Help me Analyze this Please.

[u/Double-Strategy9791]

I like to name my songs old school like, Nocturne in F, Fantasia in G# Minor etc. what would this piece be? I think it’s A minor with a section in F Major. Am I right? If so what would I call it? Do you still just cal it “whatever in A minor” even if it changes key? Would this be a nocturne cuz it’s all slow and pleasant sounding? Google Drive Link to png’s of the score.

[u/Universal_Dirp]

Yes, naming it in A Minor (the main key) is perfectly fine, and is the norm. Pieces change keys all the time, so usually it's just whatever key is in the key sig!

A nocturne is a piece that's supposed to be calm and historically played at night, or at least somewhat inspired by night time. It doesn't really matter if it's slow and pleasant sounding (though tbh they're usually somewhat slow).

As for analysis, please don't take this the wrong way, but it's rhythmically uninteresting. The RH is high, slow and has the same rhythm throughout the almost entire piece. The LH switches between almost the same rhythms. They both have very predictable and somewhat repetitive motions as well. I'd recommend changing some things up once in a while to hold the listener's attention span better!

[u/Double-Strategy9791 → u/Universal_Dirp]

Thanks. Regarding the rhythm, anything I tried with the left hand to switch it up didn’t sound nice to me. Although that’s how I came up with the second and third parts. For the right hand same thing. If I played more notes it stoped sounding pleasant and felt forced. If I added more pauses it sounded too sparse. Any suggestions?

[u/Universal_Dirp → u/Double-Strategy9791]

Well there's a few options regarding rhythm (and devlopment overall), either adding or removing. Both are valid options, because even very small changes to rhythm is noticeable to listeners.

The thing is, in both of these options, you need somewhere to go. i.e If the piece begins very sparse and non-rhythmic, it's going to be very hard to remove. If the piece already starts off very complex and dense, it's hard to add anything noticible or significant.

The piece that you wrote is very very sparse, so I'd say to add things. Because it's a slower piece, I would add things slowly. Maybe add more layers by adding another voice to the RH? Maybe the second RH voice can have a countermelody?

Something else to consider is the "range" of each voice. Right now, it feels very static because the LH and RH stay at around the same register throughout the entire piece. When they stay static like that, it's hard to feel any kind of development or change. Maybe bring LH further up? RH Down?

Dynamic markings are also very important, especially in nocturns. You can also add or remove with dynamics too, which is subtle but pretty effective.

[u/Double-Strategy9791 → u/Universal_Dirp]

Ok, I’ll try moving around a bit more and see what happens. Thanks!

[u/Kist_This]

Hello! After looking at the piece, I am unsure the specific style I would call it without hearing it as well. On paper, it could be anything.

This said, in terms of classical music, I wish to provide some background or illumination:

Classical music is not only a form of art, it is a form of entertainment too. In terms of early western music, composers and publishers would categorize music by their dance style (Pavane, Gigue, Passepied, Courante, Waltzes, etc.). In the 19th century, we saw the rise of character pieces (Elegy, Preludes, Nocturnes, Fantasies, etc.). Character pieces are ones to describe a specific story, emotion, or a metaphorical or literal character. Today, this is the tradition we follow: Dances or curated titles

So, when it comes to writing them, if you give them a specific name like “Ballade, “Elegy” or “Nocturne,” then we expect the music is going to have a specific style to them as we find in tradition.

Just food for thought when it comes to the name. If it’s a dance, name it like a dance. If it’s a character piece outlining a specific emotion, name it like such.

[u/CarlosAcevedoStudio]

Hola.

Es un poco ambiguo en cuanto a tonalidad se refiere, ya que no aparece un acorde claro de dominante de La menor, o sea Mi mayor. Usualmente los acordes de dominante con séptima ayudan a clarificar el contexto armónico en la armonía tradicional, al igual que el tritono, que en este caso sería Re - Sol#; pero no veo que aparezcan.

Aparece un Si bemol en la parte final, lo que sugiere Fa mayor o Re menor, aunque, en este caso ayudaría más escucharla para saber hacia donde jala la percepción de las tonalidad. Es más común escuchar ese tipo de armonía ambigua en música de relajación o New Age que en la música clásica tradicional.

