Alex you are such a legend man. These videos have been EXTREMELY valuable in understanding creating complex 5-part harmonies and introducing a bit of chromaticism and spiff into my own compositions. I’m a college graduate with a degree in music composition, but many of these concepts were extremely difficult for me to grasp until now. Please keep up what you’re doing, you’ve been a tremendous help old bean ;)
Thanks Andrew, really glad they're of use. I have a degree in music composition and find this stuff incredibly difficult too, it's really not easy! Probably because it's so far removed from modern harmony we've grown up with. But all the more satisfying to figure out! Couple more videos to come in this series in the coming months.
Jeremy: please inform Mr. Ball that his latest effort was quite illuminating. Also please express my gratitude that there is more to come, as this subject is of inexhaustible fascination. Whilst the genre is perhaps a bit narrow, I'm certain by now we are all aware of the broader significance to understanding modern tonality, 20th-century orchestration, and all sorts of other theoretical tommyrot. Now be off, and please see if you can fetch a spot of gin, easy on the tonic, with just a *twist* of lime when you return!
I received, with much delight, your felicitations via my good servant, Jeremy. After much deliberation, I would wish to send my gratitude and also to offer some gifts from my wife's haberdashery. Perhaps you could join us for tea, or a gin and tonicization, if it so pleases. I bid you toodles.
Your videos have it all man: substance, humour, balance, editing. WOW! I guess a modern composition using some of these devices could be Lemony Snicket's Loverly Spring but I haven't analyzed it.
Absolutely delightful! The mixture of wit and information is impeccable. I adore your utterly spiffing guide, and I am very much looking forward to the next part.
Dear Sir and/or Madam, Your video has compelled me to do something I swore I would never do. I have created a TH-cam account for the sole purpose of clicking the small like thingy on your video. In 30 minutes you did a better job of explaining block arranging than two terms of harmony/orchestration class offered by a reputable institution. Huzzah! I say, Huzzah!
Thanks Steve. Yes, I needed help with the theory as it was new to me. That's the purpose of these videos, to get something out there about this era. I think the trick is to be able to spot general things and bank them in the back of your mind. Then fiddle around with them when improvising. Otherwise it's just a cold exercise in theory.
This is like Look Around You for music. And so informative. The sound of ribbon mic'd divisi strings tickles my eardrums in a manner that borders on the indecent. Many thanks. Nice piano chops too!
Fantastic peak into complex harmonies! This whole guide gets more amazing as it grows. Can't just watch these just once, we must return and review periodically to really absorb all the concepts
My mum sang with the Wimbledon Girl Singers in the early 60s and Ronald Binge was the musical director! I showed her this and she was gobsmacked! Great series btw.
Dear Mr Ball, I must commend you on what is a truly spiffing series. As humorous as it is enlightening, I would wager that there is no finer moving picture in all of Christendom! My sincerest thanks, PMG
Thanks Alex, this series is absolutely gold! Such valuable and clear orchestration info. I was searching for some info on Henry Mancini's string writing and found you. Great to see some humour in orchestral music and a such refreshing change from the millions of "Piano sketch to full orchestra dull sounding film music in 5 minutes" tutorials. I appreciate the time you took to make these gems! Cheers
I don’t normally do this, but here it goes. I just randomly stumbled upon your channel and it’s quite entertaining and also very educational! Thanks for your hard work and for sharing your thoughts! I plan on watching many more of your videos!
Very informative. Wish I had studies music theory, but nevertheless, it's wonderful to see the sheet music and corresponding analyses of these pieces. I can officially say you are my favorite TH-camr!
The excerpts sound so good. When you are using two different string libraries (chamber strings and LASS in this case), are you simply just layering the same things and treating them as a bigger ensemble? Are you sort of using chamber strings sort of like a large first chair section?
Alex Ball No, man. I was kidding. That was awesome. I think that MarigoldProject brought me here and you did an awesome job. I didn't mean to put you in a hurry or something like that
Great Video! I'm really digging music like this - my favourites up to now have been Hugo Montenegro and Les Baxter. Gonna try and arrange a few of my favourite tunes in this style - thank you so much! I'm wondering is there any reason why there are two staffs used for the violins, when having 4-part harmony? Wouldn't it be much easier to read the voicing (as an arranger, not playing musician) if it was put in just one staff?
Thanks. I worked from the original piano conductor scores and used the same layout. But perhaps I should have changed it as you say. Might have been more intuitive.
There will be three more in this series. They take a lot longer to make than my other videos as I have to get scores and research them, but they will be up in the coming months.
