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Kia Ora Alex, Nice piece. A few suggestions: Although tabs are quite common for notating guitar parts in pop styles, classical guitar pieces are generally only notated using standard musical notation. While you can still include a staff of tab in your score, it might be more conventional to remove it. If you do choose to include tab, please, PLEASE get an actual guitarist to write it out for you. The tabs generated by notation software are almost always shite and the one that Musescore generated for you is no exception. It has suggested some ridiculous unplayable shite (like in bar two, who the hell has hands large enough to press both the second and seventeenth frets at the same time?!) which render it's inclusion in your score quite pointless. All in all, this is a good start. I'm excited to see where this piece goes next! Ngā mihi, Archie

87053bd8f2cb48d184ee054407d37bb8.mp3 Any and all feedback is greatly appreciated. Please note that some of the grace notes are written like they are due to a better playback performance. Any advice on what the genre is? When it was just the first piece it was a Bagatelle, but now I’m not sure

Hi @Alex Weidmann! I am no expert in guitar writing so I can't tell whether it's playable or not, but I would say the whole music would sound like something written in Chinese instrument Zhongruan (my fav. Chinese instrument due to its cute look lol!). It's also a plucked string instrument like guitar: Thx for sharing! Henry

Hello! Here's a funeral march type piece. Form and harmony are very static and simple, in Fm with an A | A1 | A2 form. Hope you enjoy, and as always, any comments are welcome 🙂

The two staffs is a neat thought, but try out a single staff. There's a few moments where the higher or lower bits are on the staff that isn't higher/lower (Mostly thinking about measure 25 but it happens a few other times that aren't as easily solvable) and it just feels off. It would also solve a lot of issues of notes that are on both staves, which I would have no idea what to do with if I were to have to play it. As for if it's playable, I am no expert. But I can say that a lot of it looks suspiciously like you just threw in the 6 notes you needed and didn't think too much about fingering. Which, to be fair, is also how I would do a sketch. If you can, you really want to find someone who plays guitar and run it by them. Eveen having them just take a quick look is incredibly helpful (I know from experience). I've linked a pdf or two from when I was assigned to write a guitar piece so that you can also hopefully use them. (They are attached and are very helpful as someone who has never touched a guitar) As a piece itself, I like it! I am frankly not a great critic on pitch collection or form, but overall it sounds nice!

I think we are discussing more on the authorship when a composer is REALLY the one who composes the work themselves. As long as the AI doesn't interfere with the composing process it should be allowed, so AI programs like Cantai or Note Performer are no problem at all. Henry

Here's the thing, though: "AI", by itself, is pretty much meaningless. For decades, people have been using "AI" to refer to the programming controlling NPCs in video games, for instance. Sometimes, "AI" is used in a sense that covers any machine learning or neural network application. More recently, "AI" has caught on in the context of Large Language Models like ChatGPT that take a prompt as input and then use some minimization function over their corpus of training data to predict what the most likely response to that prompt would be. The broader class of software including LLMs and similar models that output images, sounds, etc., are called "generative AI". And because "AI" is such a hot topic now, anyone whose software product uses anything resembling a neural network is going to be sure to advertise it as "AI". In my opinion, it would be better to use more precise language and, when we mean LLMs, say "LLMs". But I suppose that ship has sailed. In any event, clearly what is under discussion here is whether music composed by a generative, LLM-like software should be permissible here - and as I've said, I don't think it should be, since this is a composition forum and there's no sense in posting a piece of music you didn't compose. But by the same token, if you composed the music, then of course you should be permitted to post it, regardless of whether you used tools that are advertised as "AI" to produce the audio mock-up of the music you composed.

I’m kind of on the mix opinion here for me AI music seems very dishonest and rather very silly in its own part. It should have no place competing against real human work however, though I am completely foreign, even encouraging the use of some AI music software’s. (stuff like cantai.) that allows for the performance of a human work to be perfected. Thing number one: I definitely feel like that a performance using AI is not as bad again this is not regarding about the performance of music. This is a regarding about people’s compositions. Thing number two: it should be unfair to have AI as a wild thing in competitions. Sure they could be in an events. Events are perfect for AI as that nobody is competing against anybody, however, though I feel like top priority should be given to real people’s human works first AI could wait. Competition competitions and AI do not mix unless if you have a AI only competition My final thing to say though is, I am very mixed about having a AI only sub if we do have one sure I wouldn’t mind as much and it’s not a huge problem but again you’re not composing music at least there should be someplace for AI music here and to have at least a very strong filter that can be unable to get rid of it for those who do not want any part of it things to go against AI is definitely some anti-AI software to tell if someone is using it for ill intent. At least some knowledge of a piece of music can work as proof and even if it’s a short thing, then at most a score to accompany with it. Honestly for contests score in audio should be mandatory unless if stated otherwise. Thank you.

