Jompa's Compositions/Non-Video Game Related Arrangements/Performances

[FSM-Reapr]

Super cool.

[Jompa]

So I just found a composition I made that dates back to June 29 2011!!!
I think I wrote it as a sort of "starting town-theme" kinda - y'know, in every adventure game there is a starting town, and they all have such cool music.
Keep in mind that I made these before I knew ANYTHING about chords and stuff, so I am kinda shocked I managed to make this without any knowledge - The chord symbols I put in now, to sorta analyze the composition.
And back then I also made an ensemble remix of it.
Here they are:

"Untitled 9"
MUS
MIDI
Full ensemble remix MIDI

[Jompa]

I wrote a couple of marches. Check them out

"March 1"
MUS

"March 2"
MUS

[Olimar12345]

I love marches! Even have a couple of my own. Well, here's my two cents on the matter:

March 1
-For the first strain, the first four notes (parallel 4ths) in the melody seem rather odd in a march-instead of having the root and 5th move by half step, try the root and 3rd. It wont sound as dry.

-The second strain is really nice. The only advice I can give you for this is to maybe offset the melody. It is extremely repetitive, and can get boring after a couple measures. (you kind of do this in the fourth bar, but more might not hurt)

-Over all, your counter melodies are pretty stale. If you look closely, their rhythms are essentially that of the melody. I think you'd have greater results if you tried the opposite, and instead tried to emphasize beats that contradict with the melody.

-Imo, this would sound great without a stinger. :J

-Correct me if I'm wrong, but the form seems to be I-AA-BB-CC-DD. Besides the immediate repeats, do you ever reuse any earlier material?

[Jompa]

Thanks a lot for looking at my march!

First strain: I know it might have been silly, but I kinda intentionally chose to go with parallel 4ths instead of going with the 3rd - I always feel like I'm overusing it with the third :/
But I'll have another look into it!

Second strain: Yep, you're right!

I don't reuse earlier stuff, but I have the understanding that most marches don't do that. I know a load of marches and I literally can just name one that goes back to its original theme.
So basically I think its most "march-like" to not reuse the earlier material.

[Olimar12345]

Well, true. Often marches seem to just be one idea after another, but returning material separates good marches from great ones. Even if not the entire melody, small riffs or motifs that carry across can help.

Another simple way to do implement this is to use this common form: I-AA-BB-CDCDC, making each iteration of the trio, "C", different, separated by a break strain.

Spoiler

Oh man, if you're looking for some great recordings, go for anything with Frederick Fennell. Two of my favorite CDs are Fennell conducts Sousa, and Hands Across the Sea. Those recordings are among the greatest! So crisp, so perfect!

[close]

[Jompa]

Well, true. Often marches seem to just be one idea after another, but returning material separates good marches from great ones. Even if not the entire melody, small riffs or motifs that carry across can help.

Another simple way to do implement this is to use this common form: I-AA-BB-CDCDC, making each iteration of the trio, "C", different, separated by a break strain.

That was actually a very good way to put it - it totally convinced me. Thank you!

And I'll check out that Fennell guy!

[Ricky]

Simply don't stay completely within a form (or conventions related to the form or type of music) just because it's how the form typically is. Modify the form to suit you, don't modify your music just to suit the form.

[Olimar12345]

Simply don't stay completely within a form (or conventions related to the form or type of music) just because it's how the form typically is. Modify the form to suit you, don't modify your music just to suit the form.

This.


Also, here's a great example:

Sometimes doing something as simple as reusing the intro material can drastically change te quality of a march.

[Jompa]

I made a little tune

"C Mixolydian Blues March"
MP3
PDF

[Ricky]

If it's in C Mixolydian why not use the proper key signature (one flat)? Also it seems to be in other keys or modes (and keys) most of the time (even in the part clearly marked as C Mixolydian).

[Jompa]

You're not allowed to do that. C major is C major , modes doesn't affect that.
And eventhough I use loads of loose accidentals, it is in C mixolydian all the way. It never modulates.

[Jompa]

Okay, it's a bit wrong to say that it's not allowed to write the key signature to match the mode, but the "proper" way to do it, as you put it, is to not do so.

[Ricky]

I'm not sure that you've understood me. C Mixolydian consists of C, D, E, F, G, A & Bb. But on the other hand the relative mixolydian to C major (ionian) is G mixolydian which is G, A, B, C, D, E & F. So the key signature for G mixolydian would be no sharps or flats and for C Mixolydian it would be one flat (i.e. Bb).

[Jompa]

When a song is in lets say C mixolydian, then there will consequentially appear B flats - flattened sevenths. And which tone is the seventh is of course "measured" out of which tone is the tonic, which of course is C.
Of course, it's hard to get this wrong, and you seem to get this part, but when you start talking about "relative" stuff, then I start to wonder:
You seem to believe that in a mode, it is it's relative ionian that is the tonic. And that is wrong.
Example: C mixolydian's "relative ionian" is F. But F is not the tonic. Not at all. Modes are not used that way (that would simply be progression). C is the tonic in C mixolydian.
And how do we notate C major again? That is, with no sharps or flats.
If you write a song in C major then you can't have a flat in the key signature, because that would imply that F or D is the tonic. <-- This should really be proof enough - C major is all naturals, regardless of mode.

I did understand you, I'm just saying that even though that Bb appears all over the place, it does not affect the key signature, because C major is written with no flats or sharps.
A consequential accidental does not mean that it belongs in the key signature.

You could try to find a sheet of a song in mixolydian (try "Tequila"), you will definitely find that most of them follow what I have said, but perhaps you will find some notated the way you describe (particularly jazz sheets that modulate between these "realtive modes", I have seen tend to do this).

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Again, it is not super-illegal to do as you say, but even you've got to admit that it is definitely questionable.