# 3/4 Waltz?!



## germancomponist (Dec 16, 2015)

Young composers, have you ever composed in 3/4?

Have you ever felt this great feeling of a waltz?
This happiness, which can be produced with a 3/4 time?


----------



## arielblacksmith (Dec 16, 2015)

I once tried to do a Yann Tiersen impresion, and it came out as one of my favorite cues so far:

"></iframe>


----------



## chimuelo (Dec 16, 2015)

I still dig the Acid Rock intro of War Pigs by Black Sabbath.
Acid Rock Waltz Supreme.
I remain on stage for the Air Raid Siren then the song goes into 4/4 and I run outfront to hear stereo panned drums. Tom rolls go right to left double tap crashes left and right.
30 inch 19 ply kick triggering kick elements on a Roland sample player/trigger.

Love old Chopin etudes and waltz's.....


----------



## Astronaut FX (Dec 16, 2015)

You didn't specify that it needed to be any good


----------



## Michael K. Bain (Dec 16, 2015)

I'm not young, but I love composing Waltzes. Here's my Sunflower Waltz:
http://www.michaelkbain.com/sunflower-waltz-chosen-as-finalist-3312014/


----------



## Rctec (Dec 16, 2015)




----------



## tack (Dec 16, 2015)

One of the first pieces I ever composed (in the middle of the night, in the dark, during a bout of insomnia) was 3/4. It wasn't a waltz, though. And it definitely wasn't happy.

Hans has me clearly beat obviously (and that waltz does get delightfully fucked up as it progresses) -- but then it seems to me he is disqualified from the contest per germancomponist's rules, unless he fancies himself a "young composer"


----------



## germancomponist (Dec 17, 2015)

Every day of our life starts now, so we are always young.


----------



## Rodney Money (Dec 17, 2015)

That's interesting, I always thought the day you're born, is the day you start to die.


----------



## OleJoergensen (Dec 17, 2015)

What about Tchaikovsky's 5th symphony 2nd movement 5/4 walts .


----------



## d.healey (Dec 17, 2015)

Here's one I did years ago, it has too much reverb  I originally wrote it to test out EW's then new Gypsy violin.


----------



## sleepy hollow (Dec 17, 2015)

Julianne Moore makes me all 3/4!


----------



## Saxer (Dec 17, 2015)

If it helps to keep me young I have to post a waltz too:


----------



## Michael K. Bain (Dec 17, 2015)

Saxer said:


> If it helps to keep me young I have to post a waltz too:



I think that's very lovely. It is everything I think a waltz should be, and it makes me feel younger just listening! Nice job!


----------



## Michael K. Bain (Dec 17, 2015)

Rodney Money said:


> That's interesting, I always thought the day you're born, is the day you start to die.


Remember when you were young, chomping on the bit to get older so you could write waltzes? Then you get old and foggy like me and realize all your best waltzes are behind you!


----------



## Michael K. Bain (Dec 17, 2015)

d.healey said:


> Here's one I did years ago, it has too much reverb  I originally wrote it to test out EW's then new Gypsy violin.



Not too much reverb for me. I really enjoyed this one. I love the accordian at the beginning; it sets a mysterious french stage. And oh dude, I love that violin quip at the end.


----------



## CharlesB (Dec 17, 2015)

Sure! Maybe not a waltz per se, but definitely 3/4. The happiness is in the ear of the beholder.


----------



## Saxer (Dec 17, 2015)

Rctec said:


>



This is sooo big and fat and evil! Love it!


----------



## Michael K. Bain (Dec 17, 2015)

CharlesB said:


> Sure! Maybe not a waltz per se, but definitely 3/4. The happiness is in the ear of the beholder.



I'm listening to this now. I enjoy it very much. I think it would fit in Far And Away or something like that. Nice job!


----------



## tack (Dec 17, 2015)

Michael K. Bain said:


> Remember when you were young, chomping on the bit to get older so you could write waltzes?


I guess I am old enough to have had the experience of a fellow pedant at work correcting me that the idiom is actually "_champing_ at the bit"


----------



## Michael K. Bain (Dec 17, 2015)

tack said:


> I guess I am old enough to have had the experience of a fellow pedant at work correcting me that the idiom is actually "_champing_ at the bit"


Yes, but I intentionally used the word "chomped" because when I was young, I loved to chomp on that candy called "Bit-o-Honey". There, you buy that explanation, don't you?


----------



## cAudio (Dec 17, 2015)

I love waltzes and made one yesterday. I think I wrote it anyway, but sounds very familiar... Great waltzes posted here already!
<iframe width="100%" height="450" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" src=""></iframe>


----------



## tack (Dec 17, 2015)

Michael K. Bain said:


> Yes, but I intentionally used the word "chomped" because when I was young, I loved to chomp on that candy called "Bit-o-Honey". There, you buy that explanation, don't you?


It's no worse than what I did when confronted with the correction, which was to argue for 5 minutes why "chomp" basically means the same thing and was a perfectly cromulent substitute.


----------



## Michael K. Bain (Dec 17, 2015)

tack said:


> It's no worse than what I did when confronted with the correction, which was to argue for 5 minutes why "chomp" basically means the same thing and was a perfectly cromulent substitute.