I couldn't help myself and ended up making a light music piece of my own after watching this series. This is the session breakdown in case anyone's interested! th-cam.com/video/_q4Oy_lUgrI/w-d-xo.html
The high heels is an awesome piece. Sadly the theory behind such complex and beautiful piece is too broad, would love to have a longer vid for such stuff - what about doing some funing project for a full lenght vid?
I'm doing the best I can but these videos would be a full time job if I tried to go into more detail. The idea is demystify the music and give some sign posts of what to look for so the viewer can go from there in their own studies.
Again, really nice. Do you treat Spitfire Chamber Strings with anything else than Vinyl and reverb? What mic setup do you use for them? I sometimes find them a bit to slick but here they sound great.
This is a mix of LA scoring strings and Chamber Strings together. Just tree mics on Spitfire. Some PastToFuture reverb on the string bus and there's Abbey Road Vinyl on the mix bus. At the end of this series I'm going to do a specific video on using vsts for this era of music. So will cover it.
excellent stuff. 4 years of university and people wont learn this stuff. theyll be working on Fux specoies and other such drivel handed out by frustrated profs with shitty carreers. I learnt my counterpoint from Palestrina and block chord writting from tommy dorsey. better to look at the music and analyse as is done well in this video.
Sir; I regret to say that I shall not be 'baring' anything with you (old war wound). I may, however be persuaded to 'bear'. Your lectures are most interesting, though perhaps a little 'spicy'. Yours, Henry Cholmondeley (Major, retd)
Thanks for the feedback, can see your point. Was trying to cover off more generally the harmony. The Trevor Duncan example is fully orchestrated, so that displays the part writing nicely. But good to know your opinion, I'll take that one board for the next one.
At 7:35 your roman numeral analysis of the C9 is shown as V9, I think you mean V9/ii. But even then it doesn't move directly to ii (as you mention) so it isn't functioning as a dominant of ii, right? It moves to what you label V/V/ii, but that doesn't function properly either. It's all out of order! What magic is happening here?
Yes, apologies it's the V/ii as it's on the way to Fm over the page, but that G disrupts the function and acts like the dominant of the dominant of chord ii. If that wasn't there, it would be a simple secondary dominant. That's really the thing to focus on. For all my best attempts, there's still a lot I've got to get my head around and lots that leaves me scratching my head because the idioms are totally alien to those I'm used to in modern music.
I've used the same spelling of accidentals as they have on the original sheet music, but the analysis is done enharmonically. The function of that chord is as V+.
thanks, do you have any midi files of your composition? i'd like to try it with my kontakt library. maybe you could email me at ridwanpangestu94@gmail.com thanks!
Yes, woodwinds. Have written the script and structured it. Doing all the analysis of the scores at the moment, which takes hours and hours. Hoping to have it up in September.
This is awful good, old chap. Just what the doctor ordered, what? I say, don't stop here, those woodwind aren't going to blow themelseves... (Nonsense! How is that possibly rude..?)
Alex you are such a legend man. These videos have been EXTREMELY valuable in understanding creating complex 5-part harmonies and introducing a bit of chromaticism and spiff into my own compositions. I’m a college graduate with a degree in music composition, but many of these concepts were extremely difficult for me to grasp until now. Please keep up what you’re doing, you’ve been a tremendous help old bean ;)
Thanks Andrew, really glad they're of use. I have a degree in music composition and find this stuff incredibly difficult too, it's really not easy! Probably because it's so far removed from modern harmony we've grown up with.
But all the more satisfying to figure out! Couple more videos to come in this series in the coming months.
Jeremy: please inform Mr. Ball that his latest effort was quite illuminating. Also please express my gratitude that there is more to come, as this subject is of inexhaustible fascination. Whilst the genre is perhaps a bit narrow, I'm certain by now we are all aware of the broader significance to understanding modern tonality, 20th-century orchestration, and all sorts of other theoretical tommyrot. Now be off, and please see if you can fetch a spot of gin, easy on the tonic, with just a *twist* of lime when you return!
I received, with much delight, your felicitations via my good servant, Jeremy. After much deliberation, I would wish to send my gratitude and also to offer some gifts from my wife's haberdashery.
Perhaps you could join us for tea, or a gin and tonicization, if it so pleases.
I bid you toodles.
Ta!
Your videos have it all man: substance, humour, balance, editing. WOW! I guess a modern composition using some of these devices could be Lemony Snicket's Loverly Spring but I haven't analyzed it.
Absolutely delightful!
The mixture of wit and information is impeccable.
