Symphonic Prelude

Hello everyone. Let's just get right into the good stuff. Originally, this was a war piece. Driving, heavy bass, percussion, dramatic, etc. After the "heartbeat" there's a big fanfare and the piece turns into a playful, bouncy, joyful thing. It's not really a war piece anymore though. It evolved into a different kind of thing. In the later sections i used some techniques that Percy granger uses, such as a quiet, light section and then a forte-fortissimo bass run. At the fanfare, i tried to emulate a lick I heard in a Liszt piece, but during that entire section i have drumset-ish drum licks going on, eg. sixteenth going down the toms, steve gadd triplets, buddy rich cymbal/high hat things. The ending to me doesn't sound complete, and the whole thing feels like it ends too soon, but i think maybe it'll work better as the first movement for maybe a bigger work, and then explore each style in this piece further in other movements. Well, with that out of the way, tell me what ya think. Oh, one more thing. The orchestration is brass and strings. I know, doesn't seem like it makes sense, but I was expierimenting with what kind of sound color that would make and i liked it so i kept it. They don't play together when the strings have the melody though...you wouldn't be able to hear 'em. :( I've only been working on this for a few days so this is not a finished version. Just mostly finished. I think

Enjoy!

Finale '05 .mus

symphonic.MUS

symphonic.MID

Hello everyone. Let's just get right into the good stuff. Originally, this was a war piece. Driving, heavy bass, percussion, dramatic, etc. After the "heartbeat" there's a big fanfare and the piece turns into a playful, bouncy, joyful thing. It's not really a war piece anymore though. It evolved into a different kind of thing. In the later sections i used some techniques that Percy granger uses, such as a quiet, light section and then a forte-fortissimo bass run. At the fanfare, i tried to emulate a lick I heard in a Liszt piece, but during that entire section i have drumset-ish drum licks going on, eg. sixteenth going down the toms, steve gadd triplets, buddy rich cymbal/high hat things. The ending to me doesn't sound complete, and the whole thing feels like it ends too soon, but i think maybe it'll work better as the first movement for maybe a bigger work, and then explore each style in this piece further in other movements. Well, with that out of the way, tell me what ya think. Oh, one more thing. The orchestration is brass and strings. I know, doesn't seem like it makes sense, but I was expierimenting with what kind of sound color that would make and i liked it so i kept it. They don't play together when the strings have the melody though...you wouldn't be able to hear 'em. :(

p.s. I can't think of a name for it so i called it "symphonic". lame, yes, but i'm not great at naming pieces.

Enjoy!

Finale '05 .mus

That is hard! Trombones,Trumpets, and Horns playing those 16th notes....Nice Melody...Ending is....a little off, get some one here to help you on it. :)

That is hard! Trombones,Trumpets, and Horns playing those 16th notes....Nice Melody...Ending is....a little off, get some one here to help you on it. :)

I aggree. I play Trpt. That is relly hard...Trombones and 16th notes...:(...scary...They would sound like glisses...So that is impossible to play. As robin if he can play that.

yeah... i know. I really like the way it sounded though. it's for sure a working piece. I was thinking i might orchestrate this for a full orchestra. It would for sure work better, technique-wise at least, and the instrumentation i've got right now isn't getting the color that i want

In the midi player I have, the contrabass and double bass sound increbidly muddy. If I had real string players playing this, would it sound that muddy?

In the midi player I have, the contrabass and double bass sound increbidly muddy. If I had real string players playing this, would it sound that muddy?

I don't play cello..;)

i'm orchestrating this for...an orchestra but, it's starting to sound way too busy. This is really the first piece i've tried to do a full orchestra for. Any tips for orchestration? specifically, the section after the big brass thing, with the string choral (1st time). Measure 14 through that section. I've tried it a few different ways but it just sounds so busy. Maybe i just leave it with strings. I tried it with flutes/oboe/ doing chords with the strings, and adding the sixteenth notes into the clari's. It just sounds like it's too much. What I'm trying to say is, i'm having trouble with balance. Any thoughts?

Maddrummer, could you get CutePDF Writer (google it and download the free version) and post a score in .pdf format?

I asked permission to make it for him so here it is. :happy::P

Symphonic.pdf

I like it, it's a good melody, but, sometimes it does sound a little busy...

the transitions work nicely, I don't like the sound of the MIDI, but, I know that's not your fault. :happy:

Yeah, there's been some previous comments about the brass parts, and I agree. The trombones in particular are quite challenging. The 16th-note runs neat the beginning aren't impossible, but quite difficult, especially if you want a crisp, clean attack on them.

Also, there's a few notes that seem a bit low for tenor trombone parts, i.e. the low C in m33 for tbn 1, m6 in tbn 2. Low C doesn't even exist on my instrument. Orchestral players will likely have an f-attachment which will make low register stuff easier, but with that low C, they'd be way down and out in 6th position, not sure if they'd be comfortable with it.

Otherwise, it looks okay. I'd double check with some classical players before throwing low C's at them; the 16th-notes should be okay with a decent player.

Thanks robin, that's good to know. Would it be better for them if they had a longer note down in 6th or if they moved in and out of it quickly. I know it takes a lot more air for lower notes but i don't know which is more playable.

Ok, Here's the revised mp3. I'm not gonna attach anything because funny things happen if you try to replace attachments. What i've done is added the rest of the orchestra. I took the brass out of the 16 note runs, and put it in the piccolo, flute, and oboe.(Not sure if oboes can play that kind of stuff.) The trombone 1 part is now playing harmony with trombone 2 at the eight-note section, and the horns have unison rips :wub: couldn't resist, I love that sound. In the later sections there's a ritardando into the bouncy section, and then an accel when the low brass have their fortissimo goodness. The end goes into a string chorale that's not finished, but i'm not sure that I like it.

Box.net - prelude 1.mp3

I'll try and get the new pdf on sometime today

Ah i figured out what this was missing...it doesn't follow any form! it just segues from one idea to another and it doesn't make any sense to the listener. That's kind of important to, I guess it's one of those things that comes with expierience