Waltz in C Major

Here's a short waltz that I'd like to share with everyone.

The original score was created last 2014 as a soundtrack for a video project in college. It was originally for a couple string instruments. In 2019, I transcribed it for solo piano. In the process of transcribing, I accidentally swapped the treble clef of the right hand with the bass clef without changing the note order, thus changing the entire tone of the main melody. It sounded off at first but then I thought, it's not bad at all! So I took that "accident" and incorporated it into the final version of this piece (you'll notice that measures 41 to 56 is like a copy of the main melody but different). Then a few days ago, I finally decided to complete this version.

I had fun revising this one, and I hope you enjoy it as well 😁

Edited April 29, 20232 yr by arpeggia
Made a few minor changes for playability

Hi @arpeggia,

This is quite a funny waltz! Those flat notes and chords create funny effect.

B.63 should have a triplet marking on it. B.58-60 and b.66 LH is literally quite unplayable with this tempo even playing an apreggio. Even without these bars the piece will be difficult to be played with lightness particularly in b.25-41.

Thanks for sharing!

Henry

28 minutes ago, Henry Ng Tsz Kiu said:

Hi @arpeggia,

This is quite a funny waltz! Those flat notes and chords create funny effect.

B.63 should have a triplet marking on it. B.58-60 and b.66 LH is literally quite unplayable with this tempo even playing an apreggio. Even without these bars the piece will be difficult to be played with lightness particularly in b.25-41.

Thanks for sharing!

Henry

 

Thanks @Henry Ng Tsz Kiu! You're right, the left hand chords are too wide in some parts, I suppose I got carried away with the left hand 😅 I just revised those parts to be more playable.

This was fun to listen to! I enjoyed the B section a lot. I would have loved it if it resolved around m. 40, but it is just a matter of preference because it flowed quite nicely to the next section hahaha. Like Henry pointed out, that left hand is insane. But overall very enjoyable.

Thank you!

A thoroughly enjoyable piece.  And even if it can't actually be played fluently as is, I think it would make a great orchestration exercise.  There is some very entertaining and well executed modal mixture and chromaticism in it.  The next-to-last chord is especially spicy and crisp.  The 10ths in the bass would be especially interesting to be orchestrated uniquely, as the 10th is often the next smallest interval besides the octave that can easily be voiced without sounding too muddy in the bass.  I also like the many rising chromatic line cliches you execute throughout the piece.  Thanks for sharing!

Wow, this wasn't what I expected at all for the innocuous title of Waltz in C. This is great!!

On 4/28/2023 at 8:50 PM, arpeggia said:

In the process of transcribing, I accidentally swapped the treble clef of the right hand with the bass clef without changing the note order, thus changing the entire tone of the main melody. It sounded off at first but then I thought, it's not bad at all! So I took that "accident" and incorporated it into the final version of this piece (you'll notice that measures 41 to 56 is like a copy of the main melody but different).

Do you know Polyphia? Tim Hensen, one of the guitarists, mentioned something similar when writing a song. He copy pasted a section but accidently placed it a little too far, and it wound up sounding better. Accidents are one of our greatest assets, and how great for you that you capitalized on a mistake. Check it out if you're unaware, it's the second time on the Bm chord of the intro for the guitar part:

Anyway, like I said, your piece is great. I get ragtime/super mario vibes when I hear this. I love the "just have fun with it" in the score too. I'll be sure to check out future posts by you, you've got a lot of talent. 

Feel free to offer discussion and critique as well! Thanks for sharing