When I first picked up the manuscript paper with the Benjamin Britten arrangement on it tonight I noticed that I had composed 2 new bars without Finale. I was so tempted to hear them that I got up and started walking towards the computer to program them in. After taking a few steps (roughly halfway along on the journey from lounge room to bedroom) I realised how mundane and time-consuming that was and sat back down with guitar, pencil and paper. Good move, because I ended up breaking the time limit commandment again by continuing to write after my 40 mins was up. At that point I had just started a new bar of guitar and already knew what I wanted. I didn't trust myself to remember it without writing it down.
I have been thinking a lot about the melodic line of each instrument and trying to have less movement over time. I think what I am doing is mainly homophonic because the guitar is involved and I like lots of chord changes, but the guitar is now getting closer to four-part harmony than the usual tugging on the neck with barre chords. I've also picked up a few new chords from playing Bach.
I'm starting piano lessons next week! This is something I've wanted to do for a while, but I only recently thought to ask a great piano player that I already know. I told her that I want to learn classical piano and that all I can do at the moment is play bass in the left hand and chords in the right. To get the whole two hand thing working we're going to start with scales and the pieces in the Suzuki books. I had a look at volume 2 earlier and the highlight was a piece by Schumann. His use of syncopation is instantly recognisable. They come out gentle and slippery compared to the more measured, jarring syncopations of Stravinsky. The staggered moments at the start of the Britten arrangement that I mentioned in my first post have been a constant source of inspiration for new material. I hope that my syncopations come out as a pleasant suprise when they are eventually played.
I have been thinking a lot about the melodic line of each instrument and trying to have less movement over time. I think what I am doing is mainly homophonic because the guitar is involved and I like lots of chord changes, but the guitar is now getting closer to four-part harmony than the usual tugging on the neck with barre chords. I've also picked up a few new chords from playing Bach.
I'm starting piano lessons next week! This is something I've wanted to do for a while, but I only recently thought to ask a great piano player that I already know. I told her that I want to learn classical piano and that all I can do at the moment is play bass in the left hand and chords in the right. To get the whole two hand thing working we're going to start with scales and the pieces in the Suzuki books. I had a look at volume 2 earlier and the highlight was a piece by Schumann. His use of syncopation is instantly recognisable. They come out gentle and slippery compared to the more measured, jarring syncopations of Stravinsky. The staggered moments at the start of the Britten arrangement that I mentioned in my first post have been a constant source of inspiration for new material. I hope that my syncopations come out as a pleasant suprise when they are eventually played.
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