Scarlet Shadow

Hey, this is a recording of me playing my first composition, entitled "Scarlet Shadow". Let me know what you think. (Turn up the volume all the way if you have to, the recording sounds low on my computer for some reason) Scarlet Shadow.mp3 - File Shared from Box.net - Free Online File Storage

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I liked the song, but I do have some statements. There are a LOT of different styles of music in this piece. (I heard some Romantic classical, some Jazz, some Rock, and even some Contemporary chromaticism.) Overall the piece was good, I especially liked the beginning, but my comment would be that I felt like the piece was too all over the place for me. It would be in a classical tempo/style, then change to a rock style in less than a measure. It was a good piece, but it sounds like you might have more than one song in here. Also, if you could somehow get a pdf file of the piece, it might make it easier to follow along to. But, overall great job.

-Chris

I liked the song, but I do have some statements. There are a LOT of different styles of music in this piece. (I heard some Romantic classical, some Jazz, some Rock, and even some Contemporary chromaticism.) Overall the piece was good, I especially liked the beginning, but my comment would be that I felt like the piece was too all over the place for me. It would be in a classical tempo/style, then change to a rock style in less than a measure. It was a good piece, but it sounds like you might have more than one song in here. Also, if you could somehow get a pdf file of the piece, it might make it easier to follow along to. But, overall great job.

-Chris

I kind of agree with this. It is a hard piece to comment on because there are a lot of different styles going on. Very eclectic.

I do like the piece, but perhaps some more unity or a more coherent style throughout might have benefited it. Maybe not....

I liked it though:)

Sorry I don't have the sheet music, I haven't written any of it down. Thanks for the comments!

I assume this is an improvisation? Or is this something you can replicate?

I have no problem with the form of this piece; it is a fantasy/rhapsody/improvisation. I see what others are saying regarding abrupt changes in styles, but I don't actually see a problem with that element at all, at least not in this piece and with the idea in mind that it's an early composition. I listened to the entire thing and saw pletly of reiteration of ideas hidden within following sections. I was able to follow along just fine without getting too lost--you seem to make continuity out of severely constrasting ideas, and that isn't an easy feat, so good job.

For an early composition, you have a lot of solid ideas and you seem to pile them all into one piece. I would take those parts and expand on them, develop them, and mold them into pieces you can call your own.

That being said, there is nothing wrong with improvising compositions, either. Heck, my early composition years were doing exactly what you did in this piece--improvising long pieces with many ideas wrapped into one, so I understand what you are doing and I am excited to hear more.

On a side note, was this recorded on a digital piano? Otherwise what did you use to record yourself playing as the quality isn't half bad.

I couldn't replicate it note-for-note, but if I listened to my recording to get a better sense I could probably make a fairly similar version. Yea, it's improvised, from ideas I created at the piano in the past and some I made on the spot. Thanks for the comment, I listen to a wide variety of music so I think that definitely comes out in my playing. Haha, it's recorded with an old Casio digital console piano and Garageband.

i like the mixture of different styles. :)

Does your Casio have MIDI? I think it is difficult to improve without a notation verion so you can make detailed changes. That said, I appreciate the comment that many people compose quite well just sitting at the piano. If you are one of those who taps out the beats with your foot then you have some good options for entering music, but I wonder what others are using who do not have good foot-hand coordination (or use their feet to pedal).

I think you have some beautiful passages in there, and I'm impressed that this is your first composition, but I also have to agree with the other people who said it was too all over the place. I often felt that as soon as I was starting to invest myself in the music you'd suddenly change styles and it would throw me off. I think you have some great ideas, but I think you need to elaborate upon them more, and focus on the overall structure of the piece and what you're trying to say through music. I've got to repeat though, for a first time composition I'm quite impressed, believe me most people don't write this well on their first attempt. Keep at it! :)

Thanks for the comments. The song I'm working on now seems to be sticking to one style, kind of indie rockish.. I may have just needed more time at the piano to learn how to do this. Not that I don't like what I can make with an array of styles, but I agree that it has its arguable downsides (confusion, unstructured, doesn't settle), but not without the upside that it's different and interesting, in my opinion.

dude i actually really like this! some parts can be abrupt, but i think that works here; the entropy is what holds the piece together (as oxymoronic as that may sound). noice one m8!