S
gecko zzed
Grumpy Mod
I did . . . enjoy . . . as instructed!
This is a very dramatic track . . . a touch of the Richard Wagner in there for sure.
The start was not dissimilar to other tunes of yours, but just around the two minute mark it takes off into this ominous thundery tempest. This is a gale hurling itself against a lighthouse, where ragged black clouds hang murderously low above a chaotic, turbulent, hissing, growling ocean.
Your material is becoming richer, more dynamic and more engaging with each piece. I like the layerings that occur from 2 minutes on. I like that deep, percussive understory that you can feel with your chest.
Suggestions?
Only two:
1 That first two minutes was nearly too long. I wonder whether it is possible to shorten it, or, alternatively, intriduce some (pronounced) changes within it.
2 I have no idea what you had in mind when composing this, but fror me the images it evoked were strongly linked to the sea, and in particular, a most stormy sea. I wonder whether you could extend this idea within the piece: the calm before the storm, the storm itself, the calm after the storm? And within the storm itself, I can visualise some of the other participants; ships bumped around in a harbour with rigging rattling and whining in the wind or seagulls circling and crying above the foam. It would be neat to assign instruments and melodies to these other particpants, and have them running in parallel with the main themes momentarily, almost randomly.
You've done rally well. What's next?
This is a very dramatic track . . . a touch of the Richard Wagner in there for sure.
The start was not dissimilar to other tunes of yours, but just around the two minute mark it takes off into this ominous thundery tempest. This is a gale hurling itself against a lighthouse, where ragged black clouds hang murderously low above a chaotic, turbulent, hissing, growling ocean.
Your material is becoming richer, more dynamic and more engaging with each piece. I like the layerings that occur from 2 minutes on. I like that deep, percussive understory that you can feel with your chest.
Suggestions?
Only two:
1 That first two minutes was nearly too long. I wonder whether it is possible to shorten it, or, alternatively, intriduce some (pronounced) changes within it.
2 I have no idea what you had in mind when composing this, but fror me the images it evoked were strongly linked to the sea, and in particular, a most stormy sea. I wonder whether you could extend this idea within the piece: the calm before the storm, the storm itself, the calm after the storm? And within the storm itself, I can visualise some of the other participants; ships bumped around in a harbour with rigging rattling and whining in the wind or seagulls circling and crying above the foam. It would be neat to assign instruments and melodies to these other particpants, and have them running in parallel with the main themes momentarily, almost randomly.
You've done rally well. What's next?
S
SEDstar
Active member
"This is a very dramatic track . . . a touch of the Richard Wagner in there for sure."
Thanks, I mean he's great, but... I kinda have "beethoven's fifth" in my head as a "rough guide" in most classical pieces I try, LMAO. Also, I greatly like the idea of Tonality... Wagner is known for Chromaticism, a concept I am not sure I "approve of" (perhaps "dont understand" is a better term than dont approve of). Tonality makes sense to me. WIkipedia tells me though that Wagner was also known for "contrapuntal textures", and I am VERY enamored of counterpoint.
===========================
"The start was not dissimilar to other tunes of yours"
Hee hee, first 4 notes of my "motive" are exactly the same 4 notes from the last big classical number I "pulled off", strings rebellion. Duration is slightly different though, and it "springs" into the rest of the main melody (motive)
===================================
"but just around the two minute mark it takes off into this ominous thundery tempest. This is a gale hurling itself against a lighthouse, where ragged black clouds hang murderously low above a chaotic, turbulent, hissing, growling ocean."
Yah, the piece was kinda decent, yet "ho hum" until I got that give-and-go bass line working, then once i started to get that section going, knew I had "something" to work with.
here's where I break with you, I think... I like tonality and the idea of a motive, and derivatives of the motive... and counterpoint, most notably. That makes me think "bach" and "Beethoven". Your a wagner fan, so you think in terms of Leitmotif's, I think. Remember though, (wikipedia is free, it lets me sound like I know what I am talking about, LMAO) Wagner HIMSELF called them "Motiv", german for motive. OTHER people came along and wrote books "assigning" characters and objects to his motives... then it got so popular of an idea, we think of him as composing that way.
