Posted
You may have already heard this. I've been editing it a little more, while I am testing orchestral arrangement workflows for a new tutorial video.
I have absolutely no clue what this is. Some of it I like very much, other parts seem muddled and random. Which parts do you like best?
If anyone's interested I can attach the current arrangement file.
Fri, 2023-09-01 - 18:45 Permalink
Probably they don't relate at all ;-)
That's why I ask what this possibly could be. A totally different title and image may be due.
It starts with something slow moving and striding that gets more fast paced and ends with a kind of brass wall. No idea what it could be.
Fri, 2023-09-01 - 18:52 Permalink
When I do stuff like this (a genre which I don't have much experience with), I start with a phrase that entices me and then follow my intuition and add what I can find along the way. Then at some point I end up with something that's unexpected and difficult to assess.
One out of five such experiments lead to something that somehow hooks into my brain and that I will remember for months and years. Not sure if this one will make it, though.
Fri, 2023-09-01 - 19:19 Permalink
If you don't know what this could be, that means with other words it does not inspire you.
Some parts in there sure inspire me (the brass wall before the end, for example), although I think as a whole it is inconsistent and lacking. I just can't tell what real world (or imagined) pictures it might evoke.
Just in case anyone wants to experiment with it, here's the file.
Fri, 2023-09-01 - 21:41 Permalink
Orchestral composition for different moods does require a basic knowledge of instrument use for that particular mood you want to represent.
What kind of mood does that picture evoke : happy sad, sinister, mysterious, threatening ? etc ?
The question is whether you can translate that mood with the instruments you have.
Music examples from www.composingtips.com has many times this structure
When I do stuff like this (a genre which I don't have much experience with), I start with a phrase that entices me and then follow my intuition and add what I can find along the way. Then at some point I end up with something that's unexpected and difficult to assess.
That's also the problem here if you don't know the basic elements are of the desired atmosphere the picture evokes
Sat, 2023-09-02 - 15:45 Permalink
If you have a picture to begin with, yes. This piece emerged by chance without any images in mind.
Although this mapping of emotions to instruments works mostly with clichés only. The same way that Minor is usually associated with sad and Major with happy (which is nonsense). You can do pretty depressing stuff in Major and happy dances in Minor.
Sat, 2023-09-02 - 16:18 Permalink
Following your musical intuition is a nice idea, though.
Start somewhere with a beginning motif and build on it.
Where is this motive going (what emotion does it evoke?) : what is the intro to start with.
To further develop this motif through prashes could be to give it a harmonic structure such as a question and answer progression.
Since it seems to be difficult to get a grip on this, I'll stick to the linear composition method as a basis and from there try out more of the musical possibilities offered by Synfire.
Do know from the earlier compose stuff in Synfire that the slip method worked well to get nice chord transitions so that the instrument connections sound good.
Then if I had imported some musical complete musical sections , I could put them in an order that sounded musical and then use the slip method to make them fit together.
It is a way of composing and if you have building blocks via import you can do some with this.
Not really what Synfire is for, but yes its about the music.
Sun, 2023-09-03 - 15:04 Permalink
Listened to it and it is a story with some highlights (repeats) and is quite emotionless and sounds quite neutral (classic) because of the instrument use.
Isn't a clear climax in it either so it draws attention.
Like the new day begins and the sun starts shining and in the evening it sets again.
Optimised mixing can bring more depth?
Sun, 2023-09-03 - 22:38 Permalink
Like the new day begins and the sun starts shining and in the evening it sets again.
Perfect analysis. Can't be said any better. :))
Now we have also a suitable title for the track: "Another boring day"
P.S. I'm writing in this quite harsh tone just to make sure you don't get the idea of using this as a "showcase" for Synfire's capabilities. The track sounds A.I. generated and you can clearly hear the uninspired drag-and-drop workflow. Synfire can do much more than that.
Tue, 2023-09-05 - 21:48 Permalink
Not just slightly better. Much better!
There is a clear buildup. Although it is short, there are some surprise moments included, but everything sounds absolutely consistent. The harmony changes are interesting and sound convincing. And of course the better sounds make also a difference. Can certainly be imagined as a film soundtrack.
And first of all: You absolutely enjoy listening to it.
Just one point: I would cut the intro. Too many repetitions (the intro pattern repeats six times before anything else happens). Two to four times is enough. With a film soundtrack it is perhaps not so crucial, but on a streaming platform is skipped after 5 seconds.
Tue, 2023-09-05 - 22:38 Permalink
It is certainly a more appealing composition than the previous one and there is an intro with buildup, but the transition towards the end becomes a bit crowded and unclear as to its relation to the intro part.
What label can you put on this : energetic and upbeat (happy) and something is happening.
It's not an epic music style to name a few.
I don't think you follow a known style, but such a composition made now can stand for a certain situation ( video fragment).
It is intuitive composing, but delving into certain style characteristics you can start applying in your new compositions.
Wed, 2023-09-06 - 07:54 Permalink
Yes, the the narrative is inconclusive. The open end is cut off and harmony is unfinished.
Thanks for your feedback. If it's good enough for a workflow tutorial, fine. It need not be more than an initial draft that entices users to try something for themselves.
I'm beginning to explore this genre for myself. Definitely the most demanding because of its extremely rich repertoire of idioms. Without Synfire I wouldn't have the patience and time to even try. It still blows my mind when a harmony edit changes the course and character of an entire part.