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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

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

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.

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.

😁

Yeah, like the two places you quoted, b.41 can be modulated to G major with the constant Mixolydian C natural throughout the piece, and D minor in b.126!

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]

Hi @MK_Piano! I think the choice of E minor is really fits for this betrayal/fighting theme. Your music here makes me think of the film music of Kieślowski’s Dobles Lives of Veroniques, the score written by Zbgniew Preisner: Thx for sharing! Henry

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!

It sounds really fluid given a dominant seventh’s function is to push the resolving process and continuous dom 7th chords really is like keeping the tension at the very end. I have a thought is that, the theme would be really fit for imitations between the four instruments, one minim apart! But that may defeat the purpose to keep dom 7th chords only haha.

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!

Title: Good Boys Aren’t for Me (Verse 1) Polite smiles, tucked-in shirts, All the right words, but it never works. I tried the safe route, I tried to believe, But my wild heart just wants to break free. (Pre-Chorus) Give me tattoos, give me trouble in his eyes, Lean in close, I can feel the butterflies. The good boys call, but I let it ring, 'Cause I need more fire, I need more sting. (Chorus) Good boys aren’t for me, I want a rebel, a little risky. Give me the thrill, give me the heat, Someone who owns the darkened streets. Good boys aren’t for me, I crave the edge, the mystery. I want a bad boy, want a gangster man, Who gets my heart like no good boy can. (Verse 2) Buttoned up boys with their polished shoes, I can’t keep up with the life I've chosen. I’m drawn to danger, to the wolves who run, To the boys with a past and a loaded gun. (Pre-Chorus) Give me tattoos, give me trouble in his eyes, Lean in close, I can feel the butterflies. The good boys wait, but I just can’t stay, 'Cause I need a lover who can sweep me away. (Chorus) Good boys aren’t for me, I want a rebel, a little risky. Give me the thrill, give me the heat, Someone who owns the darkened streets. Good boys aren’t for me, I crave the edge, the mystery. I want a bad boy, want a gangster man, Who gets my heart like no good boy can. (Bridge) Call me crazy, call me wild, But I love the danger, love the style. He’s the king of the night, I’m his willing thief, With a kiss that tastes like disbelief. (Chorus) Good boys aren’t for me, I want a rebel, a little risky. Give me the thrill, give me the heat, Someone who owns the darkened streets. Good boys aren’t for me, I crave the edge, the mystery. I want a bad boy, want a gangster man, Who gets my heart like no good boy can. (Outro) So let the good boys wave as I walk by, I’ll take my trouble with a glint in his eye. Good boys aren’t for me, now I see, Give me a bad boy, set me free.

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.

Hello Everyone, Thank you for your support in my recent compositions, I really appreciate the great feedback I always get from y'all. Today I have a piece that I really needed to write for myself. I've recently been under a lot of stress, with demands and expectations of other people really weighing me down. The struggle to meet those expectations has hurt my self-esteem. This piece is simply an expression of that feeling, and ends with the hope that I will conquer it all.

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

I started making this in October.

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.

I also find it to be a very imaginative piece that maintains a great deal of expressive coherence in terms of motifs and developments.

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!

Thx! I didn't think much when playing as I was easily moved by Vince's music and all the details came from my mind through my hands! Henry

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!

Hi Chikotora! Cool piece, as a folk musician (albeit Finnish) I find this very exciting. It feels very natural and folklike, which is a great thing to get in a written trad style piece! It definitely feels like Klezmer! Regarding the start, if you mark it as espressivo or as really slow I think it'll work. The first bar could work if it was played slow and expressively - most players would understand that instruction and make it work. Alternatively, you can always tell the player to improvise and if you want to be more involved compositionally then give them a framework to improvise around! Folk music and improvisation go hand in hand. The pizzicato would then work well as a gentle introduction and it also makes the listener's ear go into a groove. Here is an example of what I imagine the improvised intro could sound like, of course in your case it is just one violin: (Youtube) - This is an actual Finnish folk tune (composed by an old guy forgot his name right now). The intro is quite short but you get the idea and the feel! In the score it is just labelled as "improvisation"! Alternatively you could do some lick (jazz term) based on the melody and then go into the pizzicato. Anyhow I think you can sort of have anything short before the pizzicato because the pizzicato grounds it so well. I think there might've been some very difficult fingerings there somewhere that I'd have to check but as a general rule I would advise always testing everything. But overall seemed very playable and intuitive. With kind regards from Finland, Pyry.

good catch, fixed it :3