May Contest: Gossip

[inboxzero]

My whole point earlier was that drones are absolutely part of traditional monophonic music, and therefore are in the spirit of a monophonic comp. In my humble opinion the problem is the defininition used. It limits to the point of eliminating the traditional monophonic forms.

Agreed!

[Mister Natural]

^ I would simply remind the participants that this is DH's sandbox, not a democracy. If he wants to define a contest as Mono Piece with "non-drone", that's his perogative.

I really can't participate this month 'cause I cannot create a piece without needlessly wanking "weedly-weedly-dee" on my Strat for ~3 minutes. My work depends on texture & atmosphere

peace

[IrionDaRonin]

Thanks for the replies so far.

I already finished my shitty experiment. But i think i will show to D. H. Miltz before, so he can say if i'm in or i must change somethings.

Have a good day

[JJBiener]

My submission for the month is in. In the past, I was lucky to get it in at all let alone in the first week. I just happened to have some time today, and the inspiration was upon me.

[D.H. Miltz]

Not my sandbox, I'm just the volunteer, uh, sandbox guy.

I didn't know about drones (and even percussion, apparently) and traditional monophonic music, but if I had I would probably have still excluded them from the contest definition (as with non-octave intervals in unison, and for the same reason).

IrionDaRonin, you don't need to run your entry by me, though I guess if you really want to you can. My take on your question about long delays is pretty much the same as JJBiener's and slartibartfast's.

[IrionDaRonin]

Then i don't take the concept yet. I have doubts.

We stand monophonic as:

- No chords (except octaves), no harmonies, no acompaniments.

or

- Only one note at time in the whole track.

I'm still a bit confused, hehe. And i was making the second thing, a track only with one note at same time, only one instrument.

Can anyone show me the light?

Have a good day

[Doc Jon]

It is certainly a challenge!

I've got the bare bones of a piece done. Looking at the MIDI notes it is strictly monophonic with only one note played at a time (apart from some octave intervals)

However...

I'm working on the basis that a finger picked guitar line is monophonic so I'm assuming that a certain amount of decay of the note is ok, even if it runs into the next note (or two). I'm also assuming that as Gregorian chant is a good example of monophonic music then a cathedral (monastery) sized reverb is ok cos that's what they use!

I guess monophony will be in the ear of the beholder when it comes to voting so we will have to see

Jon

[forw]

Then i don't take the concept yet. I have doubts.

- No chords (except octaves), no harmonies, no acompaniments.

or

- Only one note at time in the whole track.

yes, I'm still not sure either.
What if I play an arrangement of a song with my monophonic synth?
8 bars bassline switching to 8 bars chord-arpeggio, 8 bars melody etc.
It would be only one note at a time. But there would be some kind of harmonies..

in summary:

- switching instruments is allowed, I guess (see the "schoenberg" post earlier)
- playing melody lines in unison (same or different octave, same or different sound)is ok
- using long sustain/delay/reverb is ok (see earlier posts)

- can I add baselines inbetween the melody?( I would say yes, cause it's actually also some kind of melody)
- is usage of arpeggios allowed? ( I would say yes, cause it's also some kind of melody)

- playing two or more notes at the same times is forbidden, of course

[pljones]

A sine wave has no harmonics. Any other shaped waveform introduces harmonics. OK, not harmony...

An organ has stops that influence the mix between fundamental, sub-harmonics and harmonics; a full pipe organ has a wide array of tones and textures to pull on. Using the pedal board (with one set up), lower manual (with a second set up) and upper manual (with a third set up) in a monophonic arrangement - i.e. in unison or at octave intervals - would still be a pretty forceful sound.

So many things I'd try if I had time...

[rockstar_not]

Well,

I've listened to the two entries so far, and I would say that one meets the requirements, and the other does not. Hopefully Emerald Tablet will not be upset with me (I did vote him #1 in the contest a couple months back) - his entry holds a sustain down so that the melody becomes an underlying chord, two times in the track at least.

In my understanding of the rules, this violates the rules for this month's contest.

I would also be up for him re-submitting legally by simply removing that sustain - if it is judged by DHM to be in violation.

-Scott

[D.H. Miltz]

I begin to see the allure of the free-for-all.

