And sometimes, I talk about music...

Yesterday afternoon and this morning, I was able to put together a pretty good sketch of the first of five pieces for unusual string quartet (2 violins, (amplified) classical guitar, and electric guitar). It's in 7/8, and while the melody is EXTREMELY simple, it modulates around alot and I'm trying to keep the harmonization interesting. I'm hoping to spend alot of time on it today, and I think it'll be done this week.

I'm really excited about these pieces -- besides the fact that I like writing for the actual musician/friends I know who will be playing these pieces, this ensemble provides an interesting ensemble to write for. Most of the time, I conceptualize them like a standard string quartet -- with the classical guitar as a quasi-viola voice, and the electric as the cello (the ranges of these instruments are very similar). Other times, I think about one of the guitars like a piano, with the other as a more melodic percussion instrument; and sometimes, I think of the guitars as the outer voices (bass and soprano) with the violins filling in the middle. I always try to consider the nature of these instruments, and the styles and idioms their respective players are used to, but in terms of voicing and filling out textures, it sometimes helps to conceptualize them altogether as a more standard ensemble.

(unless I get distracted tomorrow, I think I'll talk a little about sketching out music)