Ha, ha! Thanks for the good laugh and teaching me a new word!


----------



## Baron Greuner (Dec 17, 2015)

Fast 3/4 time or 6/8 with some 5/4. Little bit of Minimal used by Sonokinetic.



Not everything in 3/4 needs to be a waltz of course. Some background Minimal by Sonokinetic very occasionally.


----------



## mc_deli (Dec 17, 2015)

Rctec said:


>



It's really nice but a bit long. If you wanna get into films then more punchy, bigger is what everyone wants. Some actiony strings, you know. You could try some low synthy stuff - that might work. And I really missed a piano in there. If you don't have a good piano then Spitfire just came out with one - but you might not have the HD for it. Keep at it though


----------



## germancomponist (Dec 17, 2015)

I like Hans for his sometimes ironically posts, exactly in the same way as I often do, smile. But I think you all know what I mean when I talk about 3/4 happy music, its swing ... .


----------



## Saxer (Dec 17, 2015)

germancomponist said:


> I like Hans for his sometimes ironically posts, exactly in the same way as I often do, smile. But I think you all know what I mean when I talk about 3/4 happy music, its swing ... .


Show us an example of yours!


----------



## chibear (Dec 17, 2015)

I guess I'm still a 'young' composer. Here's something from a couple of years ago when I was trying out Pseudo-French-Impressionistic-type stuff


----------



## markleake (Dec 18, 2015)

CharlesB said:


> Sure! Maybe not a waltz per se, but definitely 3/4. The happiness is in the ear of the beholder.



Hey Charles, I really liked the first part of your piece (the first 40 seconds or so). The melody is great, and the strings sound wonderful. The rest is good also, but I was left waiting for more stuff like the first part!!! :(


----------



## murrthecat (Dec 18, 2015)

It's more of a 12/8 and I am not so 'young' anymore...but it's light!


----------



## murrthecat (Dec 18, 2015)

3/4 is also fun to use because you can make it a duple (2=3) time with two dotted quarters and slow the tempo feeling for a while or mix 3 and 2. Don't you think?


----------



## Baron Greuner (Dec 18, 2015)

Quite a pretty piece. Definitely not 12/8 though. Certainly 3/4.


----------



## murrthecat (Dec 18, 2015)

Baron Greuner said:


> Quite a pretty piece. Definitely not 12/8 though. Certainly 3/4.



Thanks. Sorry, I meant 6/8!


----------



## Baron Greuner (Dec 18, 2015)

murrthecat said:


> Thanks. Sorry, I meant 6/8!



It's 3/4 vivace.

I think Gunther needs to start a thread on time signatures before I go completely mad.


----------



## germancomponist (Dec 18, 2015)




----------



## Musicologo (Dec 18, 2015)

So many waltzes! Although I have written quite a few, how about a Vira?... A vira is also in 3/4 but with the accent in the 3rd beat... Here's a link to score, audio and video of one of my viras for toy piano! 

http://tiagovideira.com/2011/05/04/vira-do-douro/


----------



## murrthecat (Dec 18, 2015)

Baron Greuner said:


> It's 3/4 vivace.
> 
> I think Gunther needs to start a thread on time signatures before I go completely mad.



Haha!


----------



## germancomponist (Dec 23, 2015)

Baron Greuner said:


> It's 3/4 vivace.
> 
> I think Gunther needs to start a thread on time signatures before I go completely mad.


I thought you are completely mad?!


----------



## karelpsota (Dec 23, 2015)

Love all the pieces on this thread. Funny how French music and Waltz are intertwined.
The first film I scored was a rip off of Amelie, and I only got the the gig because the directors knew I was French haha.
(I was 17 and rather incompetent).


----------



## Baron Greuner (Dec 25, 2015)

germancomponist said:


> I thought you are completely mad?!



According to my latest Psyche report……..yes.

Happy Xmas!


----------



## AlexanderSchiborr (Dec 28, 2015)

germancomponist said:


> Young composers, have you ever composed in 3/4?
> 
> Have you ever felt this great feeling of a waltz?
> This happiness, which can be produced with a 3/4 time?



Yes, I do from time to time. Besides the time signature 3/4 there are some very specific things which are equally important for indicating a waltz. First a very specific tempo PLUS the fact that a typical waltz (in music) has a feeling which is a kind de- and accelerando within one bar. It has a very significant inner motion within the bar. Practically all the example here lack of both in my opinion and have barely something to do with "Waltz" Music. They are written in 3/4 time signature though. I don´t know if anyone of you looked up some scores and listen to live performances but there you can often see and listen that what I am talking about.

PS: Waltz is not always about beeing uplifting and having happiness, there are also examples contrary visions of waltz music (e.g.Sibelius Waltz triste).


----------



## Dave Connor (Dec 28, 2015)

Here is a rather unhappy waltz that's sort of twisted Jazz thing. It's a title track demo submitted for a mini series of a very famous LA crime.


----------



## Robert Cote (Dec 29, 2015)

Lots of good music in this thread!

Here's something I just finished that I think is appropriate. The waltzy part starts at around the 1 min mark.



Cheers!


----------



## germancomponist (Dec 29, 2015)

Very nice, Robert! Exactly what I meant when I started this thread.


----------