I got my piece to play for today 😁

skip to 3:30 if you get bored of the vibraphone intro lol

This piece is for a concert later this year. Just started on it tonight, and it's the first time I've written for guitar. So I'm sure it's probably unplayable! N.B. I decided to use two staffs to make it more readable. Think it would look very cluttered on a single staff.

Thank you for organizing this event. It has been wonderful to listen to such a variety of proposals.

Hello hello! I've technically known about this forum for a while, but it's time to finally post! I'm hopefully going to start being more active around here to keep myself accountable and continue working on my composition skills To start this out, I wanted to share a piece I've been working on! It's still a WIP, (Basically the only thing in this file that is actively unfinished is the ending and I want to rework the start), but other than that it's a pretty complete piece. I wrote it for a solo-violin assignment in my composition studio, and because I got really mad at a choral concert I went to because they sang a piece called "Shalom" that had nothing to do with the language of origin or culture of origin. Anyway that's a rant for another bit. Here's the little klezmer!

Hi @jejrekmek! I don't find the intro boring at all; on the other hand I find it very religious which reminds me of Buddhist or Hindu music. Your singing is like chanting which is religious as well, and the chords, like Peter said is other-worldly. After it it's more in the world but the accompaniment reminds me of Gamelan music in the interlocking repetitive structure. Nice use of some microtones as well. The section after 5:30 is so interesting to listen to, it's almost like a musical example in a World music class with those drums and percussions! The rhythm throughout the piece is fascinating, again reminds me of world music! The ending is really calm to listen to like many of the pop Japanese music! I really enjoy this one, thx for sharing! Henry

Until I switched to Dorico from Finale over a year ago, I had never heard of Elaine Gould or her book. I do have a PDF of it and it’s certainly interesting, but as with any manual that purports to provide rules, I’m not going to agree with all of it or even most of it. Notation is a very personal thing, and when you consider the scores notated by folks like Feldman or Shapey and many others, there are many “rules” that get broken all the time, yet the music does manage to get performed, and generally performed very well.

Very nice piece, with the cross relations between E and E flat. And very nice performance by Henry, as usual. Well done to both of you!

LoL I am not familiar with idioms at all and thought you guys are talking about Fifty Shades of Grey! Henry

Updated the mp3 with Henry's performance. If anyone's interested, he didn't listen to the mp3 render first 😄 Henry = 🔥

Since this is a composition form, it is difficult to have to have live performances, I will ask this: What are your thoughts regarding Note Performer? @PeterthePapercomPoser @Aiwendil Here are mine: NP has it owns instruments that are used in playback in notation play back. Thus, this is similar to how VST library operates: each library is. They have they own instruments. It cannot replace DAW and those VST. When it comes to mock-ups, composers usually work with in daw. But they could use NP, too. The studio string orchestra that performed my piece was sent a midi mock up with score and parts. I.e. I am fine with a midi mock-up with score and parts (either from daw or using NP). But I am not fine with something like Suno. That is not mock up! I hope this helps

Right because by that reasoning .. if I were to use a VST plugin with AI assisted vibrato modeling or some such thing, it wouldn't be permissible to post.

(Verse 1) Welcome to the playground, where the rules are all a lie You say you want a show, but you can’t look me in the eye Fists behind your lipstick, whispers in the hall You want me to be quiet, but I’m breaking down the wall (Pre-Chorus) You dress me up in sugar, but I’m made of something rough You want a perfect puppet, but I’m calling out your bluff (Chorus) I don’t wanna play in your fight club, Don’t wanna bruise for your fake love You want a winner you can pick and choose But I’m not here for you to use I don’t wanna bleed in your fight club, Don’t wanna break for your fake hug You want a trophy you can push around But you’ll never knock me down (Verse 2) Broken crown and knuckles, you love a bloody scene Cheering for the chaos while you’re hiding in between You want a pretty fighter, but I bite back twice as hard I’m not your little secret, I’m your battle-scarred (Pre-Chorus) You paint me with your rumors, but I’m coloring outside You want me by your side, but only if I hide (Chorus) I don’t wanna play in your fight club, Don’t wanna bruise for your fake love You want a winner you can pick and choose But I’m not here for you to use I don’t wanna bleed in your fight club, Don’t wanna break for your fake hug You want a trophy you can push around But you’ll never knock me down (Bridge) You want a show, you want a scream But I’m the fire in your dream Not your game, not your pawn I’m the war you can’t move on (Chorus) I don’t wanna play in your fight club, Don’t wanna bruise for your fake love You want a winner you can pick and choose But I’m not here for you to use I don’t wanna bleed in your fight club, Don’t wanna break for your fake hug You want a trophy you can push around But you’ll never knock me down (Outro) So ring the bell, let the punches fly I’ll still be standing, don’t need to try I don’t wanna play in your fight club But I’ll survive your fight club.

