Describe one of your instrumental compositions

[rick-slo]

Describe the tune structure of one or more of your own preferred original instrumental compositions. For example the ABACA sort
of thing, repetitions, variations, melody lines, note ranges, etc.. How did do you go about it? How much time spent working it up?

[Silly Moustache]

Waltz On Little Pony Mountain was a piece that came to me after reading one of Robert James Waller's novels - I've read 'em all over the years so can't remember which one, but it was a rather Texan love scene wherein the hero puts some beers and a rug or mattress into the back of his pick up and drives the lady to a small hill where they drink romance and dance a waltz.

One of those things that were less "written" than just happened whilst I was thinking about the scene.



Obviously in C - Progression ? I guess it is ABABABA (A) part I-IV-I, I-I-V, I-IV-I, I-V-I, (B) part - VI- II, VI -II - V, I-IV-I I-V, I-V-I or some such. I don't write this stuff down, and it was 8 years ago!

[DCCougar]

Originally Posted by rick-slo

Describe the tune structure of one or more of your own preferred original instrumental compositions. For example the ABACA sort
of thing, repetitions, variations, melody lines, note ranges, etc.. How did do you go about it? How much time spent working it up?

Hmm, good question. Actually, I often just start with a rhythm track and play around with what that inspires, and what fits within it, which involves the composition's chordal structure. In the case of Sweet 16, the continuo seems to be a simple 1145 (or maybe 1645). Then on top of that, I'll just improvise a lead voice. I'll maybe make a few takes at this and might even cut and paste and piece together the best parts. In this case, the piece does some trading back and forth between an acoustic guitar and an electric piano voice. Then, for some reason, I really like the dynamics change at 1:55 where the lead and everything backs off and just turns smooth and easy.

My synth has five "versions" of the drum "voice," which include a couple of fills, so I'll cut a second drum track, "playing" the five buttons to add the different fills (and muting the original, straight drum track, of course).

[rick-slo]

Thanks for the replies guys. Silly Moustache I'm interested and what elements and structure you think about and use when your are working up an instrumental piece.

[TBman]

The last thing I did I fooled around with actual chords, C, G, Em and variations. I ended up with a ABABCB sort of thing although it had more variation at one point. The tuning was CGDGAD.

[Cobby]

OK. Here's one - rather odd, so maybe not so generalizable. But I think it's an interesting question and worth thinking about how the structure might serve or work against a piece.

The structure of this one is: (Intro) A A B A B B C C B B B B B B

So why this odd structure and does it work?

The Intro is 4 measures
The A part is 6 measures, sort of floaty (starting with augmented chords before becoming more diatonic)
The B part is a short sweet 4 measures, incorporating a descending line with chords based around that.
The C part is more straightforward harmonically.

The essence of the song though is polyphony, and hence the number of repeated B-sections at the end (since the B section is so short one can get away with repeating so many times.) At the end, the melodies associated with the A, B and C sections are modified to fit the B section chords and are slowly introduced then layered. So, at the end we have:

B section with C section theme (serves to link the C section to the B section)
B section with A section theme
B section with B melody
B section with B melody plus A section theme
B section with B melody plus A section theme plus C section theme
B repeat the above in all its polyphonic glory then leave quickly before anyone gets a headache.

My struggles with this part were with which themes to introduce and in what order. I think the C theme has to be first to get the link between the C and B section. After that, I just played around with it. The idea is to introduce the themes and then slowly build up (in a gently swirling kind of way)

As for the rest of the song. The A section starts simply, then the second pass though there are some additional parts. We have a short B section, then back to the A, repeated only once this time but with a few more parts layered in. Then back to B. It's such a short section so it seemed natural to repeat B again and the repeat gives the first hint of the polyphony to come by adding in the A theme.

