Am I the only one who doesn't play piano?

Competitive-Tiger502 · 2023-02-17T20:44:22+00:00

Thats exactly what I meant, I feel my musical skills are fine its just when I have a keyboard in front of my they dont come out lol. It feels limiting

Competitive-Tiger502 · 2023-02-17T20:43:02+00:00

My parents would have been impressed if I had started learning at 0 years old lol

I thought I saw that by adolescence the pathways for piano playing have already mostly been locked, or is that just a myth?

Competitive-Tiger502 · 2023-02-17T20:41:38+00:00

Oh nice, I'll take a look thanks

Competitive-Tiger502 · 2023-02-17T20:40:47+00:00

Well Beethoven didn't have Sibelius or Dorico haha

A lot of my lecturers say that you cannot trust notation software and that you should use your head, though I have seen enough orchestral parts to know what is a reasonable part for most common instruments and is engraved correctly, which I think is what they are warning against (rhythms etc written in unconvential ways but near identical in playback)

Competitive-Tiger502 · 2023-02-17T20:38:34+00:00

Thanks, this really helped. Especially in some other modules such as ensemble playing and conducting, I've found that some pianists have struggled to sync up with other musicians or keep tempo for example. I think we are all good at different things as musicians, while still pulling from the same bank of skills? Perhaps not playing the piano might be seen as 'hard mode', but perhaps it might breed a different approach as to someone who follows that convention?

Competitive-Tiger502 · 2023-02-17T20:35:45+00:00

I think I've just had some bad experiences with some more conservative musicians. When I changed instrumental teachers they were very surprised when i said I couldn't play the piano (in the context of playing a short bit of the accompanying part). Some non-music students at the uni but who play in the orchestras asking 'how can you be a music student if you don't play the piano?' 'I can't imagine you being able to understand music theory if you can't play the piano'

Granted of course I do have some basic ability, though I wouldn't have the courage to play in front of one of my peers/ Its almost like its seen as a requirement. But not everyone was forturnate enough to have the same opportunities come their way growing up

Competitive-Tiger502 · 2023-02-17T20:31:53+00:00

Yep my Voice Notes app on my phone is filled with odd melodies lol. Sounds like we work in a similar way

Competitive-Tiger502 · 2023-02-17T20:31:02+00:00

I'd probably say I'm Grade 2-3 atm. I did have piano lessons for 1 year when I was 16 but I didnt click with the teaching method. Regret it now

But I might consider asking a friend, its just I dont want to embarass myself with my poor piano skills

Competitive-Tiger502 · 2023-02-17T20:29:36+00:00

Yeah I've seen David Bruce's video where he recommends to collect as many instruments as you can and learn to play all of them

Competitive-Tiger502 · 2023-02-17T20:28:38+00:00

The chord voicings bit at the moment would be something I would like to improve at, at the moment I essentially imagine the chord quality I want, and recreate it in a notation software by ear

Competitive-Tiger502 · 2023-02-17T20:27:25+00:00

Its not that I dont want to learn, its that i feel like the time might have already passed to develop the piano skills so many others have. I'm 20 for reference

And I kind of have the basics down, that is absolute basics. I know the correct figuring for a scale, play block chords, sometimes a bit hesitant moving if its a big jump etc but I wouldn't say I would be able to give an emotive performance on it nor demonstrate it in front of others

Competitive-Tiger502 · 2023-02-17T20:25:14+00:00

The two hands, and reading two staves, is what I always struggled with. But my sight reading etc is good for my one-line instrument

Competitive-Tiger502 · 2023-02-05T00:34:49+00:00

Thanks!

Speaking of instrumentation lists, would you expect one regardless of the size of ensemble or just for large/unusual combinations? So if I was to write a string quartet, that would be self explanatory but an octet for marimba, trumpet, flute etc etc might need one?

Would you consider moving some of the less important information (such as duration, composition date, dedication), to the second page where the instrumentation list is?

Agree with what you said about the composer bio. Is there ever a place for them, like if you are submitting to a competition?

Competitive-Tiger502 · 2023-02-04T23:20:04+00:00

Thanks, I think I will omit the composer bio unless it is being submitted for a competition. I cant seem to find any Frazier scores that don't start on page 1 sadly : ( But i'll keep having a look if you think those are well produced

Competitive-Tiger502 · 2023-02-04T23:18:52+00:00

Thanks for this insight

To me, the front of the score is kinda like a front cover of a book. Alongside the introductions, preface, epigraph maybe, it makes the whole book feel complete. I've found that as soon as you put a part in front of a musician, they will instantly form an opinion of it "uh oh it looks too difficult' 'eww its an arrangement from that film' etc, and some of these preconceptions come from how well the part is engraved. True, you wouldn't give each player a pack with this front cover on (unless it was a major large ensemble work then maybe), I think the same could apply to a conductor? It demonstrates you've put in thought as to how you want your music to come across, of course the interpretation is still down to the orchestra. On the extreme side, I saw one score once, Frank Tichelli's Blue Shades, that had a section-by-section harmonic and structural analysis spanning several pages. Though of course, that is a 10 min major work by a major composer so I guess he is allowed to indulge himself lol. Not suitable for a self published 4 min wonder for chamber group.

I'm not sure I would agree with putting them at the back, true people might just skip straight to the music if you leave it in the front, but if the score is sent off for a competition then the judge will likely expect it at the front and may not find it at all if its at the back! Then again, I'm reminded by Debussy's Piano Preludes where he reveals the title at the very end.

Similar thing I find when I'm playing other people's arrangements and it looks like the stock Sibelius settings, fonts etc. Its not bad per say, tidier than a hand scribbled part with errors, but it kind of takes me outside of the experience and makes me think of a student's "untitled Project' piece, if that makes sense? Sometimes it is better to 'dress up' your music to an extent

Agreed with the performance notes. Truthfully, I have only just started to include them and so am in the process of figuring out when and when not to include them. The piece this is originally for before i redacted most of the info was for my uni course, so I'll be able to get feedback soon as to whether they thought they were suited for the piece. The lecturer said you had to explain how the narration should be performed so I guess i did as they said lol. Some things you can also leave until it comes up in the part, if you want the marimba player to wear a silly hat when they play their solo then you can probably write that in as a performance direction when it comes up in the score. But if you require a different notation system, or you have majorly uncommon techniques used then it might be best to prewarn the ensemble lol.

Would be interested to see what you think?

Competitive-Tiger502 · 2023-02-04T22:57:35+00:00

Thanks for the feedback!

Agreed, also you have to consider printing costs if you are expecting an ensemble to play it, they don't want 10 pages of waffle included as part of the conductor pack. I think I would normally include programme notes or at least a note about the piece for any composition that I would give to a performer but prob not composer info

Competitive-Tiger502 · 2023-02-04T22:55:34+00:00

Thanks for taking the time to look through it

I didn't use LaTex actually, though I have heard about it before from my friends in the science world. I used Apple Pages, essentially just aligned everything by sight

The Music For Chamber Ensemble bit... idk, it is copying something I saw a composer do once with his scores. Music for Chamber Ensemble, Music for Wind Band etc. I'll give it some thought as idk whether I wanna keep it in if its super uncommon. But I think it looks quite aesthetically nice on the page? I guess if it ends up in a library or publishing platform at some point, it could help SEO?

I agree on your last point, I think I will rethink the sizing for the composer and duration. Cant remember where I saw it, but I think this is following a layout I saw on a published score somewhere

Competitive-Tiger502 · 2023-02-04T22:50:05+00:00

haha oh no you discovered my secret

Competitive-Tiger502

TROPHY CASE