😁

This looks quite useful and interesting! I have to admit, I don't pay special emphasis on musical engraving at all because I never consider an essential part of composing at all. Henry

I also must admit that I’ve never read or heard about those two books. However, score engraving is an interesting topic for me and I take a lot of care to produce satisfying scores for my compositions. Therefore, that „debate“ should be something for me, too. The only „literature“ I’ve actually read about the art of music score engraving is the „Lilypond Essay“ which I’ve linked here. Even if I run the risk of @Henry Ng Tsz Kiu is thinking that I am a Lilypond lobbyist or salesman (😆, I must think on the „rodeo“ between Henry and @SeekJohn14v6 ...), I am just a Lilypond user, and I’m glad with this notation software for two reasons. First, the approach of writing „source code“ and „compiling“ it into a score and a MIDI-file is the right one for me, since in my everyday work I'm familiar with writing tons of lines of source code rather than using a WYSIWYG-interface. The other, and possibly more important fact is, that the resulting engravings are much more satisfying and similar to old-fashioned hand engravings than the most of the other notation software solutions are currently able to produce. So I had a small look again at the above cited „Lilypond Essay“ and, interestingly, the two books you mentioned can be found prominently in the „(Short) Literature List“. I looked around, if I could find some PDFs, excerpts etc. on the internet – and indeed I found some, so that I can take a view on that books to be able to participate in the „debate“ soon. Thanks for the suggestion!

no.10_A Fire Within.pdf no.10_A Fire Within.mp3 Hello everyone! It has been a few weeks since my last contribution on the site and I am back to showcase one of my recent works. Over the last calendar year, I have been creating my first short-film called A Fire Within. When the film is complete, you follow the tragedy between two friends and see a main theme of betrayal. This work is the title theme and will both open and end the film. Set into a large binary form, this work is in E-minor and is one of my most emotional pieces. It is very personal to me, as the whole story mirrors a small part of my short life. I would enjoy hearing some comments or feedback, however, please know that I feel this work complete and I wish to share it to those I feel would appreciate this. If you would like to know more about the score, go to the "About" section on page 4! ________________ Program Note: A Fire Within is an original story written by Mason Kistler detailing betrayal between two friends. Featuring an original soundtrack, soundscape, voice cast and more, this story established itself as the first short-film made solely in the video game Railroader, which was released in December, 2023. Join the orchestra as they bring you in towards this cinematic universe and involve yourself in their soundscape. Feel the impact of the strings and the memories cast by the French Horns. Can you hear their emotions? [DO NOT REPLICATE]

I am reviewing Vincent Persichetti's "20th Century Harmony" and just finished chapter 3! And so I decided to do the first exercise that looked good to me to try to make an actual piece of music out of (I don't like exercises for their own sake - I think I should always be trying to make living, breathing music). Here is the prompt for the exercise: "12. Harmonize the following melody in four string parts using dominant seventh chords exclusively. Much contrary and oblique motion and several inversions should be used." Like I said, I tried to make an actual piece of music out of it and not be too much of a stickler to the rules. I also tried to approach it not like a chorale exercise - let me know if I've succeeded on that front! Thanks for listening and I would appreciate any suggestions, critiques, comments or just observations!

Based on overall how I felt that day. Associated poem: All thoughts welcome Horn trio on January 13th (ft. low brass and winds).mp3 Original poem on the platform where I share my poems Horn trio on January 13th (ft. low brass and winds).pdf

For instrumentation I think it’s already good, maybe I will add a contrabassoon to strengthen the lower octave. Motivically maybe I will add the descending chromatic motive instead of just Ab octave. Henry

You must have some delay effect on your piano sounds. Cool idea, and the 5/8 rhythm does a good job breaking things up. I feel that it helps conclude the musical phrase pretty well. As far the the harmony goes, its definitely unique. Like always, nice usage of dynamics and rit. towards your conclusion. These types of details help add to the musicality.

