# Just after some advice from classical fans



## DMaginnis

Hi

I'm new to this forum and i've only just recently started to compose my own music and would like to ask for your opinions... any constructive feedback on improvements, things that just don't sound right, advice, your interpretations. I've been into classical for quite a long time, though i must admit i do not have much beyond a moderately trained ear for it so far.

I am a 24 year old who writes, composes and records my own music on my computer, though in this case, for orchestral pieces, it's sequenced, with elements of my own performance, with either guitars or vocal parts. I have tried to make the instruments sound as realistic as possible though. All the production, mixing and so on is done by myself, eventually i'd like to write something and ask other musicians to play some parts and then i could put them all together like a sort of online collaboration kind of thing. I know it sounds incredibly fussy but i believe it could be done.

So please... if i may ask politely for any feedback here is the link to my newest composition. 






And if you like that, there's another one on there called "Calm before the Storm" which also has an orchestral score and myself on a guitar. I'd recommend avoiding the rest unless you're into hard rock, but the focus of this is to ask for your advice with the orchestral stuff.

(sorry if that's a bit too much to read, but trust me i'll be very grateful for any input.


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## jttoft

Alright, I'll give it a go.

In "Calm before the Storm", I enjoyed the relaxed guitar in the beginning, but I think the electrical guitar that enters at about 1:30 sounds really out of place. I think it ruins the elegance of the plucking strings in the background. I realize you probably wanted something to portray a storm, but I don't think the electrical guitar is the way to go.

"War of the Forest" makes far more sense to me, musically. I really like the start of it. Two things, though: At about 1:14 there's some effect that sounds vaguely like pieces of glass. This is too much "fairy tale" for me - I think it's more of a sound effect than it's music. I don't like it. The second thing is the main theme (some kind of drums), which sounds rather like something out of Pirates of the Caribbean, and that's just fine, but I think you drag it out a bit too much towards the end. Perhaps it would be better if you could develop this theme a little more or perhaps have it replaced by something else in the last 10-15 seconds.

Generally, I much prefer the slower passages in both pieces. They just seem to work better.


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## Webernite

War of the Forest is quite professional sounding.


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde

Sounds like some epic film score


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## DMaginnis

Hey thank you guys so much for the compliments, and jttoft for the great constructive comments on both pieces. 

Yeah, with Calm i was going for the storm's approach, then the music becoming more aggressive in a way to portray it's drama. I agree the electric guitar is badly EQ'd and does distract from the orchestration, though Calm before the Storm was my very first attempt at anything orchestral i do agree that the electrics are quite off-putting.

War of the forest was much more ambitious, with Calm, i kind of just made something up on the guitar, and built the orchestrations around the melody... with this one I designed it to be purely orchestral. I see what you mean with the 'glass' thing... i can't remember what they're called, but percussionists sometimes have them... like wind chime type things, but anyway i see what you mean, it was used as a transition more as a compliment to the music. It surprises me how much i notice these things when others tell me about them, i do have quite a problem with approaching the end of a composition then becoming far too eager to get them out and get them heard. So perhaps i should spend more time and care on them.

Anyway, again, thank you very much for the feedback  it's very appreciated and it is all being taken on board!


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