Score: 10

"Inspiring"

submission: *- Orchestral Demo -*

date: July 21, 2009

This is beautiful! The melody is so sweet and the chords are so lush....I love it! It sounds like film score material to me. The oboe in particular is fantastic. What did you do to compose this as far as hardware and software?

Now hurry and finish this gosh darnit!

Score: 10

"....highly impressive...."

submission: *-See You Again (Jebbal Mix)-*

date: July 19, 2009

I must say, I strongly dislike Miley Cyrus as a person, actor, AND musician. However, you've managed to make a pretty kickin' arrangement despite the fact that it is....her. That being the case, you could do anything you set your mind to, no doubt. :P

Kudos!

Score: 10

"Beautiful"

submission: This, my song.

date: July 18, 2009

This is a touching piece, shrouded in mystery and intrigue. The melody is beautiful and the dynamics make it very much alive. Thanks for a great song to imagine to. :)

Did you play it live on the piano, or at least use a midi controller?

Score: 8

"A good start"

submission: Have Faith

date: July 5, 2009

The chord progression is very uplifting, with a sort of mysterious intrigue to it. It somewhat reminds me of Christophori's Dream by the new age composer David Lanz.

The chord progression is definitely a solid start, but the melody is lacking. It consists almost entirely of chord tones, without any real interest. Adding some rhythms other than whole notes would be helpful. Perhaps you could go from one note in the chord to another in the melody, with a nonchord note in between.

The arpeggiated guitar accompaniment does its job, but the "clicky" percussion instrument is too distracting and plain in my opinion. Maybe lower the volume and change the rhythm every so often.

As for the low sound quality, I understand that you are probably using cheap or free software. I have been in the same boat and still use free software to this day. Depending on what software you are using, you may be able to use soundfonts, which can add a new layer of depth and realism. PM me if you want to know more.

A good start, but this could use some development. Keep composing and improving!

~Blaze

PS. What software do you use?

Score: 10

"Fantastic!"

submission: Sadness and Sorrow Remake

date: April 10, 2009

This is a solid arrangement. I love the orchestration and fresh transitions. The block chord strings create a nice, simplistic backdrop and I enjoy the character that the choir adds. The harp is nice and I rather enjoyed the timpani.bass drum roll. The quality of the piano sound is quite rich. I just wish I could afford EWQL. :P

I like the major chord at 1:31. Also some of the original chord progressions. However, I'm not a fan of the counterpoint around the 1:49 section in the winds. It was subtle and quiet, but the secondary melodies clashed at points to my dislike. It sounded too busy at some points. With the original song, I composed very simplistically, just three chords and a nice little melody. I like your interpretation, but it is just a tad too "busy" for my tastes.

Great job on this! Keep up the excellent work. :) Have you taken any music theory classes before? I am also a sophomore and am taking music theory I at the moment (Though I wrote the original "Sadness and Sorrow" years ago before I knew much).

Score: 10

"Nice!"

submission: [KgZ} Piano Collab "A minor"

date: January 4, 2009

I love the use of chord extensions and passing tones. It gives the tune a very lush feel to it. Not quite jazzy, but very beautiful. It almost reminds me of a song from one of the Miyazaki films for some reason. Like Howl's Moving Castle. The only part I don't like is the note at 26 seconds. It sounds quite sour to me, but that is probably personal preference. Nice dynamic subtleties and piano quality! Was this recorded? How much do you know about music theory?

Score: 8

"I love To Zanarkand"

submission: Solus- From Zanarkand

date: September 28, 2008

This song has always been a favorite of mine. It was the first song that I ever taught myself to play on the piano, making it a piece that is very close to my heart. It is so emotionally intense.

That being said, I feel as if your rendition was too similar to the original. The piano line was quoted nearly verbatim, which is why I had to knock down the score to an 8. I feel as if this mix just didn't offer enough originality. :( Here are my thoughts on the arrangement.

