Nick_C

I agree, it will give it more variety. Although I did notice the switch to C Major somewhere in there, however it was too brief. =) Umm, any key would be fine I guess. I would suggest E minor (the dominant minor) or any major key. It is really up to you, just pick the one that works the best with this piece.

Yes, a page would be good, the main thing to remember is to make sure there is some sort of shift to make it clear to the listener. You could do a slower middle section, but if you do, it needs to be going somewhere. Right now your piece just kind of 'goes' until the end. Even if the middle section is slower and reflective, it still needs a climax. Not necessarily a big flashy climax, but a climax none the less. I again recommend you listen to Chopin's prelude "Raindrop"; it is a good example of this. It keeps the same tempo and even is more somber, but it still reaches the climax. Also if you are going to do a slower middle section, I recommend you play the rest of the piece faster. Again these are just suggestions, I really am in no place to tell you exactly how to make a song. This is actually very good, especially for a first composition; it actually reminds me of my own first few compositions. (Now I'm getting all nostalgic) Really though keep it up, you could be very good one day :D

Here is a short waltz that I made. It is in the style almost of a prelude, short and very expressive. There is much dissonance in this piece which gives it a somber tone, I was trying to experiment with different chords and melodies; I think it came out pretty good. Let me know what you think! Waltz in D Minor Number 1.mid

Good job, especially for a first composition! Here are my critiques, and remember, this is just me over analyzing it. Also this is just my opinion. First off, the tempo is dragging a little which makes it a little boring. While waltzes have slower tempos usually, yours may have benefited with a faster tempo. (e.g. Vivace = 180) A second note would be that it is a little short. I know it is your first piece, but having a little bit more time to expand on the chromatic idea (which I like) would help this piece a lot. This is not to say that all pieces must be long, but this piece needs a bit more to support the basic idea. I personally didn't get this piece, in the sense of where it was going. Usually I would expect a beginning (like the one you have) but then a middle section that leads to a climax. Only after that would the song return to the first theme. Your song stayed on the same level the whole time. This made it somewhat bland, in my opinion. Also your sections (A,B,C etc.) are lacking. They are to short themselves and there is not much distinguishing between them; although I did notice the change to C major. Here is a basic scheme of what each section should bring to the song: (This is not how they always must be, but this is a basic idea) A - Opening, try to give the idea of the piece have three to five (or more) different melodies; make sure this is 'juicy' and will draw the listener in. B - Begin to Build the action. Maybe change the key, make the texture more complicated, use quicker sharper melodies, louder dynamics, bigger chords, or anything else you can think of. C - Climax. This section should be big and loud; or something of the sort. This is the whole point to the piece, even if it is not big and loud, it should still communicate whatever emotion is intended. At the end of this section there should be the resolution, I know it probably sounds weird to have the resolution in the middle but a perfect cadence at the end of this section could really help. Lastly, Your melodies could be a little bit more melodic. I see where you were going, but there was too much repetition; too many measures repeating ababab. Try breaking up the melody more with different rhythms, you did this in some places like the end when you added the sixteenth notes. To expand on everything I just I told you I suggest you listen to "Chopin prelude - Raindrop". You will be able to hear the ABA form clearly, listen to all the melodies in each section. Also note the climax early in the B section. Also I recommend you look up sonata form, wikipedia actually has a good article about it, I think it will benefit you a lot. Another website to check out is 8notes, they have a very good music theory program and its all free! Very good! This is all constructive stuff that I hope benefits you (It had better, it took me like an hour to write this). You can be a really good composer if you keep at it!:thumbsup: