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Melody-Challenge-Week - Viktor - 02-04-2018

Hey folks,

on my way to want to become a better melodist, I've been trying to challenge myself to do at least two melodies a day. I take breaks from that all for some amount of time, to refill the juices or when other stuff (eg. school) gets a little bit too intense. But overall I'm impressed with how comfortable it can feel to force yourself to just wringe out ideas, after a couple of times. Inspired from Riff-A-Day Challenge Videos, I thought to myself "Hey, why not have the same with melodies?". Starting with the 12th to the 18th everyone whos interrested could force himself and herself to pump out two melodies a day (at the best, that are somewhat related, since not a lot of songs only relie on a single melody). While you can do that certainly on your own, without this thread, I feel like it would be helpful, to critique each others work in here and share tips and ideas on the way.

Anyone down?


RE: Melody-Challenge-Week - Michael Willis - 02-04-2018

(02-04-2018, 01:14 AM)Vikto Wrote: Anyone down?

Oooh, I like this idea. I'll try it.


RE: Melody-Challenge-Week - Viktor - 02-05-2018

(02-04-2018, 04:13 PM)Michael Willis Wrote:
(02-04-2018, 01:14 AM)Vikto Wrote: Anyone down?

Oooh, I like this idea. I'll try it.

Cool Smile You won't regret it.


RE: Melody-Challenge-Week - Viktor - 02-12-2018

First day of this challange https://instaud.io/1LYf I'm fairly satisfied with it, despite its roughness around the edges, but its only a sketch after all. First Melody begins right at the beginning, the second one at 0:45. Tell me what you think and also upload some sketches, if you got some ideas!


RE: Melody-Challenge-Week - Viktor - 02-13-2018

Second Day of the challange https://instaud.io/1McD The first melody is right at the beginning and the second one starts around 30 sec. It has some weird tonal shifts and I feel like there must be a way of making the second melody more suspensful, especilly if it repeats itself. The idea seems to get kind of dull after the first time and could use some spice, anyone came trough a similar problem and has suggestions?
Also if you got something to show, I'm happy to listen. Have fun composing everyone.


RE: Melody-Challenge-Week - Michael Willis - 02-14-2018

Here's mine, it's just a single melody repeated with a variation in orchestration.

https://instaud.io/1MhF

I recorded the clarinet live, and then added virtual piano and strings sections.

I'm particularly interested in feedback about stage presence, including panning and reverb. The sound I'm trying to go for is having two soloists on clarinet and piano seated in front, with the five strings sections behind them, left to right: 1st violins, 2nd violins, violas, cellos, basses.

I've been told multiple times that I tend to overdo it on reverb, so I'm trying to go more subtle...  but it might still be too much.

Victor, I'll give feedback on your two recordings after I've listened to them more times, hopefully tomorrow.


RE: Melody-Challenge-Week - Viktor - 02-14-2018

Okay the first thing I notice right away, is that "bloop" noise at 0:28, that even gets reverbed. If you're recording life instruments always try to leave a couple of second after your melody stops playing to the recording. In only some instances like staccatos you usally don't stop right on time, were the notation would stop. I feel like your amount of reverb is fine (to me at least, but I like to drench things). I feel like the piano could have bit more body and stereo field if its supposed to be in the front. Also I can only hear one clarinette. I dunno how you doubled it, but maybe try to apply some eq to the other clarinette or in the best case, record it from another player or another instrument. You just seemed to have played too preciscly, so it came out pretty similar twice Big Grin Thous hard to distuingish.

Also nice melody! I feel like you could get away a bit from using only Tonic, Subdominant and Dominant to spice things up in the harmony and make it a bit more interresting. But the melody itself is pretty nice.

PS: I won't really be able to post any stuff in the next two days, since I'm on a super long flight, but I'll try to compose some stuff. Not much to do on a flight anyway, then to rewatch some weird cuts of Arrested Development and Alien.


RE: Melody-Challenge-Week - Michael Willis - 02-14-2018

(02-14-2018, 01:11 PM)Viktor Wrote: Okay the first thing I notice right away, is that "bloop" noise at 0:28, that even gets reverbed. If you're recording life instruments always try to leave a couple of second after your melody stops playing to the recording. In only some instances like staccatos you usally don't stop right on time, were the notation would stop. I feel like your amount of reverb is fine (to me at least, but I like to drench things). I feel like the piano could have bit more body and stereo field if its supposed to be in the front. Also I can only hear one clarinette. I dunno how you doubled it, but maybe try to apply some eq to the other clarinette or in the best case, record it from another player or another instrument. You just seemed to have played too preciscly, so it came out pretty similar twice Big Grin Thous hard to distuingish.

Also nice melody! I feel like you could get away a bit from using only Tonic, Subdominant and Dominant to spice things up in the harmony and make it a bit more interresting. But the melody itself is pretty nice.

PS: I won't really be able to post any stuff in the next two days, since I'm on a super long flight, but I'll try to compose some stuff. Not much to do on a flight anyway, then to rewatch some weird cuts of Arrested Development and Alien.

There's only one clarinet. When I said "two soloists", I meant one on clarinet, one on piano.

I didn't hear the pop at 0:28 until you mentioned it, and now I can't unhear it! Yes, I cut off the audio sample too soon, I'll have to remember to avoid that in the future.

On harmony...  in the past I have almost always started with harmony and then melody is an after thought...  This time I started with melody, and harmony became an afterthought! I really need to learn to give both of them due attention.


RE: Melody-Challenge-Week - Viktor - 02-14-2018

Ahh silly me, lookig for a second clarinet. Thats interresting, I'm kind of unable to just make a melody on harmony. Oh yeah I think melody is kind of more important (while that also changes, half a year ago I was just all about harmonies) and having straight forward harmonies defintly has it's merits depending on which sound you'r going for.


RE: Melody-Challenge-Week - bigcat1969 - 02-14-2018

A rudimentary maybe melody if pressing keys for a minute counts as melody...
https://soundcloud.com/joe-stevens-16/hmmm