I was originally "put off" by early introductions to understanding classical music. Notably professsors I sat in on, and "textbooks". I put it in quotes, because a lot of what I dont like is "later people" saying a lot of stuff about great composers, that they themselves didnt say. (like the leitmotive assignments... wagner himself just called them motives...)
this stuff leads to people saying Beethoven made a "mistake here" and puts out how to "fix it"... when the frickin thing is beautiful. In my mind, Beethoven was the master... anyone else who came along later and made up some "theory" based on it, cool, but... when the "master breaks rules" (I find they did it a lot...LMAO) they are not breaking a "rule", they are breaking someones LATER ON DEVELOPED theory of explaining it... not breaking any inherent law of "pure" musical theory
I am also noting that all of your "images" (leitmotif's you see?) seem to come from the sea, LMAO. You should have been a sailor I think. (thats not good or bad, it "just is". I see different stuff. I get images of a "hero" walking around confidently when main motives are played. During call out and answer sessions, I imagine heroes fighting, or some conflict taking place. SOme "textures" make me think of lace curtains fluttering in the breeze or buttrflies dancing and weaving... some textures sound very "insistent" and "searching", and evoke images of a chase scene in my head.
none of this is good or bad... its all just "is". I suppose its true... 10 people can preview the same track, and you will get 10 different "movies" they describe out of them.
====================================
"Your material is becoming richer, more dynamic and more engaging with each piece. I like the layerings that occur from 2 minutes on. I like that deep, percussive understory that you can feel with your chest."
thanks. I think i am blushing, LMAO. This piece had more "subtle dynamics" because its based on a 3-octave counterpoint base motive. I dont have to use the overmelody for a basic motive, and the undermelody for bass line... the lowest octave had to be slow, basic line... so it became the underlying basic bass.
the middle octave portion had more notes and movement, and the top octave naturally had the most notes and movement... this allowed me exponentially more "combinations" for my cannons (mostly heard as the pretty stuff accompanying the counter-motive when it appears in its 3 voices)
I basically start with a melodic motive, and tie the whole piece together by using it in as many different ways as I can. if any permutation sounds good, I try to use it. if it doesnt, I discard it.
the main motive is the opening main thing, the "other" melody that answers back is the retrograde. The dark middle other than that bass thing, is all based on the retrograde (other melody in the first part). Using these permutations allws stuff that sounds "completely different" to still "go together well".
*shrugs* what do you WANT, I'm like a kitten in the dark playing with a flashlight beam, LMAO
========================================
"Suggestions?
1 That first two minutes was nearly too long. I wonder whether it is possible to shorten it, or, alternatively, introduce some (pronounced) changes within it."
Your wish is my command, believe it or not after all my "rambling" up there, lol. I think of you as the "mentor" or "producer" I have to "impress". At over 5 minutes, it DOES drag on a bit here and there, most notably up front. I open right up with the main motive, and restate it twice as the spiccato melody, then 3 times with the strings (cellos?). I could easily shave off one of the spics, and one of the string ones. I could possibly shave off the occasional repetition of the main motive in a spot or two further. this might keep it "moving more" until you get to the heavy part.
I was already thinking this, but I had to get it "out the door" then I wanna massage it for a few weeks. So far, it might be my best work yet (was wondering how I was gonna outdo strings rebellion, LMAO)
===========================
"2 I have no idea what you had in mind when composing this, but fror me the images it evoked were strongly linked to the sea, and in particular, a most stormy sea. I wonder whether you could extend this idea within the piece: the calm before the storm, the storm itself, the calm after the storm? And within the storm itself, I can visualise some of the other participants; ships bumped around in a harbour with rigging rattling and whining in the wind or seagulls circling and crying above the foam. It would be neat to assign instruments and melodies to these other particpants, and have them running in parallel with the main themes momentarily, almost randomly."
I know, I know. Youre very "visual" for a musician. You think in terms of visual stuff even as your writing music, I think. Hence all your videos. I wanna establish a good basic melody/motive. develop it. take what works, reject wha doesnt seem to. I like "parts" as in, a light part, then i have to try to make a "dark" part... then resolve the two together for the ending. if I start heavy, I have to have a "light airy middle part" then come BACK heavy for the ending. I'm still at the "I wanna sound good" part. I make some stuff, sit back... then i start GETTING mental pictures off of the music... you mjst work the other way around.