-Strings: Added a nice layer to the soundscape. Simple, but effective. Perhaps a tad bit overpowering at times.
-Piano: Not a big fan of the sample. It sounded like a mix between an electric and acoustic piano, along with some bells. While you pulled off some wonderful dynamics at points, I wish there were more subtleties to make it realistic. A real pianist naturally accents the first and third beats slightly and uses gradual crescendos and decrescendos to create good phrasing. This was a bit too mechanical.
-Tempo: If you listen to the original version of this song or arrangement for FFX: Piano Collections, you will find that it is simply teeming with rubato and tempo variations. This is what breaths so much life and emotion into a piano track of this style. The chord at the end is a prime example; I was really expecting a ritardando there. It would have been SO much more satisfying!

You've done an excellent job transcribing the piano line, but I feel as if it lacks any originality. Try to throw in your own style, work on tempo changes (Very easy to manage in FL Studio) and you'll be set. I hope that helps at all.

Keep it up! :D
~Blaze

Score: 8

"I dig! :D"

submission: Village Of Reese

date: September 27, 2008

Posting new songs without PMing me? What's this all about! :P

(I don't have much time and this is a short song, so I'll leave a relatively short review.)

Firstly, I love the samples. The guitar sample is wonderful. Is it a free sample? Which piano sound are you using?

As for the actual loop, I really enjoy it. The chord progression is peaceful and bittersweet. The violins add to that feel. The high register piano line is very pleasant and adds a nice layer. The piano part at :37 was one which I enjoyed. The guitar harmony was very enjoyable and smooth. I liked the few guitar chords following :30. This would work well as the theme for a small farm or port village.

I really don't have much criticism. When it loops, it is slightly choppy, but that is likely due to my computer. Also, I would like it to be longer. While it is nice, it would be a bit monotonous to listen to for long periods of time. Another section or two with some different instrumental textures would help make it easier to listen for extended periods as you would in a video game. Also, when the instruments (except for guitar) dropped at :27, it felt just barely choppy. I am being extremely picky here, but only because there are not many faults in the song that I can gather.

Nice job, but a little more length would be nice. I'm excited to hear more of your works. You are improving greatly! :D

~Blaze

Score: 9

"Beautiful"

submission: {CW} Peaceful Dreams

date: September 27, 2008

I love the chord progression. It is nice and simple, well paced and beautiful. The melody flows nicely and conveys that sense of peace.

When I listen to this, I think of the town where I grew up. I see myself atop the nearby mountain after a long day of hiking, sitting next to my older brother. A brilliant sunset envelopes the sky, and we marvel at the magnificence of God's creation. There is a feeling of serenity and security, and I cannot help but wish that those few seconds would last an eternity. For the first time in ages, I feel as though I am alive. I feel genuine joy. I smile.

This track carries a feeling of reminiscence, and with it, bitter-sweetness. It makes me remember the good times, but makes me slightly sad that they are in the past.

You've made a nice little track! It is soothing to say the least. You employed a nice amount of reverb and added some nice touches such as the notes at 1:22-1:23ish. The last rhythm at 2:19 was a good way to end it. As for advice, dynamics are lacking. The song is fairly stagnant in that regard. Employ more contrast in volume and you will reach the listener on a much deeper level. Also, subtle tempo changes would make it sound more realistic. I'm assuming that you are using FL Studio, and there is a really convenient way to work tempo changes in it if you are interesting.

Good job and keep it up! :D
~Blaze

Score: 9

"Manny memories...:D"

submission: NES Ducktales - The Moon

date: September 4, 2008

This pleasant little loop brought back some fond memories. Duck Tales was an excellent game with wonderful music. The Moon theme has always been my favorite and I've meant to remix it for some time now. You've inspired me to get around to doing it!

The drums work well enough and the song loops nicely. The synths added a nice feel. I wish that you would take a bit more of an original approach, however. While this works, it is more switching instruments than actual arranging. A variation in chord progression, melodic rhythm, meter, or the addition of an original solo would have been nice. I realize that this is a short loop, but it is still too similar to the source material in my opinion. Subtleties such as velocity could also use just a bit of work. Also, it may just be me, but the tempo at the beginning of the loop seems just a tad bit faster than the ending. I'm probably just imagining that though.

Nice job as a whole, but lack of originality kept it from being a 10/10.

Keep it up,
~Blaze :)