Akipk

I deleted my harddrive and now have this problem where Logic audio, my midi application and finale both don't recognise my keyboard's input. I have installed OMS and created a midi setup through the Opcode folder, but the computer even there isn't recognising my keyboard. I'm wondering if some of you might actually not be as stupid as I am when it comes to these things.

how can you keep a thread alive when you don't have anything contraversial going?

Maybe he did it for shock factor, when mum first saw it aat the movies with my brother, she was wondering what happened to the other 3. Maybe he wanted it to look weird from the start.

Easy, take a hammer to their computer! Congrats Jeremy, I hope it all goes well!

Add me to the list for CE3K And Nacht from Pierrot Lunaire, Schoenberg. Good stuff.

This isn't to do with music right? I'd have to say the Yavin 4 battle, although that Yoda scene rocked too!

ewwwww, I voted for ESB, but I haven't actually seen AI yet. (yes, really.) But now I'm intriguled, so I'll have to go get it out...

I think it's individual scores. I hope. Add Cloud City to that list

I think there would be one in that cloud city thing I mentioned. Ummm, what does augmented 6th chords have anthing to do about jazz? Jazz consists of tritone substitues, seventh chords, progressions and swing feel etc, augmented 6ths are there but they are actually a classical tradition. John Williams has composed many works and hundreds of themes, not all of them will be evenly constructed, I can't find any of his scores at hand at the moment, but they should be there. Is extreme symmetry a bad thing when the audience likes it though? Ask who likes to listen to Webern? I am musically literate and stuff, and I analyse and all that stuff, but I'm also able to let go and listen to my favourite composer, and Webern gives me a headache. Although I do love Schoenberg. I should add that John Williams music is full of non standard harmonies and chromatisism, and he also utilises atonalism, if you listen more, and less anaytlically, you may be able to find it. Jsawruk, you seem like a bundle of nerves to me, you really need to kick back, chill out, have a drink and listen to his music while lying down and staring at the ceiling or reading a book or something, and get out of the whole analytical process. Who decides who is the greatest composer, the critics or the audience? The answer is easy, who pays the bills? ~Akipk, who loves and sings every note she writes.

What's klangfarbenmelodie style? I didn't like AOTC score that much either, lol.

K.M., tap a steady beat with your left hand, then with your right hand tap 3 beats ot that one and fit them in evenly, that is what a triplet is. Triplets are not a jazz element, Jazz is usually written straight in duplets, (not always) and it's for the performer to feel the swing beat. Triplets occur in music in general, jazz is more concerned with syncopation, which means accented weak beats, which John uses a lot of too. He uses triplets in a variety of manners, especially to give momentum to the rhythm, to create direction to the melodic idea and flow to the accomponiment. That with unexpected colouring of chromatisism is what is awesome about his music to me.

Jsawruk, I'm new to this board, I haven't actually seen one of your posts until now. The thread was not aimed at you, but rather at the two people I know in real life who say a composer is bad before actually sitting down and listening to a piece of music, which is not what you have done. They seperate themselves from knowing film music because they are snobs and it is beneath them, yet you have not, and that makes you different to them. You don't seem arrogant in pointing out JW's mistakes, I know he makes them too, he has his low points, and I agree with you that he is not the greatest composer ever, but I think he is the most enjoyable composer to listen to that I have heard.

This is bad, pianoman, and it is not your fault. Don't get emotional over what he says, because I will tell you straight he had no right in saying it... unless your friend made it up but I doubt it. Band leaders sound interesting. Find away to contact all of them away from the bandmaster, because by the sounds of it, if he did not look at your piano score, he has no interest in you whatsoever, and will not perform the piece. This means you are going to have to organise the performance yourself, the performers and the venue. The reason why I have mentioned it's good that you have band leaders is that you are going to need to use them. But first approach people lower on the ladder and ask them for help on their instrument group. You may have to shout all the members of your band a iced coffee or something too. Good luck, I have been here before, and I know how damn hard it is.

He uses ideas of melodic contour, but because the harmonies are altered, the melodies changed and orchestration is different, it is considered original. Just because Holst paused on a brass augmented chord, and John did the same, doesn't make him a stealer. It's just an idea that he took and modified to his own needs, J.S. Bach learnt that way, so did Mozart, Mozart didn't write twinkle twinkle little star, but developed Bach's idea into his own. That is composing. Our best ideas are always taken from others and worked upon.

lol, still an opinion, therefore you're entitled to it, you might get locked away for it, but it's still valid

