Snowflakes

Here's a piece I was exploring the accordion..  While I wouldn't normally associate an accordion with snowflakes, it does make me feel like I'm in a log cabin somewhere..  Also exploring looser formats, chordal progression wise..  It gives it a more wandering, less structural feel.

That’s really cool. The accordion is smoothly integrated and I find it great to use it a bit like a sax i.e. for melodic lines. It's very jazzy, in this way it reminds me a bit of Yuji Ohno & Friends for some reason and I love this band.

Starting on a diminished triad as a secondary dominant of the chord is great... but only if you know that it is a secondary dominant. It's a little bit awkward otherwise. In the second chord, use of the minor second in the dominant chord as a resolution is also kind of strange. The third chord chord also has a bit of ambiguity but it's nice because it falls away from the dominant as a prefunctional chord.
There were a couple times where your dominants had both major and minor thirds in them... my browser isn't good with times so I can't exactly tell you when.
The mixing wasn't as smooth in this one for some reason... it felt kind of like voices were competing. 
2:11 was a really strange chord.
Overall, it's a nice piece, I just think that with less structure means more thought to sonic value.

I studied music privately starting at 10, church music, (on a 4 manual pipe organ)..  We had a Hammond A100 at home..  Then 7 years learning all the basics with 30's - 60' fake books.. I learned quite a bit, but more technique, not really theory..  The vast amount of my learning was self exploration, with access to multitrack recorders starting in the 70's,  then Computer DAWs from 80's on. 

I took a number of Berklee Online courses, in the 90's..and I discovered some theory and writing rules, and I had learnt by myself, (but not being outwardly conscious of what I was doing) . All the while I played in rock/pop bands.. That was my mainstay...basic chords,  triads, 6ths, 7ths, diminished, augmented.. Not more sophisticated than that.  

I've taken some free online courses, but the the vast majority of my knowledge, has come from self exploration.. and read and try to understand what I can.   I've been on a quest the last 2 years, to 'complicate' the chords, so it's more esoteric..  I certainly recognize some of my 'dissonant' notes in chords.. which I don't mind.. Again I'm trying to get away from the many years of writing pretty straight pop tunes..  Pretty much all of what I write is purposeful, bass with 3rd notes, passing tones 9ths, 11ths, 13ths, in higher octaves, or even in a lower range with a different instrument.

While I don't know the technical explanation of what I sometimes do, I am aware and consciously exploring musical alternatives..  I certainly appreciate your analysis..  Some of it I get, and some goes over my head.. But my goal is 'fill in the holes' of my musical education. So I am aware of what tool or technique I am using. 

This piece is 3 years old, and there are some 'messy spots',  which I could clean/tighten up, when I come back to revisit it again... Learning music, has always been my main interest all my life.. Now that I'm retired, I plan on spending more time, getting more serious about composition.

Thank you as always for your comments..

Mark

Hi @markstyles

I like this work, as always. You build a beautiful small world of sounds each time. I think the accordion is a difficult instrument. Here, in my country it's a traditional instrument in the North, often with choral singers.

On the other hand, I respect every opinion and point of view. But mine is opposite. I don't think the music has to be supported on rules. In fact, I was taught that way: know the rules, but do whatever you want. (also in Berklee, by the way, and in other places).

I don't disregard the music of the past centuries, but I feel totally constrained and restrained working with those rules that were rules many years ago. I can't. I don't mean that writing tonal music is bad, but I don't see any problems in introducing other techniques that came later. Because I am in the 21st century. And that's my feeling. We were always said that theory comes after practice in music. That doesn't mean that theory is immovable, that means (to me) that you can do anything if it sounds good for you. I don't care if a chord "must" be followed by a particular one. Any chord of any kind can follow any other one.

I think one can say that he/she likes a music or not. But looking for surpassing the boundaries of those rules .... for what? Well, I don't share that position, but I respect it. So, I don't care about the comments on those issues (in my music).