I adore your utterly spiffing guide, and I am very much looking forward to the next part.
Thanks very much. Hoping to do three more episodes for this series in the coming months.
Dear Sir and/or Madam,
Your video has compelled me to do something I swore I would never do. I have created a TH-cam account for the sole purpose of clicking the small like thingy on your video. In 30 minutes you did a better job of explaining block arranging than two terms of harmony/orchestration class offered by a reputable institution.
Huzzah! I say, Huzzah!
Why thank you kind Sir, I'm glad one found it efficacious.
Loving this series! Although I am a musician, the theory is all beyond me. Just love your style and the music!!
Thanks Steve. Yes, I needed help with the theory as it was new to me.
That's the purpose of these videos, to get something out there about this era. I think the trick is to be able to spot general things and bank them in the back of your mind. Then fiddle around with them when improvising. Otherwise it's just a cold exercise in theory.
This is like Look Around You for music. And so informative. The sound of ribbon mic'd divisi strings tickles my eardrums in a manner that borders on the indecent. Many thanks. Nice piano chops too!
I should hook up with synthesizer Patel.
Fantastic peak into complex harmonies! This whole guide gets more amazing as it grows. Can't just watch these just once, we must return and review periodically to really absorb all the concepts
Glad you like it. Yeah, the harmony of this era is fantastic. Slowly getting to spot the patterns as I fiddle around with it more.
My mum sang with the Wimbledon Girl Singers in the early 60s and Ronald Binge was the musical director! I showed her this and she was gobsmacked! Great series btw.
Dude, these vids are awesome. I've always wanted to learn how to make some funny Ren and Stimpy feel-good 50s music. Keep up the awesome work!
Yeah! That's precisely why I've been doing this. It's an art form and needs a spotlight.
Awesome Alex, you are a Genius man.
Dear Mr Ball, I must commend you on what is a truly spiffing series. As humorous as it is enlightening, I would wager that there is no finer moving picture in all of Christendom! My sincerest thanks,
PMG
Amazing Channel !! I'm speechless !! thanks for information on vsti and vst
Yas mate, been waitin' a long time comin!
Yeah, was pretty hard one to get right. Hopefully the next one will be more straight forward!
Thanks Alex, this series is absolutely gold! Such valuable and clear orchestration info. I was searching for some info on Henry Mancini's string writing and found you. Great to see some humour in orchestral music and a such refreshing change from the millions of "Piano sketch to full orchestra dull sounding film music in 5 minutes" tutorials. I appreciate the time you took to make these gems! Cheers
Thanks Sam. I'd largely forgotten that I even did these on my TH-cam journey. Still lurking back there!
This is incredibly helpful!
Just wanted to remind you that these are incredible and thanks for making them.
I don’t normally do this, but here it goes. I just randomly stumbled upon your channel and it’s quite entertaining and also very educational! Thanks for your hard work and for sharing your thoughts! I plan on watching many more of your videos!
Thanks David, that's good to know. Hope you enjoy the videos!
Thanks for all of this! you're amazing 🤘🏻
alex. you are a king!
Great work as always!
Thanks!
Very informative. Wish I had studies music theory, but nevertheless, it's wonderful to see the sheet music and corresponding analyses of these pieces.
I can officially say you are my favorite TH-camr!
I’ve been looking for this information for months! Amazing!
How utterly brilliant!
Absolutely brilliant. But often I find myself going cross eyed and returning to Red Skeltons Guzzlers Gin sketch.
You are amazing.
Splendid. Just splendid.
Why thank you, ma'am.
Wonderful as always!
Thanks
brilliant video! waiting for part 4
The excerpts sound so good. When you are using two different string libraries (chamber strings and LASS in this case), are you simply just layering the same things and treating them as a bigger ensemble? Are you sort of using chamber strings sort of like a large first chair section?
this is the only video on youtube with no dislikes
Fire Jeremy. I told him I need more videos 3 months ago.
I'm writing and researching the next one. Sorry, they take ages to make. Will be up in late September hopefully.
Alex Ball No, man. I was kidding. That was awesome.
I think that MarigoldProject brought me here and you did an awesome job.
I didn't mean to put you in a hurry or something like that
No it's fair. I'm not getting them out as quickly as I'd hoped. Bit off a bit more than I could chew. Got three more planned.
Amazing!!!
Jeremy . . this was as deligthful as Afternoon Tea at Fortnums.
Earl Grey of course!
7:03 wait you can't just say that and not tell me. A tritone substitution OF a secondary dominant? I never thought of using both
Great Video! I'm really digging music like this - my favourites up to now have been Hugo Montenegro and Les Baxter.
