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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!

I wrote this piece for Policromo ensemble, is inspired in baião rithm, a typical brazilian music.

Thank you for your feedback , Henry Ng Tsz Kiu.

Thank you! I'm using https://www.soundtrap.com to make the instrumental part.

Hi @Cafebabe! It's funny to listen to this with a fast tempo on a fortepiano, but I would say it's completely managable to play. I like the imitation between hands, and variations of rhythmic patterns. Thx for sharing. Henry

Quite well, except for the speed. I don't understand why there is such a fondness for music at this unnatural speed. Of course, the virtual instrument does whatever you want it to do.

Seasons greetings one and all! Just wanted to share this little experiment I tried this week, where I deconstructed Mozart's Requiem, then used little fragments to try and fashion a new piece. Later I decided to quote part of Mozart's work at the end: so it ended up a bit like a theme and variations in reverse. Not sure I'm done with it yet; though it may be finished? Including part of the original work probably just serves to show how weak my choral writing and voice leading is compared to Mozart's! I've a feeling it's a complete failure; but was fun to try. Anyway let me know your thoughts, if you have time.

Hi Henry. The quotations are very subtle and fragmentary. E.g. These two quotes from the Domine Jesu. I was aiming for a deconstruction of the Requiem: so I only used a few fragments, rather than quoting long passages.

Based on ruminations ("the action or process of thinking deeply about something") on "contingent ephmeral art" and the absurdity of the mundane. Liner note (also on last page): Ruminations for String Quartet in G, Jan 2026..mp3 All thoughts welcome! Every little piece of attention feeds my ego-

I think keeping it is ok, though not necessary because only the cello and later viola would need the accidentals!

Ohh haha the Paavola translators fail!

Attached is a blog where I have published several essays. Some are related to music, and others may not be of interest to you: Multidimensional Transmission Matrix, Musical Anarchism, Musical Improvisation as a Semiotic Process: A Peircean Reading of American Ciphers, Some Resources Using Escriabin's Mystic Chord, Some Scribbles and Writings of Traditional and Modern Techniques for the Electric Bass, Short Analysis and Essay on Karlheinz Stokhausen's "Studie I", Johann Sebastian Bach and Transcendental Aesthetics, Three Movements of Musical Thought: Thesis, Antithesis, and Synthesis (Three Works, One Concert), Origins of Jazz in Argentina, A Brief Encounter Between Some Eastern Philosophies and Contemporary Music, Archetypal Improvisation: Musical Semiosis Based on Jung, Tarot, Peirce, and Synchronicity. ©Sebastián Ernesto Pafundo. All rights reserved. https://sebastianpafu.blogspot.com/2020/06/soundcloud.html

Hello, thank you so much for taking the time to listen. What you say about the OCD disorder and the piece is spot on. The piece didn't take me long to compose; once I start, I have to finish. However, it did take me a bit longer to refine some extended bass clarinet techniques. I worked on it with the performer, of course, and he helped me tremendously in resolving some sonic issues, as he has a catalog of multiphonic sounds. The musicians are very good, and I was able to apply structured improvisation using American chord symbols. Thanks again, and feel free to ask anything you like. If it's within my reach, I'll gladly answer. Best regards!

Among all the other previously published canons of its type, this one might as well have turned out to be the most demanding to perform, in no small part due to the choir's conventional maximum ranges being reached in at least three voices, including both soprano (C6) and bass (E2), making it no small feat to sing. The main lyrics would roughly translate from Latin to English as follows: "In the direst of circumstances the true heart of men shall sing with great hope of leaving behind a memorable life. Even death can conquer those whose memory lies in the glory of their good deeds." The coda, as per usual, reinforces the core message in a variety of ways. YouTube video link:

Hey Pabio, This is a very wonderful work of counterpoint! The canon is definitely very flowing which results in a very soothing timbre all the way. The only concern would only be the instrumentation when the variety of the color of the wind instruments cannot be displayed when they stay in the more or less same register throughout the whole piece. But this is a minor issue to me comparing to the great counterpoint you write! Henry

