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Hi All
Been making music for a long time. I don't know if I'm any good (I'll keep doing it either way). Really want to learn more about making music and improve my craft. Any comments I can get on this would be lovely:
https://soundcloud.com/yacob83/unease
Looking for comments on the score and the technical things. Thanks in advance to anyone who responds!
EDIT -- For the record, this is intended to be background music in an action-adventure cartoon.
Yacob
Hi Yacob,
I would not consider it in term of 'bad' or 'good'. I would consider it in terms of the purpose of the music. As a listener, I'm not getting the message that you want to get through.
I've listened carefully to your music.
I think you have some good musical ideas but the score lacks direction I think. A bit like a painter who have a clear idea of a picture in mind but do not yet have the skills to put it on the canvas.
What I suggest is that you study movie or classical score, or formal traning if you can.
Alexander publishing have several good packages to learn from.
To learn the craft takes time and there is no shotcuts, believe me I know. I am an amateur too.
Here is an interesting link of a Montreal composer.
http://alanbelkinmusic.com/letter.html
As for the overall sound, I think it is a bit lost in reveberation but it might have been willingly if it was an ambiance that you wanted to have in the first place. It is well balanced overall.
From a guy that is in about the same situation!
Jean Roy
Sept-Iles
Thanks for listening and commenting, jeancello!
I should've mentioned that the music is intended to be background music in an action-adventure cartoon. Specifically it's for a scene where there's a general feeling of unease - danger might be coming but it isn't here now.
"A bit like a painter who have a clear idea of a picture in mind but do not yet have the skills to put it on the canvas."
Actually I think there's a good chance it's the other way round - I have the skills (not that I'm a musical genius or anything, but I have enough knowledge) but I don't have a definite vision of what it is I'm putting across.
Most pieces I've made tend to be very structured and clear in what I'm putting across. Problem is those pieces may be too formulaic (would be cool if you listened to something else on my soundcloud so I could hear your feedback on that. Pretty much everything else on my soundcloud is more structured and more clear in its purpose than this piece. You absolutely don't have to listen though of course).
I study a fair amount of classical and soundtracks scores. Could always do more though.
Will consider changing the reverb.
Hope I don't sound like too much of an egotist. Someone insult me if so :).
Thanks again!
Yacob
Hi Yacob
I like the music, it really communicates a sense of anguish to me so i think you made a good job in that sense.
I am assuming you wanted to use a big reverb to get this surreal atmosphere, if not: please consider the opportunity of reading some of the Beat Kaufmann's guidelines on positioning and depth of the sections.
With redards to the performance: i would try to use more legato and portamento patches for the strings.
Best regards
Francesco
Thanks Francesco and Jean!
Yes, I wanted a big reverb to give a slightly surreal feel to this. Might be too much though. Will play around with it.
I may add some some portamento (I only realised a month ago that I had the portamento sounds so I'm still learning about it).
Be cool if you listen to other stuff on my soundcloud, Jean. Be great to hear your thoughts! But yeah, you don't have to. No pressure.
And will read up on Alan Belkin and Beat Kaufmann.
Best Wishes
Yacob
P Paul moved this topic from Orchestration & Composition on
