Nielda

the links are dead =[

Honestly I'm not much of a composer. I'm probably a better arranger. I don't know if I have the massive willpower to study composing with the fervor I had several years ago either. It's just a fun hobby. With that said, when I'm in the composing mood, I always get stuck on introductions. It's like, I hear a really cool introduction in my head, manage to write it down (or something similar), then...a main theme never really pops up. In other cases, I'll have the introduction down, and a theme and everything might come naturally, but then it's still not exactly what I want. I'll use this thread for these leftovers. I only recently found out about the conceptual music competition, and a lot of the pieces for the Star Force one were realllly cool. I was noodling on piano a bit the other day for a totally unrelated piece and somehow ended up with a bit that made me think "hmmm this would fit really well with that Star Force theme" I had a theme in mind, but it wasn't really outer-spacey at all. [for some reason it won't let me upload a pdf so here it is] space piece.mid

lol why are people digging up reaaaalllllly old stuff? =p hmmm -- I wrote this when I was a senior in high school. I took symphonic band that year (only one year of band - I somehow got dragged into that mess from jazz band!) so I was also learning a lot about band instruments. Like I said a few years ago, each section sounds like a completely different piece with no transition. But I do like, as lais said, the restatement of the theme in a different arrangement. That was cool =p.

Thanks for the information, Nathan. I'm definitely considering a purchase!

I also have a question regarding DAW's, sequencers and notations programs. I have a Mac and was considering getting logic studio after reading up about it and watching youtube tutorials, but as people have pointed out, Logic is not a notation program. But if I just create a midi will Logic accept it, and then can I start to sequence from there? I'm not really interested in loops, except for ultrabeat (which comes with logic), which you could add into your arrange window. But how exactly, in logic or any DAW, do you write music, music as in pitches and rhythms and such? Do you compose the music in another program, convert to midi, then import into the DAW, and from there use the sample instruments to "convert" the midi into actual sound instead of just information?

Ron, what you were saying to saying to Vince about dynamics I might add that there was one part (maybe halfway through perhaps?) where the brass and strings were playing more or less in unison, though it seemed that the strings had the melody. Maybe turn the brass down a bit when the strings are driving the melody. Though, I've never formally studied orchestration so... Also, I reallllllly loved the ambiguous end part with the celesta - it was so cool!

I liked it - it had a really nice flow...but... - I wouldn't use the Fake Book font for orchestral scores... (my eyes!) - given that MIDI is, well, MIDI, the dynamics could use more work. I would turn everything down a bit when they first come in, except the double bass and left hand piano. The synth-y strings, celesta, flute and harp seemed too loud relative to each other (i.e. the arpeggios in the harps stood out too much). -the dotted quarter, eighth, quarter, half rhythm sounds exactly like the ;) (at least to me)-pizzicato strings can act as an interesting substitute for harp when you're working with crappy MIDI, from my brief experience with it. But yeah, I liked the flow. Nothing really seemed awkward about the form. As you said, I enjoyed the call and response too, it fit very well with the "fluttering" characteristic. That was the vibe I got.

I liked it, but at first the clapping (it's clapping, right?) seemed misleading - I thought it was going to be a Spanish dance-y song or something. Not that being "misleading" is a bad thing, but maybe there is a more fitting percussion instrument, though I liked the rhythm of the percussion you used. But, I liked the snares and toms you used. The deep, echo-y sound was fitting in that respect. Maybe instead of clapping, noodle with suspended cymbals and stuff.

I think the left hand chords are sort of bland. It sounds like good voice leading, but it gets just a little too repetitive. I really like the melody though, especially at the end with the tempo increase. Maybe you could try making the harmony more melodic although I like how near the end and middle you varied the rhythm of the left hand.

I have a question about post-bop progressions. Take Black Narcissus. The changes are ||: Ab-7 | Bb-7 | Ab-7 | Bb-7 | Ab-7 | Bb-7 | Ab-7 | Bmaj7b5 | F#-7 | G#-7| F#-7 | G#-7 | F#-7 | G#-7| F#-7 | Amaj7b5 | Ebmaj7b5 | Fmaj7b5 | Bbmaj7b5 | Cmaj7b5 Ebmaj7b5 | Fmaj7b5 Bbmaj7b5 | Gmaj7b5 Abmaj7b5 | Bbmaj7b5 Cmaj7b5 :|| I analyzed the first 8 bars mostly as, ii-iii in the corresponding ionian mode, so I would typically play using dorian or phyrgian. Could the maj7b5 at the end of the first two 8 bar phrases be seen as some type of altered dominant leading to the overall "ionian" tonality of the next 8 bars? F#m and G#m appear in E major, so Bmaj7b5 is some kind of lydian altered scale for E major. Should I be thinking in ionian, or dorian, using Abm and F#m as the roots instead of viewing them as ii? The Amaj7b5 going into the last 8 bars, which start with Ebmaj7b5 also confused me. Since you can just consider the Eb lydian its own tonality, Bb7 would still be its dominant, so I tried "putting" A lydian over Bb mixolydian to see what kind of altered scale it produced. The two scales have only two enharmonically common tones, Eb/D# and Ab/G#. I sort of viewed A lydian as E ionian, and Bb mixolydian as Eb ionian for convenience. So since Eb and D# are enharmonic, it was basically putting Eb(D#) locrian over Eb ionian or the other way, Ab(G#) phrygian over Ab lydian. So over this initial Amaj7b5 you can theoretically play Eb locrian or Ab phyrgian? I'm also stumped with the last 8 bars. I know there's nothing diatonic that could fit over that, but it seems like the root notes all belong to Ab major. But I have no clue what that indicates. Basically, is this tune supposed to function within "traditional" harmonic practices, and if so, how? If not, then how am I supposed to approach it and why?

Thanks a lot, appreciate it. No, I don't have much experience in writing, although playing I guess I do (but it's not like I can play Giant Steps or anything...). I actually haven't listened to much big band swing era stuff lately, but I do ocassionally enjoy Ellington, Basie, Herman, Miller etc. I've been listening to mostly hard bop for the past month or so, a lot of Pat Martino and Wes Montgomery

It was very reminiscent of the theme from FFX, the last few notes of measure 36 going into 37 is exactly what's in that piece. Sometimes I thought the rhythms, especially the 16th notes, were out of place and were unstable. And then there were some measures with only one beat in them?

sorry the 4 part harmony sounds terrible, but this is short anyway. Maybe I can add a 8 bar b section to make an aaba. the squeaker.mid

Well this is one of my first real attempts at a composition even though it's not done. I think it lacks transition between themes, although I had their contrasting "moods" representative of something or other. Incomplete March.mid