Leaderboard

So this is the final draft of the entire 2nd movement of my String Sextet. I can confidently say this is my best movement of music ever written up to date. The movement is divided into three parts: Lamentoso, Fugue a6 and the Return. The first two parts of the movements have been posted before in below links: Lamentoso: Fugue a6: If you want to skip to the newest content I compose, you may skip to 20:16. The musical analysis of the Lamentoso and Fugue have already been done in the link posted above so I won’t repeat it here. Here is the YT link and score of the movement: (Final Draft) String Sextet 2nd mov with last page.pdf Here is the YC post to the first mov of the same Sextet: Here is the structure of the movement: 00:00 Lamentoso The Eden in the 1st mov is great but man, come on and live in the real world. All sorts of tragedies happening and what ground do you have to claim the transcendence? I especially love the outburst in 4:59 and the passage starts from 8:53. 11:47 Fugue a6. This part is totally inspired by Vince’s @Thatguy v2.0 comment on my first movement “to write a dense fugue”, also to further explore the fugato in the 1st mov. Like @Giacomo925 said, this part summarises the sadness of the first 20 minutes of the movement. It always leaves me in awe that my favorite C minor passage, the absolute climax of the whole piece, lies in minute 30 exactly. The fugue aims to end on desperate terms but I won’t allow it. I try to give it a fight by recalling the pentatonic ideal even though in the wrong key of the tritone C major as hinted in the pentatonic section of the fugue, but the power is diminished. I need some purification for the paradise regained. Thx to @Luis Hernándezfor introducing me to tritone substitution in this part. The chant (22:01) begins with self murmuring of viola, occasionally inviting mysticism recalling 7:55 in Lamentoso and sadness of the 1st subject of the fugue. Two violas play together with the texture of a parallel organum. After a sad cry some more primitive power comes in to recall the passion and good of human beings, the theme is from b.27 of 1st mov. It gets agitated and experiences an epiphany in the form of Bartok Pizz. Both the chant and the folk melody is built around the 025 set! And the 025 set is the essence of the pentatonic scale! Furthermore a quartal chord is the further essence of 025 set, and hence the core of the whole pentatonic scale! Discovering this, the fury cannot be stopped. It leaves me in wonder how on earth can I write this thing out. After returning to the tonic key in 27:00, I decided to conceive it as a one off climax with build up. The idea is inspired by my playing of Beethoven’s op.110 when he did the same thing in the last movement as well. There is no “development” but only realisation of Tao in this imperfect world. There are appetizers to the ultra climax, first introducing the two most important themes sparingly, then in 27:16 theme in b.35 of 1st mov which is in fact inspired by my own Clarinet Quintet in C minor, and then an appetizer fugato responding to the lament in b.148 of the Lamentoso which is based on the opening theme. The entrée of Ultra Climax appears in 28:38, first is the first theme in tonic by first violin, viola, and cello, then second theme in C major by second violin, viola and cello. The playing of tritone is to prove Tao‘s omnipotence, also respond to the first mov and the fugue with the F# and C minor relationship. Using all 3 instruments for me is the resonance of Heaven, Earth and Human when they finally sing together the Tao they shared. I think I really feel the Chinese philosopher Tang Chun-i’s Realm of Heavenly Morality here. The modulation to Ab major, responding to b. 294 and 644 of 1st mov, complete what’s left undone there and finally Gb major is in triumph. A pedal point on a tritone is funny for me. The cello overlapping the violin is signifying earth and heaven interaction which is considered auspicious in Chinese classics I-ching. I am always in awe of the power exhibited here and wonder who’s actually the composer of this passage. The next passage in 30:07 is the heterophonic version of the 1st theme, which is where I was inspired miraculously by a Chinese music group. Next is the in extremis passage in 30:57. It’s the immanent version of the 1st theme. I was imagining what my friend’s thinking on his last day of life. The texture is probably inspired by the film music in Kurosawa’s Ikiru when the main character was swinging on the park’s swing to await his death. I quote Bach’s St. John Passion here for my friend’s name, and I find out that the lyrics fit too. I wish him to rest in peace and return to Tao. The final ending is probably inspired by the ending of Chopin’s Fantasie in F minor. I can never believe I would end the whole thing this positive in an absolute way. The whole passage always leaves me in tears. After writing the Lamentoso in May 2024 I had no power and inspiration at all to write anything in the Sextet since I was suffering in my full time job. I started picking up by working on the C# minor Piano Sonata first. After finishing that in Jan 2025 I felt like my negative power was expressed out, leaving the goods for this Sextet. I then went for a walk on 10 Feb 2025 and had a miracle, inspired by a Chinese music group, which turned on my creative power and I fervently completed the entire thing in just 18 days, when I had zero notes written in the past 9 months. It’s such a miracle I could have finished this piece this quick and good. My dedicatee Mr. Johnson Ho had already passed away last year. It's a shame that this piece couldn’t be completed when he’s alive, but I would be forever thankful for his inspiration. Special thanks must have been granted to my great friend Mr. Vince Meyer @Thatguy v2.0 for making this perfect audio and many ideas, and being a great friend, but I will leave it to the final version of the whole Sextet. Also a very special thanks must be given to my ex-boss. Thanks to her mistreatment, I have the pain to reflect on my own, the drive to finish the whole Sextet in a fury and the time to complete it when I was forced to resign for my own mental health. Foremost of course I must thank my dearest mum. But lol, the whole acknowledgement will be left to the post of the final version of the whole Sextet, including the first movement and this movement. This is a very long movement and commentary and I don’t expect anyone to listen and read till the end. But if you do so, here is my deepest gratitude to you. Feel free to comment as well, I would be very thankful to have received them. Thank you!!!!! Henry

