Neo-Romantic Piece in F-minor

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As you're only 15 and probably just starting out, I wont be too hard on you. :laugh:

There's nothing remotely Debussy about this piece. Maybe a little bit of Beethoven if you count repeated chords or arpeggio figures, but Beethoven's music showed very Classical forms, which dictated certain somewhat predictable modulations; your piece doesn't modulate.

For a beginner, you've got a good grasp of structure and drive, so you've got a lot of the framework-building knack already under your thumb. The problem is content. For almost the entire piece, I felt like it was going nowhere, even that it was boring.

This can be solved most readily by two things. First, STUDY MUSIC. Hard-core. Learn history (so you know what styles you are truly emulating), learn theory (so you know how to modulate and create meaningful chord progressions), and most of all, listen to lots of music to build your mental library of musical devices. You've got a long way to go, but then, so do we all.

The second thing is at least as important. You seem to be following it a little already, and I daresay no person ever truly follows it: write music you want to hear. No successful composer ever wrote music he didn't like - if you can't pull it off for yourself, you can't pull it off for others. The important question is "Do YOU enjoy this piece?"

Keep at it, friend. You've got a good start in some areas, now it's time to overcome some of your weak points (most of which are probably due to simple lack of experience)!

EDIT: I just did a search for your other posts and found your two 'fugues' you've posted. I did like those a bit better! Like I said, you show promise. Don't get discouraged by a little honest criticism.

The second thing is at least as important. You seem to be following it a little already, and I daresay no person ever truly follows it: write music you want to hear. No successful composer ever wrote music he didn't like - if you can't pull it off for yourself, you can't pull it off for others. The important question is "Do YOU enjoy this piece?"

No offense johannhowitzer, but despite all of your practical advice and constructive crticism, the above comment seems a bit redundant. Why would anyone wrie music he/she did not enjoy? Though some composers of earlier eras may have worked on commission, composing "on-demand" for their aristocratic employers, beyond that point, most composers wrote music they wanted to for the sake of expressing themselves in some way. Did you think that I wrote this piece, listened to it and said "that's downright awful, but I'll post it anyway"?

I understand your point, but was slightly offended by the way it was stated, as it seemed to imply I did not enjoy my own works. Admittedly a novice composer, I, like everyone else, do my best to compose "enjoyable" music.

Thanks for all of the other advice though.

No, no, no, I didn't mean you weren't writing music you enjoyed... it's just that there's another reason to write music - to compete with your peers, to get noticed. I've caught myself doing this before. All I meant by it was to make sure you're not writing music for other people, just for yourself. Sorry that got lost in the wording!

Thanks for clairifying that.

If anything, I would say this is more classical than neo-romantic. However, there really isn't much substance in this piece, which makes it hard to pinpoint a style. Toward the end, I can tell you got some of your ideas from Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata. But that is all I picked up as far as influence.

I wouldn't overuse chords, basic scales or trills, especially without a clear melody. You had a melody, but it was too weak. You didn't harmonize it, or change it up enough. You had a note in the right hand, then chord in left, then note in right, then chord in left, and so on. Very repetitive, and could tire the listener. Try for a more aesthetic appeal.

Beethoven may have overused scales and chords, but he had dominant melodies and perhaps overused scales and chords to show off. In my honest opinion, even Beethoven was boring when "showing off". But I am biased when stating this because I am a firm believer of a great melody taking control over a piece.

Keep composing and definitely study some scores.

No offense johannhowitzer, but despite all of your practical advice and constructive crticism, the above comment seems a bit redundant. Why would anyone wrie music he/she did not enjoy? Though some composers of earlier eras may have worked on commission, composing "on-demand" for their aristocratic employers, beyond that point, most composers wrote music they wanted to for the sake of expressing themselves in some way. Did you think that I wrote this piece, listened to it and said "that's downright awful, but I'll post it anyway"?

I understand your point, but was slightly offended by the way it was stated, as it seemed to imply I did not enjoy my own works. Admittedly a novice composer, I, like everyone else, do my best to compose "enjoyable" music.

Thanks for all of the other advice though.

