. B.48 is great since it’s the 1st time the other instruments shine! I like that and want it happen earlier! I like the piece with its simplicity which achieve great effect with the use of G major, thx for sharing! Henry
    1 point
  25. Hi there, I've had so much frustration with orchestral stuff recently that I gave in to write a couple of solo pieces, this being one. It's simple, fairly tonal and explores a less familiar instrument. Alas, though, the samples available were quite limited so it isn't as adventurous as I'd have liked. Even so, I'm hopeless at writing and developing melody so any criticism good or bad or ideas for improvement in future would be gratefully received. And if you can give it a listen, many thanks.
    1 point
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