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Woodwind "Ditty"

Discussion in 'Critique & Feedback' started by Doug Gibson, Sep 26, 2018.

  1. All comments welcome.

    Just wanted to do something with only winds.

     
  2. Funnily enought this came up on my soundcloud just before you posted this here so I had already listened to it. Woodwinds are kind of my favorite section in the orchestra because instrument has such a different character, yet that also makes them hard to sound cohesive. Even though it's very simple, I very much like the little opening phrase. I find it inviting and I feel it sets the mood and tone for the rest of the piece very well. I also very much enjoyed the upward movement at 0:47.

    I do wonder though: what was your intention with this track? Is it just a little sketch or part of a greater work? I couldn't quite "place" this as being one particular thing, if that makes any sense? To me it feels like it ought to be part of some longer piece, though I can't pinpoint why exactly.

    I kept wanting everything after 0:07 up until 0:41 to adhere more closely to the pattern or format established by the llittle opening motif where the phrase was more neatly wrapped up, ending on a sustaining note. Whereas the opening motif was it's own little "phrase", the section from 0:07 to about 0:41 never really stops or breathes. I did notice that you sort of ended the phrase at around 0:20 but because clarinets pick up the line about a second later it ends up feeling, to me, like one continuous movement and that frustrated my brain a little bit as I was mentally ending the phrase one or two times before you did.

    In the end my feeling is that this piece is the egg from which a more expansive work might hatch. As a matter of personal preference I would've liked to hear more of the opening phrase before you move on to these developments. I suppose that's why I feel it ought to be a longer piece? Since that would afford you the time to ease into the developments a bit more.

    I'm sure other folks can give more detailed comments about the intricacies of the writing that I don't have the skill or knowledge to talk about. Consider this more of a Joe Schmoe's listening perspective :)
     
  3. #3 Alexander Schiborr, Sep 26, 2018
    Last edited: Sep 26, 2018
    Doug, thanks for sharing. Before I wrote that here, I listened to the piece..maybe 10 times. I am not sure if I am the right audience for this kind of music or style in music to critic. I can´t make it out where it goes to, so where I feel that I can predict any pattern or any further chord which eventually comes to give me some sort of satisfaction. :D . Now I know you do such things because you want to write something different (I guess), it is not that deliberately you don´t have control over your style here which I recognize.
    I would have wished to find a bit more of a clear anchor in that very freely harmonic system (maybe it is not but it sounds like that to me). Though I can make out certain things once they are there they are gone or how to say it? And maybe you can think about (in case you want a connection to a more mundane audience like me) not to frustrate the listener with too much of these unresolved statements and progressions? I mean when you trade on not very familiar chord progressions you should at least make sure that there are points where you give some sort of comfort. If that is anyways not the case which you aim here, dismiss my whole comment of course. We need not to write music always for somebody but we should for ourselves. As this piece seems anyways to be like a very short introductory, maybe at 1 minute it could be time to think about what I say in case you continue that piece. Anyways, I enjoyed the piece as it challenges which is good. :)
     
    Doug Gibson likes this.
  4. @Doug Gibson I find this minute of woodwinds very intriguing. I did not sit down at a keyboard and try to transcribe, so I can not be sure, but I believe you are using extended chromaticism, as opposed to atonality or bitonality.

    An intriguing minute that left me wondering where you would take this. The resonating sound of the instruments was so beautiful that I could appreciate the sound despite not being able to latch onto any theme or form. However, I think by the end it was time for some form, melody, motive.

    Very, very nice woodwind sound. I would believe it is real instruments. I know that you hate to use virtual instruments, but it does not sound like NotePerformer. Was this a live recording?
     
    Doug Gibson likes this.
  5. 100 % Noteperformer. Isn't that great ! No tricks either...... just notated as I wanted.

    The main ingredient would be quartal/quintal harmony (4ths and 5ths). It takes on a pentatonic sound at points.
    It's not a restriction I use often -- I don't write a lot of quartal harmony pieces - which is why I thought it would be good to dust off those cobwebs.

    Thanks for your comments !!
     
  6. Just a sketch. You know I just try and write X amount of music each week, and in this case it was more like playing around. I 100% agree with everything you mentioned. I don't know if I care about the music enough to expand it. I had fun....... and it might just remain a musical "Haiku"

    I get that, and you make a really good point. Thank you !

    Thanks for your comments Joe !!
     
  7. Ha ! I like the (I guess) :D Where is my coffee mug ?

    I totally understand your comments. Indeed it sounds like an intro. If you listen to say the first 6 seconds on my post and then imagined that as a intro
    to this work below, well the first few minutes of it, I believe that is more in line with everyones suggestions (which I too agree)

    Thank for your comments Alexander !!
     
    Paul T McGraw likes this.

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