Three Short Movements for Guitar, Cello, Piano (mvt. 1)

Hey guys. First post woo!

This is for a class I'm taking (studying composition right now) and kind of just wanted general "first opinions" on this piece.  

Any feedback is good feedback, thanks 😄

Kinda lame, but this is very influenced by Mario Galaxy (specifically buoy base) lol it's a great soundtrack we can't deny it

Hi and welcome to YC!

• Quite a tense start. I liked it, but I think you abuse a little of repeated notes and that the actual theme begins too late.
• This is a bit messy writing (or at least it has room for improvement) for the piano . I would say that using the second staff wouldn't be a bad choice:  Also, note that the high C minim with Ped. and another high C on the next half beat will never sound like a minim and thus it would be more convenient to put it as an 8th note.

• The end didn't convince me, not only because of its harmonic resolution but because of the preceding theme, which in my humble opinion, was asking for more development. The harmonic progression itself isn't bad either, but I think it lacks a bar or two more that could be used to further diminish the piece momentum and therefore transition successfully to the beginning (but perhaps you don't want that; it would be really cool imo).

Thank you for sharing your piece in this small corner of the web! Hope you keep composing and bringing us some of those works. 

Kind regards,
Daniel–Ømicrón. 

Hi @skvlkin,

Welcome to the forum!

That is quite a cool piece! I agree with Daniel @Omicronrg9 regarding the opening, ending and piano scoring. Apart from that, I find the tremolo marking in b.9 to 10 l.h. piano strange, since tremolo are not usually used for piano. 

I think you should use a three flat key signature for the first section since Db only appears in b.39 and 43.

The pedal marking should be place underneath left hand insteaf in the middle at the beginning and in b.45.

The ending is fine if not the last bar for me! It can just end with that lydian flavour!

You may take your time to visit other talented members' post here! I am sure you can learn some techniques from them!

Thanks for sharing!

Henry

The piano texture from rehearsal mark C is a nice idea, but I think you could make it better by adding pedal markings, let the notes flow into each other, and build that texture, rather than being a bit bare as they are now. You can also take out the 'this is just meant as texture' explanation, with composition, if you've written something convincing, it'll be clear that that's what it is anyway. I did find the left hand staccatos a lot less convincing, however, I think with that washy, distant piano texture, the piece will sound so much better if everything ends up melting into it, rather than it build up a driving rhythm (particularly if it's just a straight metronomic rhythm), because that, for me, makes the ending ineffective, the pieces comes to an abrupt stop, rather than 'fades away' as it could do with the texture you've got. Maybe constantly thin the texture of the guitar, make use of sul pont and sul tasto in the cello so it's not just constantly playing over it. I'm just hearing a greater relationship between the three instruments that could happen and constantly evolve, rather than it be a standard case of 'washy middle section, big build up, end'. The transition into that section at C is decisive and effective, and that's what the piece should really be 'about', rather than that be a distraction before the heavy rhythms are built back up again.