ManfromMagicLand

Yeah, I understood it. I thought that may of been how it was done. I remember reading something along the lines of that a while ago. Thanks for answering. I don't really know all that much about conducting since I'm mainly an arranger. I just needed to show somebody for a certain composition how to conduct it.

What is the conducting pattern for 5/4 time? I've searched the internet for it and this very forum along with two of my books and I can't find an answer. Thanks!

I used Noteworthy composer a few years ago, while it was easy to use, it was VERY crippled. However, it worked for me at the time. As my musical knowledge expanded, though, I started checking out other notation programs and for a short period of time composed with paper and pencil again. In my opinion, Sibelius looked great but it took me a long time to get used to. I didn't think it was exactly what I wanted. Plus, it wasn't free. That's when I found Finale Notepad. Finale NotePad is great. I used it for two years before buying the full-fledged Finale, though. I would recommend Finale NotePad for the beginner, but after using it for a while, you will want Finale Print Music or Finale. When I used NotePad, I was working closely with the musicians playing my music, so I was able to make changes to the music as they played it and sometimes just ended up using it for sketches. I still use NotePad on my laptop and my other computers, but on my main computer I use the full Finale. NotePad really helps me if I get an idea or need to make changes to a score and print out new copies during a rehearsal.

I really liked it a lot. It sounded a lot like Green Day, but you guys definitely have a good style and sound. I agree, though, kudos on the acoustic guitar.

Anybody? Certainly somebody here has played one.

I haven't seen a discussion on this instrument anywhere else on this forum, but I am considering buying one. I have limited experience with reed instruments, but I am willing to learn. Has anybody here ever played one and can anybody supply the pros and cons? It sounds really good to me, and it's unique. Sounds a lot like a clarinet/tenor sax/ with a little soprano. Similar to a recorder in fingerings (Almost) so I shouldn't have many problems learning it. For those who don't know what it is, here are some links: Xaphoon - The Maui Xaphoon (Bamboo Sax or Bamboo Flute)

Oboe and English Horn have the same fingerings right?, just take it up the octave.

I personally use the computer more for my compositions. I may sketch ideas down on a sheet of paper, but I always put it into my computer and see how exactly it sounds and whether or not I want to keep it. The only time when I used paper and pencil and no computer is in an arrangement I did of Rhapsody in Blue for a Jazz Ensemble. It was just too tedious to write everything in Finale.

Thanks for you're comments. It's supposed to sound mellow at the beginning and then get lighter when the piccolo and recorder start playing the melody. Thanks for you're criticisms on the drum part. I'm not a drummer so I wrote a relatively generic drum beat that sounds really fake.

It sounds like a rock piece that would have been played in the Midieval times. It's very video-gameish and dark.

It sounds like Midieval Rock.

Since I do more arrangements than compositions, I decided to share this arrangement with you guys. It's the theme song of the American version of The Office TV show, but it's written with a pop twist. The instrumentation is Piccolo, Soprano Recorder, Trumpet, Two Guitars (Electric), Piano, Synthesizer, Acoustic Bass, Electric Bass, and Drum Set. While you may argue that an Electric AND Acoustic bass is unnecessary, I am for it only because of the colorful sound you get when they're played together. Anyway, I hope you enjoy it and I await your critisism: Click Here!

Attached is my newest attempt at improvising using only the black keys. It's no where good as Chopin's composition (Thanks for the video Enigmus!). Instead, it's very delicate and simple. By the way, I'm not that great of a pianist so give me a break. Improv on the Ebonies

Yeah, I learned about this in 7th grade from my band director. I've improvised some songs using only the black keys. If you throw in some white keys every now and then, it sounds Chinese.

I've laughed out loud during Malaga (Bill Holman), Malaguena (Bill Holman), MacArthur Park, Rhapsody in Blue, and the Surprise Symphony. There's just these musical things that I find funny in it.

There are certain things that I find funny in music. It's hard to describe why I find it funny, though. It's just certain types of phrasing that I find funny.

Our time limit is very strict. Usually we have to run out onto the field instead of marching on. Our pit doesn't have many problems, though, because we have plenty of people to roll them out onto the field. The only reason our band came in second at competition is because the pit went a minute over the time limit in getting the instruments out of the competition field. Anyway, I loved this show. I would love to see how a band would march to this. The strong point of this show is the show is the fact that it breaks some of the cookie-cutter molds of most band charts. It's really nice and the style is very unique.

Well, my friend is using a Yamaha Motif and a LightSnake USB plug-in. Whenever he tried to record in Cubase while playing a piano sound, the sound would play back in more of an electric piano sound. We just turned down the volume on the synthesizer and tried recording again. The sound turned out fine after that.

I have much inexperience in the field of midi instruments but the solution to the problem may just be turning down the volume on your synthesizer. I had a friend who had a similar problem.

Any more suggestions or comments? I would really appreciate you're feedback.

That's exactly what I was trying to say in my post. You did a much better job at explaining it, though. You're right about jamming. You can get very productive just by playing around and trying to develop ideas. Some bands don't even write their music, they just build the music from these sessions. You can have an advantage over these bands if you write everything down and try to put it together in a way that is logical and sounds good. You're right about a lot of classical music not being original. Music scholars have found that some composers borrowed from each other and used some of the same exact themes and motifs.

Go back and listen to metal songs or early metal songs. This will help you a lot with composing for this genre. You may want to try writing overdriven, catchy riffs and writing rhythmic chords underneath. Next, write a drum part to accompany and emphasize a the important beats. After that, you want to make sure your bass follows the chords while emphasizing the beat of the drums. I hope this makes sense. Older metal songs usually followed this formula. They were really simple in composition, but catchy.

It was really good. I wish it was longer though. You have so much of an opportunity to continue composing on the piece! The chromatic strings and brass at the end really set up tension. You can only relieve that tension with an ending, or some more music!

Thanks! I have continued to compose with the piece. Right now, I'm experimenting with triplets from the Clarinet and Flute to move into the slower moving "a section".

Yep, here's the midi file. There's a couple of instruments you can't really hear, but it all sounds about the same. germany2.MID