Main Title Feedback / Advice for recording with European Orchestras

Great piece! Fun to listen to. Just keep it in 6/8. I would however make the rests in bar 28 for example consistent as dotted eight notes.

Okay, the usual me rambling on notation:
- I would get rid of the small time signatures
- bracket picc and flutes and trombones and bass trombone (hooray for not bracketing timpani!! )
- Don't use ties on tremolos. It's simply two things that really can't be reconciled.
- indicate whether the winds are 1. or a2. I wouldn't have first trombone come in until bar 5 for example.
- Fine to use 'cresc.' when it stretches many bars but use the hairpin for the runs (in bar 8 for example). Simply open the properties panel at the bottom to change the behaviour.
- Harp glisses should have the notes written. The simple clear thing that I use 100% of the time is – in addition to how you wrote it – is to have the pedal diagram. Also the top staff should only have a dotted quarter rest and nothing else. Remember dynamic and slur.
- I would revoice viola/cello in bar 8. Have violas play the c.
- bar 12 cellos: write it as two voices so the bottom voice has a dotted half note.
- bar 13 hav cellos take the bottom viola voice. Have them support the bass from bar 17.
- bar 20: woodwinds need dynamic.
- page 10: hairpins need and ending dynamic (or middle if the hairpin goes down to the starting point again) or have a 'poco' or 'molto' underneath the first hairpin.
- bar 32: tpt need dynamic and generally more dynamic indications if instruments haven't played in a while.

To comment on the writing I would use two different notes more in the bassoons and clarinets so you can fill out chords in the bottom woodwinds. And have Fl, Picc, Ob, Cl octaves distributed instead. One example could be to have oboes bar 43 be in octaves. Or bar 45 have oboes start with A and F# and have clarinets D and A.

Hope it makes sense

 

Shit man, that's a freaking good theme! I wish I wrote that.

I think you can easily divide the length of the intro by two - especially for such a short piece. Just set the mood and get right into it.

Also, at around 0:24, I think you should resolve the progression on the second beat.

 

Octaves, fifths, sixths, tenths. Whatever fits the harmony and arrangement.

Dorico has no way of doing harp glisses properly.

This can certainly be done in a 30-minute session. If you are sure about everything it's easy. If you're gonna do to takes and say 'I'm not sure about the opening bars – can cellos try with the instrument upside down and lets do another take' it's gonna take a lot of time. Not even silly or complicated requests but certainly have players play other notes than you wrote can take a toll on the musicians. You can always ask for a different dynamic in a section. However each time you do it eats session time.

 

Yes !! Tons.

I'll reply a little later when I have more time. You gotta clean a number of things up.

 

Hmmm....... the 1st one might actually be stronger. I can't go thru everything but let me get you started.

* All the bar rest are missing in the new version. (I am sure that's an easy fix)

Divisi/unis MUST be indicated. Ideally use beams up/down, or two staves if needed.

Watch out for awkward leaps that make no sense: See below. You have the Cello and Viola parts criss-cross (for some reason ?). There is no advantage to this, only disadvantage. Also are your Cello's divisi ? It's a mute question as they need to be. I would space out the C-Bb-F amongst the violins and Violas and leave the Cello on C. (this is measure 8-10)


For the CONDUCTOR SCORE: Put the horns into bass clef when they drop really low. On the parts you need to have them transposed and in treble, but for the Conductor score no one likes to read C that low in treble clef. You are missing an 8th note rest in measure 14 on horn 2. (the Eb) They will ask a question, and that takes up time.




Where did the Cellos go at 13 ?



Are there 2 flutes with one person doubling on picc, or do intend to have 3 people ?

If 2, then hide the stave when not in use, or rename. Also this spot will be a problem. They are not switching that quick.
This is where it's near impossible to tell what you mean.




You have three notes for two horns,and one note for two horns




My apologies: I don't have time at the moment to go thru everything. You can never proof read too much. There is no such thing as a "Small" mistake.....only mistakes. Think of it like an architect. You have the concept, but you also have to make sure all the nuts and bolts work properly.

Print up the score on large paper (11x17 or A3) and review it off the computer screen. Tape them to your wall so you stare at them everyday.

