David Bruce ComposerWhat would a piece of electronic music sound like on an orchestra? Or a piece of orchestral music sound like on electronic instruments? I collaborate with Jeremy Blake from the channel Red Means Recording and we swap roles. In this video I take his electronic track 'Aquamarine' and create an orchestral version of it which we hear performed by the fabulous Orchestra of the Swan conducted by Jason Lai. The video compares the two versions side by side and we hear Jeremy's reaction. Meanwhile, over on his channel, Jeremy takes my orchestral piece Fanfarrón and makes an electronic version of it.
Electronic Music for ORCHESTRADavid Bruce Composer2020-03-09 | What would a piece of electronic music sound like on an orchestra? Or a piece of orchestral music sound like on electronic instruments? I collaborate with Jeremy Blake from the channel Red Means Recording and we swap roles. In this video I take his electronic track 'Aquamarine' and create an orchestral version of it which we hear performed by the fabulous Orchestra of the Swan conducted by Jason Lai. The video compares the two versions side by side and we hear Jeremy's reaction. Meanwhile, over on his channel, Jeremy takes my orchestral piece Fanfarrón and makes an electronic version of it.
Jason Lai (Conductor) jason-lai.net Paolo Pezzangora (OOTS) Clave Flatau (camerawork) Eleanor Turner (harp) eleanorturner.com
#collaboration #redmeansrecording #aquamarineDissonance: The Musical Sound People Keep UnderestimatingDavid Bruce Composer2024-09-06 | What is dissonance? Why does everybody hate it? (unless they're regular viewers of this channel, in which case they love it). It's a weird phenomenon which doesn't have a very clear definition. I explore the options.
Studies "Indifference to dissonance in native Amazonians reveals cultural variation in music perception" , Nature Pierce, Simultaneous Consonance in Music Perception and Composition Consonance and dissonance in music theory and psychology: Disentangling dissonant dichotomies by Parncutt and Hair Tuning Timbre Spectrum Scale by Sethares A History of 'Consonance' and 'Dissonance' by TenneyOppenheimer is a musical SPIRALDavid Bruce Composer2024-08-11 | ...This incredible instrument deserves to be better knownDavid Bruce Composer2024-03-23 | Can you write anything of any meaning in just 5 minutes? Particularly for an instrument you've never experienced before. That's what Zoë Marlew and myself tested in this episode when we met up with Mantawoman (aka Reylon Yount) who plays the Chinese Hammered Dulcimer called the Yangqin. And we had a lot of fun!
#yangqin #chinesehammereddulcimerThe King of MicrorhythmDavid Bruce Composer2024-02-01 | J Dilla's approach to rhythm was quite revolutionary. In this video I look through the techniques he used, how drummers have attempted to play Dilla Beats, and at my own attempts to incorporate Dilla-style rhythms into my own classical compositions.
00:00 Intro -Hacking and Creativity 02:22 1. Dilla Beats 13:07 Summary of Dilla Beat section 13:28 2. How Drummers Play Dilla Beats 19:34 3. Dilla Beats in Classical Music
Ferris Wheel Bird Feeder youtube.com/watch?v=92roMZUhJgIIs Einaudi’s music actually good?David Bruce Composer2023-10-31 | Ludovico Einaudi is a composer I’ve always struggled to get along with. But he’s one of the most popular classical composers alive today. In this video I challenge myself to get to know his music better and see if I can come to some kind of understanding as to what it is I’m missing that so many other people enjoy in it.
#einaudi #composition #pianoWhat is Classical Vaporwave?David Bruce Composer2023-10-13 | Vaporwave is a form of electronic music and internet culture that emerged in the 2010s. It generally involves stealing old tracks and slowing them down to create something weirdly nostalgic. So making a classical version it seems like a strange thing to do - but that's why I did, with the help of Daniel Hope and the Zurich Chamber Orchestra.
SUPPORT THE CHANNEL ON PATREON (and get access to the full score of Lully Loops on the $10 tier) patreon.com/davidbruce
The Oslo performance of "Nothing" is here: https://www.operaen.no/en/Productions/nothing-opera-oslo-opera-house/
Ryan Ayres ryanayresmusic.com/home Robin Haigh robinhaigh.com Cassandra Miller cassandramiller.wordpress.com Thomas Flight youtube.com/@ThomasFlightThe Worst Area of MusicDavid Bruce Composer2023-09-02 | As composers we think about melody, harmony and rhythm. But if that's ALL we think about, we may find our music turns 'beige' - in this video I talk about how to use the musical space and the register of instruments to avoid the dreaded 'Beige Belt'.
