4 indeterminate pieces

I feel attracted to indeterminacy in music and composing "by chance". After having studied Music of changes and other works I wanted to try by myself. I wanted to see the results leaving to chance more or less elements of the composition, and using different scales. I use a deck of cards, and dices to do it.

These are pieces that one con find interesting or not, I don't think much can be said about anything (since they were randomly done). I find very interesting to see the different moods changing scales or the indeterminacy strength.

oxymoron 1: dodecaphonic scale, pitches, octaves, rhythm, and dynamics all done by chance. I only fixed that there would be a middle part in chords.

oxymoron 2: diatonic scales with one or two accidentals added, pitches and rhythm by chance.

oxymoron 3: ABA form, parts A use the neapolitan minor scale, all written by chance method. The middle part uses an artificial scale and I wrote it without any indeterminacy, as a contrast section.

oxymoron 4: right hand uses Mode 7 (Messiaen) and left hand Mode 1 (hexatonic) first, and a pentatonic scale afterwords. Everything else left to chance.

OXYMORON 1 - SCORE.pdf

OXYMORON 2 - SCORE.pdf

OXYMORON 3 - SCORE.pdf

OXYMORON 4 - SCORE.pdf

Ironically, all the untrained ear can comment on on music is the sound of it. Nobody will really know what went into creating this just going in blind. I think the sound of it, for that reason, becomes more important... kind of bitonality. Does it make sense? That's always the big question.

The ideas behind this are impressive, though I would encourage you to take bigger and risky chances with your parameters. 

Cheers!

On 5/5/2017 at 0:46 PM, Monarcheon said:

Ironically, all the untrained ear can comment on on music is the sound of it. Nobody will really know what went into creating this just going in blind.

 

This is super important for the OP to understand. Composing for a comp class or as a "process" works great if you are going to write a bunch of program notes, but very few will read the notes, and in the end the audience only cares about how it sounds; the process used goes by the wayside. But they make great exercises in composition.

I truly appreciate your appetite to explore, learn and create with new processes and ideas.. Oxymoron 1 left me very uncomfortable and anxious (almost had to take klonopin)..

Actually I think it is great for a composer or any person to go outside of their 'music comfort' range.. 

When the internet really started catching on,  anyone could find and hear music from the most remote corners of the world.. And while at first some of this sounded alien, we would find genre's of music which grew on us.. sort of like something becoming an 'acquired taste'..  My first music lessons were liturgical music on a pipe organ.. Then I started writing rock, pop songs when I was 12..  In a rock band by 14,  By my 20's I got a synthesizer, (they only played one note at a time then).. It was then I went 'off course' according to my fellow bandmates.. Eventually my music thirst expanded.

I think the wonderful thing Louis is doing here is exposed and expanding his compositional palette, This exercises will had to his choices in future music pieces. 

Bravo for you, and an idea we can all aspire too.