Gonna try and arrange a few of my favourite tunes in this style - thank you so much!
I'm wondering is there any reason why there are two staffs used for the violins, when having 4-part harmony? Wouldn't it be much easier to read the voicing (as an arranger, not playing musician) if it was put in just one staff?
Thanks. I worked from the original piano conductor scores and used the same layout. But perhaps I should have changed it as you say. Might have been more intuitive.
DUDE! YOU'RE FUCKING... eh hem. Sorreh... SPIFFINGLY BRILLIANT!!!
A little bit late but 10:35 reminds me of YMO's Ongaku.
Please do more of those Videos!!!
There will be three more in this series. They take a lot longer to make than my other videos as I have to get scores and research them, but they will be up in the coming months.
Thank you for the info! Where did you get the scores ?
I borrowed them from the Light Music Society. And I've also had some donated to me as a result of my videos.
I couldn't help myself and ended up making a light music piece of my own after watching this series. This is the session breakdown in case anyone's interested!
th-cam.com/video/_q4Oy_lUgrI/w-d-xo.html
The high heels is an awesome piece. Sadly the theory behind such complex and beautiful piece is too broad, would love to have a longer vid for such stuff - what about doing some funing project for a full lenght vid?
I'm doing the best I can but these videos would be a full time job if I tried to go into more detail. The idea is demystify the music and give some sign posts of what to look for so the viewer can go from there in their own studies.
Again, really nice. Do you treat Spitfire Chamber Strings with anything else than Vinyl and reverb? What mic setup do you use for them? I sometimes find them a bit to slick but here they sound great.
This is a mix of LA scoring strings and Chamber Strings together. Just tree mics on Spitfire. Some PastToFuture reverb on the string bus and there's Abbey Road Vinyl on the mix bus.
At the end of this series I'm going to do a specific video on using vsts for this era of music. So will cover it.
excellent stuff. 4 years of university and people wont learn this stuff. theyll be working on Fux specoies and other such drivel handed out by frustrated profs with shitty carreers. I learnt my counterpoint from Palestrina and block chord writting from tommy dorsey. better to look at the music and analyse as is done well in this video.
When WOODWINDS?
Have been working on it, takes ages to research and make so I'm not getting them out as fast as I'd like. Hopefully next month.
Sir;
I regret to say that I shall not be 'baring' anything with you (old war wound). I may, however be persuaded to 'bear'. Your lectures are most interesting, though perhaps a little 'spicy'.
Yours,
Henry Cholmondeley (Major, retd)
could you go more in detail about orchestration & part-writing
Thanks for the feedback, can see your point. Was trying to cover off more generally the harmony. The Trevor Duncan example is fully orchestrated, so that displays the part writing nicely. But good to know your opinion, I'll take that one board for the next one.
At 7:35 your roman numeral analysis of the C9 is shown as V9, I think you mean V9/ii. But even then it doesn't move directly to ii (as you mention) so it isn't functioning as a dominant of ii, right? It moves to what you label V/V/ii, but that doesn't function properly either. It's all out of order! What magic is happening here?
Yes, apologies it's the V/ii as it's on the way to Fm over the page, but that G disrupts the function and acts like the dominant of the dominant of chord ii. If that wasn't there, it would be a simple secondary dominant. That's really the thing to focus on.
For all my best attempts, there's still a lot I've got to get my head around and lots that leaves me scratching my head because the idioms are totally alien to those I'm used to in modern music.
i noticed a fly in the ointment around 3:37...... *WHY V+ CHORD'S D SHARP IS E FLAT*
I've used the same spelling of accidentals as they have on the original sheet music, but the analysis is done enharmonically. The function of that chord is as V+.
@@AlexBallMusic I thought the opposite, but thanks for the explanation!
What’s the name of the 3 songs in the begining?
1) High Heels by Trevor Duncan
2) Mannequin Melody - Clive Richardson
3) Joy Ride by Jack Coles
thanks, do you have any midi files of your composition? i'd like to try it with my kontakt library. maybe you could email me at ridwanpangestu94@gmail.com thanks!
Part 4?
Yes, woodwinds. Have written the script and structured it. Doing all the analysis of the scores at the moment, which takes hours and hours. Hoping to have it up in September.
Never cross check your music theory with jazz people. It's like cross checking your physics with mathematicians.
This is awful good, old chap. Just what the doctor ordered, what? I say, don't stop here, those woodwind aren't going to blow themelseves...
(Nonsense! How is that possibly rude..?)