writers block Why is it almost always the Second Theme where it occurs?

So, in many pieces of mine, Sonata Form or not, I have gotten stuck at the Second Theme. Same is true for this piece that I am for now calling Lost. The First Theme that I have written here can be boiled down to a few motives. Here is the theme:

And the motivic breakdown:

• A - Half step motion
• B - Octave Leap
• C - Descending third
• D - Neighbor motion
• E - Circle of Fifths

And as you can see from the picture, there is very little of the First Theme that does not correspond to the motives used and there is a lot of motivic overlap, unifying it all into 1 cohesive theme. Looking at local keys, we get Em -> Am -> C -> Em -> A, with A being the key that the Second Theme starts in.

But it isn't just this piece. With many, many of my compositions, complete and incomplete, Sonata form or not, I have gotten stuck at the second theme. Somebody outside of this forum suggested that maybe what I'm currently percieving as being stuck at the second theme is just part of my compositional process. I never thought of that, but with the frequency and diversity of pieces in which it occurs, it wouldn't surprise me if it is. Sometimes it's only a few hours, sometimes it's weeks, but I often do get stuck at the second theme. Likewise, another point where I often get stuck is early on in the recapitulation, more specifically, the transition, probably for a similar reason to why I get stuck at the Second Theme.

So why is it the Second Theme where I get stuck and not say midway through the Development? Is it just my compositional process? Is it boredom or overthinking(this I doubt though because it isn't like composing and music is all that I do)? 

I think you are overcomplicating it. You should focus on simply creating fresh material in the dominant key which eventually leads to a defintiive/grand cadence, which is often preceeded by falling thirds from the tonic of the new key in classical music. 

Can you also attach an audio file please? 

I edited the OP to include an MP3 of the piece so far. And why exactly do you specify the Dominant? I never said that this piece is in Sonata Form, I only used Sonata Form terms because a lot of different forms of different complexity can be related back to Sonata Form, even the simple Rondo form of say Fur Elise can be related back to Sonata Form. And, somebody else suggested years ago when I came up with the idea of writing a piece about being lost, to use keys that are somewhat distant, yet still close in a way, like for example Chromatic Mediants. And while A is not a mediant to E, it is a mediant to C, which is a mediant to E. Subdominant and Dominant relationships are bound to pop up when you are using Mediants in such a manner as I am so far for this piece.

44 minutes ago, caters said:

I edited the OP to include an MP3 of the piece so far. And why exactly do you specify the Dominant? I never said that this piece is in Sonata Form, I only used Sonata Form terms because a lot of different forms of different complexity can be related back to Sonata Form, even the simple Rondo form of say Fur Elise can be related back to Sonata Form. And, somebody else suggested years ago when I came up with the idea of writing a piece about being lost, to use keys that are somewhat distant, yet still close in a way, like for example Chromatic Mediants. And while A is not a mediant to E, it is a mediant to C, which is a mediant to E. Subdominant and Dominant relationships are bound to pop up when you are using Mediants in such a manner as I am so far for this piece.

 

I suggested the dominant as that is most common practice for sonata form. And you neither said your piece is or is not in sonata form! 

It is entirely up to you what key in which you finish the exposition. But the same principle applies. As I say, you overcomplicate matters too much I have noticed. And at the end of the day, what truely matters is how it sounds. 

Ironically, your music presents some interesting ideas but does indeed become rather ''lost'', so to speak, without a clear direction. And if that is intentional, then that is fine. But few people will want to listen to a piece of music without direction. 

There are many motives in a row: 5. The listener (at least, that's my case) can't remember what's the important thing to remember.

Usually a phrase has one, two, sometimes three motives.

3 minutes ago, Luis Hernández said:

There are many motives in a row: 5. The listener (at least, that's my case) can't remember what's the important thing to remember.

Usually a phrase has one, two, sometimes three motives.

 

And what's wrong with having more than 3 motives in the theme? More motives = more routes for development = more ways to make the piece interesting = a potentially longer piece. I definitely would put a hard limit of 5 or 6 motives in a single theme, not necessarily a single piece or even a single movement, but definitely for a single theme.

