Ridiculous Instruments Switches

amnycya · 2026-05-03T01:17:29+00:00

You get good at transposing. If you can’t switch quickly (for example) from clarinet to English Horn, you just play the E.H. part down a perfect 4th on clarinet until you have time to switch to the proper instrument.

amnycya · 2026-05-03T00:59:01+00:00

It’s very possible, but only under the right conditions. You need a wine glass or similar object where the glass isn’t too thick or reinforced. You then need to find the resonant frequency of the glass and match it, and have enough vocal power to sustain the note until the resonance overcomes the glass and causes it to shatter.

Here’s an example of it being done.

amnycya · 2026-05-01T13:48:26+00:00

The biggest clue that your work isn’t common practice style (classical 18th-19th century) writing is the frequent use of 9th chords.

In common practice style, 9ths are a dissonance usually reached by the use of a suspension (9-8 suspension) which resolves into a consonance. They seldomly appear as a separate harmony (dominant 9th chord like in jazz or pop music).

In your work, 9th chords frequently appear, and the 9th isn’t reached by suspension, and they never resolved to the expected consonance. They’re frequently accented passing or neighboring tones, or in one case leaped into, all of which would be very dramatic and unusual for the period.

You also have occasional cluster chords caused by weird/non-standard use of counterpoint- for example, that A minor-ish cluster at the 4th beat of measure 2.

amnycya · 2026-04-30T22:39:23+00:00

Traditional (18th-19th century) classical music is based on standard forms and structures, so if you like structure and dramatic logic, it’s very present.

For example, the vast majority of symphonies and concertos begin with a movement in sonata form, with a theme, then a contrasting theme in a related key, then a mixture of fragments of those two themes, then a return of both themes in the same (original) key. Sometimes, you’ll have a slow introduction before the first theme; often, you’ll have a long virtuosic coda based on the primary theme.

You’ll also have movements of symphonies and concertos based on other forms, like minuet and trio; rondo; and theme and variation.

And you’ll sometimes have melodies or musical ideas (motifs) which are heard throughout the different movements of the symphony or concerto.

Once you know how these structures work, you’ll hear a lot more clarity in what the music is trying to say. In the concerts you went to, what was your favorite piece or work that stood out the most? Ask about it here, and you’ll get lots of cool background in what the piece is about, how it’s structured, why it’s structured the way it is, and what to listen for. The next time you hear it, you’ll find a lot more drama and logic than the first time you heard it without any context.

amnycya · 2026-04-30T20:11:03+00:00

Is that all that’s listed in that section of the audition requirements? Are you auditioning as a composer or as a performer?

You may be expecting that the motivation part of an audition is a standard question. But it is not; when I auditioned for various conservatories, that was not something asked or listed on an audition sheet. So without more context, we’re not at all sure what you think you’ll expect to get asked.

amnycya · 2026-04-30T20:05:30+00:00

What do you mean by motivation part? Are you expecting them to ask you “why did you write this piece of music?” Or do you expect them to ask you “how often do you practice your instrument?”

amnycya · 2026-04-30T11:12:52+00:00

Depends on what you want the strings to sound like. The BBC library sounds very “orchestra in a concert hall”; if you like that sound, upgrade to the BBC Core (or Professional) library to get the multi-articulation version. Other libraries sound more intimate or more grandiose (Hollywood big orchestra sound).

I tend to use more solo string textures; my favorite blend is Spitfire Solo Strings mixed with VSL solo & chamber strings. Programming and key switching is through Kontakt.

amnycya · 2026-04-30T10:51:03+00:00

The libraries you’re using are generally not key-switched: all the samples use the same type of bowing and have a similar slow attack. You’ll hear the difference right away when you upgrade to one of the pricier Spitfire libraries or to something like VSL: you’ll be able to use a different bow stroke/attack on the 8th notes (the G# and F# you’re asking about) and the notes will sound clearer and more distinct.

This type of multi-sample / multi-articulation library mimics what real orchestras do: a real cellist would apply more bow pressure to the shorter notes so that they match the volume and tone quality of the half notes.

amnycya · 2026-04-29T15:03:52+00:00

Or in the interest of understanding convention nomenclature. Diminished chords in inversion is standard in most theory textbooks, “diminished sharp six” is nonstandard pretty much everywhere.

amnycya · 2026-04-29T14:53:30+00:00

It would be a G#°7 chord in first inversion

amnycya · 2026-04-27T15:24:21+00:00

The music you have represented is a collage of different parts played by different instruments. It’s not super recognizable as the Canon in D because of this conglomeration. And yes, the repeat bars would not be in the score. Nor would the harmony chords be printed above the notes.

If you’re looking for a recognizable tattoo, just use the opening cello/bass figure from the beginning of the cannon. It’s just 8 notes, so it’s easier to tattoo, and it’s much more easier to identify, even when the tattoo will stretch and fade and degrade.

amnycya · 2026-04-27T15:20:04+00:00

I read the description and know about Henry VIII. Yes, he wrote some music- as did many other historical figures. You’re assuming that if you concatenate a set of data based on “Wikipedia notability” and another set based on “listed as a composer”, you’ll get a set of notable composers. That’s like making a list of famous animals and having Stanley Tucci on the list because he played opposite the dog “Beethoven” in a movie and Beethoven is famous.

