The Air

This is a String Quartet with piano piece that I wrote over the weekend.

Listen to it all please and see what you think. I'd greatly appreciate it.

The audio file is here at SoundClick artist: Karl Nord - Band page with free MP3 music downloads on SoundClick .

I like it. The only thing I would say is to work on the dynamics some.

Thanks I'll take a look at them.

Plus, you also need to take a look at your staff systems optimization in the PDF...

Plus, you also need to take a look at your staff systems optimization in the PDF...

Whats wrong?

Whats wrong?

For example, in measure 37, the cello comes in, but the PDF shows no indication of it. There may be other similar occurences, but that's just the first one that I noticed.

I wasn't sure what to think of it. It kinda goes two ways, either it has lots of expression (if I think of it that way it's good as in expressive good), but the other way is what appears to be randomly clicked in notes (to a certain degree, but then was rearranged to look better). I think you were aiming for the first one, therefore, it's very expressive and actually has meaning, but I didn't understand it.

EDIT: I just listened to the midi version, and it sounds much better for some reason. It makes a lot more sense now. Maybe the GPO sounds in the .MUS threw it off for me. Still some parts I didn't understand. I actually enjoyed some parts to a certain degree, but it felt like it could of been better.

To be totally honest with you, when writing this I wasn't going for much. I wanted to be uplifting and I accented it with the middle part which was the falling action of the fist idea. I then expanded on it and ended with the Second theme of the first feel. 3:43. I brought both of them back and returned to the tonic key at the end. That was about it. The first theme of the moving eighths wasn't too exciting if thats what you meant by random notes. It wasn't the best subject matter for the piece but it functioned well. It gave it that floating feel. I don't know how to describe the feeling for it. The only way is the music. Think wonder and you'll be okay. That or picture a dark blue sky opposite of the sun as it is setting.

Thanks for posting guys I appreciate it alot.

For example, in measure 37, the cello comes in, but the PDF shows no indication of it. There may be other similar occurences, but that's just the first one that I noticed.

Thanks I'll fix it.

I feel exactly the same way Songjun does. The first part sounds like randomly clicked notes that run in a reel. Then the violin takes over with the same thing (by the way I thought that the transition needed work). Then, there is actually something that is very interesting, but it is too late. The first time I feel that you have something to work with is at about 0:58 seconds. I actually absolutely love this bright, open, floating feeling that you get with the 2-part violins. However, I still feel that any melodic material that should be there is lacking. I also feel that this idea was not prepared to come in (another translation problem). The next part was a bit repetitious and popish. I mean you go back and fourth between basically two harmonies But, from measure 44 on the piece is much much better. I understand what you are trying to do. I feel that you have sort of pulled it off. The end duel violin stuff is very cool. I don't know if notated the very last part correctly. It may work if it is rearranged, but now I do not understand the slow phrase and then the fast one. I think that it needs a little work between the repetitiveness of some of the ideas and the transitions between the ideas. I get a sort of pop feel to it because I get a chorus/verse/refrain/chorus/verse/refrain feel to it. I think that this needs to be orchestrated, personally. It is a cool start. And lastly, I do not think I agree with Songjun when he says that the midi is better than the Finale. I don't think it makes any difference which it is on though I would like to hear what human creativity and musicality could do to make it more unified and coherent.

(I wrote all remarks as I was listening - my reply is kind of hastely put together and it is possible that I will change my interpretation of your piece over time)

I feel exactly the same way Songjun does. The first part sounds like randomly clicked notes that run in a reel. Then the violin takes over with the same thing (by the way I thought that the transition needed work). Then, there is actually something that is very interesting, but it is too late. The first time I feel that you have something to work with is at about 0:58 seconds. I actually absolutely love this bright, open, floating feeling that you get with the 2-part violins. However, I still feel that any melodic material that should be there is lacking. I also feel that this idea was not prepared to come in (another translation problem). The next part was a bit repetitious and popish. I mean you go back and fourth between basically two harmonies But, from measure 44 on the piece is much much better. I understand what you are trying to do. I feel that you have sort of pulled it off. The end duel violin stuff is very cool. I don't know if notated the very last part correctly. It may work if it is rearranged, but now I do not understand the slow phrase and then the fast one. I think that it needs a little work between the repetitiveness of some of the ideas and the transitions between the ideas. I get a sort of pop feel to it because I get a chorus/verse/refrain/chorus/verse/refrain feel to it. I think that this needs to be orchestrated, personally. It is a cool start. And lastly, I do not think I agree with Songjun when he says that the midi is better than the Finale. I don't think it makes any difference which it is on though I would like to hear what human creativity and musicality could do to make it more unified and coherent.

(I wrote all remarks as I was listening - my reply is kind of hastely put together and it is possible that I will change my interpretation of your piece over time)

I think this all translates in to how lame my opening motif was? :)

When you mean work on my transitions, I don't exactly know what you mean. Could you please explain or give an example of something that would help me understand that? I think it means that I'm dropping my instruments too quick and losing those certain textures?

About the popish feel........I started out writing rock music in 8th grade and now I'm in 10th attempting to write for different kinds of music. I even tried having something like it though. Would you suggest something to help me with this? Devolop sections way more?(Lately I've been devouring Thelonias so that might not help either)

Thank you for your help guys.

I think that this is a good example of why one shouldn't write a whole piece of music over the course of one or two days. To me, it just sounds like you clicked in the notes as someone else said. You can't possibly just come up with a piece and know exactly what to do with it in this time span. The "melody" itself gets sort of boring after a while and nothing really happens in the piece.

I think this piece could use some work. Think more about what you want to do with it before writing it.

