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

[Jompa]

Added a jazz band arrangement of "The Goiun" from "The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya" for my "small-big band".
This piece is amazing! The composer, Satoru Kousaki is a genius - the whole soundtrack is brilliant!

[Bloop]

Well, since you're following my compositions, I should return the favor, right?

I like Untitled 1! A few things I would think of:
What if you change the chord in bar 17 to a Db, and in bar 18 to a Eb? That would sound pretty awesome. Same in bar 33-34 and 65-66 (still keep the C7 chord though).
Also, the end would sound much better if it was a F chord (not minor) in bar 68-69.

[Jompa]

Well, since you're following my compositions, I should return the favor, right?

That's cool, thanx

I like Untitled 1! A few things I would think of:
What if you change the chord in bar 17 to a Db, and in bar 18 to a Eb? That would sound pretty awesome. Same in bar 33-34 and 65-66 (still keep the C7 chord though).

Those are great tips! However, I am most likely not going to do anything about it, for several reasons. Mainly because in my band, we're playing an original piece, written out of Untitled 1 - basically it's the same song, just jazzed up. Also - my piano teacher loved it, and is now using it as an easy-to-play piano piece, for some of his other students. My point is that it would feel kinda weird to change anything now, on this early version. It would kinda obligate me to do these changes on the jazz band version, and the easy-to-play piano version, as well - and that wouldn't really work out. In the band, we try not to use sheet music on stage, so we already have this song memorized. So on that account, changing it would be bad.

Also, the end would sound much better if it was a F chord (not minor) in bar 68-69.

Sorry Bloop, but that ending is how I want it to be. It's more dramatic this way, having a major chord here would just ruin the whole impression.

Thanks for looking at my song!
Thanks for the tips as well. Even though I wont change any of the things you pointed out, criticism is always useful, for future reference.

Also; please take a look at this - it's the jazz band version of "Untitled 1", we're playing in my band, which I think turned out great:
Pirate Waltz nr.1 <-- The name wasn't my idea
Of course, it sounds much better when played by real instruments.

[Bloop]

Those are great tips! However, I am most likely not going to do anything about it, for several reasons. Mainly because in my band, we're playing an original piece, written out of Untitled 1 - basically it's the same song, just jazzed up. Also - my piano teacher loved it, and is now using it as an easy-to-play piano piece, for some of his other students. My point is that it would feel kinda weird to change anything now, on this early version. It would kinda obligate me to do these changes on the jazz band version, and the easy-to-play piano version, as well - and that wouldn't really work out. In the band, we try not to use sheet music on stage, so we already have this song memorized. So on that account, changing it would be bad.

Ah, I understand. But like you said, "criticism is always useful, for future reference."

Sorry Bloop, but that ending is how I want it to be. It's more dramatic this way, having a major chord here would just ruin the whole impression.

That's fine; It's just my taste of making songs. I'm more used to a major chord than a minor one after a sus4 chord.

Also; please take a look at this - it's the jazz band version of "Untitled 1", we're playing in my band, which I think turned out great:
Pirate Waltz nr.1 <-- The name wasn't my idea
Of course, it sounds much better when played by real instruments.

I will take a look tomorrow, it's like 3:00 AM here.

EDIT:

Awesome song nr.1

O_O Wow, I love this! It does have a pirate-vibe to it. I should listen more jazz.

[Jompa]

Haha, glad you liked it ^.^

That's fine; It's just my taste of making songs. I'm more used to a major chord than a minor one after a sus4 chord.

There are two main cases where sus4 is used.
The most common is dominant13sus4->dominant13->tonika or dominnant7b9(b13)sus4->dominant7b9(b13)->tonikaminor. So in this case the sus4 ALLWAYS goes to a major chord, because the third in a dominantminor chord wouldn't lead to tonika.
Then there is tonikasus4. If the song is in major, then you are kinda obligated to end it in major, or else it would just be really weird. But in the case of minor, then you could choose. sus4->major or sus4->minor. They give very different effects. In most genres it's most reasonable to end in major after a sus4. In "Untitled 1" I didn't want that "what happened now"-effect at the end, changing it to major, but I wanted that "God, that was powerful"-ending, so I chose minor

[Jompa]

My father recorded me playing a solo with my band, so I figured I might as well post it here:
The song is "What Planet is This?" by Yoko Kanno & The Seatbelts ---- my arrangement, of course:


So yeah, now y'all know how I look, and how good I am at improvising

[MoboMoga]

LOL the guy with curly blond hair with a red shirt makes me laugh. He seems to enjoy your performance very much. X)

[Jompa]

LOL the guy with curly blond hair with a red shirt makes me laugh. He seems to enjoy your performance very much. X)

HAha, funny you should mention:
He's actually a tenor saxophonist at my school, as well

[Jompa]

When your grandparents live far away, and you have to sit in the car for eight hours, and the only cool thing on your Mac that doesn't require internet is Finale PrintMusic,
you may find yourself composing:
"Me-playing-around-with-harmonic-minor-song"
MUS
PDF
MP3
MIDI

[Jompa]

I made a song. I tried bossa nova, I mean why not, right?
I called it "251 Bossa Nova" simply because the main piano riff at the start, y'know is 251, repeating over and over.. Nothing more.
So here:

"251 Bossa Nova"
-------------------------------------------------
MUS
PDF
MP3

[Jompa]

I made a song, yay!
"Untitled 5"
MUS
MIDI

[Jompa]

And I made another one
"Untitled 6"
MIDI

[FireArrow]

Woah, those were cool! Makes me wanna learn some jazz theory....

[Jompa]

Thanks!
Three songs in two days is not to bad eh:

"Untitled 7"
MUS
MP3

[Ricky]

Woah, those were cool! Makes me wanna learn some jazz theory....

As a good unknown composer on Youtube roughly said: Follow your ear if you want to compose. Don't learn too much theory too early. Improvise constantly. And so on.

The point is, you want learn jazz theory but you should try to learn improvise jazz and listen to jazz to analyze the pieces structually etc. And ofc do ear training (especially focused on jazz) but you are probably good at it already considering you arrange pieces.