I thought I'd start a topic about everyone's repertoire that they're currently playing on any instrument you know how to play. Or you can share what pieces of music you're composing/working on right now. This topic is inspired by a series of messages I recently exchanged in which I realized that basically nobody on this forum knows about all the really corny pop songs I sing and play on the guitar! LoL So this first post will be dedicated to guitar music that I've been playing (although I also have other repertoire that I'm playing on other instruments). In roughly chronological order from oldest to newest: Bach's BWV996 Bourree in E minor - One of the first classical pieces I learned on guitar from my "Bach for Guitar" book. Originally for Lute. Bach's BWV Anh. 132 Menuett in E minor - Another classical piece I've been learning, more difficult than the Bourree. In the same book. "Downtown" by Petula Clark - I found this song in the movie "Panic Room" and have since fallen in love with it completely independently of the horrific movie. Some alternate chord shapes in this song let me play it easier rather than having to barre almost every chord. "Wedding Bell Blues" by Laura Nyro - a really old song that I fell in love with and posed a challenge because of it's chords. I modify the words to "Girl, I love you so..." when I sing it. The only problem I see with this song is finding an occasion where a guy would actually want to sing it to a girl! LoL "Maneater" by Hall & Oates "Wishing" by Electric Light Orchestra - ELO is my mom's favorite childhood band. This particular song has chords that were easy enough for me to learn and a cool whistle solo that starts and ends it. "Magic" by Pilot - the Scottish one-hit-wonder band Pilot's "Magic" is irresistible to me from the lyrics and emotional tone standpoint. And maybe I also relate to this song just from personal experience LoL. I sang this at a talent show two years ago. "Easy Lover" by Philip Bailey, Phil Collins "Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now" by The Smiths - in my opinion The Smith's best song. It was a challenge to learn because of all the constant barre chords. But I've learned some alternate chord shapes to make it easier on myself. I love the lyrics. "Lovely Day" by Bill Withers - a song I got the hang of with some fussing around with different chord shapes on the guitar. "Faith of the Heart" by Rod Stewart - I found this song because it was the title song for StarTrek: Enterprise. LoL But it's also been used in a famous Robin Williams movie I forgot the name of. "Friends Theme" by the Rembrandts - the theme song from the famous TV show "Friends". This recording includes the 2nd verse which you never get to hear when the show is starting. "Like Humans Do" by David Byrne - I found this song a while back when it was included with Windows 95, 98 or XP (don't remember which). It has really funny words and tells a cool story. Some challenging chord shapes. "I Know You Know" by The Friendly Indians - the theme song to the popular TV show "Psych". The chords are easy and I've heard it so many times I decided I should learn it. "Used to be Young" by Miley Cyrus - I recently sang and played this at a talent show and won 3rd place! "The Heart Wants What It Wants" by Selena Gomez - great meaningful lyrics. "Chained to the Rhythm" by Katy Perry "Streets of New York" by Alicia Keys - I really fell in love with this song for the chorus and how it emphasizes the Subdominant. The lyrics are also full of heart. "Sex, Drugs, etc." by Beach Weather - I fell in love with this song because of its hypnotic chords and cool lyrics (and it's easy to play!) "Hometown" by Twenty-One Pilots - I love the whole album that this song is from but is probably the only Twenty-One Pilots song that I can easily play on guitar. "Hold on Forever" by Rob Thomas - a song I learned for an ex-girlfriend. "All the Stars" by Kendrick Lamar feat. Sza - a very seductive song written for the movie "Black Panther". I wrote a little commentary on the meaning of the lyrics in a creative writing workshop. "Never Enough" by Loren Allred - this song from the movie "The Greatest Showman" is full of emotional intensity and heartfelt lyrics. I still haven't seen the movie though. "Get Lucky" by Daft Punk feat. Pherrel Williams - a really simple but cool song with a dope mood. "Love on the Brain" by Noah Guthrie/Rihanna - this song is a challenge to accurately fingerpick each arpeggio. "Never Wanted Your Love" by She & Him - She & Him is Zooey Deschanel's band. Really heartfelt lyrics. "Ennui" by PeterthePapercomPoser - a song I wrote when I first started learning guitar in 2020 (also around the time I joined YCF! I entered this song in the 2020 summer competition) Some of these songs were picked by me because they had easy chords on guitar. Others because I have a soft spot in my heart for the lyrics. Some are just plain awesome. Some of the songs by female artists I picked because they set a certain emotional tone that I got attached to when listening. In some of the songs by female artists I changed the lyrics to make it more appropriate for a guy to sing the song (LoL). Feel free to share your own songs or pieces that you're currently working on! Or any composition that you're composing as well!

This Intermezzo is intended to be the first of four little piano pieces I intend to finish. I write this as relaxation piece after finishing the very heavy String Sextet which would be published in the near future. For me this piece contains some beauty and I hope to maintain simplicity in all four pieces. Here is the score and YouTube video: (Final) Intermezzo in A.pdf The recording is played by myself and recorded in a rush since it’s completely unplanned to record this one this quick haha. Feel free to comment on this one! Hope you enjoy! Henry

I'm stil not done with my orchestrations, I will probably come to this section a bunch of times this year haha. What do you think? I believe I managed to portray a dark aura. I still don't know how to assign dynamics to the instruments, any advice for that so I don't have to rely on "mp" and "ppp" so much?

Hi all, This composition is called A Child's Walk. Over the years I have revisited the work .... this version (4th) and has some new transitions, orchestration and a brand new ending. Imagine a young girl going about her walk and encountering lots of interesting encounters along the way. She has a very lively theme ... which by the way is my cell phone ring! Mark Engraving still in progress .... A Child's Walk - 03-10-25.pdf

What keeps you from reviewing more works? This could apply to works reviewed on YCF, YT, discord, Soundcloud or other social media where music is shared. The poll is public. Respond to this topic for me to add more options to the list!

