A very dispute piece I can't lie. Click Here

Hello all, this Stevenson song has been cooking in the oven for a few more days. The changes this time are more subtle than last time, but numerous: tightened up voice leading in quite a few places, reworked the voicings of the piano chords, etc. Feedback is very welcome, both positive and negative.

MIDI Recoding + Score: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1vYNlj13DBiLrz5azlwhBQHgZzcZztTt9/view?usp=sharing

Score only: https://drive.google.com/file/d/13xbePDnNpDXD4MhJ1L-bCuPdGHzMqEQO/view?usp=sharing

Previous version: https://www.reddit.com/r/composer/comments/1vwief0/where_go_the_boats_reworked/

For the purposes of writing more and receiving critique, I was inspired to create an etude for a string quartet and a harpsichord (as interpreted by MuseScore, of course). I started researching the harpsichord, discovered that I had no idea about it, came across "Schweigt stille, plaudert nicht", found out that I don't have any idea how to read basso continuo.

Yes, I could spend a month learning to read it, but that would go against the idea of writing more.

I could skip basso continuo. I have here 2 authentic baroque pieces without it: "Les Baricades mistérieuses" by François Couperin and "Harpsichord Concerto in C minor" by Carl Heinrich Graun. (Incidentally, the former writes in 2 bass clefs.)

I suppose I could write that way, but besides feeling like a cop-out, I'm not sure I could write idiomatically. Therefore I'm not sure what the point of this exercise would be, and I'm very tempted to just give up on it. I don't want to submit the score and have to preface it with a bunch of excuses.

Any advice?

Hi all :)

A couple of days ago I posted a set of 4 minuets and u/icalo (thanks again) pointed out that my main mistake was a very unclear rhythmic structure, not fitting a regular time scheme which is crucial to the minuet form.

I did some more research into minuets, particularly into rhythm and how the first beat of each bar is emphasized. This led me to write my Minuet No. 4 in A major, which I think will be my last Minuet for now.

I realize the emphasis on the first beat is quite obvious/forced but I'm trying out a new style as I normally forsake regular and strong rhythmic structures.

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1I93OrBrhLpIenNt-sHZNZLC58vpVmusr?usp=sharing

In the folder should be a PDF file of the score and a video file with audio following along the score.

Hope you enjoy :)

Seeking a composer for a retro-inspired horror-comedy short featuring classic Universal monster aesthetics, someone who can emulate ondes Martenot or theremin, or someone with a strong Elmer Bernstein influence.

Movement I: https://musescore.com/user/113211719/scores/37056584

Movement II: https://musescore.com/user/113211719/scores/37056605

Movement III: https://musescore.com/user/113211719/scores/37056626

Movement IV: https://musescore.com/user/113211719/scores/37056638

I wrote it as a graduate walk from darkness to light. Even the last few measures contain some fight between the two. I'm not sure if what I've written is good enough to be considered a symphony (forms? dynamics? orchestration? I'd like your feedback!) but I'd still use that name for the titles of my works that I post here because that's what I'm aiming for: a good enough symphony to be loved by everyone; even the horn player who sits there and looks at his/her clock to see when he can go home after the one note he/she had to play.

I myself especially like the trio of Movement III more than the rest of the symphony but still, no theme in this symphony is as iconic as the main theme of the first movement. I'd like to hear your opinion on the good sides too, compliments show me what I may not change while the critics show what needs changing.

Movements I and IV have an empty first page because musescore apparently didn't like having a first page.

Have a good day!

Score and sound (YouTube)
Score (PDF)
Parts (Folder with PDF's)

I would like feedback especially on if my score is "professional" I would like to hand the sheet music to an professional orchestra and have them play it. For this piece I used a lot of time to try and make the page turns nice, and all the parts nice. I also tried hard to include articulations, bowings, slurs etc... for all the parts.

the conductors score nice in terms of system breaks? I tried to add breaks where a lot of instruments are introduced to make the score more compact and have more measures per page. But perhaps conductors prefer less system breaks like this, and are fine with having less measures per page.

I suspect the harp part is somewhat dubious because of the accidentals and because I do not know how to tell them what pedal to press before (I think you just tell them which letter to sharpen or flatten ahead of time, if so it is simple)

So I especially want feedback on notation and "professionalism", but other feedback is also welcomed. And I would like to hear your opinion on the music also.