I've tried it, you've mentioned it before. Believe it or not, I listen to you, I just cant always accomplish it immediately, LMAO. I dont have enugh "control" yet to write a sea piece, for example. if I try to, it gets ral stale and I get frustrated, I just "make something" off a melody idea, and if it starts "putting itself together" and a lot of the permutations of the motive, and the cannns sounds good, Its a good motive. if i start hitting a brick wall, my cuonterpoint basic motive isn't "right". I go back to the original motive.
=======================
"You've done rally well."
Thanks! your my hero/mentor. sorry the job doesnt pay better, LMAO
=========================
"Whats next?"
Hmmm... thi sis my first blush with 3 line counterpoint, I naturally wanna keep doing that, and get as "confident" working with 3 line counterpoint, as I am at 2 line counterpoint.
my openings are very basic... I state the motive a couple times. I would LIKE to eventually lead UP to the motive, not just "plump!" it out there. Make the listener WORK for a minute or so to figure out the basic motive, then go "Aha! THERE it is!", then develop it. meander just a tiny bit, THEN state the strong basic motive, ya know?
I establish tonality and basic stroing motive quickly; I would like to maybe lead UP to the motive statement and tonality establishment.
this piece for instance, has 2 major failures for me. The "dark middle" has the foreboding, scary, sound I just LOVE... but its a tiny bit "overstated". I needed a more "explosive" finale to the dark middle part before I squeege back into the nicer opening and go to the ending.
then ending wasnt "rousing" enough for my tastes. Strings rebellion had a much more "heroic" ending, somehow. The "Rondo" of the main motive didnt work here; thats how i cobbled the ending out like I did...
I am getting CLOSE to a more sonata-like form, which is what i want. merely stating the motive for opening is banal, I need some exposition and the develop the motive. In "harmony" I made little bridges to soften the impact of th chord changes; in these pieces, I need little "diversions", but to keep them short yet related. I need some coda material, I need another "part" Strings rebellion was heavy-light-heavy... this was light-heavy-sorta light
a REAL sonata is ABACAB... strings Reb. and THIS are both ABA... I am falling "short"
but, this is my first blush with a 3 part counterpoint motive. I had MANY more choices to pick textures from, and i rapidly developed a "darkening" feel in the middle, yet used the same motive for both light and dark. maybe some more experience with 3 part counterpoint will allow me some permutations "held back" for short additions I need, like intro, coda material...
I need to restate the main material of the opening part, without simply DUMPING it on the listener again, like a banal chorus. then insert the codas and exposition and stuff inbetween to get the "full sonata form" out.
all my counterpoint melody ideas are separated by the octave interval... which makes sense to me. I knw you can separate them by minor third, fifth, etc etc... instead of just by the octave. I THINK that will make it more intersting, and make the listener "work some" for the tonality of th piece, instead of just "plump"-ing it out for him... Also, I cant get past 3 octave countrpoint as the octave below and above are "out of range"... I THINK if I could manage to use intervals other than the octave, they would be "closer" and 4 would fit inside 3 octaves, maybe... THEN I would just have an EXPLOSION of textures and options to pick from, LMAO. And my melodic lines would be tons fresher... and might finally allow me to have enough permutations to pick from that I could more easily form a coda or exposition, or restate the theme without just "repating" it, IE, I could substitut a NEW middle line in the 3 line melodies. I am just scrapng at the door to "sonatina", I want FULL SONATA.
light/dark/light is sorta cool, ... but i need "darklight" and "lightdark" inbetween to break them up. THEN I will feel like I am closer to a serious sonata form, which is what I aim for all along anyways, heh heh heh
what do i WANT? I want to play a long classical piece for a NEW listener, without telling them I wrote it, and them to sit there trying to figure out which great composer wrote it, LMAO. Then, I will figure I have "arrived" somehow. *shrugs* I am getting closer...
... and that damn GEEK from florida thats been sitting a the #1 spot in classical on GB? I hope he feels his ass twitching; I am COMING for a piece of his ass, LMAO, and taking his top spot. I mean, he's cool and all.... but, its all "lah-de-dah" waltzy romantic smoochy stuff... theres no "GUTS", no "THUNDER". I am not hearing a Beethoven's 5th kinda piece on there ya know? I feel like if I MAKE one, I can get a top 10 spot then *shrugs*
I dunno, a LOT of "classical theory" makes sense... but some of the stuff I read? some clown write "tonality is finally dead. Surpassed. We have finally gotten PAST it, to the point that anyone writing in basic motives and tonality is essantially a mere hack."