Hi Peter! For me it's because I have to focus in my own writings. When I compose insanely myself I can't review anything here since it will take some of my creative energy away. Only listening is ok, but to provide feedback I need that same creative power for composing. Reviewing is very helpful for my own composing, but only before or after a huge project. When I complete my Sextet which would be posted soon, I never experience a more ferocious composing like this one, so I cannot bare to waste any creative energy other than finishing it. Another reason I don't review some members is because they never reply or give reputation points to reviewers, let alone review other members' works (including mine!) themselves. Since I review because I wanna interact with the composer, if there is no interaction I would feel like my review is futile, therefore I won't review them. Henry

In January of last year, four wildlife rescue organizations coordinated to catch a sick half-grown coyote who had been finding refuge under my porch. Coyotes are a protected species in Massachusetts, so before attempting a rescue, they had to get permission from the state. The day that they finally received permission, he disappeared. The temperature dropped to the teens, and we watched the forecast with growing alarm, worried we had missed our chance and he had frozen to death in a hole in the woods somewhere. Finally he reappeared. I saw his feet go by under the porch, and texted the team. Within thirty minutes, six people arrived and made a whispered plan to surround the porch from all sides. Armed with old comforters and sheets of siding we ran in from three directions and blocked off his exits, while other volunteers grappled for him with a catch pole through a basement window. After several tense minutes, with only the sounds of his panicked breathing, the indoor team hauled him through the window and into my cellar, head first. Everyone agreed that if we hadn't gotten him that day, he wouldn't have made it. He was suffering from secondary rodenticide poisoning. At some point in his short life, he had already eaten enough poisoned field mice or rats to be dying of poisoning himself. He was hypothermic, dehydrated, his blood wouldn't clot, and with his immune system nearly non-existent he was almost hairless from an overgrowth in the mites, bacteria, and fungi that are normally a natural and balanced part of the skin biome. He was probably under my porch because there was a little warmth coming through the foundation, ignoring his instinct to avoid humans because he was so desperately cold. After three months of specialist care, he was healthy enough to be released to the wild again. Because coyotes are social animals, and frequently use common trails, it's very probable that members of his family passed by my house in the days after his capture and read the story in the scents on scuffed leaves and churned snow. Thanks to Newhouse Wildlife, Friends of Horn Pond, Cape Ann Wildlife, and Berkshire Wildlife for all their work to advocate for him, to catch him, and to heal him for a return to the woods of New England. Rage forest daughter; Stand and sing. He is everywhere, a scent on snow. He is the unforgiven air. He is the curled leaves. He is everything. He will come back changed. He will come back again. The lost child returns in spring, Traveling over dark water; Stand and mourn forest daughter.

My repertorie now (with links of my favourite recording): My original exam pieces would like to play but get bored by them: Bach Partita no.6 Debussy Feux d'Artifice Beethoven Piano Sonata no.32, op.111 Now I'm practicing these: Beethoven Piano Sonata no.31, op.110 Beethoven 32 Variations in C minor, WoO 80 Beethoven Diabelli Variation, op.120 My Own Piano Sonata no.3 @Chemathmusician0510 wow your repertoire is amazing! Henry

Piano: Hammerklavier sonata, Symphony No. 9 Liszt transcription, (this is too long to print out, so I've been doing this one less) all 24 + 3 Chopin etudes, Erkonig Liszt transcription, Chopin sonata op. 35, Cello: Moses on G by Paganini, for cello on A string Hungarian Rhapsody by David Popper Caprice 24 by Paganini, transcribed by Luigi Silva Shostakovich Cello concerto no 1 Symphony-concerto for cello by Prokofiev (this one I've put aside for the time being)

Very possible at this tempo, but perhaps not any faster. what is not advisable is the random double stops at places like bar 35. You can't expect an immediate large finger position shift up to double stops and expect the sound to come out good. I would advise you to tone down your excess fondness with double stops on cello especially at the higher registers unless you are featuring a super virtuostic cello solo line. Actually the notes in bar 31-42 are pretty uncomfortably hard on the cello as well though supposedly very doable with advanced bowing and fingering (more advanced than what I can do, I am only at g8).

Even though this is a second movement, I feel like it can represent an entire 3 part movement in itself. So I will try to address all 3 parts best I can (for now). Part 1 - The Intro This very neo classical / early romantic style intro is very strong, and quite dramatic. It reminds me of a Tchaikovsky intro but in a somewhat different style (your style!). 1:50 to 2+ is tremendously well done, with lots of forward progression with your harmony. This is a clear example of how to use harmony to your advantage, for the sake of the piece's progression. Sometimes composers get crazy with harmony but the harmony doesn't necessarily serve the right purpose. Tell me something, at 4:15, are you trying to show us your fugue subject from movement 1? I think I hear hints of it... Part 2 - The fugue The key changing in this piece is both sharp at times, and as smooth as butter at other times. And the many different styles that I've heard displays the turbulence of emotions here. The first major mood change after the intro is when you segue into your fugue subject starting out with the pentatonic scale. I feel like you slowly bring us back to movement 1, then BAM, you hit us hard with the motif from the first movement. I had to rewind a few times so that I could understand how you achieved this smooth transition (around the 9-10 minute mark). The fugue itself is a very complex work, and the recapitulation can be used as a study on how to modulate from key to key. BTW, I love this fugue so much, from both your first movement, and especially in this movement! There's just so much content here, that this piece can't be listened to just once! Part 3 - The chant, and metamorphosis (as I call it!) At the 20 minute mark, the last section where your chant begins, it brings me a sense of sorrow, with a hint of peace and finding oneself. And at the 26 minute mark, this is the part of reckoning, or the "return" as you say. This section is like a metamorphosis, transitioning from deep sadness, to a rebirth. It's a grand movement within a movement, but most importantly, it evokes a sense of realization and completion. And Henry, this is what your music is about. It's not just "music". It's a very well crafted and beautiful story. This one is particularly a sad and emotional one. The ending was joyful, but at the same time, I still felt sadness. I know this is a very long work, but I encourage people to listen through the full piece. Maybe others will have different interpretations, but listening to longer works like this will help you learn how to listen to the story, not just to the tones of the music.

