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This is my second piece from the Spring Trilogy, April. It is the most easy-going of the cycle. It begins as a gentle waltz but it gets more energetic and drammatic. After a short recapitulation the piece ends surprisingly in dark contrast between bright pizzicatos and low, murky tremolos of the cello.

I have already uploaded March and April from my Spring Trilogy, here is the finale, May. Since this month is traditionally rainy in Slovenia, the beginning has some features of rain with various aleatoric timbre playing on orchestra, while cello brings the initial melodic motif with its various transformations. Music becomes more "down to earth", more energetic and passionate. It continues to bounce between these two contrasting characters and ends with cellist playing improvised harmonics of a basic tone of c with unisono violins and violas while lower strings play some low ranged aleatoric pizzicatos.

Hell yeah brother

How about we just ban AI and trust that people are honest, and if people find out that it's AI, they get temporarily banned. This way, people will be afraid to post AI content and not post any.

I don't think we should be Draconian about policing this. I think the policy should be no posting music composed by AI, but I really think it would be a mistake to start policing and interrogating every post and assuming it's AI until proven otherwise. If there are indications that a piece might be AI (e.g. no score provided, telltale signs of Sonus, posted by someone with no prior history on the forum, etc.), then it makes sense to inquire further into it. But demanding proof of authorship from every composition would be a drastic overreaction to an issue that has, as far as I'm aware, only actually cropped up once here so far. I'm against AI compositions on the forum, but I'd rather waste my time once or twice giving useless feedback on an AI composition than chase real people who are posting real compositions off the site.

As far as the 3rd part of this poll, If we decide to regulate, I think requiring / encouraging the composer to give some insight about how they composed the piece, and their motivations of the composition should be enough.

As someone involved in education, AI has been a hot topic. I have a pragmatic view that AI, for good or bad, is ubiquitous in our society so it is better to control how it is expressed in the forums where you can set explicit guidelines and consequences for abuse rather than ban it entirely and have it go underground. I would advocate creating a dedicated subforum for AI music and be clear that AI music must be declared as such can only be submitted/discussed there and a clear policy that violating these guidelines can lead to suspension or banning from the site. Also in the end, if someone wants to pass of AI music (or any other creative endeavor as their own), it's really hurting them more so than others. They are not improving their creative process so any praise/feedback is hollow and meaningless. At least it's not stealing someone else's work and passing it off as your own (which has happened to me). I am of the mind that AI generated art in all forms will always be inferior to human efforts so in the end who really cares?. If AI every got to the point there were really think it is on par or superior to human effort, well, then great since a masterpiece is a masterpiece (I am just doubtful that AI will ever be able to achieve this).

Just make some things. The making will lead to questions, and the combination of the questions, and the practice making will make you better over time. Don't be afraid to get started. Don't expect to be any good. You WILL be bad at this, because you have never done it before, so go ahead and start and just have fun! We call it "playing" music, so play! 🙂

Did you ever have any music theory lessons? How old are you? I started by improvising on the piano and then writing down these improvisations. During my intermediate school studies I was intensely studying harmony and counterpoint from 16th to 19th century theory. I learned the use of instruments by arranging numerous popular pieces - I had a band with a flute, clarinet, violin, trumpet and trombone players. They were not advanced players but sufficient enough to learn how to late compose for these instruments. If I were young today, I would recommend anybody to start with arrangements and harmonizations of folk pieces or children pieces. Initially to use basic functions of tonality (tonic, subdominant, dominant, followed by supportive functions of IInd, IIIrd and VIth chord of the key, and then beginning to venture outside the single key).

Just begin composing. Don't wait to "feel ready" 🙂 You can start for free using Musescore and read scores (highly recomended) on imslp a long with youtube for audio. Start learning how to read scores with some basic music theory. find a teacher or teach your self. Then post the scores here on the forum for feedback. That a lone can take you far with some patience. Just focus on small improvements constantly every day! Good luck! 🙂

I have moved on to Chapter 7 of Persichetti's "20th Century Harmony" which covers polychords. The prompt for the piece was "4. Extend the polychordal passage for piano:" Thanks for listening and I'd appreciate any of your comments!

This is my "Three Sententiae for Glissotar, Op. 386", a piece I composed last year. The glissotar is a newly invented instrument that is a version of the Hungarian woodwind instrument "tarogato" but with the distinction that the notes are not determined by holes as in most woodwind instruments but, as in string instruments, by pressing the fingers anywhere in the range; and glissandos are possible. I had to create a new soundfont for it in order to be able to make this mp3 version. I have provided a description of 'sententia' as well as of 'glissotar' on the title page of the score.