Then the C part. I've never been able to get that part right. I need it, and I know what I want to accomplish, but I've never been able to quite capture what I'm after. The song in general has a bittersweet or nostalgic feel. The C part is supposed to be a look back at a happier time, but still slow and somewhat tentative. Then the second pass through, we should be more involved in these old happy memories, but still not completely committed, and then the bubble sort of bursts and we're back to the more introspective B section with the echos of the happy C theme playing through it. Whew. A little complicated I guess, but that really is what I'm after. Anyway. That's why we need to repeat the C section to take it from thinking about a past happy time to sort of but not quite reliving that happier time. Challenging indeed and I haven't yest succeeded.

Then the intro. That was the last part added in. It's short and previews little pieces of the C theme and B melody...

Anyway. It's hard to talk about all this without listening - so here's a quick and sloppy and far-far from finished recording - but you'll get the general idea.

[Su_H.]

Originally Posted by Silly Moustache

Waltz On Little Pony Mountain was a piece that came to me after reading one of Robert James Waller's novels - I've read 'em all over the years so can't remember which one, but it was a rather Texan love scene wherein the hero puts some beers and a rug or mattress into the back of his pick up and drives the lady to a small hill where they drink romance and dance a waltz.

One of those things that were less "written" than just happened whilst I was thinking about the scene.



Obviously in C - Progression ? I guess it is ABABABA (A) part I-IV-I, I-I-V, I-IV-I, I-V-I, (B) part - VI- II, VI -II - V, I-IV-I I-V, I-V-I or some such. I don't write this stuff down, and it was 8 years ago!

Thank you for sharing. I enjoyed that very much.

[ljguitar]

Originally Posted by rick-slo

Describe the tune structure of one or more of your own preferred original instrumental compositions. For example the ABACA sort
of thing, repetitions, variations, melody lines, note ranges, etc.. How did do you go about it? How much time spent working it up?

Hi Derek

OK I'll pick one which is semi-classical in form…a light dance

Listen to it HERE - CliCk

Intro - free form rhythm (rest of the song is very metrically locked in)
Verse
Verse
Chorus
Verse converted to minor
Chorus in minor
Chorus in minor repeat
Intro repeated
Verse
Chorus
Chorus
Ending written just to be the ending

I wrote the form out from memory then located it and found a posted recording…and only had to make one change in the listing (a chorus repeating).

This is one that I wrote before I learned to pare things down a bit shorter to hold audience interest. Range from 14th fret (trebles) to the Dropped D at the bottom.

I had two parts of a 3 part suite I called The Storm which section II was the storm section. It needed a light beginning (DAY HAS BEGUN-before the Storm), so I wrote this in specifically to fill that gap. Took me about a day to rough it out, and a week to write and incorporate the Intro, minor verse/chorus and ending.

If I was re-doing it, I'd probably remove one minor-Chorus and one Chorus from the end section. It is part of a 3 movement suite which all-together runs well beyond 9 minutes (true to my classical upbringing).

[rick-slo]

Thanks for the feedback guys. Anyone else as to what they did the reasons why?

[RRuskin]

Originally Posted by rick-slo

Describe the tune structure of one or more of your own preferred original instrumental compositions. For example the ABACA sort
of thing, repetitions, variations, melody lines, note ranges, etc.. How did do you go about it? How much time spent working it up?

D.I.B.S.


ABABCABCB (Repeat & Fade)

The A section started as a little riff I'd use to warm up &/or goof around with. I just kept any additions to it I liked until I had an ABC that felt & sounded right. Range would normally be between Low E and the A on the 1st string but a capo was on the 2nd fret for this recording so it's all up a step. I probably carried this around in my musical back pocket for a year or 2 before I felt it was complete.

[TBman]

Originally Posted by rick-slo

Thanks for the feedback guys. Anyone else as to what they did the reasons why?

I used the loosely interpreted chord progression because it gave me a framework to work within instead of floundering around the fretboard looking/hoping for something that sounded good and fit in.

I enjoyed writing tunes the way I did in the past, it was relaxing, but having a little structure made the whole process so easy it felt like cheating.