After a series of somewhat unexpected and tumultuous events taken place last weekend, my sleep schedule suddenly got inverted again, and the subsequent rush of inspiration has resulted in this fugue being conceived and finished in under three days (or perhaps, rather, sleepless nights, should I say). Now that something productive has come of it once again, I can finally take some time to rest in whatever meager capacity I may. Enjoy! YouTube video link:

Good morning! Nice to see you again. Here is my fourth scarecrow based on a well-known theme (and rehashed hahaà). I indulge in the poncifs of the genre and I hope you will forgive me my retrograde side. But it's very fun as I often said here, on my almost old days, to have a virtual orchestra and a high-flying piano on hand! My teachers, peace to their souls, must certainly turn in their graves, they who swore only by the French avant-garde... By dint of writing these pastiches, they, turning around each time in their tomb, will end up resting on the right side ! The photos were taken during recent walks in the Parisian streets.

Hello! I understand that everyone has been waiting for months, wondering every day what happened to the trio and hoping to get updates. Well, your wait is over! Just kidding, of course 🙂 I went through an otherwise busy and largely uninspired period and have not written a note for a while. Then, recently, a couple of ideas came, I was very doubtful, but kept working on them and now, for better or worse... the trio is finished. Or at least, a first draft that I hope to make better thanks to your invaluable comments. This is what happened: First Movement - stayed the same Second Movement - wrote an Allegretto Third Movement - incorporated as best as I could the suggestions I received from @Henry Ng Tsz Kiu and other kind commenters. @PeterthePapercomPoser opened my eyes on how monotonous and boring the whole thing was. It probably still is, but I tried to make it less uniform/dissolved in rhythm and melody. Fourth Movement - Allegro vivace in 12/8. Here's the 4th movement. It's a Rondo ABACADA and any suggestion to make it better would be so welcome!

wait what? one can *give* reputation points? I was not aware! how?

hello everyone, I am back, this is my new piece, hope you like it! The video (portrait): 【微分音钢琴】作品7之2 无标题_哔哩哔哩_bilibili

Hey all, trying something new with my videos. Here is a MIDI sequencer playback of "En Route To Atlantis", which is both the first track on the list and the first one I composed for my "Lost Worlds" album. Let me know what you think.

@PeterthePapercomPoser @Henry Ng Tsz Kiu I suppose that something like this has been thought of at one time or another, but maybe it doesn't fit the idea of this forum. But maybe we could use some simple system to value the works, which would be expensive, by means of a scale or something like that. And to evaluate general questions like for example: Rate from 1 to 5 these items about the work: 1) General structure and form. 2) Sense of coherence. 3) Development (contrasts, climax, etc...). 4) Originality or others Maybe this stimulates people to participate and it is always a feedback for the one who uploads the composition. Regardless of the fact that you can comment on whatever you want.

Hey everyone, While I've been quite busy with university during the past year, I've started uploading some of my compositions to a YouTube channel, which I think better presents my music as a score-audio combo. They're all still computer renditions, but I hope to begin uploading my own performances these next few months (including of other works, mainly Scriabin). Here's a waltz that I originally wrote for one of those community-organised composition challenges on MuseScore, in which it was required that a note be repeated at least once in every bar of a piece. I ended up bestowing upon it the nickname "Waltz of the B(ee)s" for that reason and gave the score to my music teacher as a gift. Among all of my pieces, I think this is the one I'm closest to recording myself, so I'll update this thread when I'm ready!

It's very pretty and I think there's a nice counterpoint. I would just point out that the range of the flute intermingles with the violin a bit. Although they are different timbres.

Interesting question. The truth is that, in my case, there is nothing in particular that makes me not to comment more compositions. One of the peculiarities of this forum is that there are people of all levels. Sometimes works of real professionals are uploaded, even with real orchestras or choirs. What to say there? Nothing. Just whether I like it or not. Over time, I have started to give importance not only to specific technical issues, but also to whether the work is idiomatic (for the instruments used), if it has a structure, if it is congruent between its parts, etc... I comment for two reasons: one because I like to listen to other people's stuff, and two because I like to learn from other people's way of composing. In this sense, there are times when things are uploaded without scores and I am less interested in them. Anyway, I think that it is a social forum, and that there is a great disproportion between people who “demand” even revisions, and then do not comment anything. I think that part of the training of a composer (amateur or professional) is to listen to as much music as possible and to comment on it. The opinion about a work (if you like it or not, if you think that the parts do not connect with each other, etc...) is never wrong, because it is personal.

For me, I chose - Not good at analyzing music (because I truly have struggled deeply with this skill since I started with music. I have a hard time even analyzing what it is that I’M writing at times to be clear and honest) - Not enough knowledge of existing repertoire… (Some of you guys can reference music pieces by pulling them from thin air out of your memories lol I’ve listened and attempted to analyze many scores but they always elude me in their name or artist when I need to reference it. I have ADHD so I don’t retain knowledge in terms of specifics unless it’s something I’m actively working on) - Afraid to say something that’s wrong (if it makes any sense, I can *see* what needs to be fixed but have a hard time formulating the correct sentences to *explain* it to someone unless it’s something that I’ve already made a mistake on and corrected, myself.) in addition to these, I’m also a sole proprietor business owner. I run a mobile auto repair service and my phone rings off the hook constantly. (I’m sitting in the Walmart parking lot with my phone on DND since it’s outside of my business hours and, for once, I’m not working over time today.. lol so when I get a lull I do try to participate where possible)

You know, sometimes it's just enough to say "I really liked x!" or "Something about meas. y or timestamp z didn't work for me, but I don't know what it is or how to fix it." I'm sure people will still appreciate the time you put in to saying that! Thanks for responding .. I've added three new answers to the poll!

