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Topic: My MIDIs (Read 8698 times) previous topic - next topic

My MIDIs

Some of my MIDIs are located here.

http://www1.freewebs.com/boymagician/midi.html

They were all written in Noteworthy over the past few years. Also does anybody know any sites that have pure nwc files instead of MIDIs. I want to see what tricks other people are trying out when writing in nwc.

Re: My MIDIs

Reply #1 –
okay duh
i just found this site and it seems i found the answer to my question in the NoteWorthy Composer Registered Users' Music Pages. At least I caught it before I got flamed

Re: My MIDIs

Reply #2 –
Wow.  Narcissism indeed...

Re: My MIDIs

Reply #3 –
Is it me or does your jazz song's bass track is off key?  Don't have much of an ear but it sounds wrong to me.  Could I have the NWC version so I can see?

Re: My MIDIs

Reply #4 –
Reply to Bubsy - I am not sure if you are calling me narcissistic (which I am) or just referring to the title of my bio page. I would assume that you read my bio page, though, since Bubsy is my cat's name (and that info is on my bio page).

Reply to Simon - Thank you for taking time to listen to and comment about my song. I don't think the bassline is off key, but I posted the nwc file if you would be kind enough to look it over.

http://www1.freewebs.com/boymagician/midi/jazz.nwc

Thank you both for taking an interest in my post and checking out my site.

robotnewyork@yahoo.com

Re: My MIDIs

Reply #5 –
>>I don't think the bassline is off key, but I posted the nwc file if you would be kind enough to look it over.<<

Forgive me, I made a mistake.  You see, I'm french.  "Off key" doesn't mean what I wanted to tell you about your bass line.  What I meant was the notes are not the right ones for the melody.

Also, your time signature causes you to write the whole thing in triplets.  You might try to use a 160 tempo using dotted quarter base, and have a time signature or 12/8.  That way, no more triplet hassle.

I've e-mailed a small NWC file at the following address to show you.

robotnewyork@yahoo.com

Keep in mind I didn't write the correct key signature.  The only thing I'm sure of is the way I removed the triplets.  That's the way to write jazz.

Simon

Re: My MIDIs

Reply #6 –
That's a very interesting way. I guess both ways have their pros and cons. That was actually the only jazz song I have written so far but if I decide to write another I'll try out the 12/8 thing.
Thanks for the advice Simon.

P.S. - Actually, it turns out my bassline was off key

Re: My MIDIs

Reply #7 –
>>That's a very interesting way. I guess both ways have their pros and cons.<<

There's just one big con: eventually, one gets used to writing everything with errors in it.  Eventually, it makes the song sound bad.  When you write everything in triplets, it's a sign you could've written it differently, usually a bad time signature.

>>That was actually the only jazz song I have written so far but if I decide to write another I'll try out the 12/8 thing.<<

To get some practice, I'd recommend that you rewrite the one you already have instead.  It'll get you prepared for the next one.  Very good learning exercise.

>>Thanks for the advice Simon.<<

Anytime.

>>P.S. - Actually, it turns out my bassline was off key<<

Really?  My ear is seldom right for bass lines.  Guess it just struck me.  Well, good luck on the song.

Simon

Re: My MIDIs

Reply #8 –
Well, with the pro/con thing I was referring to something a little different.
The pros of writing in triplets are that you get to keep the original (real) time signature of the song instead of giving it a false 12/8 meter. Also, the way I wrote it was that I wrote the entire song in straight eighth notes and then went through and added the triplets after I was finished (added the triplets took about 10-15 minutes). The advantage of doing it this way is if you were going to print the music. You could just print the original version with the straight eighths printed.  Jazz musicians dont read music in 12/8 with artificial swing, the read music with eighth notes and then add the swing themselves.
The cons of having the triplets are only that it takes a little longer to write, and it seems a little messy for other people when they look at that version of the score (but of course you keep the version without the triplets).

With the 12/8 technique, the writing process is quicker and easier, but if you were to print the score, you would either have to convert the whole thing to a new time signature, or else deal with a group of musicians wondering why the piece is in 12/8 as opposed to 4/4.

Maybe the musicians where you are read music differently than here in the States, but the vast majority of jazz music that I have seen/played has been kept in the original time signature and it is assumed that the "swing" feel is added by the players.

I do plan on rewriting the jazz song. It has been a few years since I have worked on that one, but I like it and feel that it is worth correcting. I appreciate your advice and support Simon.

Re: My MIDIs

Reply #9 –
If you wish to preserve the notation as straight quavers with a swing feel try adding tempo changes on a hidden staff.
The technique has been discussed several times on this forum - a search for 'swing' should reveal a few responses.