Perhaps my most intriguing Muzoracle casting to date - Fred asked the Muzoracle "How will I attain political power?". (Muzoracle is a storytelling/divination tool similar to the Tarot card deck, but with cards with musical concepts and 12-sided Musician's dice and Solfege dice.) My interpretation of the cards and dice are displayed below. Since two strings cards were dealt in the 1st and 3rd position, I used Violin and Cello. In the 2nd position I dealt a Tritone of Percussion so I used a Clavichord. In the 4th and 5th positions I dealt a Major 2nd and a Triad of Voices, so I used choir. If you'd like to find out more about Muzoracle and how castings are interpreted go here: https://muzoracle.net/ This short musical interpretation of Fred's Casting is about a minute and a half long. The piece is in C major since the black musician's die landed on C. I then made the following melodic/harmonic underdrawing that I used in the composition of the music. To fill out the piece harmonically I included Roman numeral interpretations of each of the dyads/positions in the casting. Since the piece starts with strings I used Violin, Cello and Harpsichord in the first three positions. The voices then come in on the 4th and 5th position. The Triad card is normally supposed to be interpreted as a major triad, but since this was a descending casting and the position where the triad card was dealt was descending I decided to interpret it in a negative harmony way, inverting the intervals of the triad downwards, thus producing an E minor triad based on B (Ti). Then, to conclude the piece I reversed the order of the chords in retrograde fashion to land back on the first chord at the conclusion, but reinterpreting it harmonically as a C major 6 chord. I also reinterpreted the triad as a major triad ascending from B (Ti). If you've gotten this far, thanks for reading! And I hope you enjoy listening to this short chamber work I wrote to represent Fred's Casting. Comments, critiques, suggestions, or observations are of course, always welcome. Thanks for listening!

Like Mike I like the complete shift of mood, meter and rhythm in the passages. Thx for sharing! Henry

Hi @Alex Weidmann! Well I like the timbre of the variation with the long held notes. Just one question, where does the quotation come from?😅 I have performed Mozart Requiem before (as the bass two voice, the lowest in the choir lol) but I don't recall which passage it's from haha. Only after b.97 I recognize it's from the opening Introit of the Requiem haha. It's fun to listen to, thx for sharing! Henry

Hi @dhslamas! The music sounds so energetic with the distinctive baião rithm (I have never heard of it before, fogive me 😅). The color of the piece is wonderful too as you give each player their own passages for taking the melodic lead. One small thing is that maybe from 1:28 onwards when the rhythm stops the whole music stops with 2 beats and having gaps in it which I would fill in to push forward the music even more (though it's my preference only). This is a very enjoyable playing as well. Thx for sharing! Henry

Hi @PaavolaPyry! I love this minimalistic piece. It sounds really reflective and full of emotion despite using only very few materials. Maybe I won't change the key signature in the middle section but that's my personal preference. Thx for sharing! Henry

Thank you very much Pyry! Have a good evening!

Congratulations for this enjoyable and galant short sonata! It is nice to see such an easy and playable piece which comprises compositional skills to let it sound in the mood of the late Baroque era. Allegro An easy to play but clearly structured sonata form movement! I especially liked the phrases with the syncopated, perhaps staccato eighth notes in the second theme in bars 17-18 and 21-22. To make this second theme even more colorful and to avoid the tendency of repetition, I would try to vary bars 13, 15, 19 and 23 slightly, for example by introducing more counter-movement between the voices, at least in some of the repetitions. Might be that the finale could be made a little more elaborated, for example by creating two variants for the last few bars, so that in the repetition there could be some more ornamentation when reaching the final chord. Some aspects regarding the playability and “aesthetics” of the score. Measure 31 should be moved to the first page to avoid turning the page, which is only necessary for one measure here, and I would try to balance the distribution of measures between the staves so that the last staff does not appear so stretched out. Andante Serious, with slow rhythm, but also with a dancing character, perhaps an Allemande. I would avoid the octaves between bass and treble in bar 4, third beat and bar 5, first beat. Perhaps the bass could be in mm. 4-5 as | D E A Bb | F C# D F |. The same in bar 13, first beat (G instead D). Minuet The minuet is another superb example how an easy piece can be expressive and full of character. I love the articulation and ornamentation which unmistakably emphasize the dance-like character of the minuet. By the way, I think I have recognized some more or different ornamentations in the recording than in the score, for example in the repetition of bars 7 and 15 of the minuet and the repetition of bars 4 and 6 of the trio. Is it a live recording or, if not, did you have to realize all that ornamentations in your notation software „by hand“ to achieve that realistic effect and the distinction between the different occurrences of the section due to the repetitions? I ask this because I do the same thing when writing a score, having a „print“ score and a „midi“ score achieved through „if-else“s in the same Lilypond source code. (Yes, I have seen in your profile that you are one of the few composers who also use Lilypond ...) Rondo At the end the fun, the fast rondo. Here, I would assume that this is not a live recording, which would bring to the piece the intended lightness and elegance with more soulful phrasing - that the composition undoubtedly contains. When reading the score, I was initially somewhat confused because I could not see the upbeat note that introduces each next phrase. Therefore, I would divide the two eighth notes at the end of measures 4, 13, 17, 21, 25, 29, 33, 37, and 61 into separated ones that are not connected by a beam.

Hahahaha the photograph showing the DAW is epic It's my theory that Nickelback minus Chad Kroeger's voice is phenomenal, but their infamy remains. This music melts faces, and makes mine do this: Awesome job my friend!

Hey Chris! This one sounds really cool! I have never listened to the original song but after listening it, I have to say your version is better! How come a Rock God song lacking rock elements in it! Thx for sharing!! Henry

Really good writing there! My one slight criticism is that I think it would better serve your music to use a higher quality organ sound.