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[Heron TSG]

Behold! The beginning of a symphony sprung from the twelfth bay!

Here's the idea: You take what the last person wrote, and you add something. Another part, a percussion part (please!), another movement, anything. Then you put up the score for the next person to see. If you can't do a score, at least make it reasonably possible for the next person to tell what you wrote so that more parts can be added. (I'm not transcribing it by ear.) A recording of some kind is also nice. (I used the MIDI sequencer in Finale notepad.) If you can write music, but can't make a sound, I'll compile the music in Finale and record it for you.

Spoiler: Quaestu ad Adamantem (click to show/hide)

(Quest for Adamant)

There's a movement. The part is for Viola D'Amore, but feel free to convert it to a string instrument you're more familiar with if you want to keep the same instrument. (You don't have to.) Feel free to use any instrument, not just symphony instruments. A rockin' bass solo wouldn't be a bad thing, pardon the pun.

Any takers? We can have more than one person working at once, so long as they're not working on the same part. (Two percussion parts for one movement would be CraaaAAaAaAzy. Possible, but crazy.

[Mego]

I'm in for writing a clarinet part, and possibly a flute part. Also, I have experience in audio engineering and mixing, so if anyone feels so inclined to record parts of this symphony, send the audio to me, and I'll mix it into a "live" recording. All I request is that it is played in tempo, because trying to edit the tempo of audio to make it fit the rest is a royal pain.

Edit: Could you toss me the file you wrote your part in? It would make adding to it a lot easier.

[Heron TSG]

Sure, though it's in Finale 2011. (Any newer versions mean I'll have to manually add to my part, but that's okay. Durn lack of forwards-compatibility!

http://www.mediafire.com/?xpaktglrow2wada

[Mego]

Any chance you could export that as MusicXML? I use MuseScore for my composition, and MusicXML is the only way that Finale scores can be read in MuseScore.

[Heron TSG]

http://www.mediafire.com/?6j8asqrq7aiajmq

Huh, didn't know about that feature until I looked it up. That should do it.

[Mego]

Your style of composing is so different than mine. I had this cool idea for a clarinet part but it doesn't quite fit. Time to tweak it.

Also the clarinet player is going to get a workout from playing this.

[Teneb]

I find this intresting. I'll try to see if I can do anything with my bass that fits.

[Heron TSG]

If you want, you can split the melody up a bit. I usually write for 1-4 parts, so one part usually ends up getting the melody. (Even if if would sound better to split it.)

EDIT: It's also why that part is written impossibly low in parts - I think I'll write a separate part on my next turn to split that into a viola and cello part.

[TSTwizby]

How strictly regulated will this be? Also, how strictly... styled, I guess? I'm not especially familiar with typical symphonic format, but I'm pretty sure that there is one, so how strictly do you intend to hold to it?

[Heron TSG]

Regulated? It's a creative work, it's not going to be well regulated. I don't care if you use jazz scales next to 2-on-5 syncopation, so long as it sounds good. I don't actually know much about symphonies, having solely played in a wind ensemble before. If there are secret rules, I don't have them. So... little black dots for all?

[TSTwizby]

Great! I might try adding something for piano to this, if I have the time.

[Mego]

There aren't rules per se, but there are guidelines that a lot of composers follow that mainly have to do with what instruments do when they don't have the melody. Generally speaking, high parts add embellishments, middle parts play a countermelody, and low parts keep tempo. Note that these are guidelines, and so are meant to be broken. Just like Jack Sparrow said.

Also, when passing the melody around, each instance is usually more complex than the last. For example, high winds might add grace notes and more sixteenth-note runs, while middle winds might syncopate the rhythm. It's all good stuff to play around with.

Also Barbarossa I will probably end up lengthening the piece and splitting up/adding more to the melody. It works fine for a solo part, but it sounds too rushed for multiple parts.

[ExKirby]

I'll join if I can get a straight MIDI file.

[Mego]

I'll join if I can get a straight MIDI file.

Done.

[miauw62]

I would try to participate if i knew shit about music.
Unfortunately, i dont.

So anyway, i hope this turns out awesome.