Stephen Malinowski's channel: youtube.com/@smalinThe Secret Code to Music ArrangingDavid Bruce Composer2023-06-05 | In this video I hope to convince you that the humble act of arranging a piece of music can be totally transformative, a good arranger can make a modest song into something amazing and an amazing song into something even better.
I tried to uses royalty free music for this, but wasn't happy with the feel, so I won't be getting any ad revenue for this one. If you'd like to support the channel do feel free to head over to my patreon! www.patreon.com/davidbruce
#composing #careers #luckHow to write music for instruments you CAN’T PLAYDavid Bruce Composer2022-11-15 | How do composers write for instruments they don't actually play? It's a question that non-composers often ask - and one that composers themselves often ask themselves. In this video I provide some answers.
0:00 Intro 01:05 The rule of pie 01:48 Problem 1 - learning from books 03:33 Problem 2 - learning from Sibelius/Musescore 06:40 The reason for making the video 08:14 Solution 1 10:17 Solution 2 13:53 Solution 3 15:31 Crazy Bass solo 17:00 The Ode to Joi-ning my PatreonThe DALL·E 2 of MUSIC?David Bruce Composer2022-09-22 | Over the past few months there's been an explosion in AI text to image engines. Could the same happen for music and if so, what does it mean?
00:00 Twoset violin review Huawei's AI smartphone music 02:00 Nirvana song AI 02:40 Text to image AI 04:34 The internet and past 'future technologies' 05:53 How text-to-image AI works 06:51 The Foundation Model 07:50 The diffusion Model 08:34 The current stage of music AI 08:50 MIDI-based models (Musenet, Magenta) 10:50 Audio-based models (Open Jukebox) 12:00 The next steps in future Music AI 13:44 Next steps in visual world (video) 14:30 Implications for future of Music and Composing 16:10 Creative solutions (Reeps One)
Google/toronto uni images http://www.cs.toronto.edu/~emansim/cap2im.html]The Hidden Influence On Music We Never Think AboutDavid Bruce Composer2022-09-01 | This video is essentially about the way the design and layout of instruments affects the music that's played on them. I talk about samba, which has an unusual wonky rhythm as its backbone, but also about other instruments and the effect they have on music, as well as the choice of keys and the ways composers are influenced by instruments.
00:00 Intro 00:51 Samba's Wonky Rhythm 02:10 Kora melodies 04:25 Flamenco Guitar Chords 06:13 How Instruments have different preferred Key Signatures 09:15 Retuning the Guitar for my "The Peacock Pavane" 11:30 Influence of instruments on Composers
Adam Neely This BPM Is Trash, Here's Why youtube.com/watch?v=nUHEPmg0sPoThis is the WILDEST music I knowDavid Bruce Composer2022-06-09 | What's the wildest piece of music you know? How Wild can music get? Is there a limit? Death Metal seems pretty wild, can it get wilder than that? Let's find out!
Research Assistance: Robin Haigh robinhaigh.com Thanks to all the viewers who submitted videos of the wildest piece they know - sorry I couldn't include them all!
0:00 Intro - meet Frank and his girlfriend Mieke 2:30 Frank's piece in its original form 5:57 Tip 1: Hold Stuff Back 8.38 Tip 2: Draw the Ear 9:26 Tip 3: Vary Melody & Accompaniment 11:10 Tip 4: Change up the Patterns 13:26 Tip 5: Don't think like a theorist 15:10 Tip 6: Think about register 16:47 Tip 7: Direction of Register 18:17 Tip 8: Musical Metaphors 19:15 Tip 9: Integrate Ideas 20:20 Tip 10: Overall Balance 24:00 My re-worked version of Frank's piece. 27:00 Reactions from Frank and MiekeWOZZECK - The Operatic Equivalent of GUINNESSDavid Bruce Composer2022-04-07 | Sign up for a 7 day free trial of Marquee TV here: welcome.marquee.tv/david?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=influencer_test&utm_content=davidbruce
Alban Berg's Wozzeck is as dark and bitter as a pint of guinness. I didn't enjoy my first taste of guinness but with the right motivation I eventually came to love it. Could the same happen with this piece of music?
