Week 3: Draft // Apr 5th
Welcome to Week 3! This week we focused on form, setting parameters, and drafting in aims of completing more short pieces.
The assignment for this week is to blueprint (plan) our ideas into whole pieces (arch map, graphic drawing, text) and complete at least 1 rough draft.
Use the following format to post:
Things you found easy:
Things you found difficult:
More information or graphics/files of your completed assignment.
Congrats on making it to week 3, my fellow composers!
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Hi everyone. My draft is a little "tense calm" piece inspired on Pirita Klooster (Tallin). I wanted an "ancient flavour", so I used the dorian mode, lots of pedal tones on D and a minor dominant at the end of the piece. The estructure evolved by itslef, and I used a simple motive to give it some coherence.
The difficult task was to return to the starting theme in a convincing way. I´m afraid I didn´t achieve this, but surely this is what writing a draft is about. I post a video and the score (handwrited).
https://drive.google.com/file/d/19hnu3cF1DSOhDHVh4YNyBc0Q6jVT4ZiJ/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1xvAwnJU9z2zBGzeipuvN_ywiy8yehGiq/view?usp=sharing
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Igor very nice! it reminds me of Rodrigo's Tiento Antiguo..was this inspired by it? I really enjoyed your usage of different rhythms and how your textures changed throughout. great job :)
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Igor Lovely, the piece and your performance, it breathes really naturally. I found your use of the dorian mode really effective, far from typical. I liked that chord that was "so nice you had to play it twice"
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Sorry for not participating until now, but it has been a busy week at work and a frustrating week with music.
I started trying to develop my reharmonization of On Top of Spaghetti into a theme and variations (called the Pasta Aisle), mapping some variation ideas out. When it came time to actually put concepts into notes, I hated almost everything I came up with. I'm posting the two variations I have so far, but I feel like I have hit a brick wall. My plan was have the actual cheesy melody played last.
When I hit the wall, I decided to start working on something else. I took a motive I came up with last week and started developing it, with Poulenc's Sarabande for Guitar loosely in my mind, since the motive reminded me of that. I kind of like what I have so far, but again I've hit a wall. Any ideas? I'd like to introduce some chromaticism, but when I try some things, I think they sound horrible.
I've enjoyed the first two weeks very much, but honestly, this third week makes me want to just go back to practicing guitar and playing other music (written by anyone but me).
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Eric
Eric said:
I feel like I have hit a brick wallOh yes! I have known this feeling for a long time!
Eric said:
When I hit the wall, I decided to start working on something else.I do it almost every hour during this challenge! Don't give up! I was close to giving up until Roni Glaser and Ashley (Ash) Lucero motivated me ... We are not here to shine, but to learn something.
And your ideas are quite developmental and worth working on I think ... -
Eric Don't give up Eric! I've certainly hit a brick wall several times this week and rather than try to force it I've just done something totally different. When I come back (often the next day) I then find a way to move forward. I like what you've done so far!
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Marek Tabisz Thank you, Marek. I appreciate the encouragement.
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Eric please don’t quit! I really like both pieces. You made a good start with the spaghetti. It’s funny. Leave it for a few days and you’ll get new ideas for the next variations. The Fantasia looks/ sounds very promising. Please continue that one, too.
“ When it came time to actually put concepts into notes, I hated almost everything I came up with“
I have exactly the same experience. I also started all over from scratch several times, with new concepts. But, as Ashley mentioned, the first few sketches/motifs might serve for a later composition.
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Eric I think we all are having the same feelings this week. Don´t loose your faith. "The Pasta Aisle" sounds great and "Fantasia" could become a nice flowing piece. Maybe you are just a note away from something really interesting, so, please keep writing.
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Eric everbody likes spaghetties, so I liked it too
You can add various ingredients in it, but you don't need to rush. I agree with you about going back to my daily practices. I have a fulltime job and when I come home I spend my all time to finish the assigments. But we have to be relaxed and have more time to be creative. -
Gokce Turkmendag Thank you, Gokce. I wasn't really talking about quitting my own pieces for good. But with the very limited amount of time I have for music each day, and the frustration I was feeling trying to "force" creativity, I found myself really resenting not having any time to practice. It just wasn't joyful, and that's the whole reason I play guitar is to give my day a bit of joy.
With family obligations this weekend, I'm afraid I will not be able to finish either piece on time. Ashley will have to give me a low grade!
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Eric I don't know what you're talking about, I LOVE what you came up with. It seems like you're overthinking it and expecting a masterpiece or something you may deem interesting enough.. dont forget what I said about taking things too seriously and how dangerous that can be. You've already experienced many of the negative side effects (feeling frustrated, wanting to quit, starting things over for no reason) of that mindset of wanting to write something "good" or to be "creative." I wanted you to write bad music this week as much as possible (for which I commend you finding time with your busy schedule!) and you're trying to do the opposite! Bad Eric!!! :) But also, congrats on getting another quintessential composer experience throughout all of this. And honestly, I can't get the pasta aisle joke and melody out of my head. I want more!!!! Another thing (sorry for the paragraph) is set a limited amount of time for your composing rather than using all the time you have. This will prevent the feelings of resentment and will help you avoid becoming EXHAUSTED! sounds good, right?
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Hey Eric , this is cool, I found it strangely not cheesy, considering... ;P
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Ashley (Ash) Lucero Thank you, Ashley. I really like the idea of setting a time limit. I love practicing guitar and working on other repertoire too much to sacrifice it completely on any given day, which is what I've found myself doing this past week.
I can't make the workshop live today, but I will watch it later tonight. Thank you so much for all you're doing to lead this odd band of online composers!
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I intended to have a go at a piece in 3/4 but decided it was really 6/8 when I completed the draft!
I thought I'd keep it simple - just ABA.
The easy bit? Doing a plan was fairly easy and I came up with several motifs ...
The difficult bit? ... sticking to the plan. I did manage to keep my plan of a minor A section then a major B section, but my original intent was to start with something chordal then move to arpeggios.
It still needs a lot of refinement and possibly another section, but it was fun to write, and I decided to be playful with the harmonies in the B section (I definitely need a lesson on harmony!).
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Ron I like it! The playfulness with the harmonies made the B section very interesting.
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Ron Beautiful Ron! The melody is romantic and sounds something like between classical and contemporary music, to my limited knowledge. (I am quite new in this classical guitar world though, so I do not know much, I am just speaking my own opinion). There are some nice use of atonal notes, such as in measure 20 (F#).
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Eric Thanks Eric
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Khiem Nguyen Thanks Khiem - although I'm not new to the classical guitar world I'm totally new to composing!
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Ron love your piece! Super! Had the same difficulties!
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Ron Like me! How gret is that I am not al
one! -
Marek Tabisz Sorry - my english is a bit twisted today
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Ron great piece, I like the melody and the harmonies. You managed to give your familiar sounding melody such nice refreshing colour.
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joosje Thanks Joosje, I'm really enjoying the challenge
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Thomas Thanks Thomas - hopefully it will get easier so I can write more purposefully!
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Marek Tabisz Yes it feels like we're all having similar experiences!
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End of the Year Challenge: Finish Strong!