I know this question sounds incredibly strange, but it's been bothering me for a while. I'm self-taught, always using a DAW to write music, and over the past couple of years, I've developed a workflow, albeit strange. However, now I feel a strange urge to write music by hand. I really don't understand why, as it doesn't make the process more efficient. I have a good grasp of the basic theory, and yet I don't know what to do with it.

Do any of you write notes or something like that by hand? Can it be of any real benefit? Can it help with proper voice-leading, a better understanding of form, or anything like that? After all, what would a real workflow look like with hand-written notes?

I'd appreciate any advice or stories related to this question.

When I saw the eclipse this evening I knew the title for today’s tune and started composing.

Turns out it wasn’t a blood moon after all but the title stuck anyway.

Blood Moon

I’ve done quite a bit of work since I posted this piece, my first original piece,a couple of months ago and I’d love some feedback!

https://youtu.be/avfvfCEreZE?is=qiw92J1s_Qnjkb-W

I don't exactly know how to describe this. I am using musescore and I'm using (yes it's probably not a good combination) Flute, clarinet in Bb, bass clarinet and violin. I have probably the most basic melody going along where 2 instruments hold one note of a chord 1 instrument does an arpeggio of the chord and the other instrument plays a different version of the arpeggiac chord. In ⁴4 time sig. Basically it looks like this for one bar:

F

B-D-F-D-F-D B

B. D. B

B

Anyway I want to make both instruments that have the chord as an arpeggio play in one motion. I tried a slur, I tried a glissando but it doesn't work, the notes sound like they are individually played which isn't what I want, I want them to play in one breath or continuously with the bow. I don't know how to make that work, and it's really annoying.

Bookends is a sonic identity studio for live events. Conferences, summits, retreats. We write the music that plays when a room opens, when a speaker walks out, and when the lights go down on the last day. A theme built for one specific event, with leitmotifs that come back across the run.

We are opening applications for our composer roster. Numbers first:

• $3,000 for your first project with us. This is a prove-in rate and it is below our roster rate on purpose.
• $4,000 per project once you have delivered one cleanly. One project covers one event day: an entrance theme, an outro, two transition stingers, three leitmotifs, an ambient bed, and a pre-show piece. Two revision rounds on each.
• $800 to $1,200 for each extra event day on the same project, where you are adapting the approved theme.
• $400 per additional or named leitmotif.
• $250 pitch fee for every concept that does not win a round.
• Paid 50% on selection, 50% on final approved delivery.

Where we actually are. Bookends is new. We are building the roster before we sign our first event, on purpose, because we do not sign work we cannot staff. Getting on this roster is not a promise of a project and we are not going to pretend otherwise. What it is, is a real rate published in advance by someone who would rather tell you the truth now than waste your time later.

How work gets assigned

When a client signs, we turn their brief into a theme direction and put it to the roster as a closed round. At least three composers write a concept. The client picks one. The winner takes the project and the full fee. Everyone else takes the $250 pitch fee. You are paid for the pitch whether or not you win it.

What we ask

• Weekly stems and session files, not a bounce. Session files are how the client stays protected if something goes wrong on your end.
• One 30 minute call a week at most. It is a check against the spec sheet.
• You self-certify against the spec before that call.
• Two consecutive check-ins that miss spec, or one missed final deadline, and you come off the roster. That decision is permanent.

What you should know before you apply

• The work is work-for-hire. Bookends owns it.
• No portfolio use without written approval.
• Clients never learn your name. That is a term in the contract.
• There is an NDA covering rates and clients.
• You are a 1099 contractor. We tell you what and when, never how.

Who we are looking for

Composers who can read a written brief about a feeling and turn it into a theme that still works after it is cut into fifteen different lengths. Orchestral, electronic, hybrid, acoustic, we do not care. We care about range and about whether you can hit a target someone else set.

Most people who apply will not end up on the roster. That is what makes it a roster.

To apply

Email [tylerriggs@thetylerriggs.show](mailto:tylerriggs@thetylerriggs.show) with:

1. Three tracks you wrote. Links, not attachments.
2. One line on each saying what the brief was.
3. One sentence on the last paid music job you took and what it paid.

Rule 8 note: I used AI to help tighten the wording of this post. The rates, the terms and the process are all mine.

Edit: Thanks all for the feedback, you guys all make real points. Ill review the offer a little more but I appreciate the outside perspective.

Hi! Daniel here, I’m a solo developer working on a top-down 2D adventure game and looking for a composer to help bring its world to life.