0:00 Introduction 2:55 Barnaby Martin Intro 3:48 Barnaby Martin : Inter-twinkle 5:51 Barnaby Martin Reactions 8:33 Zoë Martlew Intro 10:00 Zoë Martlew: Starlude 11:32 Zoë Martlew Reactions 13:48 Ben Levin Intro 15:28 Ben Levin : Small Animal PNG Attachment Open Wide from my Star's New Hand 16:56 Ben Levin Reactions 19:12 Mikhail Johnson Intro 20:43 Mikhail Johnson : Si Di Staar Deh! 22:08 Mikhail Johnson Reactions 24:56 David Bruce Intro 26:24 David Bruce : How I Wonder What You Are 27:48 David Bruce Reactions 29:50 OutroClassical Composer Analyzes Kendrick LamarDavid Bruce Composer2022-02-07 | The rhythms in Kendrick Lamar's Alright are crazy, but also fun! In this video I attempt to break them down.
0:00 Introduction 04:36 How the Meter Works in Alright 11:15 Vocal rhythm in the Chorus 12:29 Vocal rhythm in the Verses 15:20 The Creative Process in Hip-Hop
0:00 Introduction 1:13 Use Notes From the Chords 2:37 Try Other Ways Through the Chord 4:24 Passing Notes & Other "Non-Chord Tones" 6:38 Suspensions, Anticipations, and Pedal Tones 8:37 Use Sequences 9:24 Think About Overall Shape of Progression 11:56 Adapting the Sequence to the Situation 13:07 Find a Balance Between Steps & Leaps 14:11 Keep the Rhythm Interesting 15:45 Play With Expectation & Overall Shape 17:12 Demo Melodic LineThe Saddest Concerto of All TimeDavid Bruce Composer2021-12-13 | Concertos aren't particularly well known for being sad, so in this video I talk about a piece I think is probably the Saddest Concerto ever written. I explain how it flips the norms of the concerto genre.
Vivaldi Four Seasons: Winter (L'Inverno), original version. Freivogel & Voices of Music RV 297 youtube.com/watch?v=ZPdk5GaIDjo
Elgar - Pomp and Circumstance March No. 1 (Land of Hope and Glory) (Last Night of the Proms 2012) youtube.com/watch?v=Vvgl_2JRIUs #elgar #cello #concertoThe Saddest Instrument of All TimeDavid Bruce Composer2021-12-07 | Musical instruments come in all shapes and sizes, but which is the saddest? This is the first in a 3 part series, which started when I was listening to a piece I felt was 'the saddest concerto of all time. Part 1 here looks at which instruments are saddest, part 2 looks at the concerto and why it's not particularly well suited to sadness, and part 3 will introduce the piece that started this journey off - the saddest concerto of all time. Can you guess which one it will be?
Bach Cello Suite no.1 youtube.com/watch?v=mGQLXRTl3Z05 Composers 1 Stupid Idea?David Bruce Composer2021-10-22 | 5 composers write a short piece for orchestra with one possibly fatal restriction. Thanks to Mark Mandarano and the students from Macalester College Orchestra https://www.macalester.edu/music/ensembles/orchestra/
PDFs and MP3s of all the pieces are available on my patreon, along with a video showing the composers reactions to their own pieces : patreon.com/davidbruce
0:00 Intro 3:33 Jeremy Blake Intro 7:16 Jeremy Blake piece 8:58 June Lee Intro 9:49 June Lee piece 10:56 Bec Plexus Intro 12:36 Bec Plexus piece 13:49 8-bit Music Theory Intro 16:24 8-bit Music Theory piece 17:35 David Bruce Intro 18:36 David Bruce piece 20:15 Wrapping Up - David's overall comments 21:33 Conductors commentshistory of the entire orchestra, I guessDavid Bruce Composer2021-10-01 | Why is orchestra the way it is? Why are some instruments in and some instruments out? Where are the electric guitars, synthesisers, saxophones, accordions? Why are there so many violins; and who pays for it all? And why has the line up not changed for 100 years ? Has it reached some state of perfection or just a dead end? In short, what's the history of the orchestra, more or less?
