A simple Ballade (original composition)

[liszt-and-the-galops]

Sheet music: https://musescore.com/user/73414426/scores/27505957?share=copy_link

Audio is from Dorico playback, so some of the voicing is messed up (at 3:00, for instance).

[frodo10]

Hi Liszt.  This composition has maybe some problems - maybe a little rambling, repetitive, doesn't go anywhere harmonically, rhythmically or otherwise - it is very static.  At no point do you arrive somewhere new like you do in sonata allegro form for example when you reach (or arrive at) the second theme.   

But I like this!  It put a smile on my face.   It is mostly in Lydian mode, but you often avoid the 4th note of the scale F# or sometimes toss in an F-natural instead.

This piece has a certain charm to it.  I wouldn't suggest any changes.  Future compositions you might want to try something less static.to expand your musical horizon.

[liszt-and-the-galops]

Hi Liszt.  This composition has maybe some problems - maybe a little rambling, repetitive, doesn't go anywhere harmonically, rhythmically or otherwise - it is very static.  At no point do you arrive somewhere new like you do in sonata allegro form for example when you reach (or arrive at) the second theme.   

But I like this!  It put a smile on my face.   It is mostly in Lydian mode, but you often avoid the 4th note of the scale F# or sometimes toss in an F-natural instead.

This piece has a certain charm to it.  I wouldn't suggest any changes.  Future compositions you might want to try something less static.to expand your musical horizon.

A few things I want to clarify, but don't know how to put this into a paragraph(s):

• This was mostly just for fun. I'm completely self-taught in composing and don't really have any real idea of what I'm doing; I just thought that this piece was in a decently finished state and decided to post it here for feedback.
• I've had the melody (the C-E-G-C arpeggio) in my head for a really long time; it was one of the first things I came up with when I was messing around with my first keyboard when I was 12 or something, but I never wrote it down or came up with anything beyond that arpeggio, other than the RH part of measures 25-29. This was my attempt at actually writing something with that as the melody.
• As for the "doesn't go anywhere" part: yeah, I just couldn't come up with a decent coda at all and just left it at where it is. Measures 38-45 were originally a transition to a coda that I ended up completely scrapping because I didn't like it. You can find it here if you're curious, though there are some wrong notes in this version: https://flat.io/score/683e9dd2f154a991512f4c64-op-2-ballade-for-solo-piano-old

Glad it made you smile at least. Thanks for the complements + constructive criticism.

[frodo10]

Just some thoughts on expanding your musical horizon as a new composer.  Just ignore this if you are not interested.

I see you are an amateur pianist, beginning composer, creator of the Musical Madness tournament (2024-25).  Great credentials!  If you have the ability and interest, you could take some music theory courses for music majors.  When I took my standard music theory courses way back in the day, we were given music writing assignments: 2-part invention in style of Bach, Theme and variations and a sonata allegro movement in the style of Beethoven, fugue in the style of Bach, music in the style of Hindemith and Debussy are some of the ones I recall doing. 

One of the easiest forms to do is theme and variations.  The below simple theme by Beethoven (2nd mvt of his op14, no 2 piano sonata) modulates from tonic to dominant in the first half of the theme.  Then it quickly modulates from dominant to tonic in the second half.  You could write your own theme that modulates simply like this followed by 3 variations.  Just a suggestion.  Each of the variations would modulate the same way.

The main thing I would like to see is modulating to another key then modulating back to the home key.  Your current composition never modulates.  But I like it “as is”!  If you need help, there are several here that can offer suggestions if I’m not available.  At least I would hope they would offer some assistance.

1

[liszt-and-the-galops]

I'm actually currently working on a T&V for Liszt's S. 140 no. 3 and hope to have it finished by the end of this year, which I'll post in this subforum once it's done.

2-part invention in style of Bach, Theme and variations and a sonata allegro movement in the style of Beethoven, fugue in the style of Bach, music in the style of Hindemith and Debussy are some of the ones I recall doing.

Honestly, the concept of deliberately writing "in the style of" other composers feels... off to me.

[dizzyfingers]

Sheet music: https://musescore.com/user/73414426/scores/27505957?share=copy_link

If you're going to put this much effort into composing, I would recommend you take a composition class - - preferably in person; if not, then online.

[frodo10]

I'm actually currently working on a T&V for Liszt's S. 140 no. 3 and hope to have it finished by the end of this year, which I'll post in this subforum once it's done.
Honestly, the concept of deliberately writing "in the style of" other composers feels... off to me.

"In the style of" is mainly done as a tool to learn the various forms of the past.  The neo-classical composers took these forms and used them in a modern context.  The "in the style of" Hindemith and Debussy was great to learn modern harmonic and other techniques used by these composers.

I look forward to hearing your variations on Paganini's "La Campanella".  It has a modulation in the 2nd half of the theme.  I will be looking for possibly many accidentals in your score (alla Liszt).  What style will your variations be in?

[frodo10]

If you're going to put this much effort into composing, I would recommend you take a composition class - - preferably in person; if not, then online.

I was thinking the same thing.  But Liszt may want to explore on his own at this point.