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I think listen alot to music you like and that inspires you is very important. You ears and memory will notice stuff and after a while when you sit down to compose, you for example voice a chord an certain way, you Will go: ah, i have heard that before. That have helped alot for me. But i do believe study of some sort is important to become better and you will save alot of time and problems.

Quoted for truth. Keep listening! I make damn sure every day to set a time(s) for slapping on my Sennheisers and really listening to a composer I like. And btw headphones are how I personally trained myself to really listen to something. There's a difference, as most of you know.

Btw, the conscientious listener can have as much fun as the casual, but often for different reasons.

But hell, you folks might already know all of this, so forgive me in advance any redundancy.
 
@Mads. Hey man, to illustrate you how I do and learn words here is short track that I did wrote today for a 2 Handed Piano performance. The harmonic language is based on music I like, foremost working a bit the indiana Jones franchise and maintitle as a guideline. So I pastiche here things which are familiar but I try to make a little bit my own thing out of it. For me personally it is important that there is anchor which you lock on. I don´t say I finalized that with this example perfectly but actually you get the point? Imitating a bit what you like is a good exercise to improve yourself. So later on when I am finished with the composition I will start to orchestrate this piece. This is how I work and maybe that could be for an idea to switch your seats and start just composing music with a simple Piano Patch.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/n4aikloa3...n_13_08_02_17_Midway_West_Adventures.mp3?dl=0
 
@Mads. Hey man, to illustrate you how I do and learn words here is short track that I did wrote today for a 2 Handed Piano performance. The harmonic language is based on music I like, foremost working a bit the indiana Jones franchise and maintitle as a guideline. So I pastiche here things which are familiar but I try to make a little bit my own thing out of it. For me personally it is important that there is anchor which you lock on. I don´t say I finalized that with this example perfectly but actually you get the point? Imitating a bit what you like is a good exercise to improve yourself. So later on when I am finished with the composition I will start to orchestrate this piece. This is how I work and maybe that could be for an idea to switch your seats and start just composing music with a simple Piano Patch.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/n4aikloa3...n_13_08_02_17_Midway_West_Adventures.mp3?dl=0

This actually reminds me a bit of the more swashbuckling side of Rózsa. Like it.

Btw, that's a definite compliment.
 
This actually reminds me a bit of the more swashbuckling side of Rózsa. Like it.

Btw, that's a definite compliment.
Cool, Thank you! I appreciate that. I just post that to help and get for Mads a perspective and to switch his thinking in maybe it could be really a good try first to compose a basic sketch to have more control of where he wants to go. He should at least try it out.
 
my 2 cents...

do what you want aslong as you have fun. ofcourse if you wanna score a big movie someday music theory is important, but i know for sure there are quite a few trailer composers who havent studied ravel, john williams etc and still do quite a good job. alot of them cant read music and are self taught and compose by ear.
 
Thanks for tips, I am reading / seeing some videos. Tried som counter melody in the last part, and made the track even more «hybrid» in this New version:

 
I tried making a modulation of 1 semitone in the last part, but I failed. The sound got blurry and ugly - any tips ? I just marked the tones in the pianoroll and clicked transpose and +1 semitone (did it on all tracks of course, except perc).
 
It's getting better! Though you're not giving any interesting idea or a theme in the beginning to hook up the listener. Just string ostinatos, which are a bit too quiet. You could have a piano high up in the first part with a melody. The first part is not building up properly, and I think it's because the strings are not giving enough tension, hmm the tension seems too sudden? The release after the tension is weak, might be because the string ostinato is the same, same chord progression, just a theme (first time!), which is not bad, but I think you should give more to the listener after the first buildup. In the end, the synth comes first time, and it doesn't continue. I think it doesn't bring anything to the piece.

I don't hear a modulation in the end?

The countermelody could be earlier, and it could be more different from the main melody. Good thing that it leads to the theme again, but it's so similar to the theme (starts from the same note and leads to the theme again) that it sounds like it's part of the theme. One idea could be using a countermelody, which goes down, when your melody here goes up, a contrasting motion.

