hoplites

This is a heavy rock type composition in 7/8 time that i named as "hoplites" or "attack of the hoplites" The pdf file is transposed and it has only melody and chords. It does not have good ending.

Whoa, this is like renaissance rock or something... very cool! I like the tambourine and harpsichord, I think it's a cool color in your ensemble. 

I thought you did a really wonderful job of making a rhythm with 7 fun and lively. I could tell you put in some time with varying that up a bit as well... I guess I'm just gushing over the rhythms in it. Loved it 🙂

Is this heavy rock though? I hear power chords in the piano, but it sucks that they just don't sound that great on the instrument. Not everything can be a guitar unfortunately (I'm a guitarist 😄)

Maybe try thickening the chords by adding the thirds? It can still sound heavy I think. as your orchestration of the notes is the key to that. You could put some fatty Rach chords in it to give it some power. Remember, the piano is extraordinarily versatile... take more advantage of it!

I remember listening to something else of yours and noticing something that I heard here as well. I think your melody could use a bit of work with the phrasing. To my ears, the constant bombardment of notes without having rests or ways to separate phrases more clearly got a little tiring. Maybe some short interludes between sections that are just the chords? Or just drum and bass? (I'm always a fan of that 😛) Or if you love it the way it is, maybe end your melody at the end of sections a bit sooner?

Anyway, good stuff and allllllll that. You should check into YC more often, sounds like you have a lot to offer! 😄 

Hi

I was thinking how hoplites would organize when they prepare to defend and attack, and i have read from somewhere that they had flute players in the battlefield. The melody is to keep discipline, the first 4 bars, but the second 4 bars is already a background melody. B part is a description of the maneuvers what hoplites do when preparing. The time signature 7/8 helps hoplites to recognise their own maneuvers and signals in the battlefield and that is also difficult for enemy to anticipate. This kind of thoughts were a motivation for this piece.

Yes, addition to semi parts or inter parts is possible and good idea in order to have 3-5 minutes long piece. There the 7/8 rythm could change to for example slower 7/8 rythm for a while. maybe 5/8 and 11/8 could be used as well. They are prime numbers, and 12/8 or 9/8 would be too simple for battlefield and easily guessed and anticipated by the opposing party.

The piano playing chords is auto-generated by Musescore. I learned only few days ago how to change the instrument from piano to distortion guitar.

The power chords are simple, and in the battlefield musical players probably have play only octaves and 5th or 4th as an accompanion.
The low note players may have been horns that can play only overtones. Flutes and wind instruments can play certain scale.

The phrasing and articulation could be more cultivated especially if i make this a chamber music. But in the music sheet that is for a band - There are no phrasing marks in the notes and the players can add their own phrasing to it. also there is flute, violin and clarinet that have different kind of phrasing techniques. I may first try it out with a small band and after that i make these markings.