Hello everyone, I am new to this website. I am an amateur composer and would like to share a piece with you that I composed last year. Any feedback is appreciated. MK

I've moved on to Chapter 6 of Persichetti's "20th Century Harmony" which is about secundal chords and clusters. The prompt was "1. Harmonize the following melody for string trio using chords by seconds." Thanks for listening and I'd appreciate any of your comments!

This would be a very Haydnesque effect! I can never forget how he delibrately asked the strings to mistune their strings while sustaining a chord: (Begins at 23:17) Also the ending of the Farewell leaves me like WTF lol

@Henry Ng Tsz Kiu Thank you so much for your thoughtful reviews of each movement! I'm glad you mentioned the timpani solo - I thought it would be amusing if, when the orchestra sets up the cadenza with its 64 chord, the timpanist suddenly decides that they're the soloist and starts playing a timpani "cadenza" before the trumpet gently nudges them aside and proceeds with the real cadenza. I could even imagine a bit of stagecraft where the trumpeter gives the timpanist a "what the hell?" look and maybe the conductor pretends to try to get their attention and make them stop. Anyway, I'm glad you liked the concerto. It's certainly one of the better pieces I've finished, in my opinion.

Coming back from the dead just to vote on this. The core of any artform is the creative process, and the use of genAI to generate music is anti-process. It focuses instead on the result, and advertises itself as a "facilitator", a "helper", or something to remove the "hassle" of the process. It misses the point that when passion is involved, the creative process is a hassle that one ultimately enjoys. There is no art without passion, and all genAI does is vomit results to the passionless. A creative process comes about through the passionate development of a skill, and it fosters further understanding of said skill. The result is one particular target of a process at a given point in time: it comes about as the inevitable conclusion of a process. This decades-long shift of focus to the result is what makes genAI seem legitimate, because it's the endpoint of a logic that defines art as the object instead of the craft. It's made of the same cloth as the commodification of art, and the reduction of everything to "content." It's a corporate point of view, which can't conceive of art in any other way, and only seeks to expedite what it wrongly perceives to be nothing but a very slow assembly line. I am a composer because I know how to make music, and I learned how to make music by making music. A prompt engineer did not learn how to make an illustration, they learned how to tell a particular machine to do so. One could argue that prompt engineering is a craft, because it isn't absent of human involvement. But where it fails is in never being directly responsible for the result. With genAI, nothing about how to directly reproduce the result is learned because there's no process involved, only instructions by proxy given to a glorified blender. What differentiates genAI from art is the absence of a skillful process directly related to the object. Therefore, the point, and what makes one anything from a hobbyist to an artist, is the process. It just so happens that one cannot go through the process without inevitably coming to a result, which informs more process, and so on and so forth. That's how an artist grows.

Hello beautiful souls, firstly I want to tell you I love listening to music. When I listen to a piece of music, I wonder what the inspiration of the composer behind it is. I want to know if all this talent is god gifted or we make it with practice. I want to pursue music composition as my new hobby, can you please guide me through how I can start? It’s not like that I know nothing about music as I used to play guitar and piano in my college days but I’m not remember that much now and yes please consider me as a complete beginner. Thank you.

Verse 1: Woke up, it’s raining again Empty room, still holding my breath Trying to smile, but it slips through my hands Like I’m watching my life from the edge Pre-Chorus: Was it always this quiet? Was it always this cold? If I’m meant to be living Why do I feel so alone? Chorus: Why am I here? Standing out in the open Searching for meaning, but nothing is clear Why am I here? Drifting through all of these moments Wishing my purpose would finally appear Tell me, why am I here? Verse 2: Eyes wide, I’m lost in the crowd Wearing masks I can’t figure out Moving slow, but my mind’s running wild I keep waiting to feel something now Pre-Chorus: Is there something I’m missing? A part I forgot? If I’m meant to be someone Why does it feel like I’m not? Chorus: Why am I here? Standing out in the open Searching for meaning, but nothing is clear Why am I here? Drifting through all of these moments Wishing my purpose would finally appear Tell me, why am I here? Bridge: Maybe someday I’ll know Maybe truth’s in the unknown Till then I’ll try to hold on To hope I can call my own Chorus: Why am I here? Standing out in the open Searching for meaning, but nothing is clear Why am I here? Drifting through all of these moments Wishing my purpose would finally appear Tell me, why am I here?

I have an electric guitar as of now, so should I start playing with it, right?

Great advice! I do it sometimes but from now onwards I’ll make a habit to do it everyday. I think first I should start with self learning after clearing some basics then should invest in a physical teacher maybe?

Fantastic, even better because it doesn't sound strange at all. And the bass is very powerful.

