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A take on Epic Middle Eastern

Discussion in 'Critique & Feedback' started by JP Beveraggi, Mar 16, 2019.

  1. #1 JP Beveraggi, Mar 16, 2019
    Hello all,

    I have reworked an old piece which was my take on a middle eastern vibe, and added an epic build to it. I wondered if it generally sounded like a credible attempt or not? Also, are there any obvious improvements I could make?



    Thanks for your help,

    JP
     
    Paul T McGraw likes this.
  2. #2 Doug Gibson, Mar 16, 2019
    I think having more than one tempo for the whole piece would help a lot.
     
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  3. #3 Mattia Chiappa, Mar 16, 2019
    Except for a few moments here and there the harmonic language you are using is not explicitely Middle Eastern. Right now, the only thing expressing the vibe you are aiming to achieve is the use of some of the typical instruments of the genre but not much else. I'm not sure if being authentic in the style was the goal, but right now if you were to strip the piece of all those ethnic instruments it wouldn't sound middle eastern at all. Of course orchestration can and does help to evoke a vibe but the biggest part is using the idioms of that specific language. If you transcribe some of the music in this genre you see that what defines a particular flavour is the set of "rules" shared by most of the pieces in the style. I think you started well but then the harmonic language you set at the very beginning gets lost further into the piece and by the end almost completely abandoned. If you play the piece on piano you'll see what I mean.

    Authenticity aside, I enjoyed your piece and l'm looking forward to hear more from you!
     
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  4. #4 JP Beveraggi, Mar 16, 2019
    Thanks Doug, but you mean modulating the tempo with the aim of adding a more "human" feel to it or to help with changes in dynamics?

    Thanks Mattia. Let me reassure you, the aim was not to make an authentic middle eastern tune. It is more an experiment to see if it is possible to preserve a particular mood/vibe all the way to the "Epic" level. Unsurprisingly, it is proving to be difficult.
     
  5. #5 Doug Gibson, Mar 16, 2019
    ??? Neither. I mean change the tempo so sections feel faster or slower to each other.

    An old piece of mine below. Why not start at 4:30 and listen until the new tempo at 5:30.

     
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  6. #6 JP Beveraggi, Mar 16, 2019
    It is always clearer with an example. Well done for capturing the essence of the Mid Eastern genre in your piece. It makes my attempt sound clearly plain in comparison. I will use your track as reference and see what other harmonic or melodic ideas I could get inspired from. Many thanks.
     
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