guy500

This is my first attempt at sustained 4-part counterpoint. How did I do? Audio – https://soundcloud.com/guy-shahar/track-16-vocal-quartet-satb?in=guy-shahar/sets/new-compositions-2024&si=d2d57780dc6f4ae7a75b7ea8a5dbdbe3&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing Score – https://heartfulhealing.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Track-16-Score.pdf I don’t usually ask for feedback on the score, as I barely read music and tend to just rely on the one Cubase generates. It’s way out of my comfort zone, but I think it’s probably time for me to get the hang of the basics of scoring, so I’ve got Dorico and have been trying (hard) to get it to help me. How does this one read? What adjustments should I bear in mind for scoring my next piece?

Thanks very much, Pate. Yes, I'm pretty sure that's where I went wrong - I didn't realise that their part was meant to be read an octave lower, so it all makes more sense now. They were actually singing an octave lower than I'd though.

@Luis Hernández that's cool. I didn't know (and don't know theory so probably couldn't do much about it even if I did). So, purely co-incidence...

Thanks for your comments @Luis Hernández. I really hope it can be performed by real humans and real instruments one day... Did you mean they sounded old as in more consonant, or with a certain dissonance?

I want to write some simple choral music and I see that very often the tenor part plays easily and comfortably at least an octave above middle C. I've bought some high quality Solo Voice samples from VSL. The problem is that when they go anywhere near that sort of range the tenor sounds strained and struggling and it doesn't sound very natural. Other voices also seem to struggle in their upper registers. Is there a reason for this? Is it a known issue with these samples that this problem arises? What can I do about it?

Thanks @Luis Hernández- appreciate that. I didn't know Athenaton but am listening to it now - really nice, though I don't see so much similarity... Glad you introduced me to it though. (Ah, I've just come to Akhnaten and Nefertiti, and I do fort of see how you might connect them) Yes, I think you're right about the piano having a more background role. There is a score video - it's pretty basic though using the Cubase score. I'm only just starting to learn to score and it's coming very slowly (I only started composing last summer and have no musical training or theory, so I don't really even read music at this point....). It's near the bottom of this page - Track 13 - Prayer To The Eternal (February 2025) -

Hi - I've just joined the forum and set up my profile. I started composing last summer - unexpectedly, and with no musical training or theory (I can't really even read music....). But I've been very happy and grateful for what's come out of me since then. I've been pretty busy in that time, and am currently working on my 16th piece in about 9 months... For now, I'm attaching my favourite to date - a simple pared down piece, with just 2 instruments and 2 voices, Prayer to the Eternal. It's at https://heartfulhealing.co.uk/track13. You can hear all my pieces at https://heartfulhealing.co.uk/music Track 13 - Prayer to the Eternal.mp3

This is a really lovely piece. I've listened several times and it has such a warm and deep quality to it. I would have thought more middle-eastern influence, so surprising to hear you're from India. But a great fusion piece all the same!! I agree with another person who commented about the reverb. This would be greatly improved by turning it right down.