# A piece of cinematic music I wrote!



## greybackshadow (Dec 29, 2013)

I wrote this piece quite a few months back.
Emphasized heavily on the percussions to give the listener the "Adrenaline" feel.

Not very melodious. There are only a few different phrases/rhythm which I repeated quite a few times each.


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https://soundcloud.com/yunxiang%2Fbreaking-out

Hope you enjoy this piece of music.

Thank you!


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## Eviticus (Dec 8, 2011)

Well done greyback. I really liked this track. I thought it sounded like it had been influenced by Zimmer ('Like a dog chasing cars' from The Dark Knight) or Jablonsky ('Scorpinok' from Transformers) who both use percussion very well and often build on what is essentially 4 chords. The production is excellent and sounds very professional.

I have a number of idea's for adrenaline fuelled tracks myself but have to accept percussion is a huge area of weakness for me. Perhaps you could give me tips on a PM.


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## BurningDesire (Jul 15, 2012)

This music is extremely bland. Where is the personality? Where is the imagination? There's nothing there. This music isn't exciting, anymore than somebody simply saying the words "car chase" or "battle scene" are exciting. You don't come up with any interesting ideas, and you don't do anything interesting with the ideas you used. Its incredibly lazy writing. The production is well done, it sounds real, but honestly I'd much rather listen to good music played on a cheap Casio keyboard than this, no matter the quality of production.

On a more constructive note, I implore you to try to do something more interesting. Try to come up with real thematic material, rather than than just using these generic, soulless motives that are so played out. Use the instruments in different ways. SOOOO many Hollywood composers all use this huge palette, and yet they don't exploit any of the vast possibilities of an ensemble that big. Instruments are considerably more versatile than you are using them. Explore greater harmonic possibilities. Explore other rhythms. Explore in general. There's infinitely many ways to portray any given subject musically, there's no need to resort to this lifeless noise.


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## PetrB (Feb 28, 2012)

...................................................


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## PetrB (Feb 28, 2012)

I'd add to the weakness list, same length of phrase, repeated too many times. Same length of phrase, end to end, throughout the piece. Numbing is what the effect of that is.

Music of most any sort other than Ambient (I would argue "even there") is very much about set-up, built up expectations, and surprise. Surprise need not be dramatic or obvious to the listener, but a slight variance of what sounds like the same phrase can completely alter a work from being bludgeon hitting dull to something which somehow holds the listener's attention, again, without their noticing at all.

A very fine example of that is the insistently repeated melodic material in Ravel's _Bolero_. Without thinking about it when we listen, that melody may sound exactly the same each time it is heard; upon closer looking and analysis, it is manifold in various extensions and subtle variants as presented over the length of the piece.

Do we hear this mechanism? Probably not. Does it work on us, keep that piece from being dull, the listener bored when they hear what is thought of as an exact repeat, but is not? Yes, "that works."

Study the music you think works, learn the devices at work there, try those out in short model pieces, _make them your own_ and your music becomes less flat-line, more alive, and takes on more aspects of your personality.

Best regards.

P.s. Please realize, collectively, a group of critical listeners as found on TC can be a rather 'rough crowd,' and complete frankness flows readily. As someone who did a full comp training, this is what to expect, i.e. the weaknesses and lacks will be pointed out, with little praise for any parts that are 'alright.'


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## greybackshadow (Dec 29, 2013)

Thank you all so much for the comments be it good or bad. I learnt more things through here than anywhere which is a good thing! Much better than not having any comments at all which I can't improve on. I write down every comment given to me by anyone as pointers, so that whenever I write a piece, I'll pay close attention to previous comments and write accordingly.
By doing so, I'll really learn a lot, but sometimes I'll end up in a dilemma on what kind of audience to please.

Nevertheless, it is good that I receive feedbacks. Many a times I don't receive anything. Either no one cares, no one bothers to comment, or they don't want you to improve and outdo them.

So I really am grateful that in this forum, at least there are people who bothered to listen to a piece be it good or bad.

Thank you!:lol:


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## juergen (Apr 9, 2012)

Not so bad. But it is this: Since the virtual orchestral libraries are widely available, there are thousands of people doing stuff like this. Youtube is full of them.


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## Eviticus (Dec 8, 2011)

BurningDesire said:


> This music is extremely bland. Where is the personality? Where is the imagination? There's nothing there. This music isn't exciting, anymore than somebody simply saying the words "car chase" or "battle scene" are exciting.


This - as usual is purely down to taste and shouldn't be taken as a personal criticism. I could apply this to a lot of the pieces uploaded on here in various guises. There are also many pieces uploaded on here over the years that are far technically interesting but offer nothing much to the ear. Anyone could equally say that numerous pieces are bland and have no personality etc. It's a bit like saying someone does not have a sense of humour. What i think it should boil down to is the music effective at serving it's desired purpose? Can this be applied to an actual scene in mind? Is it just intended as a throwaway, adrenaline fuelled piece to which the title provides the programme for the imagination?



BurningDesire said:


> You don't come up with any interesting ideas, and you don't do anything interesting with the ideas you used. Its incredibly lazy writing.


I do agree with BurningDesire here though. Loops can definitely considered lazy as can repetition without tweaks. I suppose innovation and creativity are what separate the average from the 'interesting'.



juergen said:


> Not so bad. But it is this: Since the virtual orchestral libraries are widely available, there are thousands of people doing stuff like this. Youtube is full of them.


Again I'm pretty sure the same can be said about any style of music. Anyone with a guitar can upload a song, anyone who has studied music in any form can upload a piece they have created.

My interpretation (right or wrong) was the it was just a piece churned off in a certain style where title provides the programme for the imagination. If this is the case, i'd be pretty happy if i was you as this is unpretentious and enjoyable despite the absence of innovation.


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