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Re: What do you think is necessary in order to have an excellentcomposition?



Qua Veda wrote:
> It would be interesting to build some algorithm in Max that generates a
> music form based on golden section or one of the other similarly pleasing
> mathematical series.
> 
> Maybe its already done.  

Oh yes, they all sound boring, unless you have some extra knobs to break 
the rules...

What I do if I create algorithmic music: listen to the result, try to 
formulate what I don't like about the result, create a parameter to 
change that, and start again listening/changing till I like it. Then a 
few days later I have to come back and adjust again, till I feel its 
right...

Within this process, the most important thing is to get rid of all 
thoughts and theories about good composition, its more like tuning in.
If you tune your instrument, you'd better not think about scales, you 
just listen and adjust...

You might find out afterwards, that you choose more often golden ratios 
than other ratios, but that doesn't mean anything...

If you start composing by following all these rules, you certainly will 
be able to safly create music that will please a majority of people, but 
pleasing in this case means, they won't run away, they feel kind of 
comfortable with it, you can play it on the radio. But it doesn't do 
anything...
This is not a good composition, its just pleasing.

A good composition will turn your inside out, there is no rule for 
achieving this unless you call honesty a rule, you have to find your own 
way to do it...

If you want to find some interesting attempts to create music like Bach 
look at this collection of 5000 !!! chorals:



But I still would always prefer the original - and who wants to listen 
to 5000 chorals all made with the same rules?...

Stefan

-- 
Stefan Tiedje------------x-------
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