SO... I go looking fr what famous stuff THAT guy that said that made (he said it in the late 1800's) You know what? "I CANT FIND ANYTHING HE WROTE", so... I'm gonna keep worshipping motive and countrpoint textures, and shoot for the sonata form...
Thanks, I mean he's great, but... I kinda have "beethoven's fifth" in my head as a "rough guide" in most classical pieces I try, LMAO. Also, I greatly like the idea of Tonality... Wagner is known for Chromaticism, a concept I am not sure I "approve of" (perhaps "dont understand" is a better term than dont approve of). Tonality makes sense to me. WIkipedia tells me though that Wagner was also known for "contrapuntal textures", and I am VERY enamored of counterpoint.
===========================
"The start was not dissimilar to other tunes of yours"
Hee hee, first 4 notes of my "motive" are exactly the same 4 notes from the last big classical number I "pulled off", strings rebellion. Duration is slightly different though, and it "springs" into the rest of the main melody (motive)
===================================
"but just around the two minute mark it takes off into this ominous thundery tempest. This is a gale hurling itself against a lighthouse, where ragged black clouds hang murderously low above a chaotic, turbulent, hissing, growling ocean."
Yah, the piece was kinda decent, yet "ho hum" until I got that give-and-go bass line working, then once i started to get that section going, knew I had "something" to work with.
here's where I break with you, I think... I like tonality and the idea of a motive, and derivatives of the motive... and counterpoint, most notably. That makes me think "bach" and "Beethoven". Your a wagner fan, so you think in terms of Leitmotif's, I think. Remember though, (wikipedia is free, it lets me sound like I know what I am talking about, LMAO) Wagner HIMSELF called them "Motiv", german for motive. OTHER people came along and wrote books "assigning" characters and objects to his motives... then it got so popular of an idea, we think of him as composing that way.
I was originally "put off" by early introductions to understanding classical music. Notably professsors I sat in on, and "textbooks". I put it in quotes, because a lot of what I dont like is "later people" saying a lot of stuff about great composers, that they themselves didnt say. (like the leitmotive assignments... wagner himself just called them motives...)
this stuff leads to people saying Beethoven made a "mistake here" and puts out how to "fix it"... when the frickin thing is beautiful. In my mind, Beethoven was the master... anyone else who came along later and made up some "theory" based on it, cool, but... when the "master breaks rules" (I find they did it a lot...LMAO) they are not breaking a "rule", they are breaking someones LATER ON DEVELOPED theory of explaining it... not breaking any inherent law of "pure" musical theory
I am also noting that all of your "images" (leitmotif's you see?) seem to come from the sea, LMAO. You should have been a sailor I think. (thats not good or bad, it "just is". I see different stuff. I get images of a "hero" walking around confidently when main motives are played. During call out and answer sessions, I imagine heroes fighting, or some conflict taking place. SOme "textures" make me think of lace curtains fluttering in the breeze or buttrflies dancing and weaving... some textures sound very "insistent" and "searching", and evoke images of a chase scene in my head.
none of this is good or bad... its all just "is". I suppose its true... 10 people can preview the same track, and you will get 10 different "movies" they describe out of them.
====================================
"Your material is becoming richer, more dynamic and more engaging with each piece. I like the layerings that occur from 2 minutes on. I like that deep, percussive understory that you can feel with your chest."
thanks. I think i am blushing, LMAO. This piece had more "subtle dynamics" because its based on a 3-octave counterpoint base motive. I dont have to use the overmelody for a basic motive, and the undermelody for bass line... the lowest octave had to be slow, basic line... so it became the underlying basic bass.
the middle octave portion had more notes and movement, and the top octave naturally had the most notes and movement... this allowed me exponentially more "combinations" for my cannons (mostly heard as the pretty stuff accompanying the counter-motive when it appears in its 3 voices)
I basically start with a melodic motive, and tie the whole piece together by using it in as many different ways as I can. if any permutation sounds good, I try to use it. if it doesnt, I discard it.
the main motive is the opening main thing, the "other" melody that answers back is the retrograde. The dark middle other than that bass thing, is all based on the retrograde (other melody in the first part). Using these permutations allws stuff that sounds "completely different" to still "go together well".
