Rodin

Toto did this more or less in the soundtrack for Dune, not that that's the most inspiring example.

Here's an electronic type pop song I just finished, titled "taking it all apart". Let me know what you think. Taking it all Apart

The problem with 5-string basses is that the instruments themselves are rarely any good. Having a fifth string entirely changes the tension on the instrument and alter the playability and tone. For this reason, most bass players choose not use them. Most orchestras do have bass players with extensions, and any bass player with experience in an orchestra is used to reading literature that goes down to a low C

Thanks for the feedback, guys. Orchestration is one of the main things I was hoping to get input on. For my next full orchestral piece I'm trying for something with a lot more color and depth. Thanks for catching that mistake in the bassoons, Anthony. The upper part is also supposed to go to Eb, somehow I never heard that or noticed it in the score. I actually forgot to throw in a disclaimer about the misleading title of this piece, it's definitely not a Symphony, which I originally thought it might become. I simply have been using it as a working title until I came up with something more appropriate.

This is my first complete piece for for full orchestra. The playback isn't quite optimal: there's a couple spots where the tempo isn't right (should be obvious) and the balance between instruments isn't quite right. All comments and criticisms are encouraged. Symphony No. 1 Symphony1 v. 4.mus Symphony1 v. 4.pdf Symphony1 v. 4.mid

I tend to agree with Marius's method. Although I'm not an expert myself, it seems the best way to learn to write for full orchestra is to practice writing for full orchestra. It's funny how things keep coming back to that same term.

I've always thought the main theme (played by the violins) from Borodin's Polovetsian Dances was up there.

I hear an unrivaled amount of pathos in Scriabin's music. He manages to be evocative and completely unique.

This is something I've thought about quite a bit. I attended a concert a while ago where the violin soloist (playing a modern piece) wore a brightly covered paisley shirt, untucked, and trotted all around the stage. An elderly man in front of me kept complaining about his appearance with such banal comments as "It'd be nice if he dressed up" and "he looks like he stepped off a subway platform." Anyways, I envision a group of musicians, all standing and facing the audience and playing with the exaggerated enthusiasm of a pop or rock band. All this in a venue free of all the current social stigmas. Maybe we should bring "classical" music to bars, clubs, and stadiums?

If you're using a Mac, Logic might be good for this. It allows you to use TAB or standard notation, playback is decent, and you can record audio as well. I think it retails for around $200 right now. EDIT: I forgot to specify, the Express version of Logic retails for around $200.

I'm also fascinated by the human whistle. If anyone finds a good duet as described above, I would love to know. Also, it's possible to record whistling by placing the microphone at a right angle to the airstream and a couple inches to the side. A large diaphragm condenser mic is best for this, but any microphone that can record vocals should do well.

I can't really help you with your compositions, but I wanted to compliment you on your choice of operating system. I run gentoo, and occasionally used Rosegarden briefly. I have Finale on my laptop though, so most of my compositions are done with that.

Ok, I uploaded the PDF file, but I get an error message when I try to upload an mp3. Is this this a common anomaly that any one here can help me remedy?

This is a symphonic piece I've been working on for a while. It's seems decidedly incomplete, but I'm not sure how to further expand on it. Also, I'm considering adding percussion parts to it, but I'm having trouble going about doing it tastefully and constructively. Any and all advice/criticisms are welcome. Note: The tempo changes seem to have gotten messed somewhere along the way, and aren't how I intended them. These spots should be apparent during playback. Edit: The PDF file is now uploaded, but for whatever reason I get an upload error when I try to upload the mp3. Symphony1 v. 3.mid Symphony1 v. 3.mus Symphony No. 1.pdf

I've been reading Rimsky-Korsakov's Principles of Orchestration and it has proved to be extremely useful although it, too, is dated.