Thanks for your review @Luis Hernández! No I usually keep the Violins and Violas on basic triads while giving the Cellos and Basses on added notes that don't belong to the upper triad. In the first few bars the Cellos and Basses have F (while C major above), Bb (with G7 above), A (with C major above), G (with D major above), C (with G major above), B (with C major above) ... and etc. I always try to give the Cellos and Basses a foreign note to the predominantly triadic harmony above. You should post some of your exercises here as well! Thanks again for commenting!

Hello I have some questions about this exercise. I already mentioned that this book by Persichetti is like a “bible” to me. I also do the exercises he suggests. In this case (I have the Spanish version, but I think it's well translated), I think it says that the added notes are on the cello and double bass (in octaves). Strange, isn't it? I've only analysed the first few bars, but I think your added notes are more in the upper registers, is that right? Regardless of all that... it doesn't matter. The piece is very beautiful. It sounds emotional and intimate, and everything fits together very well. Perhaps it's a very heterophonic style (I mean, with little counterpoint), which I don't think is bad. It reminds me a little of some of Mahler's work. Very good work.

Hi everyone. So far, I have studied with Percy Goetschius books and am practicing small 2-part inventions (about 1 minute long) as taught in his Elementary Counterpoint and Applied Counterpoint books. I wonder if there are other beginners working on this and willing to share our works. My goal is to use counterpoint with freedom, yet in a sensible way. I use Myriad Melody Assistant piano. Here is one example, with a motive from Handel (F maj). I apologize for the poor sound quality (I'll try to find a good alternative for my .myr files). Thanks!

I have made changes to measure 13, last note: C3 instead of C. Leave the C in Bass, for modulation.

Since I have been long fascinated with crazy, unusual ensembles I present to you the piece "Always something unique" for flute, clarinet quartet, accordion, marimba and double bass. Composed in 2023 for the Alpe Adria festival of Music, it was premiered in November in my hometown Mengeš. It is not a perfect performance, there were some mistakes so do follow the score with the performance. It is a pretty demanding piece, particularly in rhythm and overall coordination (there was no conductor). I follow my standard fast-slow-fast form, with finale being pretty high pitched and ear penetrating. The style could be described as a mix of some Stravinsky, modern French music and my own personal idiom.

It is a nice piece. I like it because it is not so much cross-over in style but rather more of a classical art music, based on baiao dance rhythms. It is the similar approach I took on my five tangos for various ensembles. The only problem I see (hear) in no real climax. I wanted something more. Otherwise, good job!

Welcome to the forums. Can you provide a score to your music? I'd be able to provide better feedback with a score.

I never read books on my shelf lol!!!

Kirby's Epic Yarn - Weird Woods

Maybe you could start from C major then try and switch from C major to G major to add some more texture to the music from time to time

As composers, we never really know why we compose. If we knew it , we might never have become composers. I DO know why I became composer. It is the passion and the will to speak positively to your audiences and, if necessary, criticize the negativity or simply enjoy the widest range of possibilities of art. It is also about exploring and sharing your talents with everybody. The Bible also says the talents should never be burried. And you should always try to improve your skills and explore the little explored and be open-minded.

After many years, I have finally composed a new tango, my fifth so far. It is for double bass and piano, since my daughter Eva is a decent performer and always wanted me to compose for her. The tango has a typical A-B-A form and uses a modern musical language with added dissonances, based on a tonal centre of e but without clear major minor progress. The middle section is in much more clear yet still modal f sharp minor, very melodic and utilizes the high range of the double bass. The composition end with powerful energy and one final snap pizzicato on a low e.

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.

This was a very interesting listen. My brain goes to Bartok because of the folk aspect and rhythms. Also, I keep thinking: just wait until this guy gets into the changing time signatures every so often and then we'll have a feast!

This is a charming and very imaginative work. To my ear it's a bit Jazzy with a Gerhwinesque flavor. It was delightful to hear. Mark

Sylva Train Runnin' | Official Motion Picture Score from A Fire Within Hello! Over the last calendar year, I have been creating my first short-film called A Fire Within. When completed, the film will follow the tragedy between two friends: Sam and Andy. The story focus on the theme of betrayal as being cordial does not stop greed or jealousy from bubbling within someone. This score is paired with a travel sequence in the film and is my 4th attempt at writing for Big Band Swing. I am very happy with the result and simply wanted to share it! The style was meant to replicate late 40s/ early 50s swing to match the era in which the story takes place. I sampled a little of Miller's "Chattanooga Choo Choo" to help tie into the railroad theme with the main structure being based in verse-chorus with multiple repeats and a key change. 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. All aboard as the saxophones open the throttle and the ensemble leaves the station! [DO NOT REPLICATE]

Continuing with Persichetti's chapter on added-note chords, I wrote this piano piece. The prompt was "9. Extend the following piano idea, preserving the general character." Thanks for listening and I'd appreciate any of your comments!