Octavio Más-Arocas: Fearless Programming: Invigorating the american orchestral tradition through new music https://etd.ohiolink.edu/apexprod/rws_etd/send_file/send?accession=bgsu1467125862&disposition=inline
Steven Lee Winteregg: The future of the Symphony based upon its historical development https://etd.ohiolink.edu/apexprod/rws_olink/r/1501/10?p10_etd_subid=138549&clear=10
Too many clips to list, but a few notables: David Bruce: Night Parade - sadly I'm not currently allowed to release the full recording of my 'Night Parade' (heard at the end), perhaps we can persuade the LA Phil to perform it 😜 If you're really keen you can listen to it on my patreon!
00:00 Introduction 00:42 I don't have any ideas, and when I do have ideas, they are always rubbish 03:02 I've got an idea but I don't know how to take it further 05:19 My pieces end up a bit of a jumble of different ideas, they lack coherence 07:46 Why does my piece sound a bit muddy, a bit lacking in life 10:39 I've got ideas, but what form should I use? I've no idea how to handle form 14:03 I find transitions really really hard 16:32 Why doesn't my piece seem well written for the instrument. 18:06 Those other people are geniuses and I'm obviously not, should I just give up?
#composing #composition #musictipsCan You Tell Which Composer is a Cheat?David Bruce Composer2021-06-17 | How much of a role does borrowing, or indeed "stealing" play in being a creative artist? I look at a number of musical examples, many of whom are long established as 'greats' of the classical music canon. Do great artists really steal?
Chopin mazurka recordings from MuseopenDrum Challenge: Can you play this impossible piece?David Bruce Composer2021-05-26 | Is Frank Zappa's famous drum solo 'The Black Page' really all that hard? In this video I attempt to give the piece an 'upgrade', writing my own new piece 'The Even Blacker Page' and get my friend Yogev Gabay to perform it - it only took him a month to learn it and 31 takes to record it :-)
#chopin #berceuseThe Musical Wizardry behind the Jazz TurnaroundDavid Bruce Composer2021-04-12 | I take a look at a technique used in all kinds of music, from jazz turnaround, to Indian classical music, to Beethoven Sonatas. It's a way of creating a bit of 'magic' in a musical composition, though a bit of careful planning. The sonata featured in the opening is Beethoven's Opus 49 No.2, with a beat stolen from Jacob Collier :-) Check out June Lee's fantastic video on 'Harmonic Arrival' which inspired me to start thinking about this whole topic: youtube.com/watch?v=Fji493S90go
#jacobcollier #jazz #musictheoryThe Problem with Pedestals - Inspiration vs. DeificationDavid Bruce Composer2021-03-24 | A personal essay on the relationship between our heros and their humanity. How artists can use the power they have for good, or not....
Kenneth Wood's Blog Post kennethwoods.net/blog1/2021/03/18/james-levineTHE RITE OF SPRING : Repetition LegitimizesDavid Bruce Composer2021-03-19 | How come the Rite of Spring is both incredibly popular but also incredibly dissonant? Are those two supposed to be mutually exclusive? In this video I present my own theory - that it's the unique mixture of dissonance and repetition that makes this such an innovative and influential work.
Schoenberg Piano Concerto youtube.com/watch?v=JEY9lmCZbIc5 Composers 1 Singer ft. Adam Neely, Aimee Nolte, 8-bit Music Theory, Ben LevinDavid Bruce Composer2021-03-02 | In this latest episode of the "5 composers" series, there's a new twist - each composer chooses the text for one of the others - the task is to write a short piece for classical soprano and harp. The texts chosen included a tweet, a meme, and a beautiful poem written by a relative of the composer when one of the poet's own relatives passed away. Featuring Adam Neely, 8-bit Music Theory, Aimee Nolte & Ben Levin
★ My 2nd YouTube Channel ★ youtube.com/channel/UCHjcEVdMjIOOlVhtTRq4sDwHow Jonny saved the Ondes MartenotDavid Bruce Composer2021-01-29 | In this video I tell the fascinating story of Jonny Greenwood's relationship with the Ondes Martenot, an early electronic instrument most famously used in Messiaen's Turangalîla-Symphonie. After its creator's death it was in danger of disappearing, but the spotlight Jonny shone on it have helped completely reverse its fortunes.
