Ah, yes, the tritone. A good interval. I think my first actual piece of music that I wrote was based entirely on that pitch (It was written for the piano, with the chords in the key of C minor, and the melody in F# minor.). If I can find a way to send you an MP3 or MIDI file of it, I will.

Ah, yes, the tritone. A good interval. I think my first actual piece of music that I wrote was based entirely on that pitch (It was written for the piano, with the chords in the key of C minor, and the melody in F# minor.). If I can find a way to send you an MP3 or MIDI file of it, I will.

It's addictive, that's the problem. Like I'll just start randomly thinking one of those measures in Fortress where the low end toggles between a low C and a low F#.

 

I just tested out going from C minor to F# minor... it's very minor sounding.

 

I would imagine that writing for piano can be tricky, with all of those things going on so close to one another...

 

Probably easier than writing for a jazz band (the only thing I've fully done, and that but once); but not easier than writing for a concert band. That is tricky, which I can vouch for.

 

So if any of you are thinking of composing for your school band, here's my tip: start off with a jazz song if you can, because the nature of the music makes it a lot easier. There's a pattern to fall into, you know?

 

I'm not saying to go write something aleatoric for concert band, though. (Like throwing dice to decide the notes. XD)

 

Don't get me wrong, though, I love the tritone; but plagiarism is to be avoided. XD Of course, it wouldn't be so bad if the words tritone and Fortress weren't so connected in my mind.

 

- Onuki

 

P.S. Congratulations on being the first person to reply to one of my musical rants, ToP!

Probably easier than writing for a jazz band (the only thing I've fully done, and that but once); but not easier than writing for a concert band. That is tricky, which I can vouch for.

 

So if any of you are thinking of composing for your school band, here's my tip: start off with a jazz song if you can, because the nature of the music makes it a lot easier. There's a pattern to fall into, you know?

 

Ironically enough, the piece I wrote (I called it the Devil's Haircut, which was a joke based on the fact that the tritone was originally called the Devil's Pitch) was written while I was at a jazz camp, and the other piece that I've been writing is another Jazz Song which I'm calling Melting Clocks. They do seem to be easier to write than concert band music, but I mainly find that because there's less instrumentation (although the rhythm section can be hard sometimes, especially for wind players).

 

P.S. Congratulations on being the first person to reply to one of my musical rants, ToP!

Well, It's always fun to discuss music, even if not many people do it (I've only really had a 'musical conversation' with 1 person in real life that I can remember, and they are also a clarinetist.)

Ironically enough, the piece I wrote (I called it the Devil's Haircut, which was a joke based on the fact that the tritone was originally called the Devil's Pitch) was written while I was at a jazz camp, and the other piece that I've been writing is another Jazz Song which I'm calling Melting Clocks. They do seem to be easier to write than concert band music, but I mainly find that because there's less instrumentation (although the rhythm section can be hard sometimes, especially for wind players).

Well, It's always fun to discuss music, even if not many people do it (I've only really had a 'musical conversation' with 1 person in real life that I can remember, and they are also a clarinetist.)

Yeah, there's that too -- the reduced instrumentation makes things a ton easier. Plus, you can get away with a lot of groupling and even doubling -- the saxes can all form chords together (and play in the same sections), the trumpets can form their own chords, and the trombones -- uh, you can pretty much have them to whatever you want to, as long as it isn't too hard. But it's always effective to score the sections together, and I've found that it's a common practice with jazz music at the level I'm familiar with.

 

For percussion, I find that sometimes you just have to "feel" it instead of thinking about it. I usually just use three things: a tom, the bass drum, and a crash cymbal. Easy enough. xD But then again, the snare drum can be used effectively, too...

 

But I had to ask my former band director about how to notate percussion -- and boy did it help. There a lot of complications with writing for a drum set when you're a wind player who's just stepping into the practice, but the basic parts aren't that hard to learn.

 

------------------

 

Ditto here, I usually just discuss music with a couple friends in my band who are into theory and the nature of music (and way into band >>>).

 

And I don't think there a lot of people on BZP who could carry out a conversation like this. o_O

I'm thinking these musical entries aren't very interesting to most people.

I'm really not all technical when it comes to music. I just play what sounds right.

I'm thinking these musical entries aren't very interesting to most people.

I'm really not all technical when it comes to music. I just play what sounds right.

Well if you want to compose anything serious, you kind of have to know some music theory. Doing what sounds right can only get you so far -- trust me, I've tried.

I know some musical theory. for example, I theorize that when you take a third and turn it into a chord, it sounds feakin awesome.

 

EDIT: first emote I've used as an emote in a about a year. save this post, kids. It's a part of history.

A major chord, yes. But they can get tiresome after awhile. That's why we have minor ones too.

 

Sometimes I find it effective to use only a tonic note and a third for a chord -- it can sound a lot less cluttered than a full triad (which will add a fifth in their somewhere).

occasionally i'll just mess around with my keyboard to see what sounds cool.I I get something really good, I'll right it down.

EDIT: that's kind of what composing is, isn't it?

as of now, I'm obssessed with lower-key melody.

You know, I've read that you usually don't want a melody to go lower than Middle C, but I disagree with that. Sometimes a lower, darker melody can sound cool. Especially using a low clarinet timbre.

Well, I must say, I've never heard Ticheli before (I do Bach), but it is good.

You know, I've read that you usually don't want a melody to go lower than Middle C, but I disagree with that. Sometimes a lower, darker melody can sound cool. Especially using a low clarinet timbre.

Amen to that! It has always worked for piano, and even bari sax if the guy has a good sound. Honestly though, I know very little about actually writing. All of my half-baked musings are into arrangement or percussion (great for thinking about textures.)

Well, I must say, I've never heard Ticheli before (I do Bach), but it is good.

Bach is awesome too. And Tchaikovsky, for that matter.

 

But keep in mind that those aren't the highest quality recordings of those pieces... there are higher quality ones available for download out there.

Amen to that! It has always worked for piano, and even bari sax if the guy has a good sound. Honestly though, I know very little about actually writing. All of my half-baked musings are into arrangement or percussion (great for thinking about textures.)

Arrangement I see as being an art in itself -- it takes a ton of work just to arrange say, the Muffin Man Song for 25+ instruments.

 

I need to work on textures.

flutes: do you know the muffin man

Trumpets: the muffin man

low brass: the muffin man

all together: do you know the muffin man

he lives on drury lane (0 (sweet! a musical emote that has a purpose!)

with those whiny little string instruments playing softly in the background

flutes: do you know the muffin man

Trumpets: the muffin man

low brass: the muffin man

all together: do you know the muffin man

he lives on drury lane (0 (sweet! a musical emote that has a purpose!)

with those whiny little string instruments playing softly in the background

Doesn't sound bad on paper. But it depends on whether or not the whiny string instruments play in tune or not.

or even better, all the foregoing takes place as the violinists look at their instruments.

Have a snare drum underline the whole song, and add some cymbals and bass drum (maybe tympani as well) during the unison section part. And yes, get rid of all the strings. We might as well be squeking music stands (I got that last part from my band director).

or even better, all the foregoing takes place as the violinists look at their instruments.

Or as they tap on their stands with pencils. I've seen that in contemporary stuff before. o_O

Have a snare drum underline the whole song, and add some cymbals and bass drum (maybe tympani as well) during the unison section part.

That'd be an easy snare part compared to a lot of marching music.

 

Cymbals would sound just right at the unison section.