Re: My MIDIs

Reply #10 –
Wow. That's also a pretty good idea. That actually seems better than both mine and Simon's ideas.

Re: My MIDIs

Reply #11 –
> the vast majority of jazz music that I have seen/played has been kept in the original time signature and it is assumed that the "swing" feel is added by the players.

And for another aspect of this, imagine an SATB choir, consisting largely of middle-aged Irish-Americans, attempt to get the feel of a Southern Baptist spiritual.

Re: My MIDIs

Reply #12 –
>>The pros of writing in triplets are that you get to keep the original (real) time signature of the song instead of giving it a false 12/8 meter.<<

Whaaa?  False?  Man, I don't know who you've seen playing jazz, but if they can't read a 12/8 and call it 'false' then they're not musicians!  ;-)  Writing everything in triplets is like saying "Skarz dont skare" instead of "Scars don't scare."

Trust me, going for triplets all the way means you're using a 3 time signature somewhere (3/4, 6/8 or 12/8) and you haven't seen it.  There is no such thing as a 4/4 written in triplets all over.  It's the musical equivalent of spelling and grammar mistakes.

Re: My MIDIs

Reply #13 –
There is no such thing as a 4/4 written in triplets all over. It's the musical equivalent of spelling and grammar mistakes.

I think you'll find Bach and Schubert disagreeing, also probably quite a few others. Oh right, but what do they know about jazz... ;-)

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Reply #14 –
I don't think he was referring to "the dead,white guys" Fred!!

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Reply #15 –
Watch your language! Whenever my e-mail wants to throw out the trash, I take it personally.

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Reply #16 –
Schubert did indeed write triplets in 3/4 time, but he didn't mark them as such. We just need a way to suppress those pesky 3s.

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Reply #17 –
>>I think you'll find Bach and Schubert disagreeing, also probably quite a few others. Oh right, but what do they know about jazz... ;-)<<

Exactly.  I know Bach and how bitchy he can be to play.  I was talking specifically about this guy's jazz score.  If you'd seen the way it was written, you'd understand.  I was talking about his music, and how some people don't notice it's a 3 beat and you put triplets all over just so it fits.  But on a sheet, that's not how you write it, and that's what I told him.

Re: My MIDIs

Reply #18 –
Boy, did this thread get taken out of context. I think I have some clearing up to do.

1) Robert - I don't really know what you are talking about, but if you listen to the song in question, you will see that it does not resemble either a SATB choir nor a Southern spiritual. It's a corny jazz song that I wrote as a senior in high school. Jazz does not mean slave music and yes, white people can write good jazz.

2) Simon - I would assume that jazz musicians can read a 12/8 meter, but writing a 4/4 song in 12/8 is just the kind of "grammatical" error that you are talking about. I fully realize that the eighth notes should be written "normal", but my computer (and I would assume yours) cannot comprehend the concept of "swinging" and so when writing in MIDI you gotta bend some rules. I would say now, though, that Barry's suggestion was probably the best one in this thread, and seems like the best way to approach this.

3) Fred - Bach's notation system was a bit different than the one we currently employ. I don't think anybody can seriously compare his notation methods to that of modern day jazz.

4) Simon again - Like I said before, I have 2 versions of that jazz song. One is written with straight eighths (THAT MEANS NO TRIPLETS), in case I decide to print it out. The other one (the one I sent you) had the triplets added so that the computer can play it swung. I seriously don't see what the big deal was.

Re: My MIDIs

Reply #19 –
I used to have two versions of my swing charts, but they were part of the same file.  Everything that is heard is not seen, and everything that is seen is not heard (hidden staves and muted staves).  Now I use User Tip #103.  Really cuts down on the file size, too.

Re: My MIDIs

Reply #20 –
>>4) Simon again - Like I said before, I have 2 versions of that jazz song. One is written with straight eighths (THAT MEANS NO TRIPLETS), in case I decide to print it out. The other one (the one I sent you) had the triplets added so that the computer can play it swung. I seriously don't see what the big deal was.<<

You don't see the big deal because there is no big deal, and I didn't make one.  I had understood you the first time, there's no need to shout.  ;-)

The reason why I wrote you the 12/8 thing is because it's the way to both write your eights correctly *and* give it a swing feel.  Just adjust the tempo and tweak it a little.  Trust me, it'll swing.

Re: My MIDIs

Reply #21 –
I'm sorry if I sounded like I was yelling at you, Simon. I just got a little frusterated since everybody was going off on their own little tangents and nobody really knew what the whole thread was about.