Concerto for Double Reed and Bass Clarinet

Hooray...

I really like this, some really interesting harmonics coming out of them low registers. Because of that and because of the pace of it they are a better choice of instruments than the straight piano. It works really well.

I liked the change around halfway through you mentioned as well although I didn't read your post until after I'd listened so as not to colour my thoughts about it before the event.

Nice one as it is but I'm sure if you do add to it that'll be good too.

Improv works for me Shad! I think the samples used here sound veerry good. I like the way this sounds all by it's lonesome. It projects loneliness or being off in the distance somewhere... I would even venture to say it has a certain mystical quality about it. Those wonderful lower registers go right to the bone man! If this were my tune. I'd leave as is. There is a certain sonic and emotional quality about it that may otherwise be depleted with additional instrumentation IMO... In a nutshell..I absolutely love this!

Shad, I'm off on a business trip (leaving right now) so can't really comment now. I listened and loved it.

I'll get back with more attentive ears on the weekend.

Rick

Hi Shad,

A nice introspective mood to this, reminded me a little of 'Hergest Ridge' by Mike Oldfield. Room for a counter melody in there if you felt like it!

Jon - Thanks bro. Its nice to be back *cough*.

Doug - It just did not seem to need any percussion - it seemed to me to contain its own. I am pleased you enjoyed it.

Larry - I think you are right. The only things I think I will fix are what I hope are velocity issues near the beginning of the song. Leave the rest alone. The emotion comes from the pure joy that making music brings... when I started pounding this out I turned to Sophie with a huge smile. As you an others are what I look toward when I see excellence, I am proud to say that this was a first in two ways. 1. No click track - this was played totally from the hip. 2. This is the first take. I pounded out some new little bits over the last few evenings and then sat and recorded this the first time. Its not perfect, but for me a huge achievement.

Dave - Isn't music great? It just keeps giving. I so agree there are lost of new areas to explore. You will be hearing more in the continuing saga (I also sort of have to, as I painted myself into a corner by calling it a Concerto. A single piece doth not a concerto make. Others are mandated.

Rick - Enjoy your trip dude Glad you enjoyed it.

Janet - Thanks Mom - I was starting to practice one of the songs I was planning on redoing when after a few bars I went "Been there, done that"... so instead just said "time to try something new".

James - You always challenge me to go a bit further. I must say I respect that. I will be going further with other parts (I missed many elements I had due to time), so will try to do what you suggest with them. If you have any ideas please do consider adding your interpretation (this goes for anyone). I enjoy learning from others.

MM - Yeah I suspect the players would be purple before the end of a few passages even with circular breathing. I will concentrate on that aspect in the next two parts.

Thanks again everyone for listening. Its great to be free of the wall again. You guys are indeed the best. And thanks for puttin up with me while worked stuff out.

Cheers
Shad

Shad,
I'll pass this over to my sister and ask her about how many bars it's possible to play before "game over"

She's a basoon-player.

My personal "all time high redface" was playing 1. trumpet on "Also sprach Zarathustra"

Foxman, what a profound piece. I was blown away when I read that it's all improv.

Here's why I think it's amazing. It starts out very somber and almost desolate. Like a lone drifter who stops on a bridge to ponder the merits of jumping off. Anyway, then a weird thing happens; the music seems to gain strength from itself, and it becomes downright uplifting. In one of the posts above you mentioned a moment when you turned to Sophie and smiled. I can practically "see" it through the music.

Anyway, I'm always on here talking about how music's greatest strength is to transmit energy through emotion. To my ears, you really pulled it off with this piece. Way to break the block, man. It's also great to hear someone bust through the prison we create for ourselves with metronomes & click tracks. Keep it coming!

Shad,
Nice concerto (okay, I admit, I don't know what a concerto is) but I can like it anyway, right? Nice job. You obviously did a lot of work to structure this out and it shows. Nice solo piece.

Robby - Thanks man. Its interesting that you mentioned simple. It dawns on me that of the ten songs I have made, they have become progressively more simple. The first song I made was more than 20 tracks. Each subsequent song had fewer and fewer tracks. This was one track only.

MM - While you are at it, would you mind asking her if A) the Bassoon can go that low? and B) Can a bass clarinet go that high? And any other inputs about the bassoon and its playing techniques that should be considered.

I am thinking, as I did not limit myself to just the bassoon (as an oboe is also a double reed) that I might be able to go a bit higher yet if I use three instruments in some parts. Originally I had alot more in the upper scale, but kept it low and mid range only as the vst starts to sound a bit "organish" when the register climbs. If I can get a good oboe sample and better clarinet it might sound reasonably convincing.

Steve - Thanks for the listen bro. I know this is a bit outside your genre, but hey, I like both Metallica and Apocolyptica, i figure you might too .

