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purplepiper 
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 Topic: acoustic medieval suite...
Posted: July 07 2007 at 01:43 |
I am attempting to write a medieval suite for solo acoustic guitar, but it is proving to be difficult. I have completed the opening theme, but I have no idea what to play after it! What would you suggest to fill the majority of the piece with? Where should I turn for inspiration? The intro is played finger style and is only about 1:28 long. Should I go into a chord progression? What would you as a future audience like to hear in a medieval suite? Any ideas?
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for those about to prog, we salute you.
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el böthy
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Posted: July 07 2007 at 16:52 |
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mmm if its only guitars, the definitly some good arpegios, nice and easy, and if you can throw some tension at the end, that would be great!
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"You want me to play what, Robert?"
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purplepiper
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Posted: July 07 2007 at 21:23 |
 el böthy wrote:
mmm if its only guitars, the definitly some good arpegios, nice and easy, and if you can throw some tension at the end, that would be great! |
Yeah, arpeggios could be good! The problem I face now is how to differentiate between sounding classical and sounding medieval. It's quite difficult! I'm working on the next part of the song and it does in fact include arpeggios. I'm also thinking of fusing different pieces of the main theme with different parts of the song. I guess I'm going to try evoking somthing similar to the beggining of genesis' 'dancing with the moonlit knight'. What do you think? I'm gonna go listen to raconteur troubadour now and get inspired!
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for those about to prog, we salute you.
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purplepiper
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Posted: July 18 2007 at 20:33 |
though nobody posts in this thread, I will continue to tell of my struggle to write and compose a 'medieval suite'. Writing anything that sounds 'medieval' is a difficult task. Does anybody really know what medieval music really sounds like? Hopefully my writings are not too far off! I have just written the melody to part 2 of the suite and will continue to develop it. It has a medieval 'dance feel' to it and it will be used to tell an instrumental story (the whole song tells a story). The complete work is intended to be quite lengthy, hopefully reaching the highest points of grandeur that a lone guitarist can! Well, thats all i've got for now. Anyone is free to offer suggestions.
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for those about to prog, we salute you.
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Eetu Pellonpaa
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Posted: July 20 2007 at 03:42 |
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Try "Anthem" by Raplh Towner (from the album of same name). There's a quite simple and beautiful medieval sounding theme, and the run of impriovisations from it's scales, and return to the theme. Really beautiful!
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The Whistler
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Posted: July 20 2007 at 03:49 |
Do you want a slow, steady, stately medieval theme, or a jaunty, jolly medieval theme?
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"There seem to be quite a large percentage of young American boys out there tonight. A long way from home, eh? Well so are we... Gotta stick together." -I. Anderson
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sheeves
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Posted: July 20 2007 at 21:56 |
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listen to the beginning of grendel
it is very celtic
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purplepiper
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Posted: July 21 2007 at 20:16 |
The Whistler wrote:
Do you want a slow, steady, stately medieval theme, or a jaunty, jolly medieval theme? |
Well, the piece is suppossed to be a multiple movement suite, consisting of different sections which are suppossed to tell a 'musical story' of sorts. The story is something like a knight goes out on a quest or something and the different parts of a hero's journey are sort of depicted by the varying musical themes, so i'd need slow themes and jolly themes. Working on a jolly one right now! (think feast in a large hall the night before leaving on a quest) My intro theme is perfect, a sort of setting for the story, but writing other things which match and sound as good is proving to be a formidable challenge!
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for those about to prog, we salute you.
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Rimantas B.
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Posted: July 22 2007 at 05:43 |
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To sound medieval, you have to:
- stop using regular scales. Now.
- instead, use modes like dorian, locrian and so on.
- don't use too many chords. At least no chords like you would normally play them.
- To be very medieval, play lots of fifths, fourths and octaves. Remember that playing thirds is somewhat indecent, and playing a second or a tritone is close a mortal sin (ironic it sounds, yet it was absolutely not funny to say so in the Middle Ages)
- Don't get too polyphonic.
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Australian
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Posted: July 22 2007 at 06:37 |
Mixolydian mode works well…
Try to get a hold of a sackbut as well
or to make things easier just use a trombone
or just copy the Jethro Tull approach...
Edited by Australian - July 22 2007 at 06:37
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purplepiper
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Posted: July 22 2007 at 15:00 |
Australian wrote:
Mixolydian mode works well…
Try to get a hold of a sackbut as well
or to make things easier just use a trombone
or just copy the Jethro Tull approach... |
mixolydian eh? I was considering dorian myself. Perhaps a hybrid of the two? Hmmm. What's a sackbut? Well, I have a trombone and trumpet, but I can't play either of them. Used to be a good trombonist but the years of guitar training have turned my musical endeavours elsewhere. I wish I had someone who could play tambourine and someone to play recorder! That'd be perfect. Of course, horns are nice too!
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for those about to prog, we salute you.
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Rimantas B.
