chopin

The first version is definitely my favorite just due to it's clarity. The echo effect also makes this piece sound like it has a swing to it even though I don't think you are swinging playback. The beat is really nice, and consistent, despite the unusual time signatures you are using. At around 40 seconds in, I like how you completely change the mood by breaking up the rhythm here. The arpeggios at this point are haunting, and gives me anxiety. It's starting to sound like the use of microtones are really starting to shape (or warp) how the music as we know sounds. It feels like we are entering a second dimension of music, something not possible to create with the equal temperament tuning system. I think you are starting to get the hang of this type of composition. Congrats for creating a piece that will freak us all out, and it's not even Halloween yet!

You know what, this tempo is way better. Wouldn't you agree?

Wow, that notation is tricky to read. So my comments will be only from listening observations. The invention itself awesome, but I'm not sure the microtones were as effective here as your last piece. However, I was having a hard time figuring out if you changed key at around 0:30. It sounds like a slight key change, or a "micro" key change perhaps 😄. Either way, a very harmonically interesting invention, and I like how you change the range from mid, to high to low. I would have never guessed the range of the harpsichord to be that limited though and I probably would have made the same mistake.

The tempo should be slightly slower in my opinion. The reason for this, is so that the ear can hear the melodies more clearly. It's a really nice fugue though, much better than the Chopin fugue I literally just roasted 😆. This one is much more harmonically interesting. Between the harpsichord vs and piano version, I prefer harpsichord because I feel it offers more clarity (which is unusual because normally I prefer piano). BTW, the harpsichord sounds a little out of tune. Was this the samples you were using, or did you mess around with the tuning? Some notable parts of your piece Intro: Very strong subjects 0:35: Nice chord progressions! 1:04: really interesting rhythms here 2:05: beautiful return to your subjects 2:40: that fun rhythm from 1:04, was brought back, which I like Overall, this is a very beautiful fugue, that just needs a slight tempo decrease.

These microtones do contribute to the music. But let me go through my thoughts, so you can get a better sense of why. I like how at 10 seconds in, you demonstrate the microtone by gradually increasing its pitch. 14 seconds in, you really are showing how microtones can affect harmony, at least to my ears. Also, I feel like most of the time I wasn't sure if we were in minor or major. Like I could tell, but there were times where the major portions sounded really ominous 😵‍💫. At 1:13 to to 1:20 you have a series of cadences. I think the first 2 cadences resolve to minor, and the final one resolves to major. But again, it's not that easy to tell. The entire piece reminds me of a dream sequence, and this could be in part due to the echo effect. I feel like I am perhaps in a haunted carnival, with evil clowns chasing me. There are some instances of reprieve, but the entire piece is incredibly haunting. This is more than the thought it just sounds out of tune. I think you are starting to learn how to make use of microtones to contribute to mood. When you suggest they don't seem necessary, I think perhaps this type of composition is starting to become second nature to you. But to the listener, I can assure you, the microtones are seriously warping the mood of this piece, in ways that may not be possible with normal music. I really like this piece as a whole, and maybe my ear training is starting to get used to microtonal music since you started posting these exercises 😅.

Henry, you've really changed the way I view the pentatonic scale. The structure of this piece is insanely organized, and right off the bat, we know this piece is playable! Let's break down some sections: Your intro, is fun, and stands out from your entire piece. This is equivalent to Chopin's intro to his 4th Ballade. I love it! The opening after the intro has a beautiful Chopin-like melody. This style reminds me a little of his waltzes, but in 4/4 time instead of 3/4. How did you manage to do that? 😅 Love 2:40, where you introduce some key changing, then we get into your secondary melody. This is perhaps one of my favorite parts of your composition. There's just so much feeling and excellent chord changing going on here. 3:40, I hear the counterpoint you are talking about. Well done! 6:10, is another favorite of mine, as this seems to be a recap of your secondary theme? And I love how you go through a series of subtle key changes here in a matter of seconds. 8:35, I anticipated you finishing the melody in the left hand on the next bar, but you didn't. This is an excellent anticipatory move, and very clever 😍. I listened to this about 3 or 4 times so that I could give you a proper review. There's just so much to learn from this composition and performance. One thing is for sure though...this sonata teaches the importance of structure, which I think a lot of new composers forget about. I would definitely recommend others to listen to this piece, not only for the fun melodies, but also for the key changing techniques and well organized nature of this sonata.

