Week 1 - Prepare // Mar 22nd
Welcome to the Main Thread for the first week of the composition challenge! This is the place to discuss the Week 1 livestream and post your Week 1 assignments.
- Make sure you've read the guidelines before replying (<- click)
- Watch the kickoff livestream for help with the first section!
Week 1 assignment description:
Write one short "imitation" piece modeled off an etude by another composer of your choosing by using key elements found in the "model piece."
(For inspiration and some tricks on how to do this, watch the livestream above!)
If you want to describe your process (optional), feel free to use the following template.
- Etude you are imitating:
- Things you found easy:
- Things you found difficult:
- (Optional): a video of you performing it!
- (Optional:) questions
↓ Reply below with your assignments and questions! ↓
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- Etude I am imitating: I love Brouwer so I decided to try Etude Simples no 5
- Things you found easy: it was really quite fun to try and imitate the piece it was easy to play. It was my first time using Sibelius and I really liked it. I didn’t add any dynamic markings because I am late to the game this week but the notation was pretty easy. Two things I couldn’t figure out with limited time: how to add a stem to the bass voice. Sibelius added the note but not the stem
How to show a barre. I added the score in case any Sibelius users have any tips. - Things you found difficult: what approach to take and how much to imitate. I decided to keep it straightforward. Some intervals between voices I kept the same and some I just improvised what I liked the sound of. I kept the rhythm almost identical to the original.
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Emma thanks Emma!
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Ron thanks Ron!
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Marek Tabisz thanks Marek!
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Debbie thanks for sharing your interpretation, this study is also one of my favorites
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- Etude you are imitating: Sagreras exercise 11 (not sure which book). The original is in 3/4 waltz time so I decided to change to 4/4 and create a kind of Tango. I've copied the chord structure and the pattern of arpeggio bar followed by bar of block chords (pretty much) but added ornaments and passing notes to add a bit of interest. I used Muse Score Voice 1 for the top line Voice 2 for the bass and Voice 3 for the middle voice. It looks as though I should have allocated the voices differently as the rests for the middle voice (voice 3) is on the top line so the printout doesn't look right. Something to watch for the future.
Sagreras score and my score plus the output from Musescore attached. Hopefully I'll try to play it and upload a video later
- Things you found easy: Once I had decided on the change to 4/4 it all came pretty easily really.
- Things you found difficult: I think the hardest part was actually deciding on a study to copy (I looked at Carcassi, Sor, Giuliani, Coste and Tarrega but couldn't think of how to change any of them to my satisfaction). It was also hard to get started because after listening to Ashley play the Carcassi Study 7 I've been playing that all week!
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Derek Excellent Derek - look forward to the guitar version. I have similar problems with MuseScore sometimes
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Derek Fantastic work on creating this rhythmic variation, I love how you played with different rhythmic figures in your imitation piece, it's a great writing exercise!
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Derek sorry for some reason my iPad wasn’t able to load the sound file
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Debbie Hi Debbie. It's a .wav file. I tried to write as an mp3 but Muses ore wanted to know the location of 'LAME' mp3 converter and I didn't know the location!
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My second shot
Ashley (Ash) Lucero
As you encouraged me to write and I was working on something less conventional, I decided to post it anyway. I started with Sor Op 35 No 13, wanted to mix it with something completely different, had "Petit Waltz" on my mind and found that could somehow bring something from it.
I didn't write the score, it would took a lot time and I don't know if I would manage to do it. But I wanted to share with all my colleagues.
Kind regards
José
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José Espírito Santo Very good José. You'll have enough pieces for a concert soon!
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José Espírito Santo Wow, thanks for sharing AGAIN! This is great! I can hear the Sor and the Powell for sure :)
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Hi Everyone
Excited to be part of this.. here's my lost study.. my score is still quite basic as I'm still learning Sibelius and am attaching video. Its based on Guilliani study same as Emma and have taken some more Italian influence from Einaudi.
I found lots of material easily whilst improvising on it, I found it hard deciding what to put down. Its a brief snippet of what it could be as it takes so long to get onto paper. I am really looking forward to hearing feed back and progressing.
Many Thanks
Jaime
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Jaime Zaldua Very interesting job! I like the idea!
