Taking a cold shower is pretty cool

First time writing a Bossa Nova after a friend told me about it and I started listening to it a lot.  Wrote this piece right after I got out of the shower, hence the title.  Hope ya'll enjoy. 

Taking a cold shower is pretty cool.mp3

Taking a cold shower is pretty cool.pdf

On the whole, pretty nice. Some of your chord markings were a little bit off, I think. For instance, when you have an F in the middle of an E-flat 7 chord, that's an E-flat∆9 chord or "add 2" depending on the register. I'd go back and fix some of those.

Some passing or appoggiaturas or some sort of non-harmonic tone was consistently wrong, and to be honest, I can't really pinpoint it. I can see one in the chorus where in the third measure of it you clash a B natural and a B-flat. I think the augmented 4th in the 5th measure caused by the D natural was weird too? Like I said, for some reason I can't find all of them. Maybe go back and look for non-harmonic tones too?

Other than tones, I think you got the feel of one pretty well... better than I did starting out with these. Nice!

It's got a good overall bossa nova feel, but it could be improved. It lacked the bossa nova bass, which goes with the rhythm of the drums, which you did fine. I have a suggestion that might mitigate some of the problems Monarcheon mentioned, regarding questionable harmonies. Use an actual bass and let the piano just play chords. The piano chords you are using are all close harmonies. You might try to open them up or even break out some of the notes onto another mild sounding instrument. Then they wouldn't be as jarring. It would give the music a little more sublety, I think. But it's a good job. Writing songs like this is not easy.

Very nice first attempt.  Monarcheon and Ken320 both bring up good points. Yes substituting a bass, and dropping it an octave, and 'opening' the piano voicing would help.. Just changing to a bass sound and lowering an octave will create more space for the other instruments..  Perhaps try the flute an octave higher..  

1. consider changing the 'density' or number of notes being played in the different instruments, and the song in general as it progresses. More interest is generated when the density of notes waxes and wanes a bit, rather than being the same consistent amount.. Just as a road trip on a highway is more interesting when there is a variety of scenery (hills, valleys, train station, towns, woods - rather than just 40 miles of trees on both sides of the road)..

2. This is a more 'abstract idea'.. Think of different instruments and the range they play in as a color (more accurately a hue of a color)..  You've got a lot of medium dark red-brown going on.. Even though you have 4 instruments, they are all similar in color.. (partly because they are all playing in the same octave.. So the whole piece is very 'mid-rangey'

Also you might consider altering some of the chords to simpler ones..  There's a lot of 'rich chords' Simplifying a few of them (doesn't have to be every loop of chord progression) would add variety and make piece not so 'dense'

A final thought would be a slight modification to bass ( changing left hand piano motif to a bass instrument and dropping an octave).  So that it's not the same 3 note motif all the time..  At the end of a melody phrase. Perhaps the bass could 'walk down' to the next chord.. 

Perhaps I'm over-analyzing here (an exercise for me)..  and you can take all this with two grains of salt.. just some thoughts..  I wouldn't play my first attempts at a bossa nova for anyone.

When working on a type of music..  I find youtube invaluable.. I go there, listen to songs in a similar vein, and take very detailed notes, of what different artists are doing.  Getting ahold of sheet music or midi files, and looking at them in score mode  on your DAW, is an incredible learning tool.  

But what you have done here is a very decent beginning.. Bossa nova's have a complexity to what kind of patterns the different instruments play, and you have a decent grasp of that..  keep up the good work

Thank you for such detailed reviews, this is all really helpful and appreciate the time and effort you all take to make these.  The reason for the piano acting as the bass instead of the actual double bass is that this piece was meant to be played by our band (of course just for funsies) but our bassist was on vacation.  I'll make another copy of the file to make those changes. 

Do agree with the chords needing to be opened up and changed, they do sound tight and kind of blocky.

My short answer is yes..

The first greatest learning tool, I got access too was a tape recorder, then multi's..  Now of course with DAWs,,  it's just amazing.. 

Taking courses is great..  But also learning yourself, is great too..  Because you can play the part, and immediately hear it back..  It is perhaps the greatest teacher..  Also listening to other music, in the form you are working in..  Learn to become very analytical..  I often take very detailed notes when listening to a piece, or a different genre I am used to..

I make note of when instrument parts come in/exit.. How many different patterns do they play..  As composers, we have to be creative, and analyictal.  They are usually in some opposition to each other..  The great thing about learning, is at first it is 'rote', or copy'.. eventually the process is relegated to a different part of the brain, where it becomes a kind 

of 'muscle memory'.. That is the process is shifted to another part of the brain, and doesn't require analytical analysis as you play.. You're fingers eventually learn to play it on their own..  It becomes a sort of 'sub-routine', which does not require 'oversight' by your analytical processes.. This frees up the brain, to listen to all the input coming in, (listening to what other parts are doing, how the audience is responding), it can then modify the sub-routine in real time, without a lot of CPU brain power.. This is how an accomplished musician can create mind blowing 'improvisations' on the spot..  

So if you really want to master a particular style.. You research it, and practice the different motifs, arpeggiations it does, in all different keys, chords in different inversions, opening up the piano/kbd part by  using both hands and spreading the notes over 2 - 3 octaves if you can stretch it..  Listening to what other parts are doing..  If guitar is in a narrow range, basically playing within 1 1/2 octaves.  Other parts want to play above/below to allow sonic space for other parts to fit.. 

I spend time practicing some of these ideas.. Then other times. I just play for fun.  I took a free course at 'coursera.org'.. It was called 'playing 4 part harmony like Mozart'.. 

Being primarily pop musician.. I did not do well with this course.. I failed the course (you can always take them again.. Many of them are free, and there no consequence of failing)..

I found that I did learn something, and my ability to write counter harmonies, contrapuntal, improved considerably..  At some point, I'll take the course again.. 

All of this work of course depends on your goals..  What do you want to accomplish?..  Most people here are pretty serious, and there are s some very talented and dedicated composers here... You can learn a lot from listening to peoples offerings and the critiques they get.

I belong to some other sites, where the music quality is not that good.. But the point, is people go there to have fun.. Songs with wrong chords, sloppy playing.etc.. But the main point if for people to have fun..  and get encouragement.  

The beauty of music is probably everyone can create it, and at all different levels of competence. 

Because of DAWs, we can do all kinds of experiments, and in the comfort of our own home, there is no consequence of how long you spend on it..  Find people whose opinions you value.. people here.. (although I wish more people critiqued)..  I don't feel comfortable critiquing the serious classical composers, because I have extremely little knowledge in it. 

Sometimes I can contribute an idea.   Find friends, (but not ones who are just going to always say 'you're great..    I have a best friend who is an artist.. ceramics, and now painting. 

But he has an incredible sense 'organization' of anything, visuals, sound..  Coming from a non-musical background, he offers me insights, I would never think of..  And the majority of time, (because I really trust him, I try out his ideas, then decide what is best.. It is often hard going from being creative/subjective to analytical.. 

Having a band will be a great boon to you..  If you have a good band, they will take your idea and contribute some of their own special talent. 4 - 5 minds focusing on a single piece of music, have much more CPU power going into the creative process.  Make sure you record the band, and then all sit down and analyze together.  This will get you as writer and band more in sync..  

Eventually you will want to focus on different instruments and how they approach music, in phrasing, fingering, artifacts of particular instrument. This will improve your writing. and speed the whole process of creating music. 

I sense you are serious about your endeavor, keep it up..