This sounds like an old honky-tonk piano lol. The concept of the piece is catchy and I love the beat. The most interesting part to me is at around measure 31, where you make use of the microtone in such a way that it sounds like you are slurring the chords to change key. Something I've been wondering about microtonal music is if completely different harmonies can be created. So far you've demonstrated subtle use of microtones to slightly alter the nuance. But what if they can be used to create harmonies that are completely foreign from traditional harmony?

I take it you also have some type of echo effect in this recording? Anyway I think we looked it up, and the lumatone is close to $4K, so not sure you will have any performers of this anytime soon 😁, but nevertheless, this is a really neat prelude! This is a perfect candidate for a main word in a 2d semi-horror side scroller game. For example, there is somewhat a sense of equilibrium, but enough tension still to be uneasy. If anything you lately have been piquing my interest in microtonal harmony. I definitely want to learn more about it, and maybe I can test the waters with a topic or two about this on my YouTube channel one of these days.

Microtonal composition is really complex in theory, but when you listen, it honestly has a certain charm to it. The composition itself is elegant, organized and way better than the crappy invention I created on camera a few videos ago! BTW, love the mordents / trills, since this is something I just recently worked on in Music Jotter. It's amazing to me that something as simple as a trill can greatly enhance a piece of music.

I really love the microtones, because it surprisingly adds expression to the midi recording. As an unintended result, this makes your recording sound a lot more authentic. The way you incorporated the microtones is also subtle which may contribute to the realism. But for a first time this is impressive, because adding these extra layers of harmony can really add to the complexity. Given this added complexity, your compositions are still extremely well organized, and your scores are always fun to read and follow along. I'll have to consult with you when I get to microtones in Music Jotter!

This was excellent, I really enjoyed all of your movements. I know that if you had higher quality playback or sounds, this would be even better! SATB sounded really good to my ears, and the time signature of your first movement is really interesting. Love the complex meter! Maybe you can explain why you decided to use the piano on the last movement though. Even though you warned us about it, I still was a little startled when I got to the piano section, because I wasn't expecting it after about 14 minutes of this choral.

The harmony and dynamics are really awesome. The harmony starts off pretty tame but I really enjoy how it deviates from the norm, and gets adventurous. I think the choir samples don't really do you justice though about halfway through. And Cantamus may be better for vocalization and accuracy, but most likely wouldn't come close to sounding as good as some higher quality choir samples that can sound out specific vowel sounds. As far as the lyrics, a minor critique (and I only know this because I am in the process of creating lyrics in Music Jotter). When you split a word between beats, the hyphen is used for this split, rather than the space. 1:20, are these parallel 4ths or 5ths? If so, was this intentional? And I really love the part at 0:50. You were able to get this part sounding pretty realistic especially with the crescendo!

Wow! 😍 You can probably tell one of my favorite composers is in fact, Chopin! One thing about the piano is that its too far away sounding, making it a bit of a strain to listen to. However, I can put that aside because these variations are in fact gorgeous. But one thing you need to do is.....and I can hear the whole forum thinking this too....please provide a score! Something of this much beauty must be documented! For example, the Fantaisie Impromptu variations are very fast, and I'm really curious how you notated this (for my own learning). Your key changing is also just, really really awesome. You don't overdo it, but when you make these changes, its magical. One minor criticism would be that the tempo is insanely fast. I personally like it, but some people may have a hard time with fast music without any breaks. This is why we need to let the listener breath a little with different rhythms. I do appreciate that you tone down the tempo towards the end which I feel is a beautiful touch!

Man, the delay effect is trippy. I think the plain version of this piece without the effects is wonderful. With the effects, its very cool too, but I feel like emphasis and clarity of the notes get lost. But with the effects, this is more of a "mood piece" that reminds me of space. My favorite part is the unexpected key change in the middle, and the ending.

Don't forget about this community. We have a Discord too, which might suit your style better. Did you make the recording more dynamic? Whatever change you made, I think it made the recording sound a lot better. Your chord changes definitely give this piece a very movie-like feel to it. If you are going to get an orchestra to play this, I'd love for you to post the recording of it here when finished.