eyz~ i'm new, so just wanting some inspiration / motivation so i joined this forum, and i got a bit of motivatino from Alphonse-sensei, he's great, and he's viet! muwahahah, viet2win. i'm a guy from toronto canada, and there's this composition competition coming up.. in like a year, LOL, so i wanna start composing and learning from this forum right now so i can get better..
i'm a very lazy guy, i haven't started to really think about composing until now, and i'm 17, so it might be too late. i mean, sorry if it sounds like i'm asking for pity. anyway, this is a composition i would like for yu guyz to post comments on. this was made 2 years ago for a game i was gonna make wit a bunch of friends, and i think this is the best one considering i wanted it to be the "main theme". i haven't touched composing since then.. so please point out any improvements.
also, i'm not very good with using Finale, like i just know how to put notes and rests XD.

oy, one more question, does theory help? i don't have any musical knowledge other than a grade 6 piano in the RCM/NCM.. so i was wondering if i shuld take up theory lessons. kk, 'nuff babbling about myself, and please think of it as an introduction, not like i'm trying to sound like i need self-pity ^^;; thanks!

(haha, i type like a girl.. ew.)

You need to put some more effort. I'd suggest reading up on some music theory. It'd help you. ^_^

I like the tune. If you really want to win that composition, then you're going to have to improve on that. You really need some brass in that tune somewhere to create a more dramatic effect and some flute to add some flourishes. You need harmonies to bring it all together. Theory would help you immensely. When you repeated that tune (at the start), to make it more interesting use a different instrument preferably a wind instrument so that it doesn't bore judges. Don't leave too many gaps between phrases. Make the piece longer than that. 1 minute 12 seconds is pretty short even if it was for a video game (especially being the main tune). I've only touched on a few things.

I've only learnt up to grade 5 theory but you can still improve a lot from using what you know already from my experience. If you seriously consider winning, then don't be lazy. You won't win otherwise unless the others happen to be really bad. Keep up the work and you'll probably do fine. You've got the basic grip on composing and you could do well. Just depends on you really. Happy composing ^_^

If you want to learn "quickly", what I'd suggest is to mimic compositions that you especially like. Now, I know that probably isn't a very good way to learn things, but that's actually how I've got through most of my compositional "career". And try to at least keep an abstract concept of why you are doing this or that (ie, following a slow, "sad" sounding section with a fast, "cheery" sound for some intended contrast). This piece you have isn't too bad, but it's kind of hard to follow without a drum line or bass line (or just some bass notes in general), which most video game-ish pieces tend to have. And as an-kun mentioned, you could make it more interesting with some flourishes here or there as counterpoint.

Theory usually helps, but generally, though how much you get out of it depends on how much you put in it. Try looking through some of the free theory resources posted on the sticky, and see if that helps with your compositional ideas and motives better. Best of luck :).

most of them are too complicated haha. this.. iunno, i think i can do better now than i did 2 years ago, *shrugz* i'll try it soon. yes, i'm VERRRYY lazy.. ahaha. oh, and how do you pepole know how each instrument sounds like, i dun think finale has a sample before choosing the instruments....?

What do you mean: know what the instruments sound like? :huh:

I guess a violin sounds like a violin, a piano like a piano, and so forth.

most of them are too complicated haha. this.. iunno, i think i can do better now than i did 2 years ago, *shrugz* i'll try it soon. yes, i'm VERRRYY lazy.. ahaha. oh, and how do you pepole know how each instrument sounds like, i dun think finale has a sample before choosing the instruments....?

Well I don't know what each musical instrument sounds like on the program but you should have a rough idea of what each instrument is meant ot sound like when composing otherwise you can't make something sound its best.

nono.. like there are a lot of unknown instruments that i haven't even heard of....?

If they are unknown then nobody would knwo them! Hehe, nah I know what you mean. I don't think music programs have every single instrument anyway. Um...maybe just use the instruments that you do know more effectively then.

alright.. that.. kinda.. helps.. i guess O_O;;. anyway, i won't post until i get another piece done.. hopefully this one's bette,r until then, later..

I learned from Noir7 :p