I suggest you listen to the piano part alone, with a comparison between my two best VSTi pianos: Pianoteq 8 Shigeru Kawai vs Garritan CFX Concert Grand

For me the main issue is time and effort. I also have another, the formatting of the sheets and the playback is often suboptimal, especially those using default sound bank. I tend to gravitate towards those with user-friendly sheets and live performances because those are the most effective ways for me to perceive the music works. edit: btw incorrect enhamonic accidentals are such a turn off

I chose "not enough time" and "other", and I meant to say sonething about "other" in this post. Something about how I mostly enjoy listening to music posted here, but I'm never clear as to what to say in a review. I don't want to be negative for stuff I do not like. I would like to be useful suggesting solutions that I think would sound better even in pieces I like. I would like to highlight what is really good so that people could see better why a piece of music is succesful. But in the end I listen to a piece and being constructive and positive is just... difficult. Not time-consuming, but just really difficult to articulate. I don't have the technical ability to be helpful offering advice. But I also don't really know how to explain why I like or dislike a posted piece. Then it dawned on me why that is. So I hit the back button and chose "not good at analyzing music" 🙂

I hope that if you make a pot of mashed potatoes you eat some and think, "gosh, that's a good mashed potato!" I hope if you clean the bathroom, you look around at the end of the task and think, "that's much better," and then enjoy your shower a little more and know that you have contributed to the comfort of your family or guests. I hope that when you have a project for work or school, you get to the end and look at it as a success. And I hope you can listen to your own music and feel proud of it. The heart of the problem is that we put the creative arts on too high a pedestal compared to our other tasks. That can create all sorts of problems that hinder our music-making. If writing a novel is the work of geniuses, then to attempt to write one as a mere human being is an act of narcissism. If painting is the reflection of the best of the human spirit, then as soon as we reach a certain level of self-awareness in childhood, we are no longer allowed to practice painting, because we aren't good yet, and without practice no one will ever get good enough to reach the standard that we hold artists up to. If we think composers are all inspired by some mysterious ineffable force, then we are not allowed to listen to our own work without complicated feelings of guilt if we think it went well, or shame for having the temerity to write and to share our work if we think it went poorly. None of this helps new art and music make their way into the world. On the other hand, we can look at music and other arts as things that all humans do. Our most ancient hominid ancestors made petroglyphs and cave paintings and pottery, toddlers sing little songs to themselves, college friends spontaneously decide what the choreography of dancing at a particular party looks like for their bodies, and you, writing a thank you note, may be pleased with the way that you choose the words to entertain and fully express your gratitude. Enjoy the process of creating and also the final product without getting wrapped up in yourself. Acknowledge that humans make things. All humans. You, and also everyone else you know. Cheer on your dad's photography projects. Eat the mashed potatoes. Play the piano piece you wrote. Know that none of these things mean anything at all about you or anyone else, other than that we are human, and humans are makers.

Other: I do drop the occasional review, but for the most part, I don't do a lot of reviewing. There are a few ostensibly different reasons, but I feel they're connected by a common thread. That being: I feel that my advice is better spent in discussing music and composition in a more general sense or regarding specific topics like perhaps harmony or melody writing as a concept rather than trying to tell someone how to "fix" or "improve" their piece; I would rather talk about that stuff and feel I'm better at "helping" with that sort of insight that way anyway. To be frank, I also always found those sort of posts more useful than what are often highly subjective grievances with a specific piece, from a specific person. Another is that I don't like to listen to music analytically most of the time. When I listen to users' music, I mostly just listen to enjoy it. If I do, I'll usually drop a like on their YouTube or whatever and if I don't, I usually just move on. I wouldn't enjoy music if I was always in this "critique mode" and as a person who has an obsessive personality, it would be very easy for me to fall into that. Most of the regular posters here, I like their music and there really isn't much for me to say beyond "Yeah, this is great". I hope that maybe some of them also enjoy my stuff. ---------------------------- However, I will say there is a final reason, and I know I risk sounding a like narcissistic @$$ by saying it, but I really don't mean to be or think I'm the very best, but it is just fair and honest: When I started frequenting musicians forums some 20 years ago, I was often frustrated by how the more experienced musicians we all looked up to didn't really give much feedback or help n00bs like myself. However, now that I'm getting to be one of the "old men" with a lot of experience, having made money with it, got into prestigious national programs by the merit of my own work, and now releasing albums with some of the bigger music libraries and did all of this so far coming from a family that couldn't afford to put me in proper music lessons and I was forced to learn most of this stuff on my own over the course of my entire youth and adult life so far...I understand now why many of them weren't so willing to dedicate that kind of time to what essentially amounts to being a free teacher for strangers online. Over the last five or so years, I've had people send me emails or messages asking to help them make some piece they're working on into their grand vision. The problem with most cases is, at a minimum, I would have to make posts or videos much longer than this, with pictures, custom examples, or recomposing aspects of their piece. In the more extreme cases, which are many, I would essentially have to teach this person how to compose from the ground up. I would not just have to teach academic music theory and such, but more importantly, I am pouring in my own perspectives and experience — my life with music — in order to truly help these people grow, and I don't think it is arrogance to feel that that is worth something. The "something" doesn't necessarily have to be money, but in the cases of most, money is all they'd have to offer in exchange.

