Because I like lists, this blog entry will more or less be a list of things that pop into my head as I compose my new cliché piece- kind of like a behind-the-scenes look at what goes on inside my head as I compose, though that’s probably somewhere you never really wanted to go. I’ll keep my thoughts civil and appropriate, though…Or at least not write down all the strings of swear-words that come to mind when I hit a wall.
- So it starts as a motet. Yay...Three voices, with imitation and all that jazz. Luckily I’m taking 16th century counterpoint (putting my education to good use) so I’ve learned a bit about writing in this style.
- Note to self- add in markings/dynamics/style as I go, not after!
- Use the G Dorian scale (key = 1 flat)
- Gradually move away from standard motet form by adding in things such as fourths and dissonances, off beats and rhythms that otherwise wouldn’t be used in that style.
- One thing I really like that both motets and techno music have in common- they don’t modulate all over the place! Yay, I have something else to use to link them together!
- Lots of syncopation stemming from the use of offbeats later on in the techno section.
- I could possibly use multiphonics on the tuba to see how that sounds…Though I may or may not like how this sounds.
I jotted down the suggestions I got in class on Wednesday, and wrote a few things down myself as I listened to my piece being performed for the first time.
- Add more chords in the left hand of the piano for a thicker texture
- The flute part could possibly go up an octave so it doesn’t get drowned out by the tuba
- Write in when the drum section begins
- Maybe leave the tuba out for a section
- Modulate- I’m not writing techno music, and nor am I writing 16th century counterpoint so modulation is an OK thing to use, especially where it will surprise the listener.
- Kalen suggested that I use direct modulation in the techno part which is a definite possibility seeing as we learned about modulation in theory not so long ago and direct modulation seemed pretty easy to me.
- Vary the instrumentation in the repeated sections
- Change the colour of the piece in sections
In going through my piece and eventually finishing it I tweaked it here and there to incorporate some of those ideas and adding to them. It feels good to have this piece written, especially since it only took three days, and I have gone marking-crazy on it, writing in dynamics everywhere and accents and such. I know I might be missing a few things, but as far as I can see, it looks like it’s going to be a success.
1 comment:
Jessica,
Congratulations on finishing!
Speaking of detail, there are a few things in your score that should (or at least could) be fixed/improved. Since the final copy isn't due to the last day of classes, you can make these changes if you wish and resubmit, or just leave as is, if you prefer.
•Tempo indication (Moderato) should not go above the tuba or the piano left hand in the score. It would go in the tuba part, of course, but usually you see the tempo indication only at the top of the first line (i.e., flute, in your case), and sometimes above the piano as well, since piano usually reads from the score.
•"Synthesizer" is not specific enough. You need to indicate the type of sound you want, since synths are capable of thousands of different sounds.
•Don't use dynamics with rests (!), as you do at the beginning.
•Your first flute and piano entries don't have dynamics indicated.
•Hairpins should have a destination dynamic, like "f" if crescendo, or "pp" if diminuendo.
•Also, The synth entry in m. 10 doesn't have a dynamic; it's last dynamic indication was a dim. hairpin, which would suggest that you want to continue in whatever quiet dynamic the previous phrase ended with, but even so, after a few rests, you need to restate the dynamic.
•You're also got some improperly-grouped rests (m.2, RH synth; and all the pairs of quarter rests that should be half rests).
•How are dim. and cresc. to be done in the synth, if both hands are playing notes? (Is the synth sound you want velocity sensitive? Because if not, you'd need a foot pedal. Either way, it would be good to make this clear in an instruction for the synth player at the beginning.)
•The LH slur in m.18 is WAY too loopy, and collides with the slur in the RH. Also, musically-speaking, I'm not exactly sure why that LH slur is there...
•Your "repeat 4 times" section uses the word "cresc." twice. Also, "cresc" is not usually capitalized.
•This section also need a dynamic... cresc. from (what?), and to (what?).
•The next section, marked "Presto," should have a metronome marking in brackets to make it consistent with the tempo indication at the beginning of your piece.
•The same section has "begin drum beat." What drum beat? The score needs to indicate exactly what beat you want, preferably in a different staff.
•Very fast repeated notes (I'm assuming we're still at Presto tempo (?)), as in mm. 42-43 are idiomatic for all wind instruments and strings, but not so for keyboard instruments. Depending on how fast you want the notes to be, this effect may not work very well on piano/synth.
•You have space at the bottom of each page, so it would be good to space your two systems a bit wider apart from each other, and consider adding some extra space between the piano and the instruments above it too. It's a bit cramped right now, as in m. 44, where the tuba has accents that collide slightly with "Marcato", which is jammed up against cresc., and the dynamic marking (this should be directly below the accents, THEN write "cresc." but with no capital C), etc. The bottom of the piano system is too close to the flute line in the system below it.
•Also, keyboard instruments only need one dynamic, unless the LH and RH are playing different dynamics. In m. 44 it looks like the synth has two dynamics, and after that as well (this is true of hairpins as well.
Let me know if you want me to go over any of this with you in person!
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