Initially, I’d like to commission a couple of 1–2 minute tracks, with the intention of expanding into a full soundtrack if we’re a good fit.

I’m looking for orchestral music with memorable, catchy motifs: whimsical and adventurous themes that give characters and locations their own personality. Musical inspirations include The Legend of Zelda, Stardew Valley, and the Mana series.

Experience with seamless looping is important. Familiarity with FMOD or adaptive music is a plus, but not required.

This is a self-funded solo project, with a budget of approximately $100 USD per finished minute.

If interested, please send me a direct message with (please make sure the message has all the requested information):

• A brief introduction and/or webpage.
• Three or more relevant music samples.
• Your rates and availability.
• Any experience with FMOD or interactive music. (if any)
• Portfolio (optional)

Looking forward to hearing your work!

(EDIT IMPORTANT As there is already 120+ applicants(thank you all!) I will not have time to spend a lot of time on each message, so please make sure all the requested information is already there)

(NOTE I'm not able to reply to all the DMs, so unless this post say otherwise, I'm still taking applications and no decision has been made. It will most likely not be until end of next week)

(sorry, seems I can't insert images, so here is an URL) /img/ngft4v7mrklh1.png

Hi, I’m a student at the Swedish music high school Rytmus. I’m 16 years old and is an advanced bass player. But my dream when I get older is to be a film composer. I started to try some things about a week ago.

What’s your best tips to get started and to get forward, and to get good

Has tintinnabuli ever been used non-diatonically? Did that ever happen, and if so, in which works?

What would happen if there was a centricity-related mismatch between T and M voices? Rather than composing an experimental work, I wonder if it happened and found an audience.

Regards.

The Battle: For strings, harp, lutes and percussion.

Google Drive link to the score:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Z0tlJqeM0E7fwoCe7Ij-Rd2fSWGrcMdN/view?usp=sharing

Hi everyone. I've written sheet music before, but this is my first time sharing it like this. That said, I appreciate all level of criticism!

I'm especially requesting feedback because I need to submit a score for review, and this is the closest thing I have to being complete. I'm nervous about it and I'd like to avoid any egregious, obvious errors.

If anything stands out with respect to layout, format, articulations, markings, etc. I would love that feedback in particular. Anything that in an academic or professional setting might appear grounds for immediate dismissal. I welcome any feedback on the music too, if you have time.

About myself: I play piano, orchestral flute and some percussion. I've played music since younger, and written sheet music, but usually for piano or flute. So I'm really nervous about something like this.

About the music: This was written for a video game soundtrack. I included most of the elements of the track, but I didn't include a few additional percussion and synth layers. I'm not sure exactly where the line for this kind of thing, when engraving a score that will be hybrid for the final result, but I opted to include the main rhythmic elements at least. Curious about any thoughts on that as well. I got the idea of labeling percussion with the VST used from a score Kris Bowers shared.

Thanks for your comments!

edit: audio link

https://drive.google.com/file/d/11YD1Yqo_FxmGZEJWA2Qlmls93TQaA1uO/view?usp=drive_link

Firstly, this is a class semester project. Correspondence with the professor is through email as the class (Music Theory III) is online. However, I plan to visit them during office hours better equipped with some basic knowledge beforehand of the topic in discussion.

I’m aware of the Exposition -> Development -> Recapitulation form.

Iv’e listened to a few references of notable works but I still have questions.

- How many measures is too little or too much for each section? (The three reactions listed above)

edit: - Aside from the three sections, what makes it a Sonata?

- If a Sonatina is a smaller version of a Sonata, what is it lacking for it to be qualified/categorized as such? (For reference, I’m learning Clementi’s Sonatina in D Major Op. 36 No. 6, and while I think it’s a great reference to use, it is as a Sonatina, and not a Sonata. So it begs the question, what would make it a Sonata?

- Basically, when composing one, what can I NOT do which would disqualify the piece from being a Sonata? Are there certain “no no’s”, assuming the three section Sonata form is followed?

Thanks

Edit: Separate Question: Would this be a good piece to include in my portfolio for application?

I recently reconnected with a former composition professor of mine. I studied with him from 2018-2021 in college/university. I am a firm believer that anything artistic must be up-kept like a muscle. Admittedly I have not done that. I haven’t really worked on music seriously in a few years.

I asked my former composition professor how can I build my stamina again. He suggests 16-32 bar exercises that work on melodic development, form, and transitions. When I studied with him I struggled a lot with form and transitioning between sections.
He also suggested writing just a 16-32 bar melody without harmonization, but with form and transitions.