Haha ! I'll let them turn a little longer, but I'll do allegiance to them one day by trying something much less audible... Thank you for your comment! I really appreciate it. Indeed, I had Liszt in mind, and necessarily, there are some reminiscences (but this relationship is also linked to the number and the choice of theme, as well as the principle of variation). And then, my piano is much easier to play! (At least at a more moderate speed). Initially, I didn't want it to be anything other than a musical beach in support of my slideshow. I got carried away a little and the music here overflows with its role as an accompanying person. To return to the samples used, these are several mixed libraries: The piano is Garritan Yamaha CFX (which alone weighs more than 150 GB, which is considerable, but I must say that since I got this VST instrument, it has really opened up new horizons for the use of the piano in my small jobs, because I find it sublime. The orchestra, globally is the BBCSO pro of Spitfire Audio. It was basically the BBC orchestra that was sampled. This program is now a few years old but remains in my opinion a very good option under the 1000 euro mark for a complete and very well sampled orchestra. Some blame him for having a sound that is too "concert", with a natural reverb of the recording location (their London rehearsal room, I think) but that's what I appreciate precisely because I find it quite convincing and lively. It's a very beautiful starting point that sounds very good. Note that Garritan and BBCSO have their own interface and do not depend on Kontakt, which in my opinion is a big advantage! I also use here a trumpet sample (The Trumpet V2) which is pretty bad at the interface level (it's on Kontakt). So sometimes painful interface to use, some strange conflicts, and a rooting of midi instructions really not clear sometimes causing bugs and conflicts. But in return, the sound of their different trumpets is absolutely splendid. He for the time being remains very neutral and malleable. It is a modeling and therefore it does not have the heaviness of a sample. This also allows extreme virtuosity that is not always possible with samples. On top of these elements, I use studio equipment that helps me give more character to these samples (compressors, EQ...). The fact that all this goes through hardware adds a certain amplitude that is not necessarily present in the sounds at the base. In any case, thank you for listening. (Ah, yes, the score... For the moment nothing is clean at home. Here for example, I only wrote a reduction for 2 pianos, and frankly, it's a draft. One day, in my next life, I may put all this clean, but my goal is always to go fast now and I really don't have time to make efforts on this point...) I often use my manuscripts as visual supports for my Youtube shares, with the idea of leaving the eye wandering, so that the music is not upset by the image. And the modified macro photos of my scores are finally frames that I sometimes want very abstract. But I understand your request. If I can, (on my return because I am traveling) I will post some photos of my music papers... Haha.

Hey man This final (?) version is really cool. I wanted to share some takeaways that I hope you consider for FUTURE music, not this piece in particular. Your music has a lot of emotional depth and tone color, and your studies and/or admiration of film scoring shows in this work. You do a great job at providing the background to something happening on screen, or as part of the story. Is this correct? Sorry if I'm wrong. If that's the case, what does this go with, or what were you writing this for? I'm always curious of the story that film music chooses to be supplementary to. I only say this because your music completely ignores (imo) melody, which is what the listener of an abstract environment has to grasp onto. There are no lyrics, so I can't grasp the story. There's no melody, so I can't hear what you intend for me to follow. I only have lush orchestration with harmony and tonal colors to hold onto, and although great, it leaves me asking what you are trying to say. Like I said, if there's something specific this is about, or if you wrote in general to be applied to a multitude of different scenic variations, then that's cool. But it was just hard to grasp only harmony and color to what you're portraying. If you're anything like me, I too first was orchestrally inspired by film, but then I soon found the masters and was blown away by the level of musicality within their work. Want to know how to create divine melodies? Start with Mozart and Chopin. Want to better yourself with contrapuntal writing? We all revere Bach. Want to know the secrets of drama and storytelling within an orchestra? Beethoven, Sibelius, Shostakovich, etc. etc. If I were you, I'd take my passion and obvious talent with music further by really grasping what made the greats so great. Incorporate their technique into your writing. Hell, steal if you want. It'll all make you better, and you have a fine start where you are right now. You have a nice grasp of emotional harmonies... now let's take that a step further. If you add a keen sense of melody writing to your music, it'll only make it that much more wonderful. What about rhythm? Even if you're going for a lush cinematic sound, having parts of the orchestra hold a static but flavorful rhythm would do wonders. I'm excited to hear how you continue to improve, as I know your passion for music is unavoidable in getting better. P.S. If you ever come to Nashville, I know nothing about cars and probably get scammed when I need a fix. Help me please lol

I think computerized renderings are the key thought here. Your music would absolutely flourish emotionally in the hands of an accomplished player. I understand that fugues in general can sound mechanical and scripted, perhaps even emotionless. But everyone who's been around here for a while knows how exquisite your craftsmanship is, and it's no knock against your creativity or talent to say that this particular style is soulless (not that anyone said that). There is emotional depth, but I think it's buried underneath a rigorous toolkit designed to "puzzle" the notes into existence. Luis said what I couldn't say any better. This is devastating, I'm so sorry for your loss and grief. But life goes on, not to sound insensitive, and your pursuit forward is a trademark of your perseverance. I love seeing new posts from you, even if I don't comment and offer insight. Mostly it's because the heavy contrapuntal styles are foreign to me, but I always appreciate their beauty. Thank you for sharing.

