Unit 2 Composition Appraisal

1. I chose AoS 2 (Harmony and tonality) and AoS 5 (Structure and form). My focus
within the strand of World Music is music from the Caribbean, particularly Salsa
music.
2. I chose these areas of study because they provide lots of possibilities to develop my
focus within the strand I am using. I chose structure and form because in my school
orchestra we play a lot of sectional compositions, which are classical pieces with
clearly defined sections in ternary form (ABA). This means that I am used to playing
and listening to contrasting sections. I am also a pianist, and as a key instrument in
Salsa music is piano it has made it easier for me to compose as I am used to
reading music in bass and treble clef. I chose harmony and tonality because I enjoy
the contrast between major and minor chords, as it helps to convey a message of
sadness or happiness easily to the listener, which in turn helps them to understand
the overall feeling of the piece (whether it is happy or sad). I have also used lots
of harmony between chords I and V, for example in b.29 between the Alto
Saxophone and Trumpet parts, where the Alto Saxophone plays the I degree of the
chord and the Trumpet plays the V degree.
3. I wanted to write my piece for the summer concert at my school, so I thought that
Salsa music would be an interesting contrast to other pieces on the programme
(Orchestral pieces such as the 1812 Overture by Tchaikovsky and musical theatre
such as Finale B from Rent). I gained inspiration from listening to lots of Salsa
music at home, such as Mambo number 5 by Perez Prado and Salsa by Yuri
Benaventura. In my school orchestra, I recently played a piece called Seora
Mouse by Chick Corea (arranged by Mike Tomaro), with Salsa influences, and I
really liked the percussion-led tune. This helped me decide on using a large range
of percussion instruments. I came up with initial ideas for my composition by
creating two contrasting chord patterns in Eb and Bb, starting with the tonic chord
in both keys, and then experimenting with different chords until I had created two
chord sequences that I was happy with. I did this by making one section in Bb and
modulating to Eb, which then modulates back to Bb (ABA format). This created the
ternary form I was used to (ABA format) from experience playing in my school
orchestra. I chose the keys Eb and Bb because they are easy to play for Trumpet in
Bb and Alto Saxophone as I have used the same key signatures as the keys the
instruments are in (both instruments are in Bb). The instruments are two of the
main instruments in my composition.

To compose the rhythm in my composition, I listened to Salsa music, and then took
inspiration from the percussion part from bar 3 onwards in Desire by U2. This can
be heard in bar 9 of the Clave part:

To compose the melodies in my composition, I created one rhythm and used

augmentation/diminution to create new rhythms. This is shown in bar 47, in the
Alto Saxophone part, as it plays a semibreve for a full bar, and in bar 48 this is
diminished as the Trumpet plays two minims. The Alto Saxophone then plays
crotchets for bar 48, and this is augmented to create two minims in bar 49 in the
Trumpet part. I also created new melodies, with syncopation, for example in bars
58- 62. The majority of the melodies in my piece are comprised of quavers and
crotchets, to bring the focus of the listener towards the interesting rhythms in the
percussion parts, for example in the Castanet part in bars 23-24. In bars 4, 66 and
69, there are flourishes played in both the Alto Saxophone and Trumpet parts. This
adds interest, contrasting with the smooth phrasing I have used in the majority of
my piece (which helps to being the listeners attention to the percussion parts). In
section B (which starts at bar 24), the Alto Saxophone is introduced, adding a
different timbre. To create the melodies played by the Alto Saxophone, I took
inspiration from Carnival in Rio by William Gillock, because I liked the heavy use
of staccato as it contrasted nicely with the existing, more legato A section.

The flourish in bar 4, in the

Trumpet and Alto Saxophone
Parts:

To create the counter melody in this section, I moved the existing melody in the
Trumpet up a major 3rd in bars 26 and 27, and down a major 3rd in bars 24, 28, 30
and 31. In some places, such as bar 29, I moved the Trumpet part down a perfect
5th. I then altered the rhythms in the Maraca part (from b.39) slightly to create a
polyrhythm between this part and the Guiro part (another key element of Salsa
music), by retrograding it every other bar.
For my accompaniment, I started with a simple motif, with the key chord in the
treble clef and a simple syncopated tune in the bass clef. I also inverted the chords
in the right hand Piano part, to make it easier for the pianist to play (as they
wouldnt have to change hand position every bar). An example of this is in bar 8,
where I have used the 1st inversion of a Bb chord:

I repeated the
same chord over two bars to
give the melodies a longer time to develop. In b.24, the accompaniment changes
into a new chordal arpeggio repeated in the same way over two bars. In b.34, the
Piano changes again into a new style, similar to the original simple

accompaniment, but with the syncopated rhythm being

played in both bass and treble clefs.
The change to a syncopated rhythm in b.34 in the Piano
accompaniment:

The new accompaniment also uses a wider range (in the treble clef reaching a C
two octaves above middle C, and in the bass clef two octaves below middle C).
This represents the A section returning, but also that it is being repeated in a
different style. This is also reflected in the instrument carrying the main tune, as it
is being played by the Alto Saxophone instead of the Trumpet. This creates a new
timbre and makes the piece more diverse for the listener. I thought that my piece
was a bit too relentless in places, so in bars 34-36 I have added a build up to the
returning A section. This adds a new texture to the piece, but also reminds the
listener that the A section is returning in a different style. In bar 33 I have added
a pedal note in the left hand Piano part, to emphasise the modulation and help the
listener to understand the change in sections from B to A:

