# Piano Sonata No. 1



## musicrom (Dec 29, 2013)

Sometime last year, I was randomly playing notes on the piano, and it sounded pretty interesting, so I decided to write something based on that. It's barely a "sonata" - 1 minute 30 seconds, and doesn't follow sonata form unless by accident, but I don't know what else to call it.

I realized afterwards that it sounds a bit similar to the Glass Violin Concerto. It's not quite my style, but it sounds decent, so I figured I'd post it.

View attachment Piano Sonata No. 1.mid


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## Mahlerian (Nov 27, 2012)

You didn't end in the right key. You can't just have something over an E drone suddenly stop on A without any real reason.

It also needs more rhythmic variety, and variety of register/texture. Here's a few quick changes I've made to show you what I'm talking about as regards a few things. I've also slowed it down (because you're going for a hypnotic feel anyway) and changed the instrument to Electric Piano. (Variety of dynamics would be nice, too, but Musescore didn't want to add them for some reason.)

http://musescore.com/user/84716/scores/209136/s/506d44


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## musicrom (Dec 29, 2013)

Mahlerian said:


> You didn't end in the right key. You can't just have something over an E drone suddenly stop on A without any real reason.
> 
> It also needs more rhythmic variety, and variety of register/texture. Here's a few quick changes I've made to show you what I'm talking about as regards a few things. I've also slowed it down (because you're going for a hypnotic feel anyway) and changed the instrument to Electric Piano. (Variety of dynamics would be nice, too, but Musescore didn't want to add them for some reason.)
> 
> http://musescore.com/user/84716/scores/209136/s/506d44


Thanks Mahlerian for the advice! You're definitely right about the ending, but for some reason it doesn't sound quite right ending in E minor with my current ending. I'm trying to tinker with it, but can't get it to sound right. It doesn't sound like the piece is done with the final E minor chord; it sounds like it should continue. The only thing that kind of works is having all three of the last chords be in E minor, although it still doesn't sound quite right.

(Also, how were you able to generate the score from the MIDI? Is there some program that does that?)


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## Mahlerian (Nov 27, 2012)

musicrom said:


> (Also, how were you able to generate the score from the MIDI? Is there some program that does that?)


MIDI is basically score data for the computer to play back, so MuseScore can generate a score automatically, and I proceeded to modify from there, after copying all of the notes.

There are a bunch more problems I have with the piece, particularly the runs of thirty-second notes, which I think inevitably sound cheap if there's no real harmonic motion associated with them (if the music seems to get faster, you feel that something should be happening in terms of forward motion, and here it's not).


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## BurningDesire (Jul 15, 2012)

I will add one contention with Mahlerian in regards to ending in a sudden and new harmonic area, which is totally valid and can be a very dramatic effect. I agree that it doesn't quite work here, its not dramatically earned or effectively used, but it could be and shouldn't be abandoned necessarily.


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## Mahlerian (Nov 27, 2012)

BurningDesire said:


> I will add one contention with Mahlerian in regards to ending in a sudden and new harmonic area, which is totally valid and can be a very dramatic effect. I agree that it doesn't quite work here, its not dramatically earned or effectively used, but it could be and shouldn't be abandoned necessarily.


Actually, after I wrote that, I thought of the end of the first piece in Ligeti's Musica Ricercarta, where all of the As played throughout resolve to a lone D. It's the same relationship, of course. Rhythm is important in making us as listeners feel that a piece is complete as much as anything.


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## violadude (May 2, 2011)

Mahlerian said:


> Actually, after I wrote that, I thought of the end of the first piece in Ligeti's Musica Ricercarta, where all of the As played throughout resolve to a lone D. It's the same relationship, of course. Rhythm is important in making us as listeners feel that a piece is complete as much as anything.


I think the difference is, in that piece there was no harmony associated with that A so ending on D didn't conflict with anything previously established.


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