No one can play Sweet Georgia Brown like me, except the guy that taught it to me ofc

First of all, I'm the dog whisperer. It breaks my heart to read the backstory of your piece, but thankfully he at least has a chance because of all your and the teams' work. All variations of canines have my heart, and the words you gave us resonate loudly within me. You could of just "not cared", but there's too much of that in the world, and it makes me happy that you chose to pursue the path of effort in helping this poor creature return to safety in the wild. Now that my eyes are dry (lol), onto the music. I don't know much about choral writing, but I have some thoughts. For one, I'm a little sad to hear midi... haven't you made videos where you're singing all the parts? Perhaps for a future time 😄 I love all the dissonance created by 2nds. Some where treated as suspensions, but others seemed to be used for color. It seemed very impressionable with the content you wrote about. I also really love the lyrics, especially this: "He is everywhere, a scent on snow. He is the unforgiven air. He is the curled leaves. He is everything". I've lived all over the country, and my dad was the man that taught me about the outdoors. I lived in Alaska, and have had many encounters with wolves. It's always surreal, and there's a great deal of respect I have for them, for how they are one with nature and their environment. As dumb as this sounds, I've learned from them too, and your words reflect a great deal of wisdom and admiration for the wild world around you. Your music is always lovely, thank you for sharing

Since I have shared this on discord, I must also share it here to earn a reputation point: It's funny as a satire and have me laugh as fxxk as always. Kubrick's use of Classical music is always so good!

Hi! I created a realization of handel’s partimento fugue in g dorian, no 1! I would love some feedback on it! thanks

The title was misleading, to me. I kept waiting for a Hammond B3 to be heard in the arrangement, but alas... lol

Sometimes when I've found myself listening to my favorite compositions written by me, over and over, I start to wonder if my own creativity is leading me to become an artistic narcissist. I guess it might make sense that as a composer succeeds more and more at writing music, it will become better and better and more the kind of music that they really enjoy listening to though. But regardless of how good or sophisticated their music actually is, do you think the tendency is for them to be more attracted to their own music? I've heard interviews with John Williams that surprised me from this perspective though. He commented that when he listens to his own music he can't help but hear all the flaws in it. When I listen to his music on the other hand, I don't hear any flaws - I mostly just hear beauty and good music. Is this him just being modest or does he really not enjoy his music as much as others do? Or maybe he's heard it so much that he's grown sick of it? Then there's also something to be said about writing music with flaws and all included in it. That's what gives music its variety and interest. I don't think writing music should be about perfection or always striving to create the next masterpiece - I think that kind of approach could lead to burnout if anything. So maybe when I listen to my own music over and over, I DO in fact hear all the flaws but I've grown to like them through repeated listenings? What do you think and how do you approach your own music? How much do you listen to it and how much is too much?

Hi all. Have posted this before in the incomplete section; but I've now finished the composition. Excited to hear what y'all think about it! I named the piece after the closest G-class star with Earth-like planets, and imagined what a future manned mission to this star might reveal. Still have a load of work to do on the score; but the composing is basically done. I wanted to make good use of Spitfire Chamber Orchestra, Berlin Brass and Berlin Percussion within MuseScore, as I recently bought these libraries when on sale. I'm very pleased with the results, as they sound quite realistic to me. Almost didn't buy Berlin Percussion; but glad I did now, as the free Muse Percussion doesn't have bowed crotales. Think these are quite effective within the piece. Wonder if the very downbeat ending works with the upbeat opening? Was trying to make the harmonies go to unexpected places, whilst remaining true to the opening theme, and developing it into new areas. Not sure how successful I've been in making the work sound unified and coherent? Also wonder which composers this reminds you of? Looking forward to your comments! Alex

Finally find the vintage color when I first joined YC lol

This is a piece I've been working on for a little over a year at this point. Originally intended as a suite, it developed into a symphony, with themes that are varied throughout the entire piece. It is the longest, most complex, most varied piece I have written. I am quite proud of it. This piece intends to follow the life of someone who commits a terrible act. Movement 1 is Idolization, the character experiences something that they love, and attempts to reach this idea again and again, but fails. So movement 2 is the Manic continuation of this feeling but now with stronger feelings, and worse intentions. Movement 3 is when the character decides to commit to this terrible act. Movement 4 is the action of committing the act. Movement 5 is the end of the terrible act, and our character, leaving us with nothing. When I wrote this, I was following along with someone in particular, but now I see, it could be many stories, which is why I've kept it general. Enjoy this piece. 00:00 Movement 1 11:16 Movement 2 16:58 Movement 3 27:30 Movement 4 36:54 Movement 5

I can tell you spent a good bit of time and effort listening and thinking about my piece, and that means alot so thank you for that. I appreciate the specificity of your feedback, especially the notes about fermatas and other formatting suggestions. You feedback is very much respected. As for musescore, one day I realized the sound libraries were on sale, so having just had my paycheck I decided to get “Berlin woodwinds” and “berlin brass” “Cine Percussion” as well as “Cine Strings”. I find that many instruments are out of balance with each other in default musescore. And because of the limited sound editing options (velocity values don’t work with muse score sounds) you have to use dynamics to change volume (rather than some softwares like dorico where you can just make an instrument louder in certain parts of music). These were a game changer, and the $50 i spent on these libraries is a very good in between from Musescore sounds to the nearly $1000 needed for Dorico+Noteperfomer+VSTs. I’m not currently reaching out to any orchestras to perform this, I’ve been looking at some compettions to submit a movement or two but nothing has deadlines soon so I’d rather see what new things I can write. My current goals are to improve until I am satisfied I can write music without limitations (currently my knowledge of harmony and textures feels limited) Once I spend some more time dedicated to improving in these areas, I’ll feel comfortable spending the time advocating for myself to orchestras. I am still very proud of this work, it is many times better than my previous suite I wrote a few months ago. I am taking composition classes this year and next so we will see where those can take me, especially with the focus on chamber works.

