Lark [lahrk] noun
1. a merry, carefree adventure; frolic; escapade.
I was in the middle of composing an epic (in my own mind) orchestral piece with VPO when I got burned out and sat down at the piano to plunk something out, anything other than the old stale piece I've been going over time and time again. This is what came out in two very short recording sessions. The name is meant to reflect both the way that I started composing it, and the feeling of the music.
I'm still not sure where I'm going with this one. I want it to be longer, but I want to keep it simple, maybe having an interlude in the middle before it returns to a reprise on the original theme.
On a Lark, 2017-08-31
It feels very relaxing to me like watching leaves float down a moderately fast moving stream. If you've ever read Winnie the Pooh, it made me think of Pooh and Piglet playing Pooh sticks.
Pooh sticks! Last time I brought that game up in conversation, somebody thought I was being vulgar. I'm so glad that you made that reference, I've actually played the game with my own children.
Nice. I can imagine chords and counter melody played by strings to accompany this.
(09-02-2017, 06:07 PM)jmcmillan Wrote: [ -> ]I love the slip in of the minor chord
I'm glad you noticed that. Going directly from the major IV chord to the minor IV chord has become a regular trick in my piano improv style, to the point of being kind of a gimmick. It's nice to get feedback that it sounds pleasant to fresh ears.
Sounds good, but the piano arpeggios made me imagine this in a TV commercial with video of a happy family and babies sleeping in expensive cars.
(09-08-2017, 11:14 PM)kneedeep Wrote: [ -> ]Sounds good, but the piano arpeggios made me imagine this in a TV commercial with video of a happy family and babies sleeping in expensive cars.
Heh, I'm the guy that drives a 12-year old rattling bucket of bolts because I have no interest in sinking more money into a nicer vehicle. I also haven't really seen very many TV ads for... probably about 20 years now, so I'm not really aware of musical styles that are used in such commercials.
It was just a spontaneous connection I made. Just honest feedback.
(09-10-2017, 04:47 PM)kneedeep Wrote: [ -> ]It was just a spontaneous connection I made. Just honest feedback.
Understood. I'm not upset, just thought it was funny. For the sake of engaging your feedback, do you think that if the harmony was written in some other way, it wouldn't trigger that same connection in your head?
Yes. If there were two bars of something slightly dissonant, maybe around 0:40 in your recording, that would help. Or if something broke the arpeggios for a short while, then returned to them. I believe that would add some development to the piece. I think it's the lack of development that made the piece sound overly simplistic. You know, having a definite B part or a definite bit of call and response or deviation and return in there would improve it a lot.