# Cello/Clarinet Duo with unconventional tonality



## GucciManeIsTheNewWebern (Jul 29, 2020)

I'm writing a piece for myself (cello) and my partner (clarinet) to play and was experimenting with an unconventional tonality, but given that my knowledge of theory does not extend into post common practice and atonal/post-tonal music, I'm not sure how to give the piece a proper theoretical underpinning to really tie it together.

It revolves around this scale: G-Bb-B-C#-D-F-F#-G but other notes are of course thrown in between. I think G is the closest thing to a tonal center this piece has. I think it has potential to be a decent piece but I really wish I knew what I was doing better because it's hard for me to establish a real harmonic rhythm and counterpoint (which would really make the piece pop off) that I feel is necessary.

LINK TO PIECE: https://www.noteflight.com/scores/view/02906a460dce51b1f690afed16b781e98b939bd7

Can anyone recommenced pieces that sound similar to this but done professionally/well? It would be a good example to go off of.


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## Phil loves classical (Feb 8, 2017)

Sounds to be in F# major to me, you included notes of the major triad in the cello part from the beginning bars.


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## GucciManeIsTheNewWebern (Jul 29, 2020)

Phil loves classical said:


> Sounds to be in F# major to me, you included notes of the major triad in the cello part from the beginning bars.


You're right, after rewriting the enharmonics it as F#-Gnat-A#-B-C#-Dnat-E# -F# it ends up being F#major with a flat second and a flat fifth. I think I should probably rewrite the piece to be more tonally sound in light of that, but I do like the odd dissonances that don't seem to conform to a key too.


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## Phil loves classical (Feb 8, 2017)

GucciManeIsTheNewWebern said:


> You're right, after rewriting the enharmonics it as F#-Gnat-A#-B-C#-Dnat-E# -F# it ends up being F#major with a flat second and a flat fifth. I think I should probably rewrite the piece to be more tonally sound in light of that, but I do like the odd dissonances that don't seem to conform to a key too.


Personally I don't think you need to rewrite to make it more tonal, or else you will lose that flavour. I feel there are some notes that could be changed, like that double stop that comes and goes suddenly in bar 5, or in bar 11 with the D#.


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## pkoi (Jun 10, 2017)

It reminds me a bit of mikrokosmos by Bartok, you should check it if you haven't already. You could also simplify your notation a bit in terms of accidentals. For example in measure 2, replace the a# with Bb. It's easier to read a perfect fourth from Bb to F than an augmented 3rd A#-F. Also,you don't need the natural sign in the b at the beginning of the measure. In measure 4, change the b# of the Clarinet to c natural. Similar things like these are frequent in your score and you could go through the piece once again to fix them. Also, there's no need to use a key signature in the Clarinet, as the Clarinet stem is not in notated D-maj/b-min. Just use accidentals when needed and write in the beginning of your score "transposing score" etc. It's then clear enough for the clarinetist.

With all this said, I think the piece is very interesting and I'm looking forward of a live recording of it!


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