# My First String Quartet Composition



## chillowack

This is my first composition for two violins, viola, and cello. (Up till now I've been doing solo piano pieces.)

I'm amazed at what a full sound you can get from just four instruments, it's like a little orchestra.

Please let me know your thoughts on this piece.


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## Kevin Pearson

I like it! It has a very Bachian feel. In fact I wish it was a little longer. Quite fun!

Kevin


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## chillowack

Thanks, Kevin! That's encouraging, that you wish it were longer. Maybe I'll lengthen it.

Yes, I agree it's more Baroque in style than Classical.


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## SenorTearduct

You are improving exponintanitly
Honstly I say this, this is, again very good
Oh and in order to run this through, i need the midi or finale file


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## SenorTearduct

exponentially
Sorry


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## Scott Good

chillowack said:


> This is my first composition for two violins, viola, and cello. (Up till now I've been doing solo piano pieces.)
> 
> I'm amazed at what a full sound you can get from just four instruments, it's like a little orchestra.
> 
> Please let me know your thoughts on this piece.


Dear Chillowack,

Good work.

I hope you don't mind if I make a few constructive comments.

As this work is in the classical tradition, and not hiding that in any way, you need to be very careful about voice leading. The sequential passages have a few awkward moments, near the end. The area you should pay attention is the cello, and it's relation to the viola. It is quite off around the 20 second mark. I think that you are eluding to a dominant expansion, but it doesn't quite work - close, but you need to be very exact to achieve proper harmonic flow.

Also, if you want to expand this piece, you should! You can keep the same melodic opening, but harmonize in Aminor - this would work very well (play melody over Amin - G#dim - A+/G - Dmin - works like a charm with a few altered notes, like G# instead of nat., or simply have the melody turn back up instead of going down to the G). Also, analyze the piece. Pull out the main motives - can parts of the melody be transformed into materials in their own right? Bach, Mozart and Haydn were masters at this. This work could use time in a minor key, and more development, yet still be a tidy little composition.

If you have any questions - let me know. Perhaps if you post a jpeg of the score, I could be more exact in my comments.


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## chillowack

Scott Good said:


> Dear Chillowack,
> 
> Good work.
> 
> I hope you don't mind if I make a few constructive comments.
> 
> As this work is in the classical tradition, and not hiding that in any way, you need to be very careful about voice leading. The sequential passages have a few awkward moments, near the end. The area you should pay attention is the cello, and it's relation to the viola. It is quite off around the 20 second mark. I think that you are eluding to a dominant expansion, but it doesn't quite work - close, but you need to be very exact to achieve proper harmonic flow.
> 
> Also, if you want to expand this piece, you should! You can keep the same melodic opening, but harmonize in Aminor - this would work very well (play melody over Amin - G#dim - A+/G - Dmin - works like a charm with a few altered notes, like G# instead of nat., or simply have the melody turn back up instead of going down to the G). Also, analyze the piece. Pull out the main motives - can parts of the melody be transformed into materials in their own right? Bach, Mozart and Haydn were masters at this. This work could use time in a minor key, and more development, yet still be a tidy little composition.
> 
> If you have any questions - let me know. Perhaps if you post a jpeg of the score, I could be more exact in my comments.


On the contrary, Scott: I gratefully welcome your constructive comments. I depend on the composers and music-lovers in this forum to help guide me in my musical journey, and I value highly the comments I receive here.

Could you please elaborate about what you mean when you say the cello is "quite off" around the 20-second mark? I'm not sure I'm understanding your meaning there.

I like your ideas of expanding the composition with a minor key section, and tweaking parts of the melody into distinct forms; I will experiment with this.

I don't have access to the score at the moment (I'm at work), but I will post it here later; I would welcome comments on it, because I believe I may have "broken a rule" by writing unrealistic double-stops on the second violin; and if this is not allowable in the genre, then I want to amend it.

Thanks again for your feedback!


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## Scott Good

chillowack said:


> On the contrary, Scott: I gratefully welcome your constructive comments. I depend on the composers and music-lovers in this forum to help guide me in my musical journey, and I value highly the comments I receive here.


Cool. My pleasure.



chillowack said:


> Could you please elaborate about what you mean when you say the cello is "quite off" around the 20-second mark? I'm not sure I'm understanding your meaning there.


Sorry. I mean harmonically. But, I don't have perfect pitch, so it would take a bit of time to analyze it (more than I have right now). As I said, I think you are pointing towards a dominant expansion (G), but it isn't quite working. I think the issue is in voice leading - it is through proper voice leading that one achieves good harmony.

Have you studied 16th century counterpoint?



chillowack said:


> I like your ideas of expanding the composition with a minor key section, and tweaking parts of the melody into distinct forms; I will experiment with this.