So I think this piece consists of good ideas, but it's missing the development, tensions, releases, a strong motif in the beginning.

I've always said this, and I hope it doesn't sound rude, but a trailer piece is not about throwing risers, effects, string ostinatos, a choir, and brass themes to a piece. It's not easy to compose a trailer piece, it's a tough job, because many people think you can just throw those elements to a piece, without really thinking how the trailer piece works: Does it present a motif, does it develop it, does it give enough tension, and does it release it. That's why it's essential to study composing!
 
It's getting better! Though you're not giving any interesting idea or a theme in the beginning to hook up the listener. Just string ostinatos, which are a bit too quiet. You could have a piano high up in the first part with a melody. The first part is not building up properly, and I think it's because the strings are not giving enough tension, hmm the tension seems too sudden? The release after the tension is weak, might be because the string ostinato is the same, same chord progression, just a theme (first time!), which is not bad, but I think you should give more to the listener after the first buildup. In the end, the synth comes first time, and it doesn't continue. I think it doesn't bring anything to the piece.

I don't hear a modulation in the end?

The countermelody could be earlier, and it could be more different from the main melody. Good thing that it leads to the theme again, but it's so similar to the theme (starts from the same note and leads to the theme again) that it sounds like it's part of the theme. One idea could be using a countermelody, which goes down, when your melody here goes up, a contrasting motion.

So I think this piece consists of good ideas, but it's missing the development, tensions, releases, a strong motif in the beginning.

I've always said this, and I hope it doesn't sound rude, but a trailer piece is not about throwing risers, effects, string ostinatos, a choir, and brass themes to a piece. It's not easy to compose a trailer piece, it's a tough job, because many people think you can just throw those elements to a piece, without really thinking how the trailer piece works: Does it present a motif, does it develop it, does it give enough tension, and does it release it. That's why it's essential to study composing!

You heard right. There is no. And I second ecspecially your last paragraph. Mads should print that out and put it over his studio monitors.
 
Hehe :)

I will never study theory. But I am Learning a lot from you guys and watchng videos.

My Evenant entry is BTW inspired from your Happy Birthday piece Alexander.

actually its also a way to study imho. watching videos, reading forums, listening to music etc.
and ofcourse you try out different things and your tracks will become better.

also beeing an absolute expert in music theory doesnt make you the next john williams, ravel, HZ etc.

theory does not come up with some really really good ideas, its just a tool imho.
 
Interesting thread, interesting case. I've read the whole thread before listening any music from Mads... And it was better than expected !

I agree with the advice being said before, and I want to add there is a good base to build on :).

@Mads Skønberg I get that you don't want to work the theory but there is a very fun way to learn: Take your favorite epic track from your favorite composer and follow the structure, the tempo, the development, the instruments... Follow everything, but with your own melodies! It start with a piano, you start a piano, then strings chord, you do it also...

So you will learn how to build tension and release, and it's the only thing music (and art) is about. And Epic/Trailer style is especially all about tension and release.

I say this very humbly as I'm myself a learning composer.

One more thing, epic music is wide world, it is not only about fast strings ostantinato. For exemple the slower the music is, the more powerful it become :



And there is also a bright side of the epic music, the love side :)



So much to explore !

Good luck,

Leon

(PS: Yes, I'm digging into Craig Amstrong music these days ;) )
 
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actually its also a way to study imho. watching videos, reading forums, listening to music etc.
and ofcourse you try out different things and your tracks will become better.

also beeing an absolute expert in music theory doesnt make you the next john williams, ravel, HZ etc.

theory does not come up with some really really good ideas, its just a tool imho.
except all of those people are experts in music theory, so your chance of becoming them if you know theory is 100% higher
 
When you ask for feedback you're only asking what other people would do differently. If you implement any of it do you become less yourself?
 
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