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Jaime Zaldua Thanks for sharing! I just love this modern take on Giuliani's study, it has created a whole different atmosphere. Great job! :)
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Jaime Zaldua well done! I like it. It’s interesting how it’s unique but still evokes the original.
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Jaime very good Jaime. I really enjoyed listening to it
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Etude I am imitating.
I am blending a popular song – Take Me Out to the Ballgame – with Carcassi’s No. 1 Allergo, from Melodiques Op. 60. I am not actually imitating the study. It's more a plug and play, so to speak. What I have done is to take points of the popular song as my melody. Then I looked for patterns from the Carcassi study to bolster the melody.
Things I found easy:
I found it easy to plug measures from Carcassi within the accompaniment. I gave myself permission to explore with the outcome. I have no real destination in mind. To improve, one challenge now is for me to play to a note. It is a sort of controlled improvisation. I do like this concept of taking a popular score and learning to go beyond the melody.
Also, I had a problem in that the Carcassi score is 4/4 and the popular song is 3/4. I solved it my applying quarter notes rather than 16th notes.
Things I found difficult.
I also find it difficult to share the score with others at this time in that it needs so much work, as well as do I in playing it. So, the score has been let loose, so to speak, well before it’s done. I am okay with that. I must start learning to compose somewhere. It is just difficult to know where the journey will end as I have no clear direction. This reminds me of a great trip I once took in Ireland where I just drove each day with no destination in mind but always found so many evenings of joy.
Finally, I wanted to be very dramatic with measures where the lyrics start to sing out – For it’s one, two, three strikes you’re out, but my forte sounds so harsh in tone now. I may come back with vibrato.
With that, I warn my companions to not only be prepared to cover your ears but also ask for commentary that will help me succeed, if anyone is so inclined.
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Stephen Holland really interesting exploration of sounds and textures you have here! i love the combination of improvisational elements and characteristics taken from the "model" pieces. Thanks so much for sharing! :)
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Stephen Holland also, I really love your description about your trip to Ireland.. I got swept away for a moment!
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Ashley (Ash) Lucero Thank you for your kind reply, Ashley. I have worked with the score this morning and doubled up on octaves to start phrases. I feel the need to add more depth with the bottom voices. I so appreciate your guidance. Also, I appreciate your reply about my trip to Ireland. For three weeks, I drove through Ireland on one trip. For outings, I looked in shop windows on grocery store bulletin boards, and in newspapers in mid-afternoon after securing a B and B. Each night I found wonderful events that included, sitting in a wobbly chair at the back of a bar for Midsummer's Night Dream, a flower show, a box seat at a Gaelic play, dancing to Cali band music, attending a choir fundraiser, and more. To start one evening, I stood outside an Irish pub and timed how long before I would be greeted and offered a brew. The answer? Nine seconds! God bless the Irish!
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Stephen Holland love it!
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last revision(I hope).
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All right everyone,
Here's my attempt at the imitation game
. Etude I'm imitating:
I've based it on bits of IV of Takemitsu's "All in Twilight" and María Luisa Anido's "Nana". Not etudes, I know. Sorry about that.
Things you found easy:
Choosing the bits of the pieces I liked - I took the texture and rhythm from the Takemitsu, the idea of a repeated figure with another longer note which stands out because of its duration, but hidden within the range of the repeated figure, as well as the addition of extra layers with harmonics. The repeated figure with a melody idea also came from the Anido as did the G as a starting note.
Things you found difficult:
I had chosen the materials, but hadn't chosen how they would develop and what kind of structure the piece would have, so this developed more as I went along, meaning that some phrases and sections aren't really sure where they should be in relation to each other as a whole. And the harmonics have a bit of a "oh yeah, I meant to include some harmonics like Takemitsu did, er, I'll just stick them here" flavour to them.
Also, once the basic materials were in place, developing them meant that I needed to be able to control and move the melody, accompaniment etc. independently from each other, which always presents technical difficulties on our fantastic but tricky instrument. So the performance ain't too polished either...
Looking forward to the rest of the challenge! Thanks Ash!
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Roni Glaser awesome
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End of the Year Challenge: Finish Strong!