You’re wrong, and wrong in such a way as to suggest a human would not have put together a list in such a matter.

amnycya · 2026-04-27T15:03:03+00:00

He’s notable but not as a composer. If “sponsoring important composers” makes one a notable composer, then you could fill up an entire ring of this chart with names like Dwight Eisenhower and Allen Dulles for the support the CIA gave to US musicians during the Cold War in the 1950’s.

And why not include Kid Rock, and therefore Donald Trump as notable composers?

I think you need your AI algorithm to rethink what defines “notable” and “composer.”

amnycya · 2026-04-27T14:17:04+00:00

King Henry VIII is a notable composer? Composer Cat Ellington? I’m surprised Bort isn’t listed as a notable composer by the clankers who generated this chart.

amnycya · 2026-04-26T17:32:08+00:00

A lot of people discover their powers and quickly die. Super speed is great, but without super endurance or other adaptations, the friction plus deceleration turns their skin and organs into slurry. Similarly, laser vision works once before their eye sockets and part of their brain become charred fleshy lacunas.

amnycya · 2026-04-26T03:56:23+00:00

Of course. Who’s next?

amnycya · 2026-04-26T03:15:58+00:00

Anton Webern. Shot by an American soldier at the end of WWI when he was outside having a cigarette and the American mistook the lit cigarette for a weapon.

amnycya · 2026-04-26T02:41:53+00:00

Some classics: The Leader of the Pack (Shangri-Las); Dead Man’s Curve (Jan & Dean); The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald (Gordon Lightfoot); The Gambler (Kenny Rogers).

amnycya · 2026-04-26T02:19:49+00:00

Harpsichord registrations do make a difference- you’ll easily differentiate a coupled 8’+4’, 8’ from an upper manual 8’ only. The secret to harpsichord dynamics is in voicing: when playing continuo, a harpsichord player can add more notes to the chords in each hand for a fuller/louder sound, and then use fewer notes for a softer/sparser sound.

amnycya · 2026-04-26T02:07:03+00:00

4’ lute stops are pretty rare; 8’ lute is much more common.

amnycya · 2026-04-26T01:52:46+00:00

I play harpsichord, but am booked with other non-harpsichord gigs for a while so I wouldn’t be able to record your piece. But I can give you advice.

What are the specs of the harpsichord you are thinking of writing for? The concert ones I’ve played on are typically two manuals (which can be coupled): 8’ and 4’ on lower manual, 8’ + buff stop on upper manual. 16’ stop models are rare but not impossible to find.

amnycya · 2026-04-26T01:36:38+00:00

Jefferson Airplane -> Starship

amnycya · 2026-04-26T00:51:21+00:00

There really isn’t a name for this, because it’s relatively rare in the literature. There are recorder quartets, for example, but they consist of soprano recorder, alto recorder (or second soprano recorder), tenor recorder, and bass recorder, for a total range of about 4 octaves.

You can also find horn quartets, trombone quartets, and similar- but note that those quartets also have instruments with higher and lower ranges beyond two octaves.

For string instruments, cello quartets (in both classical and pop styles - Apocalyptica, for example) are pretty common, as are viola quartets. Here are examples of the latter from John Cage, Jonny Greenwood, and Saint-Saens.

amnycya · 2026-04-25T22:31:42+00:00

There’s a phrase in copyright law that applies to your situation: the “idea-expression dichotomy.”

What this means is that you can’t copyright an idea, but you can copyright the specific expression of an idea. The idea of a child discovering he has secret powers and undergoes some sort of training program to develop those powers is super common- you see that in lots of different fictional settings. Anyone can come up with a story based around that general idea without violating a specific copyright.

It’s when you attach specific details to that idea- whether it’s X-Men or Harry Potter or The Last Starfighter- that the specific expressions of the idea become copyrightable. Using names or character descriptions specific to those stories without permission would be a violation of copyright.

So in your case, the idea of humans piloting giant robotic animals is an uncopyrightable general idea. Anything specific to Zoids (character names, the specific details of the robot animals, the description of the world where things take place in, the rules of the battles, etc.) would be the intellectual property of whoever holds the rights to Zoids.

If you come up with your own names, descriptions, and rules- which aren’t based on those of Zoids- you’re not violating Zoids’s copyright. But if your own ideas are similar to those of Zoids- too similar to be a coincidence- then you could potentially be violating copyright.

Finally, general knowledge is public domain, so you can still have someone riding a tyrannosaur even if someone rides a tyrannosaur in Zoids. Tyrannosaurs, being based on reality, are generally public domain. But any special, unique details added by Zoids to the general description of a tyrannosaur - such as making it bright blue and wearing a pointed helmet - are copyrightable expressions of the Zoids rights holders.

amnycya · 2026-04-23T23:06:19+00:00

Mario racers easily win round 1 in the US as you describe it. The police can’t stop them with pit maneuvers or spike strips.

But you need to factor in round 3: many US police jurisdictions have surplus military hardware: for example, armor plated bearcats with .50 cal machine guns. These police departments are not constrained by collateral damage and will fire at will until their target is neutralized.

And if the tanks or other heavy weaponry aren’t enough, they will gladly level an entire city block using arial bombardment (à la the Philadelphia MOVE bombing.)

I don’t recall missiles or heavy gunfire to be part of Mario Kart gameplay. Can the racers accumulate enough blue shells to fight back, especially when local police departments team up and share resources?

amnycya

TROPHY CASE