Hero theme

This one is also from my "The Rescue of the Ancient Kingdom" soundtrack. For more details on it, refer to my previous post: http://www.youngcomposers.com/forum/rescue-ancient-kingdom-through-bleak-mountains-4606.html.

The song has a basic harmony structure combined with strong monumental melodies. The main theme, as well as some of the variations, was written on my last vacation, and it didn't took me more than two hours at the piano (actually, it came up in my mind when I was just taking a shower...). However, when it came to arranging, I had some trouble to put all elements together, in order to achieve the results I expected (unlike the writing process, it took me a bit long to accomplish).

It's the theme for Terik Highspringer, a powerful and courageous barbarian that leads the adventures through all sorts of dangerous passages, creepy dungeons and "bleak mountains". The tempo assignment of the piece already indicates what it must sound like: "Bravely forward". It was meant to be just like a hero theme must be: epic, courageous and triumphant!

Audio file (mp3): http://pedro.digitalize.ws/highspringer.mp3

I have a picture of the character, made by a friend of mine. I'll post it here as soon as I can scan it.

Comments and suggestions are welcomed,

Pedro

I'll preface this post by saying that I was honestly suprised when I heard this piece, because it sounded like something that I would have written. I got the weirdest feeling of looking at myself from the outside...

That being said, I really enjoyed what you wrote. The theme is very heroic, especially putting in the horns like you did (a bit cliche, perhaps, but that's all right).

A couple of things stood out to me as I listened...

First, the snare drum that enters at about 0:48 is a bit plain. If I heard correctly, you wrote something like this:

I think that adding a little more flair to the snare drum here would help shape the phrase better and add some drive and excitement. For the first little segment, what you have is fine, but after that some variation in the rhythm would be beneficial. As a rough idea of what I'm talking about, I wrote out this:

The other thing I noticed is the rhythm in the strings at around 1:38. I really like it, and it's pretty effective. I would consider adding some woodwind runs there; they might mesh well together, but I'm not sure - something to keep in mind, perhaps.

I hope this was helpful to you, but I'm not an expert by any stretch of imagination. Feel free to disagree with and disregard my comments; I won't be offended. :D

Keep up the good work!

Hi hopper,

First of all, thank you very much for your comments and "technical" suggestions! For the snare drum, I intended it to sound strong and consistent. That's why I wrote a simple and repetitive pattern. Although, considering your suggestion, I'll try some variations on it and see how it sounds like. But for the second part I was just wondering: Do you mean writing a different melody for woodwinds or just adding them to the whole thing with the same melodic runs?

I was thinking along the lines of scales running up and down, or maybe a scale going up and ending in a trill. Listening to it a second time, you might want to add them at (or leading into) the horn entrance at 1:48, rather at 1:38 as I implied earlier. Hopefully that answers your question, and sparks some ideas for you...

Hi Pedro,

i've listened to your Theme and must say its quiet boring with the time. Your repeat the Theme to much that its going to my nervs.

The Audioproduction is also not really good.

The Melodie is quiet to small for that piece, would it be longer and even more variations on it would imagine the piece completely in a new way.

Your Epic is a little to much looked to Hans Zimmer, there is nothing individual in it where i can say "thats really good". I think you could make better in the Orchestration, when the percussions begin they came to far from the play, i mean it sounds there not belong the piece. Try here (maybe) some strings in the rythimn and woods, like hopper said before.

Wich libarie you used for it?

FL

Hi Florian,

Thanks for the feedback. Although I don't think it was kind of motivating. This piece and "Bleak Mountains" (previous post) were my first attempts at orchestral writing. Actually, I don't think they are neither all that bad nor masterpieces: they are just what I wanted them to be. So, when you say that the very first notes I've written sound like Hans Zimmer (I do appreciate his music), I'll take it as an accolade.

Thus, let's move to the forum's purpose. Every suggestion is pretty welcomed, since I'm quite a beginner at composing. I would like to know a bit more about your criticism. What do you mean by "Audioproduction"? Where the percussion is not working to you?

Answering to your question, I use GPO libraries: both the single one and the Finale 2007 bundled version.

I've worked for some time on this piece in order to improve the orchestration as well as the "audio production", according to the last critiscism posted here. I don't think it's a final version, but I guess I'm getting closer to it. Therefore, I'd like to know your impressions about it.

Audio file (mp3): http://pedro.digitalize.ws/highspringer.mp3 (same link)

Best Regards,

Pedro

Beautiful.

thanks backupproducer for the positive comment on such an old topic =)