May 16, 2009

Motivic Transformation

Small homework assignment from my sophomore theory class. The exercise was to take a pattern of notes – a “motif” – and spin it into an entire piece, by writing it backwards, forwards, higher, lower, in a different rhythm, etc. Hence the title of the assignment, “Motivic Transformation.”

I use a few motifs, but my main motif is only 4 notes long. To the composers out there: remember that one small idea can take you very far, so if you’re stuck, recycle!

8 comments:

  1. Ah, simply beautiful, as always.
    For something that starts out of 4 notes.. that's really damn amazing.

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  2. That's really cool! Only you could make something so grand out of something so little.

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  3. That was some really cool (minimalist?) piece. I don't know much about "motifs", but It was amazing somehow.

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  4. Thanks, guys!

    To Knoll: You know how when you're reading a story, a small idea that occurs over and over again is called a "motif"? Music is the same way... a "motif" is just a small set of notes that occurs throughout a piece. My main motif is the set of notes in the right hand that repeats itself in the very beginning. :)

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  5. So, a motif is like the left hand of "Midna's Lament"? It amazes me that this was a "small" assignment. Your high school must've been real advanced for classes like that. Congrats. It was awsome as always ^-^

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  6. Hm... I suppose it could be considered a motif.

    Also, I meant my college sophomore theory class, haha. My high school(s) didn't have music theory classes.

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  7. Aivi I'm just curious but can you sight-read well?

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  8. Wow. I write music too, and you have no idea how much this helped me. I'm taking music theory next year, but I'm really glad to learn stuff like this now, so i can work over the summer. thank you!

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