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Posted: July 22 2007 at 16:26 |
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If it's a recording project, I would gladly play the flute. It's not really medieval, but there aren't so many people around who know that concert flutes were invented only in 1847.
I used to play recorder too, but mine is close to broken now...
It would be difficult to play live, though :D
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sheeves
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Posted: July 22 2007 at 22:43 |
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Also, if you can get your hands on one, a twelve string guitar for the slower more epic parts, you should find a twelve string-guitar. Also, see if you can find a mandolin to accompany the guitar for the jolly parts. See Led Zeppelin IV songs Battle of Evermore and Stairway to Heaven as well.
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purplepiper
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Posted: July 23 2007 at 00:19 |
Rimantas B. wrote:
If it's a recording project, I would gladly play the flute. It's not really medieval, but there aren't so many people around who know that concert flutes were invented only in 1847.
I used to play recorder too, but mine is close to broken now...
It would be difficult to play live, though :D |
sorry man, it isn't a recording project. I don't have the equipment, yet...bye the way, I think flutes can sound quite medieval! If you weren't on the other side of the world, i'd have welcomed your accompanyment! I wish I had a flute player, but i've got to go solo for now...
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for those about to prog, we salute you.
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purplepiper
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Posted: July 23 2007 at 00:32 |
sheeves wrote:
Also, if you can get your hands on one, a twelve string guitar for the slower more epic parts, you should find a twelve string-guitar. Also, see if you can find a mandolin to accompany the guitar for the jolly parts. See Led Zeppelin IV songs Battle of Evermore and Stairway to Heaven as well. |
All I have is an acoustic guitar and an electric guitar. I play my song on the acoustic. Yeah, I love the sound of 12 strings (especially in genesis!). Problem is, i'm broke! No mandos either. If only I had the means to select any instrument and have someone play parts i'd arrange for them...right now in working on a 'twilight-ish' section consisting of pure arpeggios. It seems to fit well enough and i've got a pretty good transition into it. I'm trying to create different musical textures, so I think I might have a strumming section, and maybe follow that with a single note melody. I think if I could manage to use my voice as a backing instrument of sorts that'd help! Oh yeah! I have a keyboard...could use some synthetic sounds like horns or recorders. I'd have to get my buddy to play it though. Damn, if only I had a medieval quartet with me, a horn, a recorder, and a tambourine man! Tha'd be awesome! I'll have a lute by then...
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for those about to prog, we salute you.
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Rimantas B.
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Posted: July 23 2007 at 03:06 |
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Too bad then.
-
Actually, in the first post you stated it was a solo project. Why are you looking for those additional instruments then? ;)
And, actually, I wouldn't recommend using synth sounds... Unless they are really top-class.
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The Whistler
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Posted: July 23 2007 at 03:09 |
Oh, that's why you wanted the lute! I just wanted it to be hip.
Hey, if you're gonna take the Tull approach, I can play a mean recorder...
Edited by The Whistler - July 23 2007 at 03:10
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"There seem to be quite a large percentage of young American boys out there tonight. A long way from home, eh? Well so are we... Gotta stick together." -I. Anderson
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purplepiper
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Posted: July 23 2007 at 21:17 |
The Whistler wrote:
Oh, that's why you wanted the lute! I just wanted it to be hip.
Hey, if you're gonna take the Tull approach, I can play a mean recorder...
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Lutes are very hip whistler...Never forget that! I wanted a lute before I contrived the idea for the piece i'm working on. I want one because I have a fascination with all things medieval and I decided that if I had lived back then I would probably have been a minstrel, myself being a musician and poet. Plus there's the fact that they sound so beautiful! I'm not taking the tull approach, rather a strictly classical approach. I spent hours today trying to write a part of it and i'm still not done! It is becoming quite complicated...endless arpegios...constantly changing harmony...I feel like a freakin composer, only i'm writing for only one instrument!
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for those about to prog, we salute you.
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purplepiper
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Posted: July 23 2007 at 21:20 |
Rimantas B. wrote:
Too bad then.
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Actually, in the first post you stated it was a solo project. Why are you looking for those additional instruments then? ;)
And, actually, I wouldn't recommend using synth sounds... Unless they are really top-class. |
you're right, it is a solo thing. I was merely entertaining the idea of other instruments. The only reason it's a solo project is because I don't have a band. Yeah, better steer clear of the synths...wouldn't sound authentic at all. My keyboard is crap anyway! 
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for those about to prog, we salute you.
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nightlamp
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Posted: July 26 2007 at 14:42 |
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My suggestions: avoid chord progressions, as harmony (as we know it) didn't exist in medieval music; instead, use alternate tunings to create drones, and focus on melodic lines. If you're going to go the organum route (2-3 intertwining horizontal lines) you could use recorder, flute, or some other wind instrument to vary the timbres. Add in some percussion for color-- maybe a tambor (side drum), tambourine, sistrums, etc.-- and you're good to go. YMMV of course, but I hope it's helpful... :)
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acoustic medieval suite...