Hey Alex, Thank you so much for such a nice feedback! I will do my best to work on the weak spots in the future. Martin

I made a song for my sister. I asked what to call it and she said "I don't know so I took that phrase and put it through a fancy and long for no reason translator and It gave me something really long, so I shortened it to "shrouded in obscurity" also, this is the last short and effortless song I will make, because I'm trying to make better quality music.

Hi @Vasilis Michael, As I mentioned in YouTube the influence of the slow movement in Schubert’s D960 is quite notable here! (As well as the same key of D959 slow movement) The turn to a surprising F minor chord and subsequent F# minor return is a good use of the interchangeability of Dom 7th and Ger 6th chord like Schubert’s usage of them! The rhythmic usage also reminds me of Schubert, as well as the ending! Thx for sharing. Henry

This sounds like an interesting and inventive subversion of a waltz. I'm curious why you describe it as two movements, though. I guess you're considering a new movement to start at m. 106, but it's in the same tempo and style. Also, you probably know this, but the stuff in the right hand at m. 158 and forward would normally be written as tremolos. I assume you wrote out the notes so that the notation software played it back correctly, but in such cases I'll usually prepare separate versions of the score for playback and for display.

Daybliss.mid Daybliss.mid

LoL - I looked on my secret bookshelf in my closet and I realized that I have some great musical books in there that not even *I* have read! "Musical Form and Analysis" by Spring, Hutcheson "The Development of Western Music" - A History by K. Marie Stolba "Orchestration" by Cecil Forsyth (only read fragments - quite funny!) "The Technique of Orchestration" - Sixth Edition by Kent Kennan, Donald Grantham "The Lives of the Great Composers" - Third Edition by Harold C. Schonberg "The Virtuoso Conductors" by Raymond Holden "Twentieth-Century Music" - A History of Musical Style in Modern Europe and America by Robert P. Morgan "Counterpoint" - Fourth Edition by Kent Kennan (haven't read yet) "Mozart's Letters, Mozart's Life" - Selected Letters Edited and Newly Translated by Robert Spaethling (haven't read yet) "Music in the Galant Style" by Robert Gjerdingen (which I'm still in the middle of reading) And a bonus book that isn't a theory/history text: "The Music Lesson - A Spritual Search for Growth through Music" by Victor L. Wooten Enjoy! Peter

Really good work! I really liked your melodies and each instrument has unique, independent, and interesting lines pretty much throughout the piece. I also liked the contrast between the light major theme at m.38 and the darker section preceding it. I will say I think it might be a little "violin-heavy". For pretty much the entire piece the violin took the spotlight; if some of the melodies were passed around a little more it might add more variety. I also think the piano was particularly underutilized. I'm certainly no authority on sonata form, but I thought you did a good job. Here's how I interpreted it: m.1-19 - Introduction m.20-37- Theme A m. 38-42 - Theme B m. 43-74 - Development m.75-84 - Recap Theme A m.85-89 - Recap Theme B m.90-98 - Coda Am I close? I liked your development section and thought you did a good job twisting and turning the themes into new ideas. I will say the restatement of m.75-84 seems a little short since there was an additional phrase the first time I heard it in m.20-37. Maybe add an additional phrase like the first time to make if feel more balanced? Lastly, the end of the piece doesn't feel resolved to me, was this your intention? I think since I hear D# in the bass in m.96, followed by a big G# major chord in m.97, I'm expecting to hear a C#, rather than ending on G#. I have a feeling this was your intention since you hint at this being the first movement of a larger work, but just wanted to be sure. Again, really good work, and thanks for sharing! If I were in your shoes I would make it my goal to get my hands on some decent sound libraries and put together a good audio representation of the piece, (or better yet, get it performed). The sounds you used aren't too bad, but I don't think it does the piece justice.

There is no creaking on sonatina's violin. you can use them directly in musescore, no other player is required. The squeaky violin sound , good works on chords, making them more realistic. in this video I used two different violin sounds ( sonatina and vanilla sfz ) here to make it look realistic: https://youtu.be/uZC1NCCtCUk(still not as good as a vst, but not bad.)

The melodic ideas on the violin are nice but I think they can be developed. I got used to the sounds of musescore, but violin is really bad. Sonatina orchestra is free and works on musescore. For a squeaky violin effect sound, you can also try: https://vis.versilstudios.com/vsco-community.html