Ducky - You choked me up a bit there man. In some ways you made me realize that this was a reflection of my own journey the last few months. It kinda reinforces the idea about "angst" being fuel for creativity.

Reece - I am very happy you listened my friend. It means a lot. You will have your wish I think. I have two more parts to make for this and I have an orchestra patch that sounds really nice in this range.

Tony - LOL. I didn't either. I had to look it up hehehe. Thanks for the listen. I am glad you enjoyed it with out needed to know what it was .

Bob - Thank you kindly. Your words mean a lot to me. Its funny you should mention a Rock Garden, as they are my favorite type (I am somewhat enamored by Japanese art and culture). One of the experiments I tried prior to recording was with some oriental instruments and interestingly enough it worked very well with this piece. It was a tough call to decide on the Bassoon and Clarinet.

EDIT - It occurs to me that previously I said I changed the instrument after recording. This was a mistake. I played with a few and settled on this sound before recording (sorry I am pretty tired these days and things are a bit of a blur).

Cheers
Shad

hey Shad

hmm. typing as i listen, so things may change...firstly, a concerto is (usually) a piece between a solo instrument or instruments playing a virtuosic part against an orchestra. So this ain't that. then again, it wouldn't conform to the classical definition of a sonata either! i like it! how the piece develops, from the quiet sombre beginning, gradually changing register and building up. i can hear it in my head as a sorta baroque organ piece, using some reedy European organ. Not sure where you go with this, clearly the choice of instruments gives it an atmosphere you wouldn't get with conventional scoring. You really are full of surprises!

Interesting piece and innovative orchestration. I enjoyed the evolution of this. Very nice.

Shad
i also agree that it is good to see you here again.

I really like this composition ..... It depecits real emotion....and after all I feel that what life brings us is what we bring to our music.........so good job here..

1st.I like the fact that this work is simple only in texture....(Two instruments)
I like the fact that you have both positive and negative space ( sound vs no sound) going on here....it's important to give the ears rest inbetween sound and the mind a chance to guesstamate what is about to happen next...........it kinda of builds tension and release....good job here

However....
2nd and in MY OWN OPINION ONLY......(this is your work and your virtual world.....you may do with it as you wish)
you have stated that you shot from the hip on this.......and you did a very good job of it......and......this is how we get started in our idea's........but I kept hearing the same melody being repeated and it made me feel like you were noodling around a area of the keyboard that harmonically just fit.you were not pushing the boundries ...(I know this because if you listen to my tune Space and Time the third solo I did just what you did!!!!LOL)........(and I have the nerve to hammer you for it!!! I think they both fit but I could really stand to go back and rework that solo of mine)

3rd I think you next step is to now take what you have and go thru it line by line (phrase by pharse) and work out a development for them.(statement and response).....this will not only lengthen the work but help you in your creative process to push the work farther....

4th keep this instrumentation.......it works well.........Like you I think it does not any other instrumentation ...........Use your entire range and then some.....the composers of old always pushed the boundries of the present dayinstruments and instrumentalists...and that is why we have what we have today...so even if a horn player turns slightly blue....ok.......even if the instrumentation goes a little out side their range.....ok.....they will learn to compansate if you really want to have this played in real life.other wise.it's your world.......do as you wish..........

Just MHO and 2 cnets worth.....and it was meant to be positive sir!!!!

Cliff

I like the dark vibe..and when that maj7th chord comes in it just floats my boat immensely...was hearing Steve Hackett in my head at one point.
My jury's out on whether any musical extensions are in keeping...I'd say yes if it were a pure "track", yet again I have that highly visual sense with this and it so works as a kind of musical snaphot. I have to say vid-soundtrack at this point!
So glad you've punched over the plateau my man; I myself was dragging myself on stumps around the time I needed to have my busy head on; not pleasant..nice to see you there and around as always.

Zig - Thanks for the listen and feedback.

Mark - It was quite a bit different for me too. Was not really intentional. I tried to accommodate your request in the other song I have posted.

Cheers
Shad

Shad

I listened to this over the weekend while writing a paper and forgot to leave a comment. Sorry!

Strictly speaking...( and I normally don't do such a thing).... this is a duet, not a concerto.

Most times a concerto has the backing of an orchestra and is in 3 movements. Fast, slow, fast.

I know this because I have been torn apart in other forums for calling a piece something other than what the usual protocol calls for.

The classical world seems to be full of people that will not listen to a piece for more than a few measures if it is not properlly named. Of course most of those people have a piece of paper that gives them this right to be sanctimonius a-holes.

This piece would not be overly difficult to back up with an orchestra if you had the inclination, but I think it could go either way. It stands on its own very well.

As to the breathing difficulties, wind blowers always complain that they need to breathe. Not once when I do a piano piece do I have to stop and stretch my fingers. They are all just prima donnas looking for attention. Except of course for those in this forum reading this thread!!

Well done

Ron