Think this needs reorganising!

Hi to the forum!

Here's a piece I started writing today.

The music doesn't seem to flow very well in the current arrangement.

Feels like the various sections need to be rearranged in a different order, as they don't quite work together.

Like a bunch of different pieces have been shoehorned into one.

Any suggestions very welcome!

Also any comments on the rendition (made with my usual Music Studio for iPad).

Hi @Alex Weidmann,

25 minutes ago, Alex Weidmann said:

Like a bunch of different pieces have been shoehorned into one.

For me I do agree on this. The 1st section which features piano and strings is the longest for a minute and a half, then there are bunches of different passages featuring harp, brass, strings. The idea to begin the section in 1:38 with the bass drum and harp but now it's unrelated to the first section. I love the hollow strings in it with the harp lamenting, but suddenly brass infringe at 2:09 with a low string melody later. At 2:31 the marimba is introduced which is great, and in 2:50 it suddenly becomes Japanese with the style of The Magical Faun Mk II. 

However I don't think this a bad thing, but a very good thing at the beginning of the composition, since this means you have many materials to work on! The issue you have here is the uniformity of the passages. Do you want to feature a uniform of styles and tonalities? You can first work on each of them and see how the transitions work later.

Thanks for sharing!

Henry

Hi Henry,

Many thanks for your help (and lightning fast response!)

I was originally thinking of using a Nyckelharpa for the last section at 2:50, mainly because I've been watching Rings Of Power, and Bear McCreary's score uses this Swedish fiddle to great effect!

Perhaps I should start with the bass drum and harp section, and end with the piano and strings passage, with the rest in the middle.

Alex

1 hour ago, Alex Weidmann said:

Perhaps I should start with the bass drum and harp section, and end with the piano and strings passage, with the rest in the middle.

Beginning with the bass drum and harp will be great. The usage of heavy percussion at the beginning reminds me of the finale of Mahler's 10th, and using a harp which is low volume in itself is great for an introduction. I do think the piano and strings passage can be the main course of the piece but that's subjective!

1 hour ago, Alex Weidmann said:

I was originally thinking of using a Nyckelharpa for the last section at 2:50, mainly because I've been watching Rings Of Power, and Bear McCreary's score uses this Swedish fiddle to great effect!

This is the first time I have ever heard this instrument!

10 hours ago, Henry Ng Tsz Kiu said:

This is the first time I have ever heard this instrument!

Here's a beautiful piece for Nyckelharpa. 

Apparently it's been used a lot in the Tolkien franchise.

17 minutes ago, Alex Weidmann said:

Here's a beautiful piece for Nyckelharpa. 

Apparently it's been used a lot in the Tolkien franchise.

Wow this is the instrument use in fantasies and animation! So pure which fits well for folk music. I do you can use it in that section for folk influence, but to use that with a Japanese seems weird for me😛.

10 hours ago, Henry Ng Tsz Kiu said:

I do you can use it in that section for folk influence, but to use that with a Japanese seems weird for me😛.

Did a lot more work on this today, and am just about to post it in the orchestral section, under the title The Melding Of Middle Earth.

Still haven't employed a Nyckelharpa; but might add one later!