To compose the Intro/ Outro, I used the idea of bringing in the percussion first,
then the main tune, then the accompaniment (the Piano), and finally the
remaining percussion instruments. I did this because it creates some tension in the
piece due to the thickening of texture as the piece develops. I first heard this in
another piece called Soul Limbo by Booker T and the MGs. I added a Bb arpeggio
later on in the development process to give the piece a new timbre right at the
beginning.
For the outro, I used the same idea of an arpeggio and a percussion solo. This
created a mirrored effect. I then added a slash chord to emphasise that I was the
end of the piece, and to emphasise the bass (in the Piano), adding a new, thicker
texture, which sounds homophonic, whereas throughout the rest of the piece I
have used a more polyphonic texture.
I developed my composition by slightly varying the percussion parts (at b.35, the
clave rhythms speed is doubled) and also by introducing the Alto Saxophone at
section B (at b.36). The piano rhythm also changes here, which helps the listener
to recognise the new B section. I then listened back to my composition, to check
for mistakes in pitch, rhythm and notation, and finally I added dynamics,
articulation and phrase markings.
I also listened to other compositions, including works by Paramore (in particular
One of the crazy girls, which has a salsa feel to it due to the use of salsa rhythms
in the percussion part- I was influenced by this rhythm), Perez Prado (Mambo
number 5 which is led by the Trumpet), and Booker T and the MGs. I was

influenced by Booker T and the MGs because of the use of Trumpet-led melodies, as
this helped me to decide to make the Trumpet the leading instrument in my piece.
The final recording of my piece was produced on Sibelius 7.5. I used the mixer
function to balance my instruments and choose the sounds I wanted, before setting
the tempo of 110 crotchet bpm. I added in articulation, for example in the Alto
Saxophone and Trumpet parts in bars 53-54, where I have used staccatissimo for a
sharp, harsh sound, staccato marks for short notes and accents for a heavier, more
pronounced sound:

I also used dynamics throughout my piece, varing from pp (pianissimo) to fff

(fortississimo) but I think that they were especially appropriate in the final bar (bar
69) where they go from fortissimo to fortississimo in the Alto Saxophone and
Trumpet parts, to create a strong ending:

Finally, I checked through my piece to make sure none of the parts were
overlapping on the score and that there was plenty of space between the staves so
that my composition was easy to read. I then added my name, and finally the title
of my composition En el Pueblo (In the Town in Spanish). I chose this title
because it reminded me of visiting Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and the traditional Salsa
music that can be heard there. I also experimented with the panning, to create an
even sound through both headphones. Most of my instruments could be heard
through the left headphone, and the percussion instruments were all centred, so I
moved the percussion to create an arch shape, This meant that there was some
variety in where the sounds were coming from though the headphones, and it also
made it sound more realistic.

4. At first, I found the software I used (Sibelius 7.5) difficult, as I had no previous
experience of using it, but I overcame this problem by watching tutorials of how to
use Sibelius 7.5 on YouTube, and by practicing using it outside of lessons.

I also had to alter some of the notes that I wanted to use in the Alto Saxophone
part, because they exceeded the tessitura of the Alto Saxophone, but I overcame
this problem by researching the tessitura of the Alto Saxophone and changing the
pitch of the notes accordingly. I also had some problems modulating between keys
at first, as I did not understand how to do it, but I researched this as well and
listened back to my piece to check that it sounded correct. I also had some
difficulties in creating a variety of rhythms, especially in the Guiro part, so I looked
at rhythms in the percussion parts from Danzon No.2 by Arturo Marquez and
gained some inspiration from these, to develop the rhythms, for example in b.24:

5. In the area of study (Harmony and Tonality), I have used modulations to change
between my two chosen keys (Eb and Bb), to show Harmony and tonality. I chose
these keys because they are easy to play for the instruments I have chosen. I have
also used several different counter melodies to demonstrate Harmony, which
develop throughout the piece. As I chose Salsa music from the Caribbean, I used
Piano as a main instrument to accompany the Trumpet and Alto Saxophone. All
three instruments are key in Salsa music. I have also used Claves, Castanets,
Maracas and Guiro to provide more percussion. The Claves play a 3/2 rhythm (the
clave rhythm, another element of Salsa) and the Castanet plays a contrasting 2/3
rhythm. This creates a polyrhythm, which is also used in Salsa music. In relation to
AoS 5, I have used ternary form , which has been very successful as it has given my
piece plenty of time to develop, and I liked the repetition of the A section as it
gave me a good opportunity to show development in that section.

6. My piece is percussion- led, and, as I play the Piano, I am going to perform the
piece at the end of year summer concert with some members of the Jazz band at
my school. Because I am used to playing in a school orchestra, I used Trumpet and
Saxophone, as I am comfortable writing for them. I also know many people who
play these instruments, and who play percussion, so it suited my class and the
people I know well.