I was reading in another topic here someone's point that professors shun John William's music because it is for film, and they overlook the fact that he does write purely orchestral music without a visual medium as well. When I travelled to Brisbane and met up with an old friend who is majoring in musicology, I mentioned I loved film music and he asked me who was my favourite film composer. No prizes for guessing my answer. He looked at me disdainfully and told me that JW was more a copyist than anything, for his themes were taken from Dvorak, Holst, and the list goes on. While I had to admit the similarites, he did not steal the music in anyway. He used this as a model to build upon. Anyway, this kid then raved about several composers I never heard of (and it's not like I'm brain dead and only know that JW exists) and told me that was true music, not common like JW, then left and didn't talk to me again. Then we also had this lecturer who on his first day of introducing himself put down the Star Wars music. I asked him if he ever actually listened to anything but the general outline of the main theme, and he admitted no. I then shot him down by accusing him of making judgements on first impressions based upon other people's opinions and not exploring the music himself. The music of John Williams is so contrasting in style that you can't put him in a jar and label him, his music always serves a purpose and adds that depth of colour into a movie. My favourite piece of music of all time is John Williams cloud city arrival, the chromatisism and suspense that he was able to achieve with a sudden outburst of strings with orchestra then just as suddenly returning to suspense is what music is truly about. And we're talking about a guy who writes 1 and a half minutes of orchestral music a day. I get so annoyed at people who put him down.

I'm sorry, but i do not think i should, for my own protection. I know it sounds corny but its true. Not corny. Good choice. I think that SkyMaker is very intelligent and probably doubles as a teacher, I myself teach music as well, and the idea of saying, hey, don't do this because you don't know how doesn't give room for improvement, if you never work for anything but the piano, you will never be able to write for anything but the piano. You obviously can handle harmonies and structure well, the idea is to stop writing for the piano for a while, and now write for other instruments. Pianoman, I'm hoping here that you're band master is approachable, you have to explain to him/her about your inexperience, you have to ask for advice in arraging the parts and transposition, and most important, the instrument's capabilities. This takes guts, but you'll get a lot from it. What you've done is jump into the deep end, instead you should have composed for smaller ensembles first and gain confidence, then try for larger ensembles. After this project is finished, I'd advise you go back to a more managable sized group. But yeah, don't give up, I'm hoping it all works out well for you. You might be able to borrow these orchestration books from a library near you, all of them feature score layout. And while we're on the topic of score layout: Flute, Clarinet 1,2,3. Bb if the concert pitch features flats or naturals, written major 2nd above concert pitch. Alto Sax, Eb, written a major sixth above concert pitch. Tenor Sax, Bb, written a major 2nd plus an octave above concert pitch. Bari Sax, Bb, written a major 6th plus an octave above conert pitch. Trumpet 1,2,3. Bb, same as clarinet. Trombone 1,2,3. Timpani. Percussion. When you have 3 instruments, you usually write for 1 and 2 on the same staff, and the 3rd below it, unless they are all playing in unison for the entire work. Oh, and completely off topic, who was first, Debussy or Ravel? I thought Ravel was but then again i might be thinking of him and Gershwin, lol.

There's an orchestration book by Walter Piston which is really good, but Adler's the Study of Orchestration is my favourite. It might be a bit expensive though.

I don't use scorewriter, but I'm thinking if you go to the instrument list, you may be able to find appropriate adjustment.There also may be something underneath preferences. If you already have the instuments, I don't see why you need the various tracks anyway, unless you're talking about staff systems. Now that is something I could help you on.

oops. sorry :oops:

A leitmotif is a theme that is associated with a certain character, like Luke or Darth Vader or jaws. It has nothing to do with thematic development or extra layers. Counterpoint and polyphonic techniques are very much the same thing. Polyphonic means 'many different parts' as opposed to monophonic which means 'one part' and homophonic which means the composer uses harmonies instead of counterpoint to support the theme, and this is the one most common. The parts can be referred to as layers, for that's what they are, different layers of music. Fugue is something else entirly, but it also makes use of counterpoint. The complexity of a score does not refer to whether or not a piece is actually better. The simpler a work is, the easier it is to listen too, too much activity is not always a good thing for the audience's ear will block it out. The term is so general it's hard to define. It could be a number of the things discussed above, being varied rhythm, non standard harmonies (chords) chromatisism within the harmonies (which John Williams uses a lot, but also at appropriate moments so the effect of the chord colour is distinguishable ie, suddenly the music is darker.) The actual timbre of the instruments being used to good effect (referring to the different sound colours of strings, woodwinds, brass and percussion) the form of the score (ie patterns) but most of all I agree it's referring to the layers, polyphony, counterpoint, whatever you want to call it. The numbers of instruments does not make it complex, and playing in layers is challenging, but in a different way. It is not the technique or brilliance so much as it's the ability to follow the conducter to play at the right time, and to hear the other parts that are being played along with yours, and to recognise when you have the melody. The challenging part is more the teamwork.

Lol, no. I actually became aware of this during AOTC, at the end of the film credits, but it's not just useed at the end in JW's scores. In the Luke and Leia theme from ROTJ he uses the arpegigated harp to begin, and the overall effect is not so much a trademark, but an emotion he is trying to communicate, being that of a quiet, traquil, even ethereal ambience.