My basic answer to all the questions can be summed up by quoting Doc Jon:

I guess monophony will be in the ear of the beholder when it comes to voting

But I'll try to answer more specifically.

And i was making the second thing, a track only with one note at same time, only one instrument.

That seems fine. With the very long delays you asked about it could move into a grayer area. Are you repeatedly or constantly making harmonic intervals with the delayed notes? More than might naturally occur with some instruments? If so, then maybe rethink it, but that's your call.

I'm working on the basis that a finger picked guitar line is monophonic so I'm assuming that a certain amount of decay of the note is ok, even if it runs into the next note (or two).

I'm trying to figure this one out myself as I try out different ideas. I think with some instruments a certain amount is inevitable, but some care should be taken that notes aren't ringing out and stacking into chords. It is tricky. On reverb: seems okay to me.

What if I play an arrangement of a song with my monophonic synth?
8 bars bassline switching to 8 bars chord-arpeggio, 8 bars melody etc.
It would be only one note at a time. But there would be some kind of harmonies..

If it would be only one note at a time, I guess so. I don't understand how there would be harmonies, so I can't answer that.

- using long sustain/delay/reverb is ok (see earlier posts)

Yes, but also see cautionary earlier posts re: delay.

- can I add baselines inbetween the melody?( I would say yes, cause it's actually also some kind of melody)

Again, if it is one note at a time, that could be switching instruments...without hearing it I'd say yes. Voters might disagree.

is usage of arpeggios allowed? ( I would say yes, cause it's also some kind of melody)

Unless I'm misunderstanding what an arpeggio is--and with the cautions about stacking notes in mind--I don't see why not.

Well,

I've listened to the two entries so far, and I would say that one meets the requirements, and the other does not. Hopefully Emerald Tablet will not be upset with me (I did vote him #1 in the contest a couple months back) - his entry holds a sustain down so that the melody becomes an underlying chord, two times in the track at least.

In my understanding of the rules, this violates the rules for this month's contest.

I would also be up for him re-submitting legally by simply removing that sustain - if it is judged by DHM to be in violation.

-Scott

I think theme violations aren't quite rule violations and are best dealt with/interpreted by voters*.


*By which I don't mean only by voting. I've heard repeatedly variations on "If you think something violates the rules/theme, just don't vote for it." The implication being that it is unseemly to also discuss it in the gossip thread (except, maybe, in reviews). To which I can only say: Bunk. If something seems wrong with an entry then saying so is entirely reasonable, calling it to the attention of other voters is entirely reasonable, and so on (this assumes a lack of personal attacks). Not required or anything, but okay.

[pljones]

arpeggio - think of playing a harp. The strings are played one at a time but the long decay means you can clearly hear chords. So if that's the use an arpeggio is put to, I'd call it out.

[D.H. Miltz]

arpeggio - think of playing a harp. The strings are played one at a time but the long decay means you can clearly hear chords. So if that's the use an arpeggio is put to, I'd call it out.

I'd agree. The ringing out is what I wasn't clear on. Is it still an arpeggio if the notes are discrete/not ringing out?

[IrionDaRonin]

Well, i'm doing a kind of arpeggios too (manuals). So they are like a melody.

But instead of:
XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX
Which could sound like a chord if the decay is long.

It's more like:
X-X- --X- X--- X---
And a structure like that. Like a plucked melody.

Note ON = X
Note Off = -

No chords, only some octaves. And portamento notes (monophonic).
With a bit of reverb, and a slighty delay.

I'm doing a kind of "accompaniment", due i'm doing the "bass" for the melody, with the same instrument, but the notes NEVER touch each others in the same column. And the decay of each note doesn't touch the next one neither, due it's a slow arpeggio.

So it's more like this:

X= Note ON, high note.
B= Note ON, low note.
-= Note off.

X-B- --X- X--- X---

And thus, the whole melody.
The instrument used is the Guzheng, which it sounds exactly like it has to sound.

It's that ok?

That's my entry practically. But i would like to do things well, i wouldn't like to get disqualified.

Have a good day

[D.H. Miltz]

First, just to be clear: If it follows the rules that are there every month no matter what the theme is then it won't be disqualified, even if I don't think it fits the theme.

From what you described, you have a plucked melody with a low/bass part as part of the melody but with no overlapping notes (except some octaves). Is that right?