Last night I got out my alternative tuning chord books and a book on progressions so the next time I'm in the mood to write something I'll be ready.

[KevWind]

First in 50 years of playing I have maybe composed 3 or 4 solo acoustic guitar compositions.
Also my formal music "education" is extremely limited so I am not sure of structure for many of my instrumentals

My method/s are kind of all over the map and often "seat of the pants", consequently my tune structure is I am guessing also all over the map .
However one thing I almost always do is start with is a chord progression and then work in melody based on how the progression strikes me as suggesting melody.

Basically I have three methods

Which one I use depends on If I start with an acoustic guitar based composition (almost always chordal ) and then build up other midi instrument parts

Or If I start with a midi instrument also chordal based

Or If I start percussion or drum part. Rhythm based

This one started with one of my few solo acoustic guitar parts and went from there. I don't remember exact structure but I am guessing some verse ,chorus combination, if anyone more knowledgeable wants offer thoughts on structure , that would be cool ?

This Youtube slide show version is the only one I have available right now
Its from a successful local campaign to stop a small (20-30 wells) Nat Gas development, right in the middle of the headwaters of the Hoback River drainage, which is a particularly critical and vulnerable, big game habitat and birthing ground

[DCCougar]

Originally Posted by Cobby

...The structure of this one is: (Intro) A A B A B B C C B B B B B B....

I guess I've gone minimalist, but that whole piece just seems to have too many chord changes. The intro alone has 6, which is OK, but that first chord for the first "A" section just does not fit.

The fundamental, basic (simplified) structure of most any piece is ABA -- it has a beginning, it then departs from that beginning, then it returns to the beginning, thus resolving the piece. You've got some good sections in there, but they're separated by sections that seem to be wandering chord salad.

As LJ said, "This is one that I wrote before I learned to pare things down a bit shorter to hold audience interest. Right. Maybe it's just me, but I don't think listeners want to hear overly complicated pieces. They want to be able to follow along (repetition allows for this), maybe be surprised in a spot or two, but then they want the piece to "come home" and get resolved.

[j3ffr0]

My most recent is: intro ABABCAB ending

I heard a song in a fairly obscure turning that interested me. Spent about 45 minutes noodling with the song one evening.... Next time I picked up that guitar it was still tuned that way from the previous noodling session. It had been a few days and I couldn't remember any of the song, so I just started messing around a melody started to form over a chord or two. The intro came almost instantly, and I was pretty happy about what I had, so I kept at it. The B section has been a little more work to get right. The C section was the hardest to write.... trying all manner of stuff in an unfamiliar tuning. I'm trying to polish my playing of this thing now, to get it recording ready...

I think the one I'm working on now is probably going to end up something like AABA. It's a melody that builds over a long progression like I ii I ii IV I IV I vi iii vi iii vi V. This one started with just a the first few notes and the change from I to ii and back to I. I guess I don't think about structure too much.... I just know when I feel like something needs something else. With this one I'm about half way through the second A.... still figuring out where it all needs to go next.


I recently took a lesson from the great Stephen Bennett to discuss composition. He said that most of his songs start with a few notes, chords, and idea.... something that he somehow plays that interests him.... Something that comes to him and won't leave. He figures that if it moves him, it will move someone else and at that point he feels obligated to do the work to finish it. The man is truly a brilliant composer who has written a lot of great songs. I took heart in hearing that his process isn't so different than what intuitively came to me. What I need to work on most is finishing the little things that come to me that are worth finishing. I also need to be a little more open to recognizing when something is worth finishing. Lastly, I need to sharpen some of the tools I have at my disposal when it comes to finishing something and to quit being lazy.

[ljguitar]

Originally Posted by RRuskin

D.I.B.S.

…I probably carried this around in my musical back pocket for a year or 2 before I felt it was complete.

Hi D.I.B.S.

Fun listen…!! Makes me smile and tap my foot…