*shrugs* what do you WANT, I'm like a kitten in the dark playing with a flashlight beam, LMAO
========================================
"Suggestions?
1 That first two minutes was nearly too long. I wonder whether it is possible to shorten it, or, alternatively, introduce some (pronounced) changes within it."
Your wish is my command, believe it or not after all my "rambling" up there, lol. I think of you as the "mentor" or "producer" I have to "impress". At over 5 minutes, it DOES drag on a bit here and there, most notably up front. I open right up with the main motive, and restate it twice as the spiccato melody, then 3 times with the strings (cellos?). I could easily shave off one of the spics, and one of the string ones. I could possibly shave off the occasional repetition of the main motive in a spot or two further. this might keep it "moving more" until you get to the heavy part.
I was already thinking this, but I had to get it "out the door" then I wanna massage it for a few weeks. So far, it might be my best work yet (was wondering how I was gonna outdo strings rebellion, LMAO)
===========================
"2 I have no idea what you had in mind when composing this, but fror me the images it evoked were strongly linked to the sea, and in particular, a most stormy sea. I wonder whether you could extend this idea within the piece: the calm before the storm, the storm itself, the calm after the storm? And within the storm itself, I can visualise some of the other participants; ships bumped around in a harbour with rigging rattling and whining in the wind or seagulls circling and crying above the foam. It would be neat to assign instruments and melodies to these other particpants, and have them running in parallel with the main themes momentarily, almost randomly."
I know, I know. Youre very "visual" for a musician. You think in terms of visual stuff even as your writing music, I think. Hence all your videos. I wanna establish a good basic melody/motive. develop it. take what works, reject wha doesnt seem to. I like "parts" as in, a light part, then i have to try to make a "dark" part... then resolve the two together for the ending. if I start heavy, I have to have a "light airy middle part" then come BACK heavy for the ending. I'm still at the "I wanna sound good" part. I make some stuff, sit back... then i start GETTING mental pictures off of the music... you mjst work the other way around.
I've tried it, you've mentioned it before. Believe it or not, I listen to you, I just cant always accomplish it immediately, LMAO. I dont have enugh "control" yet to write a sea piece, for example. if I try to, it gets ral stale and I get frustrated, I just "make something" off a melody idea, and if it starts "putting itself together" and a lot of the permutations of the motive, and the cannns sounds good, Its a good motive. if i start hitting a brick wall, my cuonterpoint basic motive isn't "right". I go back to the original motive.
=======================
"You've done rally well."
Thanks! your my hero/mentor. sorry the job doesnt pay better, LMAO
=========================
"Whats next?"
Hmmm... thi sis my first blush with 3 line counterpoint, I naturally wanna keep doing that, and get as "confident" working with 3 line counterpoint, as I am at 2 line counterpoint.
my openings are very basic... I state the motive a couple times. I would LIKE to eventually lead UP to the motive, not just "plump!" it out there. Make the listener WORK for a minute or so to figure out the basic motive, then go "Aha! THERE it is!", then develop it. meander just a tiny bit, THEN state the strong basic motive, ya know?
I establish tonality and basic stroing motive quickly; I would like to maybe lead UP to the motive statement and tonality establishment.
this piece for instance, has 2 major failures for me. The "dark middle" has the foreboding, scary, sound I just LOVE... but its a tiny bit "overstated". I needed a more "explosive" finale to the dark middle part before I squeege back into the nicer opening and go to the ending.
then ending wasnt "rousing" enough for my tastes. Strings rebellion had a much more "heroic" ending, somehow. The "Rondo" of the main motive didnt work here; thats how i cobbled the ending out like I did...
I am getting CLOSE to a more sonata-like form, which is what i want. merely stating the motive for opening is banal, I need some exposition and the develop the motive. In "harmony" I made little bridges to soften the impact of th chord changes; in these pieces, I need little "diversions", but to keep them short yet related. I need some coda material, I need another "part" Strings rebellion was heavy-light-heavy... this was light-heavy-sorta light
a REAL sonata is ABACAB... strings Reb. and THIS are both ABA... I am falling "short"
but, this is my first blush with a 3 part counterpoint motive. I had MANY more choices to pick textures from, and i rapidly developed a "darkening" feel in the middle, yet used the same motive for both light and dark. maybe some more experience with 3 part counterpoint will allow me some permutations "held back" for short additions I need, like intro, coda material...