This is sort of the other extreme, but I've been working on my Violin Sonata for 10 months now and I still see a lot of problems with it.

I think that this is a good example of why one shouldn't write a whole piece of music over the course of one or two days. To me, it just sounds like you clicked in the notes as someone else said. You can't possibly just come up with a piece and know exactly what to do with it in this time span. The "melody" itself gets sort of boring after a while and nothing really happens in the piece.

I think this piece could use some work. Think more about what you want to do with it before writing it.

This is sort of the other extreme, but I've been working on my Violin Sonata for 10 months now and I still see a lot of problems with it.

Writing it in a short period has nothing to do with its quality. Its very good to practice setting deadlines for yourself in preparation for the real thing. Yes you can know what to do with it. I wrote an orchestral piece and knew exactly how the form would be arranged in an hour.

I'm sorry to say that you gave me alot of great advice for going about helping the piece out right now. That wasn't very helpful at all, it only gave me something I should do before I write a piece and wow look at that its already written.

Thank you for takeing the time to look at it but show me what I did wrong and why and then I can fix it.

A slightly more complete review:

From the moment the piano is introduced, the audience is given a repetitive, disjointed scalar pattern that is later played by all of the introduced. While it does develop a little, the theme is unmelodic and repititive. The harmonies are often a little jarring when 5ths and 4ths are used as primary harmony. The "accompaniment" isn't creatively written either. Often, the rhythm is the same in the accompanying strings (eight notes) and in the piano there are interesting chords that are held for the entire (sometimes longer) bar.

The second theme (begins bar 62) is much nicer (although it again uses 5ths. I can clearly see this was used for effect - as purely a matter of opinion, so please don't take it the wrong way, I don't really like it. I'm not a big fan of fifths or "hollow harmony" and its repeated use made me a little bored and wanting).

In all, while the motif is bland, very bland, you do develop a little, sometimes giving it direction and making it go somewhere (around bar 37). The main problem with the piece is the boring main theme. It just isn't interesting to listen to and it goes on and on. I commend your use of 5/4 which is by no means easy and this leads me to my constructive critism: Write a piece (maybe string quartet, violin and piano or violin and cello, anything really I suppose) using the second theme. This theme has potential and given more thought, development and attention it could create a nice piece of music. There is something to salvage in here believe me but please, don't just turn in a piece of music on this website after working on it for 2 days. I sort of frown upon all the people who write symphonies in a week and quartets in days. It is not possible, unless you're some sort of genius, to create a wonderful and well-developed piece of music in so short an amount of time. Sure, you may come up with a nice theme in a day but to figure out what to do with it takes time and effort. (This is directed to almost everyone on the website and in many respects myself - I only now am beginning to really think about what I'm writing and that's why it's taken me 10 months to write the first movement of my two-movement violin sonata)

A slightly more complete review:

From the moment the piano is introduced, the audience is given a repetitive, disjointed scalar pattern that is later played by all of the introduced. While it does develop a little, the theme is unmelodic and repititive. The harmonies are often a little jarring when 5ths and 4ths are used as primary harmony. The "accompaniment" isn't creatively written either. Often, the rhythm is the same in the accompanying strings (eight notes) and in the piano there are interesting chords that are held for the entire (sometimes longer) bar.

The second theme (begins bar 62) is much nicer (although it again uses 5ths. I can clearly see this was used for effect - as purely a matter of opinion, so please don't take it the wrong way, I don't really like it. I'm not a big fan of fifths or "hollow harmony" and its repeated use made me a little bored and wanting).

In all, while the motif is bland, very bland, you do develop a little, sometimes giving it direction and making it go somewhere (around bar 37). The main problem with the piece is the boring main theme. It just isn't interesting to listen to and it goes on and on. I commend your use of 5/4 which is by no means easy and this leads me to my constructive critism: Write a piece (maybe string quartet, violin and piano or violin and cello, anything really I suppose) using the second theme. This theme has potential and given more thought, development and attention it could create a nice piece of music. There is something to salvage in here believe me but please, don't just turn in a piece of music on this website after working on it for 2 days. I sort of frown upon all the people who write symphonies in a week and quartets in days. It is not possible, unless you're some sort of genius, to create a wonderful and well-developed piece of music in so short an amount of time. Sure, you may come up with a nice theme in a day but to figure out what to do with it takes time and effort. (This is directed to almost everyone on the website and in many respects myself - I only now am beginning to really think about what I'm writing and that's why it's taken me 10 months to write the first movement of my two-movement violin sonata)

THANK YOU, I understand now where your coming from. I really love hollow harmony by the way you were right. I don't take it wrong at all don't worry about it. I agree, I mentioned it earlier but I was thinking of scraping it and developing the second motif in a different song.

I dissagree. I think it is interesting to write things in a short amount of time, but I can see where we disagree and its just fine. I like the quote from somone on here.

If you don't have enough time for your piece then why should I.

The link must be down...

The link must be down...

Why? Whats down?

Mozart would never believe you should not compose a piece in a day. Or for that matter, in 10 minutes or less. When I compose I do it quickly, the slowly tweak it.

Mozart would never believe you should not compose a piece in a day. Or for that matter, in 10 minutes or less. When I compose I do it quickly, the slowly tweak it.

Yes and everything motzart says is law. He is god and we must worship him and do everything EXACTLY LIKE HIM. I agree with you for the most part but just because motzart says something doesn't mean we should do it. I do the same as you. I will go back later and edit this piece to make it better. Please leave constructive things for me to do. Not just critisize.

I made a writing error. It was supposed to say "When I compose I do it quickly, then slowly tweak it". My intent was not to critisize, but to agree with you. Sorry for confusing things. Also Wolfgang is no longer my god of choice.