Great! Sometimes it is best to move on, but I think that you could gain quite a bit by continuing work on this piece.



chillowack said:


> I don't have access to the score at the moment (I'm at work), but I will post it here later; I would welcome comments on it, because I believe I may have "broken a rule" by writing unrealistic double-stops on the second violin; and if this is not allowable in the genre, then I want to amend it.


Sounds good.


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## emiellucifuge

Hmm.. Its enjoyable! but there isnt much in it you know.. extend it and add more emotional depth


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## emiellucifuge

Oh and by the way check out my string quartet thing as well and tell me what you think!
Thanks


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## chillowack

Hi Scott,

I have listened to the passage you indicate, and I think I've pinpointed what you're talking about: there does appear to be a subtle error buried in the interplay between violin and cello, with the cello line not quite meshing in one place. I think I was aware of this error when I composed it, and made a mental note to fix it, but then "lost" it in subsequent listenings, as more instruments came in. Further compounding this was the inclusion of several "double-stops," which rendered the individual parts still harder to discern. Thanks for catching it!

To answer your question, no, I have not studied 16th-century counterpoint. Why?

Thanks for your comments, SenorTearduct and emiellucifuge! Yes, I will undoubtedly extend this--or perhaps "harvest" it into some larger future project.


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## emiellucifuge

Hey Chillowack, could I see a score if possible?


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## chillowack

Scott Good said:


> If you have any questions - let me know.


I do have a couple of questions--about your own composing, actually, if you don't mind:

1. How long have you been composing, and what is your history?

2. How did you get orchestras to play your work? I have heard this is very expensive.

3. Do you have a website or blog or anything like that?

Also, to those who have requested a score of my string quartet: my apologies, I am having trouble producing this due to the fact that I was using a trial version of Finale, and my trial period has ended. (When this happens, the ability to print and save works becomes locked.)


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## Scott Good

chillowack said:


> I do have a couple of questions--about your own composing, actually, if you don't mind:


No problem, as I am one of my favorite things to talk about 



chillowack said:


> 1. How long have you been composing, and what is your history?


I've been composing for roughly 25 years. It started as mostly through imitation. I did take some theory in high school. Also I became an avid score studier, and spent more time looking at scores than text books.

I then spent 11 years studying music at University. 4 years as a performance major, but then all graduate work as a composer.

I've been working freelance all along (+ as waiter and courier). Now, mostly composing.



chillowack said:


> 2. How did you get orchestras to play your work? I have heard this is very expensive.


My first orchestral work was premiered at Eastman during my undergraduate - I put together a group of about 40 students to play the piece - it was an awesome experience - but lots of work! Since then, I have either been commissioned, or composed for concerts for free. (to date: 13 full orchestra pieces, 3 chamber orchestra).

I know work on contract for an orchestra as "Composer-in-residence", but also compose for other group as as well, including a Jazz Band in the near future.

I did have a wind ensemble piece (2 actually) done by my high school band, which was really great, and worth investigating as a young composer (I actually can't tell what age everyone is here! so have to be vague with my comments.)



chillowack said:


> 3. Do you have a website or blog or anything like that?


Just the myspace. There is some information posted there + photos (but I do need to update my photos - my kids are getting big!)


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## chillowack

Thanks, Scott! I really appreciate your sharing about your own journey as a composer. I love hearing success stories like yours, they are inspiring to me.

Have you ever thought about scoring films, or has anyone approached you about that? What are your thoughts about that realm of composing?


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## Scott Good

chillowack said:


> Thanks, Scott! I really appreciate your sharing about your own journey as a composer. I love hearing success stories like yours, they are inspiring to me.






chillowack said:


> Have you ever thought about scoring films, or has anyone approached you about that? What are your thoughts about that realm of composing?


So far I have had 2 close calls with film scoring. Neither panned out in the way I was hoping for different reasons.

It did, however make me aware of this field of composition - this industry. I do love movies, and do love many film sound tracks - so, it would be great fun to work on a film project. However, my experiences made me realize that I am not a "film composer". A film composer is someone who can read minds - interpret what others want. I'm not great at this skill, as my motivations and consequent trajectory have been different. So, in the future, if a director shows interest in working with me, I will ask them to pin point parts of my own music that interest them dramatically, so I don't have to figure out what they want.

Does this make sense?

I have some composing friends who do work quite deeply in this industry, and I respect them for their unique skill sets.


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## chillowack

Scott Good said:


> A film composer is someone who can read minds - interpret what others want. I'm not great at this skill, as my motivations and consequent trajectory have been different. So, in the future, if a director shows interest in working with me, I will ask them to pin point parts of my own music that interest them dramatically, so I don't have to figure out what they want.
> 
> Does this make sense?


If I'm hearing you correctly, it sounds like you're saying you briefly worked with a couple of movie directors in the past, and you submitted some music to them based on what you _thought_ they were asking for, but it turned out it wasn't quite what they wanted (sounds like maybe they were vague in their descriptions); and these experiences have made you sort of step back and reconsider the film composing process.

Is that somewhat accurate?


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