I need to restate the main material of the opening part, without simply DUMPING it on the listener again, like a banal chorus. then insert the codas and exposition and stuff inbetween to get the "full sonata form" out.
all my counterpoint melody ideas are separated by the octave interval... which makes sense to me. I knw you can separate them by minor third, fifth, etc etc... instead of just by the octave. I THINK that will make it more intersting, and make the listener "work some" for the tonality of th piece, instead of just "plump"-ing it out for him... Also, I cant get past 3 octave countrpoint as the octave below and above are "out of range"... I THINK if I could manage to use intervals other than the octave, they would be "closer" and 4 would fit inside 3 octaves, maybe... THEN I would just have an EXPLOSION of textures and options to pick from, LMAO. And my melodic lines would be tons fresher... and might finally allow me to have enough permutations to pick from that I could more easily form a coda or exposition, or restate the theme without just "repating" it, IE, I could substitut a NEW middle line in the 3 line melodies. I am just scrapng at the door to "sonatina", I want FULL SONATA.
light/dark/light is sorta cool, ... but i need "darklight" and "lightdark" inbetween to break them up. THEN I will feel like I am closer to a serious sonata form, which is what I aim for all along anyways, heh heh heh
what do i WANT? I want to play a long classical piece for a NEW listener, without telling them I wrote it, and them to sit there trying to figure out which great composer wrote it, LMAO. Then, I will figure I have "arrived" somehow. *shrugs* I am getting closer...
... and that damn GEEK from florida thats been sitting a the #1 spot in classical on GB? I hope he feels his ass twitching; I am COMING for a piece of his ass, LMAO, and taking his top spot. I mean, he's cool and all.... but, its all "lah-de-dah" waltzy romantic smoochy stuff... theres no "GUTS", no "THUNDER". I am not hearing a Beethoven's 5th kinda piece on there ya know? I feel like if I MAKE one, I can get a top 10 spot then *shrugs*
I dunno, a LOT of "classical theory" makes sense... but some of the stuff I read? some clown write "tonality is finally dead. Surpassed. We have finally gotten PAST it, to the point that anyone writing in basic motives and tonality is essantially a mere hack."
SO... I go looking fr what famous stuff THAT guy that said that made (he said it in the late 1800's) You know what? "I CANT FIND ANYTHING HE WROTE", so... I'm gonna keep worshipping motive and countrpoint textures, and shoot for the sonata form...
gecko zzed
Grumpy Mod
some further thoughts
1 I am not a particular devotee of Wagner . . . I just perceived a similarity in the drama (e.g. Ride of the Valkyries). I prefer Beethoven too, and in particular, the pastoral symphony. I have no idea what chromaticism is, nor contrapuntal textures, and nor leitmotifs, so I can't make any comment on that.
2 As you note (and I've declared before), I have a highly visual predisposition. Whenever I listen to something, I'm creating, from the story the music is telling me, the movie in my head. I love interesting sounds and textures (Debussy is probably my most favourite composer), because of the richness of imagery they can suggest (although it is true that I have a fondness for things maritime). For example, in my contribution to the Feb challenge, the lyrics don't overtly tell a story; all they are is a series of images . . . but I hope that from those images, listeners will be able to construct their own stories.
3 The 'dark middle' and the 'ending' . . . The dark middle was great, and if you think it was overstated, possibly it was . . . but again, only in length . . . a bit like milking it one time to many, though that didn't worry me particularly. The ending, I agree, was not quite as 'rousing' as it could have been (that's the ending to the whole thing I'm referring to here), and the final few bars could have done with a bit more fortissimo.
1 I am not a particular devotee of Wagner . . . I just perceived a similarity in the drama (e.g. Ride of the Valkyries). I prefer Beethoven too, and in particular, the pastoral symphony. I have no idea what chromaticism is, nor contrapuntal textures, and nor leitmotifs, so I can't make any comment on that.
