Vi-Control's Collaborative Learning Projects: Ideas and Project Archive.

Unused Suggested Ideas

Joshua: Tutti
All instrument playing, no counterpoint, just harmony. We could learn how to distribute the notes among many instruments.

Joshua: Dynamic contrast
Alternating between small/quiet sound to big one, to small, back to big, etc.

Joshua: Solo Violin
Create a realistic solo violin piece using multiple articulations.

darthmorphling: Mixing
We find a piece that has not been mixed yet, more than likely one of us will have to provide it, and, well, mix it.

darthmorphling: Layered Ostinato
Just an addon to the above ostinato suggestion. Creating an ostinato line on top of another one. An example would be "The Resistance" by Daniel James. Should be on his Soundcloud, but for sure on his Cinematic Strings walkthrough.

darthmorphling : TECP, or "The Epic Chord Progression"
I got the idea from this thread. http://www.vi-control.net/forum/viewtop ... rogression
Create a piece using the following chord progression: Dm-Bb-F-C (6-4-1-5). Obviously you can put it in any key you would like.

darthmorphling: Nigel's Key - D-Minor, the saddest of all keys.
See Spinal tap :mrgreen:

darthmorphling: String Quartet
Create a short piece for a string quartet. Try and use various articulations if possible.

darthmorphling: Write like Mozart
Ok, that is a tall order, but I signed up for a free course starting in January that will go over beginning classical composition. Maybe we can utilize some of the material for this group.
https://www.coursera.org/course/classicalcomp

Sasje: Write a piece in a style that would put you out of your comfort zone.

GrimeBrett: Writing to Video
Creating music to a short video. We have already done this but it would be a good one to revisit.

David Chappelle: Flying Theme
Compose a "flying" theme (I think I remember a post in this forum about good listening material for such a theme)

David Chappelle: Compose a piece in an unusual time signature such as 5/4, 7/4, 7/8 etc

Facebook suggestion: The most epic of epics!
Write your most epic sounding piece. This can be combined with one of the other ideas to give more direction to the project.

Ron Snijders: Folk Cue
Create a cue that a has a folksy quality to it.

Dan Mott
How about a project that you can only use sounds recorded around the home, or anywhere in the environment. These can then be processed and mixed how you like to make up a cool song.

When you are finished, we then have to list what we recorded and how we went about processing the sounds.

Completed ideas but can still be used if desired

Joshua: Percussion
Percussion only, or percussion should be the loudest. We could be more specific: intimate sound, ethnic, cartoon, or big sound (could be multiple projects or one project with multiple pieces).

Joshua: Ostinato/Arpeggio
- The piece should contain at least 2- and 3-note arpeggio.
- The piece will have a structure: soft/mellow section followed by loud/bombastic section. The section will include soft and strong ostinato, respectively.

David Chapelle: Love Theme

Idea Joshua1: Ostinato/Arpeggio
Veterans will have used them a lot, but I still need to perfect my technique. We can do strictly string ostinato, but I wonder how this could work for other instruments.

Idea Joshua2: Tutti
All instrument playing, no counterpoint, just harmony. We could learn how to distribute the notes among many instruments.

Idea Joshua3: Dynamic contrast
Alternating between small/quiet sound to big one, to small, back to big, etc.

Idea Joshua4: Percussion
Percussion only, or percussion should be the loudest. We could be more specific: intimate sound, ethnic, cartoon, or big sound (could be multiple projects or one project with multiple pieces).

Darthmorphling @ Wed Aug 14 said:

darthmorphling: Mixing
We find a piece that has not been mixed yet, more than likely one of us will have to provide it, and, well, mix it.

Click to expand...

I like this. Though I want when the project is posted, some how-to resources are included. So, we should compile in this thread all links, youtube videos, books, forum threads pertaining to mixing.

joshua @ Thu Aug 15 said:

Idea Joshua4: Percussion
Percussion only, or percussion should be the loudest. We could be more specific: intimate sound, ethnic, cartoon, or big sound (could be multiple projects or one project with multiple pieces).

Click to expand...

This one is interesting as I have the hardest time writing for percussion. There a ton of videos on string writing, but most percussion tutorials seem to focus on creating a "beat".

I'm sad I missed Project 2: Scoring a Trailer. I wouldn't mind another project where we score to a video.

Update to Idea Joshua1: Ostinato/Arpeggio
- The piece should contains at least 2- and 3-note arpeggio.
- The piece will have a structure: soft/mellow section followed by loud/bombastic section. The section will include soft and strong ostinato, respectively.

It maybe a good idea, when appropriate, for each project, the participants post several tracks. Say, for the synth based project:

- Complete track
- Track without synth

Idea Joshua5: Violin Solo
Create a violin solo piece which employs more detailed articulations and live-like performance.

@Joshua

The ideas are flowing from you!

I posted on a Facebook group for some idea suggestions.

One person suggested creating your most epic piece.

Hey Darthmorphling. Can you tell me the name of the facebook group please ?

It was the Orchestration Online group run by Thomas Goss. The focus is more on traditional orchestration, but there is some talk of film music.

GrimeBrett @ Thu Aug 15 said:

I'm sad I missed Project 2: Scoring a Trailer. I wouldn't mind another project where we score to a video.

Click to expand...

I have been in contact with the Blender Foundation in regards to releasing Sintel's audio files with just the dialog and FX. I envisioned us being able to rescore the movie for a future long term project.

He told me that contractually they couldn't release it that way without the music as the composer was a sponsor of the movie.

I then asked if we were able to process the music out of the files if it would be ok to use them. His response was an enthusiastic "yes" Anything released with the CC license is fair use.

I am going to research how to do this, but if anyone knows how it can be done please let me know.

Here are all of the resource files that are available:
http://media.xiph.org/sintel/

Here is the audio without dialog. It may make the process easier.
http://media.xiph.org/sintel/

Great ideas so far! I'm particularly keen on the "epic" one.

A couple suggestions of my own:
-Compose a "flying" theme (I think I remember a post in this forum about good listening material for such a theme)
-Compose a piece in an unusual time signature such as 5/4, 7/4, 7/8 etc

TECP: The Epic Chord Progression
I got the idea from this thread. http://www.vi-control.net/forum/viewtop ... rogression
Create a piece using the following chord progression: Dm-Bb-F-C (6-4-1-5). Obviously you can put it in any key you would like.

Nigel's Key: D-Minor, the saddest of all keys.
See Spinal tap :mrgreen:

String Quartet
Create a short piece for a string quartet. Try and use various articulations if possible.

Write like Mozart
Ok, that is a tall order, but I signed up for a free course starting in Jan. that will go over beginning classical composition. Maybe we can utilize some of the material for this group.

https://www.coursera.org/course/classicalcomp

Also, we have been stickied again!

Ouh, I just had an idea
Write a folk score, like an Irish jig or something.

It's time to start choosing the next topic.

I am leaning in the direction of combining the Most Epic of Epics, and the Epic Chord Progression ideas.

Please let me know what you all would like.

Don