Have listened to the whole work now. The 2nd movement makes great use of percussion, with splashes of colour from different parts of the orchestra. Loved the sorrowful melody on the oboe where it first appears in the 3rd movement. The build up of intensity after Bar 66 is really interesting, then it coalesces into an unexpectedly happy resolution. N.B. I'm told the triangular fermata is not generally used in professional scores. Better to use a regular fermata, with short written above. Also when you have a fermata, it should be indicated across every part in the score, including those not playing. Nice use of fp effects in the strings during the 4th movement. Liked the offbeat staccato notes in the celli. Great change of texture where you have the solitary flutes. At bar 78, the 1/2 time signature looks rather odd. May be better to use 2/4 instead, so the conductor keeps beating at the same rate. Bar 22 should have a full bar rest in the timpani. Bar 145 has some double minim rests, where they really should be full bar rests. Nice rhythmic variation in the 5th movement, combined with unexpected harmonic progressions. I like how you've given everyone something interesting to play here. The mournful ending is evocative and delicate. Overall fluent use of orchestral textures and colours, with effective build up and release of tension. You seem to have mastered all the tricks on how to make MuseScore sound realistic. Are you using the standard MuseSounds libraries? Do you expect a real orchestra to play this at some stage?

Thank you Alex, Indeed this took a long time. I started it nearly 2 years ago and composed quite on and off over that time. I appreciate your specific feedback, and I agree, bassoons are awesome! I had a reading session with some woodwinds recently and the bassoon really struck me, especially in the upper register, so I thought I would apply that, and you should see that idea in the last movement as well.

I've only listened to the first movement so far. Enjoyed it very much. It must've taken a lot of effort to compose! Love the evocative opening theme, and the alternating time signatures work well. I like the way you sometimes use a canon rippling through the orchestra to create interesting and complex textures. Nice change of mood at M. It's good you've given the bassoonists a lot of material to work with. (I've tried to do that in some of my pieces, as I think it's an underused instrument.) Will have to check out the rest when I have time. Thanks for posting, Alex

I'm happy it left a good impression 🙂 Before I got to arrangements that big, I did arrangements strictly using Brass Quintet. Starting small, then working your way to bigger and more extravagant pieces is very helpful. Got to walk before you can run. And the confidence boost is pretty great the first time you do a full orchestra arrangement then move on to your own pieces after. Being mostly self taught and slightly educated from 1 year in college, I had to take on a lot of the auto-didact methods for learning the ins and outs. So I know it's not easy but it's definitely doable. Feel free to utilize anything on my Musescore page if it will help you. Even my originals.

I just listened to it and it was really beautiful! I knew Halo but, to be honest, I had never played it so I did not know the music. So I listened to the original theme first and then to your piece. I really enjoyed the piece. I think it is also great that you post everything in Musescore because the music can be played while seeing the score scrolling with all the instruments, so I might use your pieces to learn how to notate and use some instruments (Especially the percussion. In this piece the simple but effective use of the snare drum and bass drum is already something that helps me a lot, since I always have trouble imagining how to use and notate those instruments). I still need to gain some confidence for attempting an arrangement like that but I understand what you mean. It might be interesting to learn a a little bit more abut orchestration and then trying to apply the knowledge to reimagine some of my favorite pieces. Thanks for the advices!

I promised I would have a little look at your piece in detail. So here goes... I didn't wish to interfere with your melodic writing so have focused on providing input regarding voice leading principles. Let's look at the opening motif... (The numbers I have entered above the notes below indicate their scale degree and this useful for voice leading analysis). A) In this opening, the bass features scale degrees 1-7-1. This pattern is typically used to accommodated a higher voice ascending from 1-2-3 respectively, while other voices may descend from 3-2-1 or maintain a pedal on scale degree 5. The melodic line in this example (oboe) emphasizes scale degrees 3-2-3, which is a non-standard solution on the basis that this would lead to consecutive with 3-2-1 part as well as a possible ascending (1-2-3) line. It would make more sense to close the melodic line on scale 1 (F natural) to to accommodate the contrary motion that makes this opening gambit effective. Notice that the voice leading for your clarinet line is not smooth as a result of this configuration. In these situations, it is desirable to facilitate stepwise motion between the individual parts opposed to leaping about; if you are leaping around excessively, it suggests the voice leading could be improved. Finally, the bass returning to F in bar 3 doesn't need to drop to the lower octave, and the flute part can remain on scale degree 5 due to the doubling of the third being unnecessary. Here is how the voice leading could be realized, which as you can see consists of oblique, contrary and parallel motion with no consecutive 5ths/8ves B) The other example I want to use is the nice melodic line from bar 11. It is quite beautiful. However, the other parts are a bit muddled. Let's isolate this part with the bass alone to see what's going on... In several places the bass part clashes with the melodic line, especially at the end cadence. There are also consecutive octaves in one or two places. I have realized an alternative bass for you to have a look at and compare. Note that I look for opportunities for contrary motion wherever possible, while retaining the strength of the chord that is being realized (for example, avoiding doubling the outer voices). It is good practice to avoid doubling the bass and main melodic line in the interest of maintaining independence. You can double with inner, supportive parts more freely. I have provided an audio of our respective realizations... Here is my realization If I evaluated all aspects of your piece in this manner I'd spend a whole day doing so! So I will stop here. But I hope you can appreciate the importance of effective voice leading in your work. Always consider the outer voices in first instance to arrive at a coherent skeleton that can then be embellished by filling out the inner or supportive elements. If you have not yet read Robert Gjerdigen's 'Music in the Galant Style', I would recommend doing so for further voice leading instruction and especially if you like the galant style. This wikipedia page can provide an introduction to the analytical system that he advocates using (schema theory): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galant_Schemata Feel free to ask any questions.

For those who might be interested in the evolution of the work I am posting the finished (99%) version. In this version harmonic structure is enhanced with less doubling. Better transitions, some tweaks to the orchestration (balance) and more attention to articulation. And I gave the tuba a solo! The score is in Concert pitch. I hope you enjoy the composition. 🙂 Mark As always comments appreciated

This is an aria in the late Baroque style for flute, tenor, and continuo. The text is taken from Goethe's Unbegrenzt (unbounded).