# Pretty Piece-Sequencing tips



## Evan Gamble (May 9, 2005)

This is a short pretty piece i just finished composing, and while doing it I really tried hard to fine tune my sequencing, cause it seems to be a problem with me. So im hoping for flaws to be pointed out so I can improve on my sequencing more. Thanks ahead of time!

http://www.evangamble.com/music/Pretty.mp3 (www.evangamble.com/music/Pretty.mp3)


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## Bernard Asselin (May 9, 2005)

The instruments is not tight at all. It is an important problem in this piece. If you resolve that, you would get consistency and ... listeners in same time :oops: 

In the same way than synergy, I suggest to you to purchase some clasical scores with their respective recordings. Try to remake with your own instruments.


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## Journeyman (May 10, 2005)

Agreed. The timing of the performances leaves a lot to be desired. It makes this very difficult to listen to.


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## Evan Gamble (May 10, 2005)

perhaps do you think its the harp at 00:13 and the t-bone 00:30 that throws off the timing issue?

And as far as bass would you think its just the tuba sticking out of the mix?

Thanks Alot for the comments so far everyone everyone.


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## synergy543 (May 10, 2005)

evan gamble said:


> perhaps do you think its the harp at 00:13 and the t-bone 00:30 that throws off the timing issue?
> 
> And as far as bass would you think its just the tuba sticking out of the mix?
> 
> Thanks Alot for the comments so far everyone everyone.


Hi Evan,

I think its a bit more than just the examples I pointed out. For example, around 16s, I would really slow down and play this transition line (E,D, C#) much more slowly and with expression. It feels like the piece is driven by the metronome rather than by YOU the conductor. But that's just me. Its not right or wrong.

Also from 30s-45s I'm in a state of static suspended animation. Why not let this section breath and grow into the next? Maybe some sort of Sfz cresc (or maybe a decrescendo followed by a crescendo with something added - I find it a bit hollow) rather than just a static sustain? Just an idea.

And from 45-end I would also create a much more dramatic crescendo. It sounds a bit "sleepy" like a first take. I'd never play this in front of a client or they might ask me to do it all over again - too much work! Its better to polish it first and watch them smile.

As for timing issues, listening to each track against a click or guide track will tell you for sure. Isolating tracks is the best way to scrutinize them. You don't want everything quantized but you want each track tight enough that it "feels right" (don't know how to better explain...) by itself against the click or guide.

Once you start piling up tracks you can mask problems. When I throw something together quickly this is what I do and I run into the same problems. This then ususally turns into my "refererence track" and then I create a tempo guide track and start re-building all the tracks from scratch again. The combination of spontaneity and careful sculpting works best for me. I'm sure others have different ways of working though, so really its whatever it takes for you to reach your level of standard.

Something else I like to do is pretend I'm different people. I wear many hats. Sometimes I'm the composer, sometimes the tech guy, sometimes the producer....and by viewing a project from various angles it helps me to keep the big picture in perspective.

Please take my criticism with a grain of salt (and pepper for spice). I normally don't comment like this but you asked for criticism and I'm learning as much as you by analyzing what I would do.

Time to go...

More free cents


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## Ed (May 10, 2005)

This is why I use quantize liberally. To make sure eveything is now in time. 

Ed


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## Evan Gamble (May 10, 2005)

THANKS ALOT synergy543, this is exactly the stuff im trying to learn! I hate it when I get posts that simply say good job(though does boost confidance a little) can be false. If i post something, the reason is because i want to learn. I'm not sure if I can fix the tempo "feel" but I know I can add some expression of dynamics, and conducting (which shall be my next mission). Thanks again for taking you time to help! :D


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## Evan Gamble (May 10, 2005)

Bernard Asselin said:


> The instruments is not tight at all. It is an important problem in this piece. If you resolve that, you would get consistency and ... listeners in same time :oops:
> 
> In the same way than synergy, I suggest to you to purchase some clasical scores with their respective recordings. Try to remake with your own instruments.



Oh I forgot to ask, do you have any suggestions as to a score i should start with? Cause I've been avoiding doing mockups for a while, but I know i could learn alot from them.

And by the way it was your EW Etude and Alex's Alien Assault that sold me on buying Gold! :D


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## Journeyman (May 11, 2005)

evan,

In this case, for me it was just a matter of two things:

1) I felt the overall performance lacked emotion, but that could just be me.

2) The various instruments didn't seem to be playing _together_. It was as though each part was played on it's own and then added to the mix afterwards. The rhythmic disparity between the parts was (for me) pretty glaring. That being the case, I'd suggest making better use of your sequencer's editing capabilities to either gently quantize, or manually edit things until it sounds tighter.

Hope this helps.

-Mark


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## Bernard Asselin (May 11, 2005)

> Oh I forgot to ask, do you have any suggestions as to a score i should start with? Cause I've been avoiding doing mockups for a while, but I know i could learn alot from them.
> 
> And by the way it was your EW Etude and Alex's Alien Assault that sold me on buying Gold! :D



Evan,

Choosing scores is a personal taste. I like a lot Gustav Holst. He was a brilliant orchestrator for large instumentation. The expressiveness from Rachmaninov, Debussy and Ravel is awesome and fascinate me. It's easy to find their work on the internet market. You could start with what you'd have wanted composed yourself.

BTW, I love your adaptation of "day after tomorrow". That's the most adequate version that I've heard.

Don't give up man! You are on the way! 

Bernard


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## Niah (May 11, 2005)

Hey Evan !

I've heard stuff from you before and it all seemed pretty tight as far as timing. I don't know what happened here but it seems that you have quantized just a little too much.
I would suggest that you perform your melodies on the keyboard and then correct the notes that seem to me really off but leave imperfections as they seem to bring a more natural feeling to the sequenced notes.
Using a metronome for tracking down timing issues is a good idea, but for me it's very distracting. So I use some drum loops from stylus or another source, it seems to work better.
Sometimes I even load up some loops before recording. It seems to bring some timing and musicality notion at the same time as I perform.

Don't forget that these are only suggestions.


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