My Orchestral Song

Please give comments and critism, im currently practising for my A/s Level composition and need to get used to using a smaller time schedual.

Here it is..

Thanks!

Song.sib

song2.mid

Song.pdf

It sounds like a music theory assignment. What is this for (I've never heard of A/s Level anything)?

Not a bad start I'd say! Good chords and harmonies within sections going on.

Things I might suggest:

- orchestration: skipping straight from harsh horns to strings (like in bar 13) results in a harsh change of colour. (i don't know if you were aiming for that). Oboes and winds make for a nice changeover to strings if you want a smoother transition (just seems like it might fit the piece!).

- strong melody: as i've said i really like some of the chord changes, but no melody catches me completely as yet.

Just some tips i hope they help!

Edd

7777777 up

Hey,

I agree with the comments about a music theory assignment. I've just sat my AS exam and I'm now working on A2, and in my experience they tend to be looking for more than just an exercise (what exam board are you doing it with by the way? I did it with OCR). They also look for a complex harmonic language (using some of the knowledge you will have gotten from your harmonies!), a good, solid structure and also a high level of detail when it comes to dynamics, articulation, ect. For mine I wrote a prelude and fugue - I found this to be a really good way of having both a free-form structure and a strict fugal one (it shows you're capable of contrast) and it also allowed me to do some complex harmonic language with modulations and what not.

This is a good start, although I think the orchestration (particularly in the brass and the oboes) could be done with a bit more care (saving them for just the right spot!) and also when you've finished the first draft CRAM IT FULL of articulation, bowing marks, tempo marks; everything. You've got some nice rhythmic variation and a good set of dynamics, which the examiner will like.

I would also recommend doing some research. Your college/6th form will probably have plenty of those little yellow 'Pocket Scores' around (or if not you can get scores from the IMSLP) and just listen to lots and lots of music (and different recordings of each work) in the style you are going for (spotify is really great for this) as this will teach you how the music should operate and also gives you plenty to talk about in your review/report that you write at the end (I included it as part of my performance notes, of course your exam board may differ).

Hope that helps,

Oscar

measure 27 , I really enjoy the 'jump' to the minor mode ,

however , the "coming back " at measure 19 ... I don't know , maybe you'd better to let the other instruments. also as our friend told ; we don't find a melody that dominates .

I've really really loved the piece.

Very unique piece, I'm impressed! It's tone is like a mock-serious masquerade dance party (at least that's what it reminds me of)