Hey everybody,

I have a new composition that I'd like for you guys to check out. (More info on Soundcloud.)

http://soundcloud.com/btrailblazer/solitude

Constructive criticism on sound quality/composition structure is more than welcome as always. Thanks for listening!

Blake

Nice composition. Congratulations.

I've attended many, many practice sessions given by the master classical piano instructors from around the world. They all have a common saying which is "You students know how to play the piano. I'm going to teach you how to play music." And they do. They will take phrases, bars, even single notes sometimes and go over and over the expression of this music. Fast or slower tempos, accent notes, forte, etc. The point being is that music comes alive when you add all of the above to it. When writing my latest classical work I played it back on the computer and my wife could not believe it was the same piece that I play on the piano mainly because the computer is just playing notes. When I play it on the piano it is played with expression and feeling.

Now, with this as an introduction your piece to me is a good starting point. However, when you listen to your recording it can get repetitious and monotonous. The volume is pretty much the same throughout the piece which takes away from the beauty of the composition. The notes in the right hand appear to be all quarter notes or all eight notes.....the same and without any variation in tempo or volume. There was one point where the right hand did break away from the rest of the format which was good and refreshing.

What I am getting at is you should go back and turn this composition into a work of "music". Make it exciting, accent various places, put a pause or slow down the pace to add beauty to the work. As it stands it reminds me of a similar sound that became very popular about 25 years ago (forget the composer's name). For the casual listener it was acceptable but coming from the classical side it was far from enjoyable as it was too mechanical and too predictable throughout the piece. With great music you always hear something new every time you listen to it. You have a good base composition. Now turn it into music. Good luck.........Bob

I think the main thing that stands out here is that while I can tell you've tried to make it complex both harmonically and rhythmically, the accompaniment is usually very simple (either repeated chords or a 1-5-1 broken chord), which doesn't provide very much variation. That being said I like the feel created at the start of the piece, but I feel you don't manage to carry it all the way through in one particular direction, and it kind of breaks up after the 1:00 mark (and I personally don't think the C# major chord there fits very much with the overall mood). I'm not sure if you'll agree, but not every piece needs a climax, especially with a title like "Solitude", and I'd have preferred it if the middle were a little closer in mood/style to the beginning/end. Nevertheless, I enjoyed listening to it, thanks for sharing!

Thanks for your thoughts guys. They're more profound than that on other forums, and giving me alot to think about.

Blake