2 As you note (and I've declared before), I have a highly visual predisposition. Whenever I listen to something, I'm creating, from the story the music is telling me, the movie in my head. I love interesting sounds and textures (Debussy is probably my most favourite composer), because of the richness of imagery they can suggest (although it is true that I have a fondness for things maritime). For example, in my contribution to the Feb challenge, the lyrics don't overtly tell a story; all they are is a series of images . . . but I hope that from those images, listeners will be able to construct their own stories.
3 The 'dark middle' and the 'ending' . . . The dark middle was great, and if you think it was overstated, possibly it was . . . but again, only in length . . . a bit like milking it one time to many, though that didn't worry me particularly. The ending, I agree, was not quite as 'rousing' as it could have been (that's the ending to the whole thing I'm referring to here), and the final few bars could have done with a bit more fortissimo.
S
SEDstar
Active member
" I prefer Beethoven too, and in particular, the pastoral symphony."
I dont know a lot of pieces, just the "greatest hits", so t speak, LMAO. I'll have to read on that one and try to find a mp3 of it. the wiki on it makes it sound cool.
==============================
"I have no idea what chromaticism is"
Neither do I, join the club, LMAO. I barely have a small handle on tonality, and I keep reading about "chromaticism", and tried reading about it, but it doesnt make a whole lot of sense to me, LMAO. To me, regular scales make sense. Pick a key... pick a "scale" in that key, now I know what notes to pick out that are related, and chord changes are instantly sugested. Using a chromatic scale doesnt seem to make sense... when i sat down at a piano with 12 tones to pick from, I wasnt getting anywhere.... scales made it all make sense, LMAO, using the chromatic would put me right back whr I started somehow, LMAO
," nor contrapuntal textures"
I dont pick my melodies at random by ear, I use counterpoint. If I want to add a ornamental line to a basic section, I can pick the over melody or the undermelody. I will try retrograde first, then other permutations. Usually one of them offset in a cannon will seem to "fit" nicely, and as i make different choices, I get different rhythms and harmonies poke out. Kinda like cloth... all these fabrics are woven out of the same thread material, but all feel slightly different to the touch... in one section, all my different sounds are all from the same motive, just selected, permutated, and timed differently.
, "and nor leitmotifs, so I can't make any comment on that."
yes you do, LMAO. You said to imagine characters like boats, lighthouses etc... and to assign them to stuff in the piece... those are leitmotifs. having an image = a certain motive is a leitmotif.
when you hear a certain few notes, or a certain loud chord... every time the bad guy is on teh screen? Thats a leitmotif. Once in a while you will notice you hear the bad guy leitmotif, but he isnt on screen... it always means he's hiding nearby, you find out later, LMAO
I dont know a lot of pieces, just the "greatest hits", so t speak, LMAO. I'll have to read on that one and try to find a mp3 of it. the wiki on it makes it sound cool.
==============================
"I have no idea what chromaticism is"
Neither do I, join the club, LMAO. I barely have a small handle on tonality, and I keep reading about "chromaticism", and tried reading about it, but it doesnt make a whole lot of sense to me, LMAO. To me, regular scales make sense. Pick a key... pick a "scale" in that key, now I know what notes to pick out that are related, and chord changes are instantly sugested. Using a chromatic scale doesnt seem to make sense... when i sat down at a piano with 12 tones to pick from, I wasnt getting anywhere.... scales made it all make sense, LMAO, using the chromatic would put me right back whr I started somehow, LMAO
," nor contrapuntal textures"
I dont pick my melodies at random by ear, I use counterpoint. If I want to add a ornamental line to a basic section, I can pick the over melody or the undermelody. I will try retrograde first, then other permutations. Usually one of them offset in a cannon will seem to "fit" nicely, and as i make different choices, I get different rhythms and harmonies poke out. Kinda like cloth... all these fabrics are woven out of the same thread material, but all feel slightly different to the touch... in one section, all my different sounds are all from the same motive, just selected, permutated, and timed differently.
, "and nor leitmotifs, so I can't make any comment on that."
yes you do, LMAO. You said to imagine characters like boats, lighthouses etc... and to assign them to stuff in the piece... those are leitmotifs. having an image = a certain motive is a leitmotif.
when you hear a certain few notes, or a certain loud chord... every time the bad guy is on teh screen? Thats a leitmotif. Once in a while you will notice you hear the bad guy leitmotif, but he isnt on screen... it always means he's hiding nearby, you find out later, LMAO