Hey for an exercise its enjoyable. It's fun to listen to, and I think this is a great way to learn different types of harmony. You stayed true to the motif, which makes it easier to follow.

Thanks very much for your review Archie! The tab score is mainly for my benefit, so I can see what hand shapes are needed to play the chords I've written. Some of them look very awkward: so I'm sure these chords will have to be thinned down. I did wonder whether the strumming hand can sometimes assist the fretting hand. E.g. When you need to depress several frets near the top of the neck, and also one much lower down, close to the strumming area. I wonder whether the thumb of the strumming hand can be used to depress the low fret? Anyway I've manually edited the tab score now, so it's looking a bit more sensible (see below) Another thing I'm not clear about, is what happens when you release the frets while a chord is still ringing? Does this produce an unpleasant pitch change effect as the strings slacken? In my piece this fret release would be required, where I have chords in rapid succession. Anyway, thanks again, Alex

A fun exercise, and very expressive! I think you should take this idea and turn it into something. Love how you ended it!

Thanks to all 20 participants who submitted a whopping total of 26 submissions to the 2025 Christmas Music Event! They will be the recipients of the "2025 Christmas Participant" award! - A Christmas Mash-up by @PeterthePapercomPoser Jesus was Born this Day by @Vonias Another Christmas Mash-up by @PeterthePapercomPoser My submission to the 2025 Christmas event!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! by @therealAJGS Song for the Fallen (2025 Christmas Music Event Submission) by @Musicman_3254 Submission to the 2025 Christmas Music Event by @TristanTheTristan March of the Gingerbread People (2025 Christmas Event Submission) by @Crescent Roulade Fugue on "We wish you a Merry Christmas" (2017) by @J. Lee Graham Motet a 8 "O Magnum Mysterium" in E-flat Major by @Fugax Contrapunctus fantasia on jingle bells (2025 Christmas Event Submission) by @Monarcheon March of the Snowflakes - 2025 Christmas Event Submission by @Vavrinec O Soul, Seek Revelation 14:9-11 by @SeekJohn14v6 (Very Casual) Christmas Mesh Up by @HoYin Cheung The Empty Church - Submission to the YCF 2025 Christmas Event by @Wieland Handke Highland Shepherds - Submission to the YCF 2025 Christmas Event by @Wieland Handke Jingle Bells and Dashing Through the Snow by @chopin Christmas Carol by @Aiwendil Instead of Christmas (Submission to 2025 Christmas Event) by @Luis Hernández Coventry Carol (Christmas 2025) by @mercurypickles With Every Beat My Heart Knows by @HoYin Cheung A Christmas Scherzo by @PeterthePapercomPoser I composed a Christmas Song! - It went great! by @raymond doerr My Christmas Submission by @Mooravioli Christmas Mash-up No.3 by @PeterthePapercomPoser Glory to God by @SeekJohn14v6 Nutcracker inspired final by @Tunndy And thanks to all the reviewers who ardently and painstakingly reviewed all the entries to the event! (the AI generated ones aren't required): @chopin, @Henry Ng Tsz Kiu, @Wieland Handke and @PeterthePapercomPoser. They will be the recipients of the "2025 Christmas Reviewer" Award! - (Note that if people still want to review all the submissions after December 31st, they are free to do so and be added to the list of "2025 Christmas Reviewer" Award recipients ex post facto. Check how many more reviews you need to make before getting the badge in the 2025 Christmas Music Event Reviews Spreadsheet. If you're not on the list yet I will add you once you review a more substantial number of pieces.) And thanks to @PeterthePapercomPoser for the event announcement thread, managing new submissions, creating the Christmas calendar event, advertising the event in various discord servers as well as making this conclusion thread! He will receive the "2025 Christmas Organizer" Award! - And we all hope that you had a Merry Christmas and that your 2026 year will be great!!! To see the 2025 Christmas Music Event announcement thread go here:

It sounds very good, very musical and coherent.

Thank you for your kind words. I agree about the development comment, I definitely think it would benefit from a longer continuation, but I need to start planning ahead for developments like that to make sense for me. And yeah I'll change the key, I wrote the melody starting on a C, and then immediately changed plans lol.