I think you completely missed his point. The advice he gives you is VERY VERY good, all of it; and likely the best advice you'll ever get on this board. The "Is it something you enjoy" is perhaps the most important question of all. Self criticism is always the best criticism because you're being BLUNTLY honest with yourself. The biggest period of my own musical stagnation was when I thought I was really really good. Then, I heard Debussey's music, Stravinsky's music, and also other composers my age music and it completely knocked my head off and changed my little smug attitude. Immediately I began to find ways to make my music more interesting, constantly asking myself "do I truely like this, or am I just writing a measure to get it done?" The most important thing is to get your music to the point where people actually want to take time out of their lives and listen to your music on their own accord. Perhaps a better phrasing of the question would be "If I had not written this piece, would I take time out of my life to listen to it?" Once the answer to that is honestly, truely "Yes," then it will likely start applying to other people as well.

That said, I'm not saying your an egotist. I don't really know you so I have no grounds to make such a claim. What I am saying, along with howitzer, is that no matter what other people say, honest self criticism i your most powerful weapon; use it.

I am certainly not an egotist, thank you.

The fact that I simply misunderstand one of johannhowitzer's points and admitted it, along with thanking him for his advice, make's your claim (call it what you will, the fact that you tried to be tactful by denying what it actually was is irrelevant) seem blatantly ludicrous to anyone with a grain of sanity. I sincerely appreciate all of the advice I receive from this board, and consider all of it with great sobriety.

I'm sorry, but your personal opinion of me does not help me improve my compositions, unless you suggest I start composing like an arrogant donkey. Furthermore, I do not believe johannhowitzer needs anyone to speak on his behalf. He was not offended by the remark, which was targeted directly towards him. His non-aggressive and helpful reply clearly illustrates this. You do not need to get involved in correspondence between posters that has nothing to do with you.

Unlike you, I do not pass judgment on those I do not know, but your post was crude and redundant, as johannhowitzer had already explained precisely what he meant.

no need to get angry just because nobody liked your piece.

Nico, you are hilarious.

Heh, I see myself in you, because this happened to me when I first started posting my music online.

You people are hysterical, really.

I am not "angry" because no one liked my piece, (which isn't entirely true in the first place) as I never thought much of it myself to begin with. It was just something I wrote and wanted to share.

If anything, I am annoyed at how some of you like to act like you know everything when in truth, you know very little. Posters like johannhowitzer and Canzano, who are very well informed about composition, musical styles, etc. seldom make post that do not relate in some way directly to the music. Those who post about someone's alledged personality flaws or crticize their inexperience by making comments such as "this sucked" are contributing very little meaningful information. The same goes for, in my opinion, post that say nothing more than "great piece". How does this help someone? Short answer: it dosen't.

;) and :glare: but often :)

Well said. And not cheap posted ;)

I cannot imagine how anyone gets anything done here, unless their work is some grand masterpiece they took forever to compose in Finale and they have notable influence in the forum already.

Supposedly good reviews means good music.

No one liked your piece? Forget them!

Hm, who was it (shoot me for being musical-history inept); Prokofiev or Rach, or neither of them, got literally booed off-stage conducting one of their PCs. Joplin did something.. died of mental illness or something, after he had repeated failures in debuting his rags. It's not like this is a more musically-sensitive crowd you're catering either. The people that would have gone to see Rach's first concert would only have been those that have trust in classical music's enigmas anyways.

Also, have you [general people] ever heard Ginastera or any of those absolute modern composers? I think his works are terrible. You don't need your name on sheetmusicarchive.net to be famous. I printed out Canzano's Ballade because I liked the ballad part.

I want to post some things I have made lately, but already I'm beginning to have second thoughts about the community.

Everyone is striving too much to be somebody, when all you really are is one person out of seven billion, humming to yourself all day and inputting it into Finale. Well, that's what I do. :P

If Canzano wants to write in German, let him. I embellished an entire piece using only the Symbol font once and called it Greecian Rhapsody, even though I have nothing to do with that hemisphere of the world. If James wants to use intense bass motives to reach an increasingly prolonged climax, let him. By the way, I like it. Whatever that means.

PS. This is how I post. Everything I say is like this ("you, you YOU and YOU"). It's a bad habit, but if you hate me enough I'll leave. :D

Welcome to the forum Coda!

I like you already. You said everything I wanted to say in a much more tactful and inoffensive manner. Please do not be discouraged to post some of your pieces. Contrary to what you may think, everyone here is not a conceited bigot. I would love to have the opportunity to hear some of your works, personally. And you can be assured that none of my responses will be degrading or overtly negative. I strive for constructive criticism, and if I like a piece, I say so. Also, your piece doesn