 

I know Tim personally. We went to the same University (he was about 3-4 years ahead of me. Aka: older), and each had the same composition teacher.
That said, I don't read his blog.

I would NOT do it.

Here is why: Tim - this is becoming less and less the case as now he is taking on more of a composer role - was known as both orchestrator and "conductor" (He's not a real conductor. He is a drummer and has good time.....that's about it.)

The blank bars would be for handling corrections, additions in the session that either the composer or director wanted.

That is not you. Don't approach your session like that. A typical feature film has about 12 hours of studio time (Two 3 hour calls over two days)

You are looking at 30 minutes. Each correction is going to eat into your precious time. It's not the right mind set to have.
Film composers often have ridiculous deadlines, and thus things are compromised sometimes. You have plenty of time to get it right, so do so.

Plus Tim worked a lot with Brian Tyler, whom I detest, and I am sure things would have to be changed.

crotchets ? What are those. I'm kidding. I live in Australia, and sadly the British system is used here. It's inferior. (I can explain why at a later time)

Well why don't you stop doing that then ? It's confusing as hell.

There are things known as "quavers" you know. Give them a try.

Look, if you have professional "Studio Orchestra" then they are already going to know a lot of what is "inferred". They get shit scores all the time, and they know when it is a waste of time to even ask a question. But I stress....... this is not the proper mind-set for learning your craft.

For example look at the last page of your score. Most likely the conductor would just make a note and tell the players what is up, and over look your mistakes.






WAIT !!! HOLD UP.

I just listened to your piece. You are NOT in 6/8.

YES !! This is much more like the actual recording.

I think you were on the right track. 12/8, then 4/4 for the B section. Use an indication of Dotted Quarter = Quarter



Then reverse it when you go back to 12/8. Get rid of all that

'

Stuff. It looks way more difficult than it sounds.


First.....anyone doing a conducting pattern is going to fall into a "4" grouping. That's your piece. Where did you get 6/8 ??
Second, think about the practical aspect of moving to 12/8. The Conductor is going to have page turns reduced by 50%.

Do the math. Right now each page get @ 5 seconds of music. Do you want the sound of pages turning ? This would double the time, and also let people see a larger chunk of music with a single glance. See if you can manage to get four measures of 12/8 per page. This is again why you need to print it up, and on large paper. Most likely you have too much horizontal space.

 

Yes, Melbourne. Tim Davies, and myself went thru the University of Melbourne. I also did my undergrad at a
school called VCA (Victorian College of the Arts) about ......oh....... too long ago to say. I used to be on faculty at AFTRS.

 

That's all correct. I am from the states, and moved to NYC after my Masters in Composition. I lived there from start of 2008 until about Nov. 2016 ( I am sure you can piece together the reason for my return.) I ran my teaching studio on 54th and 7th ave, which is probably one or two of the videos you saw.

Since you are a trumpeter you might know http://nadjenoordhuis.com/. She's awesome. This is her on trumpet playing on one of my gigs.



I love .....love ......love Melbourne. shhh....... don't tell the other yanks however. I live in Brunswick East.
(Luke Howard - whom you might know- has his studio right across the street from me)

No where else I would rather live. (Maybe Berlin ?) Sure, people here have a weird affection for facial hair. And I, as a person who hates
"cafes", stick out. No grown person should make cartoons, or leaf figures out of foam. I eat no-doze and modifinal like candy, so I have in my 2 +
years being back yet to buy any version of the many silly coffees. Plus it takes all these people so much time to make.

I can live with that though. Just don't "Ta" me.
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One final OCD rant on life as a yank in Melbourne.

I still prefer "go fuck yourself" to the standard "get fucked"

The reason is geography. See "get fucked" is basically - "I want something bad to happen to you. I don't care where you are, just have something bad happen to you.

"go fuck yourself" acknowledges that you are in my space and that too is a negative.
Implicit is " You.....go somewhere...... away from me, and then have something bad happen to you"

 

Remember to have dynamics at the start and end of a hairpin.
Also for recording: use bar numbers as rehearsal marks and make sure not to hide any bar numbers.