Hi @Alant, The chord progression sounds familiar but this one is quite interesting to listen to when you use different variation techniques. Just beware of some playability issues: the left hand passage in b.136-137 is barely playable and the constant 32nd notes at the end for the right hand would be quite difficult and exhausting to play. Thx for sharing. Henry

Hi @PaavolaPyry! I do like this minimalistic music, it's like the poem you quoted which reflect a passage in your life. I like the ending, it sounds oppressive with the bass instruments getting in in octaves. Thx for sharing. Henry

Hi @therealAJGS! It really sounds like cool game music! in 0:57 the passage sounds especially 8-bit like. Thx for sharing! Henry

Hi @Chikotora The folk elements in the music is very well noted with the Eb-F# major 2nd and the constant ending of each phrase on D rather than G. B.50 sounds really interesting with the glissando and it almost sounds like Chinese instrument Gaohu! i suspect the triple stop in b.33 is playable or not but I don't play violin myself so I can't tell. Thx for sharing your first post! Henry

Hi @BlackkBeethoven! What about having the original B-C#-D# in b.3 of your melody to a B#-C#-D# so you can easily modulate to F# major? Henry

Hi @Some Guy That writes Music! I got to say, this one is the best music I have heard from you on this forum. It's full of Mahlerian dissonance which really portrays your stress and sadness which I can feel clearly. I love the constant F#-Gb to G-F dissonace and other direct minor 2nd chords throughout to show how intriguing you were. The dissonant counterpoint is well handled throughout. Also I love the pacing of the piece, you just slow introduce each family of the orchestra without forcing it, for example you only let brass get in in b.28 and let them slowly grow to a climax to b.36, unlike many brainless film music which always bombard without reason. The ending is very luminous and well prepared; it's a bit surprising to me that you end the piece in Eb major but I love it! I would wish it to stay longer and add a bit development onto it! One small thing: maybe a key signature with four flats would be more convenient since most of the piece is in F minor. Thx for sharing this very emoitional piece! Henry

Hello, I think it's a beautiful, thoughtful piece with careful harmonies. What I'm unsure about are the long notes in some places, but I'm no expert.

This is bright and fresh throughout, and plenty imaginative. If you ask me, this feels like a Sonatina. In the first movement, you give the oom-pa-pa a break just in time before it get gets monotonous - even Viennese waltzes break this rhythmic figure occasionally. I'm guessing that staying close to the tonic key is part of your style, but I think both movements could use more modulation to other keys in the course of the piece to freshen to tonal palate. Also, the first chord in the left hand of the very last measure is strange to me...consider making it an octave D instead of A. It will solidify the finality of the ending. Good job!

The video is not out yet as the short-film is still in production. It is the first installment of the soundtrack I am making. I was planning ahead in the about section for the day I post the entire Soundtrack and publish the scores. However, you can hear it partially in this 60-second teaser I made on YT last year. It was an earlier draft and is not what I published here:

Hi again @MK_Piano! A passionate and emotional piece fitting for the theme of betrayal. I tried to find the YT video on your channel that goes with this music but couldn't find it. Perhaps I would understand the music better if I could watch that? Thanks for sharing, great job, and by all means, post the video link in this thread!

I made a multitrack recording of this piece too, if anyone would rather listen to that. You do have to listen to me, an alto, singing the bass line and then pitching it down a few steps using GarageBand, but it works, more or less!

@PaavolaPyry no one knows how to read a CSound score, so don't feel bad.😁 But, basically what it does is create a series of instructions that the computer interprets into music. You bring up an important point, the use of parallax. So, when you ride in a train and see objects passing in 2 dimensional space, you see the objects closer to you move faster than the objects in the background. Music, can create this sense! The concept is simple to have a melody, or fugue in the case of "Seraphim," move faster than the background ambient music. The music is very discomforting, I'll admit, but CSound is such a new medium that anyone is throwing all they have at it to create a composition. It's come a long way since beeps and boops. The fluid design of the medium, large amounts of oscillation, and sound manipulation are what draw many composers to the medium. Here is my first CSound composition: Notte Splendida Notte | Astronomy 2009 It blends the opera singer with the medium to effect, icy cold with the passion of the voice in creating a composition. It's a little easier to listen to.

Wonderful! I listened to the song twice, both versions. The things you are worried about are all part of the mastering process. I wouldn't worry about those things until you are in the studio, where you can adjust the values meaningfully. Obviously, you'd want the voice part at the front and easier to listen to. The song is not boring, it's pretty close to perfect. If you want more, I'd add a 'B' section that changes key. Great melody!

As usually @Henry Ng Tsz Kiu piano emotion depth is enjoyable. You can hear phrasing, dymanics, and thematic material that pianist would create using their emotions.

Dear J. Lee Graham, I'm hoping to use this in a teen chamber music program I teach. If it gets performed, I'll let you know here.