New area for me

[Fred Winterling (harbor1)]

I don't know if this is the correct location to place this piece. It is so out of character for me, I have no idea where it belongs. I's been many, many years since I have done anything of a serious nature.
It was composed completely on the fly in less than 5 minutes. I had no intention of writing anything, no motif, no melody in mind haunting me, I just pushed the red button and started playing how I felt. It is one of the very few things I have done that I actually like. Not because of what it is, there are a lot of really good musicians on this forum that will probably wonder what it is that I like. It is because it surprised me so much. For the past 3 months my fingers have been on the keyboard at least 10-12 hours every day, sometimes longer. I have not played for an audience in over 25 years, and I was not kidding when I said I keep my windows closed. Many years ago I had the right to "walk with a swagger", but since I had to stop playing the saxophone no one has heard a note out of me. I studied piano for 6 years with probably the best jazz pianist in Baltimore, but all I learned was theory. I was never happy with my playing. Friends and family have told me I play well, but I knew better. I believe my playing has improved more over the last few months than in the last 10 years. This piece and maybe the last 3 compositions have given me a feeling of confidence I never had before. I owe it all to Composer!!!!! Thank you so much, Mark! Without it, I would be stuck in the same rut I have been in for a long time.
I would welcome any criticism. What do I need to work on? What would make it better or more interesting? I could use a few tips. Thank you.
Fred Winterling

<center><table border=1><tr><td>http://www.notation.com/discus/icons/attachment_icon.gifSolitude (for lack of a better word)
Solitude.not (http://www.notation.com/discus/messages/35939/Solitude-27139.not) (108.7 k)</td></tr></table></center>

[Mark Walsen (markwa)]

Hello Fred,

10-12 hours a day at the piano! Wow! This is wonderful that you are able to indulge in music so much. That Composer has help renew your inspiration brings satisfaction to me.

Your Solitude piece reminds me a lot of some of the music that Tim Fatchen music has presented in this forum under the Easy Listening style. Check it out. You might find a soul mate in Tim.

I think you'll find the upcoming metronomeless transcription feature in MidiNotate Composer Pro quite interesting. I already tried it on your Patsy_s_Song.not. It didn't work very well on your music. In general, the process of transforming a metronomeless transcription into a score is more difficult the more rubato there is in the piece. Your improvisations have a very high degree of rubato. If you find that you want to turn improvisations into notated scores, you might find that you'll need to compromise on the rubato initially in the improvisation, keeping a more defined beat, where the meter and barlines are fairly clear. Then, after MidiNotate transcribes the metronomeless transcription, you can go back an manually add in the rubato (tempo changes). However, if you don't want to make such a compromise, you'll still be able to improvise with all of the rubato you want. It just means you'll have to work harder to convert the metronomeless recording into a readable score. You'll have a chance to try out this new feature in not many weeks.

Keep the music flowing!

Cheers
-- Mark

[Fred Winterling (harbor1)]

Hi Mark,
Thank you! To say that anything I have done reminds you of some of Tim Fatchen's music is , to say the very least, flattering and extremely complimentary. I have been a silent fan of Tim's since my first excursion to this forum. Tim's music is indicative of the way I often feel. When I want to relax and chill out, I go to Tim's page on Soundclick and listen to his music and dream that I am playing it. He is a highly skilled musician and composer and 10 -12 hours a day on the keyboard isn't nearly enough to sit in the same ballpark.
You're right about the rubato. I should spend a lot more time playing along with a ryhthm section to keep me reined in. I need a lot more familiarity with the software to try to get some of my pieces properly notated. I have tried to edit the meter, but it seems it takes all the feeling out of it when I try to do so. I'll get it eventually. I hope to be able to get Composer Pro at some point. Unfortunately, my birthday and Father's Day has already passed. Thanks again!
Fred

[Mark Walsen (markwa)]

Hi Fred,

<blockquote><hr size=0><!-quote-!><font size=1>quote:</font>

I have tried to edit the meter, but it seems it takes all the feeling out of it when I try to do so.<!-/quote-!><hr size=0></blockquote>MidiNotate Composer will have failed if it doesn't provide a way for you to preserve all of the feeling while, at the same, let you fix up the notation so that it is readable. That's one of the main ideas in Composer, that it lets you edit both the notation and performance, together, or independently, however you want. In the case of your highly rubato improvisations, this just means that you'll have to work harder to produce the notation while preserving the original performance. But it will be quite possible, and perhaps even fun to do.

Cheers
-- Mark

[Fred Winterling (harbor1)]

Hi Mark,
Believe me, Composer hasn't failed! I'm just not very proficient at editing the notation. I'm saving the files now under a different name and playing with the editing to get better at it without messing up the original. Sometimes instructions are a little over my head, but after reading something over a few times and working with it, I finally say "duh". Just a few more duhs and I'll be there.
Fred

[Robert Coppedge (robertc1936)]

Hi Mark:

Just a real quick question and a comment.

Does Composer Pro have the "metronomeless" feature? If so, just how does it work?

Comment: I would assume that even with such a feature, as you pointed out above, there would have to be SOME limits on rubato, and such other tempo changes. Otherwise, how could ANY sequencing program know if there was in fact a rubato, or if a note was actually callied over into the next measure? Am I right in this assumption?

I know that "metronomeless" features do exist, because on one of the ragtime midi sites the sequencer states that he played in "real time," and the metronomeless feature took care of his somewhat erratic tempo changes.

Bob Coppedge.

[Mark Walsen (markwa)]

Hello Bob,

The metronomeless feature has not been released in any version of Composer yet, but it will be included in a new version of Composer this spring.

Your comment about rubato points to the challenge of metronomeless transcription. Rubato actually can be a challenge even to a musically knowledgable listener. And, for sure, a musically knowledgable listener is going to transcribe rubato better than any software ever will. So, yes, there will be limits to how responsive the metronomeless transcription will be to rubato.

If you hear a MIDI file with a lot of rubato, and if the rhythm of the notes look correct, then most likely the notes for this MIDI file were entered by hand, and then the rubato tempo map was added afterwards. With the upcoming metronomeless feature, this won't be necessary.

Cheers
-- Mark