Have you ever composed any music?
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I moved your composing discussion over here, hope that’s okay.
I never composed anything on C64 or Amiga, but I do remember watching other people do it. That “Soundtracker” program, for example, sounds familiar.
I do dabble in music composition. I do not read or write music (something I need to rectify) and my piano abilities is immensely limited and exacerbated by my dexterity issues. However, I do my best to work with such extremely limitations. As a result, what I compose are bare bones renditions of whatever comes to mind.
I play it out on my beat up keyboard (in need of serious repairs) and record it on my phone for personal reference. They’re not intended to be heard by anyone else, but I have sent some of those recordings to others and they were surprisingly impressed.
Here is the earliest recording I’ve done. Apologies for the lackluster audio quality. Piano Composition No. 1
Here is the earliest recording I’ve done. Apologies for the lackluster audio quality. Piano Composition No. 1
Hi Blaize,
the audio quality sounds fine to me.
Listening to your piece I had some association to Grieg’s Hall of the Mountain King. It’s nice.I just wonder, if you don’t write your compositions down, how do you remember them? A lot of good ideas I had are lost. When I was younger, I thought, I could keep all my songs, malodies and chords in my head and my fingers. But I was wrong. Therefore, in the meantime I am trying to write everything down, that I still remember to preserve it, even though often enough I forget how to play it. But at least I still got the notes.
Thanks! The link has a description on how I created it. I will say I’ve been told that my music is uniquely me, despite quotes from other composers and other inspirations. I do purposely pepper in quotes from composers as mentioned as my way to pay homage to each one who inspired me over the years. Just my way of thanking them.
If interested, I can send you more to get your input on. However, I will be embarrassed due to my lack of overall skills. While purposely bare bones overall, I assure you that everything sounds far better in my head.
As for remembering everything, I quickly record whatever comes to mind as soon as I possibly can hence all of my bare bones recordings. If I do forget before I can, I just try to play an approximation until I get it right again. After which, I record it. It also helps that I consistently reuse/recycle my material. I’m not a fan of letting things go to waste.
One thing I’d love is to hear my ideas fully orchestrated one day. I already have all of the instruments in mind.
I figure it is not easy to record a real piano in any case. So for just a mobile it sounds good! So there is a strong element of improvisation, too?
Don’t worry about your piano skills, way above my “rudimentary basics” as I like to call it. I need a computer to record and actually play things for me 😉
One thing I’d love is to hear my ideas fully orchestrated one day. I already have all of the instruments in mind.
You should definitely write your music and your orchestration down.
Good suggestions. My music is actually more or less orchestrated in my head. My pieces do require some interesting instrumentation.
For example, nearly everything I’ve conjured up requires an Electone and/or combo organ. Others would require a serpent in place of woodwind passages. There are even pieces that would utilize a marimbula. I also have one composed for contrabassoon, celli, contrabassi and piano.
Very concrete and exotic idea. I would try without the lazy AI way, especially since the making is actually part of the fun. Even if there will be frustation by one’s own or software limitations (not to speak of learning curves) on the way…
I did write a short piece of piano music in high school as a birthday present for a friend of mine who loves music. I wrote it down on a blank piece of sheet music the old fashioned way, but I do not still have it. I wonder if she does? She’s now a professional jazz singer. So the love of music has continued for us both, I guess! And after my first year of marriage, I wrote a song with original lyrics for my husband for Valentine’s Day. But that’s the extent of my composing, and it’s been many years since then, haha.
@Cailin: That’s brillant. And a wonderful gift, writing someone a song is something precious, especially when it’s completely handmade. I have written songs for some friends in my life, including my wife.
Unfortunately some of these I have more or less forgotten. Maybe I might at least find the lyrics somewhere. Or the people for whom the song was, might have a recording of the performance at the party.
But handling out sheet music is the best option. I did that just once.
Indeed, such songs are great personal gifts. I gladly have recordings of everything I did or was involved in. There is actually no sheet music at all though.
If you do find any lyrics someday Gerate, it would sure be neat to see some of them if you feel like sharing…and Malte, maybe when Thor plans one of his Zoom meetups, you could play us one of your recordings? That’s so cool that you have them saved like that.
If you do find any lyrics someday Gerate, it would sure be neat to see some of them if you feel like sharing
Thank you for the interest. But my lyrics are usually in German. So, noone here might be interested.
But my lyrics are usually in German. So, noone here might be interested.
German is not a problem for me and for all else there is Google Translate 😉
… for all else there is Google Translate
Oh, call me a snob, but translating song lyrics or poems with Google translate is a little like reading the ChatGPT summary of a novel instead of the novel itself.
Here a song of mine. A very rough recording with my phone. But that’s how usually my performances are.
Full of mistakes.https://on.soundcloud.com/8JA6cCGuknnwLuJ8iJ
Anyway, I think the idea comes across.
Oh, call me a snob, but translating song lyrics or poems with Google translate is a little like reading the ChatGPT summary of a novel instead of the novel itself.
I absolutely agree. I was not too serious with that part 😉
Nice song after all! I assume you did play by your written notes/text?
Nice song after all! I assume you did play by your written notes/text?
At that point in time I hadn’t written down the notes yet. This was more or less a memory recording so I don’t forget the melody.
Later on I noted down the piano part, luckily, because I don’t really remember it. I’d have to look it up again.
I usually play from memory. I am bad at sight reading.Ah, this is so nice Gerate! A sweet, light tempo – gives me kind of Randy Newman or Burt Bacharach feels! Since I don’t speak German, would you mind sharing a little bit, what the song is about?
Thanks you so much for sharing, super cool that you wrote and performed this!Nice tune, Gerate. Kinda reminiscent of Supertramp’s “If Everyone Was Listening“.
Nice tune, Gerate. Kinda reminiscent of Supertramp’s “If Everyone Was Listening“.
I am hearing what you mean, Thor.
This might actually be an album which is deeply grown into my musical DNA. Had it very early in my formative years and was my first Supertramp album.
But my sister had bought before Famous Last Words…!
So, that was actually my first encounter with Supertramp. But after I had seen parts of a concert on TV I wanted the album with Hide In Your Shell. So, that was that.I found a recording of an older song of mine which still has english lyrics. I think I wrote it somewhere in my mid twenties and even had it performed with my old band about 20 years ago. The original was written and played on guitar. A few years ago I arranged it for piano.
Sweet youthful memories.
What a nice, loungey tune, Gerate! With jazz inflections, a little bit. Love the dynamic between the long notes in the singing, while the piano chords undulate underneath. Until you follow it more quickly. Nothing against your playing or singing, but would have loved to hear it performed by a professional. I think it has potential! Also has a bit of 90s Britpop, I thought. Definitely indie.
Nothing against your playing or singing, but would have loved to hear it performed by a professional.
Absolutely! I always wished there were people interested to perform my stuff more professionally.
The closest I got was probably my highly unprofessional garage band. But our singer Kerstin had a lovely voice. That had potential. Here a recording from our practicing room.That sounds like a band.
Absolutely! I always wished there were people interested to perform my stuff more professionally.
Maybe you can bride some with a little money? 😉
Absolutely! I always wished there were people interested to perform my stuff more professionally.
The closest I got was probably my highly unprofessional garage band. But our singer Kerstin had a lovely voice. That had potential. Here a recording from our practicing room.Fade Cagediving
Neat. This makes the 90s indie vibe even more clear – definitely some Red Hot Chili Peppers thing going on there.
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