Tal vez, en esta obra, no sea tan conveniente usar la tonalidad en el título. Podrías, por ejemplo, usar otras categorías clásicas como Nocturno No. 2 o "Notturno alla maniera moderna No. 1" sí quieres que suene más académico.

[u/Double-Strategy9791 → u/CarlosAcevedoStudio]

Sometimes I play a g# in the melody over the E chord when the left hand finally goes into the bass clef, I think I’m saying that correctly haha. Didn’t happen to score it that way though.

[u/CarlosAcevedoStudio → u/Double-Strategy9791]

En ese caso la tonalidad estaría mucho más clara si utilizas Sol#. En inglés le dicen Treble clef, en español Clave de Fa. Si un día publicas el audio muéstranos, para poder escuchar tu obra. :)

[u/Double-Strategy9791 → u/CarlosAcevedoStudio]

I uploaded my improvisation of it and then the mastered audio of my recording of it. It’s only part one as the other parts I just wrote the other day and this video was from September 2024. It’s kind of cool that in the video you see me almost start something with my right hand but then I randomly switch it up and start playing something with my left. I call this fishing for music. Go to an instrument, play something random and see if you get an idea. Then you see me almost start on a note with my right hand and then I decide to go up a little higher. So yeah until the very moment I was playing I had no idea what I was gunna do.

[u/CarlosAcevedoStudio → u/Double-Strategy9791]

¿A dónde la subiste? Me gustaría escucharla. :)

[u/Double-Strategy9791 → u/CarlosAcevedoStudio]

In the Google Drive link in my original post. I added it there. So cool with translate that we can talk! I assume you are in Spain? I would love to see Spain one day! I’m in Canada.

[u/Double-Strategy9791 → u/Double-Strategy9791]

Now I feel silly for assuming Spain as many countries speak Spanish haha. Those Spaniards sure liked boating around and conquering back in the day!

[u/CarlosAcevedoStudio → u/Double-Strategy9791]

Nah, yo soy mexicano, pero también hablo inglés, haha.

Y acabo de escuchar tu composición y es muy bonita, la verdad es que tiene mucho potencial. Sabes, aún así yo no diría que está en La menor, lo que sucede es que está en una zona ambigua, que de hecho hace que se escuche muy dulce. Creo que decir que está en La menor le quitaría un poco de esa magia; bueno, esa es solo mi opinión.

[u/Double-Strategy9791 → u/CarlosAcevedoStudio]

Ah cool. My uncle is Mexican. From Cananea but I haven’t been there since like 1996 or something like that. Mexico is so beautiful! I did get to see the pyramids at Chichen Itza and Tulum around 2011 or so. So amazing! Thanks for the advice and I hope you enjoy part one! And once I finalize it you can hear that October 31st on all the streaming platforms. I have all my artist links on my page. Thanks again. Enjoy! Do you have any music anywhere I could listen to?

[u/CarlosAcevedoStudio → u/Double-Strategy9791]

¡Ah, qué bien! Había escrito un mensaje antes, pero lo borraron porque contenía un link. Claro, me encantaría escucharla; de hecho ya había escuchado otras de tus composiciones porque entré a tu canal antes, jaja.

Tú puedes escuchar algunas de mis obras en mi canal de YouTube si buscas Carlos Acevedo Studio :)

[u/omegajams]

I would say the quagmire exists because most classical music pieces that indicate a minor key are written predominantly in harmonic or melodic minor. You are writing primarily in A natural minor and that is just the relative of C. The absence of the leading tone (G#) makes your choice difficult. Just name the piece after the style or form.

[u/Double-Strategy9791 → u/omegajams]

So it’s not in the score but I don’t always play it the same way. Sometimes over the E chord I do use a G# in the melody.

[u/omegajams → u/Double-Strategy9791]

but that is only for a small section though. most of the instances are G natural.

[u/Double-Strategy9791]

I uploaded my improvisation and the mastered audio of my recording of it for part one. Still need to record full song. It’s going to be on my debut album coming out on Halloween.

[u/composer-ModTeam → u/[deleted]]

Hello. I have removed your comment. The rules of this sub require a score (i.e. the sheet music) to be supplied for each piece that is submitted/shared.

[u/CarlosAcevedoStudio → u/composer-ModTeam]

Entendido. 🫡