Happy Halloween !

Inspired by @Doug Gibson 's topic, I wrote this little piece to wish you a Happy Halloween ! Of course it has nothing in common with his work. I know it still need some work but I hope you'll enjoy it. As always, you're welcome if you criticize it because it's the best way for me to learn.

NotePerfomer version : https://www.dropbox.com/s/89zvx2vhom0yjlb/Happy_Halloween.mp3?dl=0

 

Let me talk more about the context. I see my overall composition level as "acceptable" while I see my orchestration level as "too much crap". That's why these piece is an orchestration exercise before anything else and... with a deadline.

As often, when I came up with my idea I didn't know how to orchestrate it so I took inspiration from the first 10 seconds of this track . That's how this "Catch me if you can"-like leitmotiv was born and I built on it. It was not from the composition process.

I like what you did. It's obviously more what I want to do than my own approach. So... thank you !

I try to do orchestrations for orchestra only then I usually avoid to use synth. Maybe I'm wrong... especially for this piece. What synth did you use ? Is an "orchestra only" approach a complete mistake ?

 

Oh...

Can I see the score sheet ?

 

Maybe it's a gong/tam tam blend with double basses, and a low xylophone, and I have no clue of what the string are doing ? Glissando trills ?

 

If you don't know how to upload a .PDF, you have this button :



If it's for another reason it's too bad because I can't read the text, it's too blurry.

 

Thanks Doug, it's really helpful. I've written your intro in my Sibelius /w NPF3 and it doesn't sound/perform the same. Odd... Anyway, I'm working to do a more Halloween-ish intro.

 

Thanks for the files. I've tested the sibelius one and it's ok, I don't find where is the issue with mine :

https://www.dropbox.com/s/1li7jcgwrrw89w3/hallo_doug.sib?dl=0

Btw, i've some questions :

- How do you get the 5 lines percussion for tam-tam and marimba, when I try to do it all I got is a tom sound. How do you switch to marimba ?
- How do you get the "growl" in italic and working for brass ?
- What is the descending line at the end of the viola part ?

 

It's the last one. Sibelius Ultimate 8 I think. I use it for a month in cloud version trial which is totally functional AFAIK. And NotePerformer is 3.1.

 

To be clear, your first file works perfectly fine. The questions are more "why I haven't the same results".

In your file, there is a smooth crescendo on low strings between bar 1 & 2. You notated it in your v2 but why does it play it on your first file without beeing notated ? Should it be notated ?

I entered the "growl" by pressing CRTL-T for technique, I also tried CTRL+E for expression but nothing worked. I don't know how you did enter this but it works on my computer with your file, not mine.

If I add an instrument and I choose 5 lines percussions and I call it Tam-tam, it's not. What is the right way to do it ? And bonus : how do you switch to Marimba ?

I forgot one question earlier. The red notes in the Tubular Bells staff means they're out of range no ?

 

I solved the growl mystery. It's a difference in the playback dictionary. In your file the word 'growl' switch to the sound ID +fluttertongue, in mine it switch to +growl which mean nothing to NotePerformer.

New mystery : Why the upper staff of your bass clarinet sounds so low ? Isn't it too low for a bass clarinet ?
update : I've found in the mixer that it's a contrabass clarinet sound playing.