A few of my submissions for a string quartet visiting my island

Minuet in C for String Quartet.pdfHi all,

A professional string quartet is visiting my home island and are wonderfully taking compositions from local artists to perform. It is such a rare opportunity for me, as someone who has never had my work performed in public.

For this I adapted several pieces I have composed over the years for string quartet and to which I have made extensive revisions. Overall I am pleased with the music.

One interesting thing I have been doing recently is utilizing AI to provide perspectives around the rule based system on which tonal music rests. I recognize that some of my understanding around certain rules could benefit from more flexibility and AI can really challenge my thinking. Although where it is terrible is in actual advice on voice leading in practice. For example, if you give it a passage to harmonize - even with a well crafted prompt with necessary context - it will often fail.

I hope you all find the pieces enjoyable and please feel free to provide any comments as usual.

A bit of baroque Fun!.pdfStaccatisimo.pdf

Edited May 22May 22 by Markus Boyd
Further upload

Hello

These two pieces sound fantastic.

I really like the contrapuntal style of the first one.

It’s also a pleasure to see that the scores are so well-crafted, both in terms of their appearance and the dynamics and accents.

Also, the sound library looks brilliant – may I ask which one it is?

23 minutes ago, Luis Hernández said:

Hello

These two pieces sound fantastic.

I really like the contrapuntal style of the first one.

It’s also a pleasure to see that the scores are so well-crafted, both in terms of their appearance and the dynamics and accents.

Also, the sound library looks brilliant – may I ask which one it is?

thanks very much! It is actually the museScore4 strings soundest (standard one with the premium package). One must pay the annual subscription to access, of course. But is otherwise extremely good value considering the whole package.

26 minutes ago, Luis Hernández said:

Hello

These two pieces sound fantastic.

I really like the contrapuntal style of the first one.

It’s also a pleasure to see that the scores are so well-crafted, both in terms of their appearance and the dynamics and accents.

Also, the sound library looks brilliant – may I ask which one it is?

I should also add, though, that articulations and dynamics can make a huge difference. They bring it to life, essentially, and closer to how real musicians may interpret it. I personally love using staccatissimo to create a jaunty/witty attitude

@Markus Boyd

The baroque period counterpoint is truly refreshing to hear in each of these pieces. They me remind me of J.S. Bach suites, and of he used the strings in this manner.

I love how strings dance so eloquently. I just love it.

Just a quick note about stem direction: if the stem is on or below the middle line of the staff, then the direction is up. However, the direction depends on surrounding notes. Nothing major. Just a quick a reminder.

1 hour ago, Kvothe said:

@Markus Boyd

The baroque period counterpoint is truly refreshing to hear in each of these pieces. They me remind me of J.S. Bach suites, and of he used the strings in this manner.

I love how strings dance so eloquently. I just love it.

Just a quick note about stem direction: if the stem is on or below the middle line of the staff, then the direction is up. However, the direction depends on surrounding notes. Nothing major. Just a quick a reminder.

Thanks for your kind comment. I’ve been doing this for a long time now, and I’ll say that this kind of counterpoint is a process of continuous refinement, that is as much formed from my ear training through extensive listening as my technical training. Generally outer voices have initial priority during the process that I QA largely by ear.

The most difficult aspect is structural: not just developing ideas but directing them in a tonally coherent and ascetically pleasing manner. That’s where the great complexity often lies beside the voice leading intricacies.

Edited 4 hours ago4 hr by Markus Boyd

I agree!

Bach's WTC, his piano suite, inventions, the art of fugue, and many more should have you greatly! Also, look into his chorales. That is always best place to start. Take a theme and harmonize in 4 parts. :)