Etude in a minor

This is written both for my new series of marimba etudes as well as the february competition. The first etude in my series is the "Etude For Long Arms" while this etude is the second in the series. This is a study in accidentals as well as mixed meters and odd meters. Although it is in "a minor" it does take a slightly atonal sound in some areas.

wow thats such a cool piece of music!

i have been trying to teach my self composition (im not on your level yet obviously) but i may try entering one of these competitions seems like good practice.

nice composition again!

This is really cool! great harmonies. interesting rhythm. The alteration between the more fast paced sections and exclamatory ms 8/9. It serves the structure very well. I also like how you create a kind of polyphony in ms 16ff. Great piece

This is great! It's just relentless - in the good sense! the constantly changing meters keep things interesting, and the whole register of the instrument is used. To see someone play this would be very, very interesting... great job!

Wow! I'm really impressed! I'd love to see someone play that! I really, really dig the quick time signature changes, as well as the wild rhythms. Fifthlets are not often seen; I enjoy the fact that you implemented them seamlessly. It has such an intense flow; very nice work. Hope to see more of this marimba series!

Thanks to everyone!

I have sent this piece to two other percussionists that I know so Im hoping maybe in a month or so theyll be able to tape themselves play it. As far as the rest of the series, the first has been posted here (Etude For Long Arms) and I have not started on a third yet.

Ok, I'm all signed in so this should work.

So some of the stuff that I really liked was the wicked melody, though I worry about those unisons -- they get a little old, but i see where they're coming from.

The little fills are great.

The repetition in form and in that left hand kind of detracts from the odd meters, and I think from the score, you certainly can reduce it to 4/4 in places to make it easier to read.

I love that the tempo flows, even when it's being static though.... cool stuff.

I'd ask if that kind of speed is possible on one hand, but uh your profile pic looks like you'd know that better than I.

I love the energy of this piece as well as the amount of focus required to play it! I like your use of range as well (I see you repeat 75 to 76, which contains those high Cs, and then you refer to register again in 96 to 97). I agree with Ferk that some of the time signatures could be cleaned up... For example 64 to 68 does not sound like 6/16 to me. Since you have a somewhat lengthy rit. around there you might even consider putting a tempo mark in parentheses at 64 to give the performer some guidance as to how slow he/she should be going then.

Great piece!