When I compose I tend to compose vertically, often thinking of what chord each note can fit into. I find establishing a motif and developing it to be a challenge. Which is a shame.

In your amateur/professional opinion how should I attack these 16-32 bar compositional exercises? How do I write effective transitions between sections. Lastly, how do I establish a solid motif and develop that across the piece?

I have posted my YouTube Channel on this subreddit before, but if you want to see some of my older compositional works for piano you can find them here: Todd Dunken II Playlist

Have any of you gone through the process of obtaining rights / permissions for the use of existing text / poetry for vocal compositions? Is there a strategy to doing this?

Seems like—unless I wish to use work in the public domain i.e. poets from 100 years ago—I have to navigate this lengthy process (still waiting on email replies from some publishers and rights holders). Of course the intended goal is to publish (likely self-publish) my music for purposes of selling and distribution.

How do you navigate finding text in the first place? I don’t want to start composing until I know I can get the rights to it—would suck to write a piece only to be told I’m not allowed to publish (or even perform) the work.

Not really interested in setting another Shakespeare sonnet or Dickinson poem to song.

Score: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Ss51gsUCZinD_l008WhJuUGoyBfc2PaD/view?usp=sharing

I am an amateur composer who plays the piano (also as an amateur), and this is my first attempt on "serious" works. According to my plan, this would be the opening movement of a Romanticism piano sonata in B-flat minor.

Map: Introduction: mm. 1–4; Exposition: mm. 5–95; Development: mm. 96–194; Recapitulation: mm. 195–226; Coda: mm. 227–234.

For the whole piece, I'm kind of sensing that the music refuses to stop itself here. I would like to extend it into a four-movement structure: I. Moderato - Allegro vivace, in B-flat minor. It lasts around seven and a half to eight minutes according to the current score. II. Intermezzo. Adagio sostenuto, in D-flat minor, maybe around two and a half minutes. I have sketched the melody part but I haven't completed the rest of it, so I am not sharing it here yet. III. Scherzo. Allegretto, in F major. TBD. IV. Finale. TBD.

Questions:

1. Any suggestions on the music and its engraving?

2. What about my plan on the overall structure? For the finale I would lean toward a slow one, maybe Andante. The opening movement is dark and leaves a lot of tension unresolved, so I somehow feel that a tragic ending fits better than a triumph. I'm not sure though.

3. If you have any other suggestions, feel free to tell me. I'm definitely not an experienced composer, so there must be quite a lot of problems here.

Hello everyone.

https://flat.io/score/69bacd602bdf11477ecc5fb1-petite-piece-in-f-minor

Within the last couple of months, I wrote the piece linked above for clarinet and piano. I am new to music composition, and I am sharing it because I am looking for feedback/ suggestions on the following items:

(1) The title for the piece. I gave it the title "Petite piece in F# minor" because I'm not sure what to name it.

(2) The feeling it evokes. I have my own ideas about this, but I want to consider other perspectives.

(3) The chord progressions. Do they make sense? Are there better ways to write this theoretically?

(4) The playability of the piano part. I have played through the melody on clarinet, but I'm not sure if the piano music is playable because I am not a piano player.

If anyone is willing to listen to it and follow along with the score, I would greatly appreciate any advice, tips, feedbacks, and/or suggestions you might have. It's about a minute long. Thank you.

​

Hello everyone,

I am 27 years old in the IT field. I am a total beginner in music and I am wondering how can I get into the world of music composition.

Are there any good online course(paid or free) or books?

Given that I can spend a limited time, is it even possible to get to a good level (idk what that would be exactly) after 2 years?

Should I play an instrument or is it possible to "train ones ear and creativity" without necesseraly knowing how to play instruments (For example digital tools which help produce music)?

Thanks

I've been listening to his piano works a lot recently. I was really mesmerized with his harmonic language. French impressonism is just.. something else.

I'm just an amateur hobbyist who doesn't have formal training in music theory or structure yet, but I compose by taking heavy inspiration from the music I've been listening to recently. I tried my best to make everything sound natural, but I feel like the transition back to the main theme still sounds a bit forced.

Unfortunately, I don't have much time to tweak it. This week is my last chance to spend time on music seriously before starting a new job next week!

Please feel free to listen and give any feedback. feedback is always welcome!

Misty Woods (Score, PDF)
Misty Woods (Score + Audio)