3 minutes ago, caters said:

And what's wrong with having more than 3 motives in the theme? More motives = more routes for development = more ways to make the piece interesting = a potentially longer piece. I definitely would put a hard limit of 5 or 6 motives in a single theme, not necessarily a single piece or even a single movement, but definitely for a single theme.

 

I don't really understand the point of this post. You place yourself above criticism, and the post itself does not contain a clear question. So, Caters, what feedback are you looking to obtain here? 

I was just asking why I get stuck so often at the second theme of the piece because it has happened more than 2 dozen times in a diversity of pieces, some of which, like this piece, come from an improvised melody on the piano and some of which are planned in more detail(my sonatas for example are planned in more detail than this piece is, same goes for orchestral works vs piano solo, orchestral is planned in more detail than solo); some of which are rondos, some of which are dance pieces, some of which are Sonatas, etc.

I've been told that it's a sign of overthinking or boredom. I've also been told that it is a sign of lower music theory comprehension(though I know that's not the case for me, I've been studying music theory for years(advanced music theory at that) and analyzing pieces for about a year and a half). I've been told it might just be part of my compositional process and not really a composer's block at all, even if it feels like it.

8 minutes ago, caters said:

I was just asking why I get stuck so often at the second theme of the piece because it has happened more than 2 dozen times in a diversity of pieces, some of which, like this piece, come from an improvised melody on the piano and some of which are planned in more detail(my sonatas for example are planned in more detail than this piece is, same goes for orchestral works vs piano solo, orchestral is planned in more detail than solo); some of which are rondos, some of which are dance pieces, some of which are Sonatas, etc.

I've been told that it's a sign of overthinking or boredom. I've also been told that it is a sign of lower music theory comprehension(though I know that's not the case for me, I've been studying music theory for years(advanced music theory at that) and analyzing pieces for about a year and a half). I've been told it might just be part of my compositional process and not really a composer's block at all, even if it feels like it.

 

First of all, you need to be clear of what you are trying to achieve. I do not fully understand this, and your meticulous planning which I see in your posts I am yet to see materialise into something interesting or worth serious discussion. 

Your approach to motivic development is alien to me, and I am interested in where you have learned this and how you believe it benefits your compositional process. 

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15 hours ago, caters said:

So why is it the Second Theme where I get stuck and not say midway through the Development? Is it just my compositional process? Is it boredom or overthinking(this I doubt though because it isn't like composing and music is all that I do)?

What would you like for us to tell you?

Both @Markus Boyd and @Luis Hernández have given seemingly good and thought-provoking responses, yet they don't seem to be good enough. (Personally, I was intrigued by Luis' response about having too many motives to follow because I'd never considered that before. Thanks for that, man!)

Music is an expression, and as such it must have a clearly communicated idea. In my opinion, your music is like trying to follow a conversation in which the subject is changed almost as fast as it is mentioned. I have no time to settle into it, to become familiar with it. That's not to say you don't know your stuff. But your musical prowess, while formidable, is severely hindered by your creative inhibition.

One of the biggest roadblocks to creativity is knowing that we are "right." A person can follow all the right harmonic rules, use the perfect musical form, and design impeccable motivic development. Does this mean that the resultant piece of music will be good? No! A key ingredient in the process is creativity, and without it, the musical exercise is simply that: an exercise. If you want to progress as a composer, I think you're going to have to take some chances and go directly against what you know. And most importantly, you're going to have to accept the fact that you might not be right—at least not all the time.

So to answer your original question... I think you're creatively inhibited. I wish I knew the key to unlocking everyone's creative potential, but alas, I don't even know how to unlock my own. It just... happens. You might try using your vast musical knowledge more as a guideline than a strict, step-by-step roadmap, though. I think that might help...?

Best wishes in getting over this block!

@Tónskáld  @caters

Quoting Mr. Alan Belkin:

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