The Ondes Martenot Network in the Twenty-First Century: The Co-Construction of the Ondes Martenot and its Users by Dorien Schampaert core.ac.uk/download/pdf/223235561.pdf
Josh Semans channel youtube.com/user/SplendliferousMusic Notation cant capture this Quantum RhythmDavid Bruce Composer2021-01-12 | Some rhythms just can't been notated in a way that performers can accurately re-create, a bit like quantum waves that 'collapse' as soon as you try to measure them. A tricky analogy, but I went with it! Thanks to composer Christopher Cerrone for his participation in this video.
Ferneyhough Time and Motion Study II youtube.com/watch?v=rW2b4ByT8dM Darcy James Argue - The Neighbourhood (not featured in the video, but just to shout out) youtube.com/watch?v=NMWqllG3TkkTop 10 Most Shocking Chords in Music!David Bruce Composer2020-12-27 | We've all had a bit of a tough time in 2020 - so I thought I'd have a bit of fun exploring some of the most 'arghhhhhhhhhhh' chords in music. There are some pretty good ones, and I chucked in one of my own for good measure.
Thanks to my patrons on Patreon for supporting me, and all the best to everyone for 2021!
#12daysofchristmas #parody #quizSensible Reasons to Play Music BackwardsDavid Bruce Composer2020-12-03 | How does playing music backwards relate to the question of Free Will? This video looks at all the ways music is played backwards and the reasons for doing so - some are stranger than others!
Berg/Lulu https://www.academia.edu/7634062/_Balzacian_Mysticism_Palindromic_Design_and_Heavenly_Time_in_Berg_s_Music_in_Encryted_Messages_in_Alban_Berg_s_Music_ed_Siglind_Bruhn_Garland_Publishing_1998_5_29 Andrew King's essay here was what alerted me to the unpalindromic aspect of Berg's palindrome blogs.gre.ac.uk/andrewking/2012/08
#ravel #orchestration5 Classical Composers write for HEAVY METAL BANDDavid Bruce Composer2020-09-28 | In this video 5 composers with classical music backgrounds write new 1 minute pieces for a heavy metal band. I called the band 'The DBCBs' - the David Bruce Composer Band. Huge thank you to all involved.
Also check out Robin Haigh's Aesop: youtube.com/watch?v=NYD0UrpdcmgThe Map of MusicDavid Bruce Composer2020-09-09 | Have you ever thought about all the different ways people make music, or the reasons they have for doing it? In this video I attempt to map them ALL! All the reasons people make music, the instruments they use and the ways the music is constructed -the rhythms, the pitches and the structures. I've tried to create a map of all these possibilities. I know I've failed in this overly ambitious goal, and I look forward to hearing from you in the comments the obvious things I've left out
Bad Snacks youtube.com/watch?v=69ypKQWlGOYThe M.C.Escher of Music?David Bruce Composer2020-07-14 | Who is the master of musical illusions? The Music equivalent of M.C.Escher? Escher himself would probably say J.S.Bach but in this video I make the case for Hungarian composer György Ligeti, whose work is full of Musical Illusions. In this video I look at the following musical illusions:
03:36 The Infinite Loop Illusion (The Shepard Tone) 06:37 The Risset Tone 07:31 Multiple Speeds illusion 09:20 The Imaginary Melody Illusion 11:22 The Negative Space Illusion 12.54 Frozen Time Illusion 15:15 Fractal Spiral Illusion
Finally I question why there is a difference in reception - Ligeti highly respected in the music establishment, but less well known to the general public, whereas Escher is hugely popular with the public and somewhat looked down on by the establishment. Why??
Thanks to Ptit Rockeur youtube.com/watch?v=KAkad94uXa8 and Sintagma Piano Duo for permission to include clips of their music
⦿My 2nd YouTube Channel⦿ youtube.com/channel/UCHjcEVdMjIOOlVhtTRq4sDw5 COMPOSERS 1 IDEA (ft. June Lee, David Bennett, Ben Levin & No Compliments)David Bruce Composer2020-06-09 | 5 composers write a short piece based on the same limitation - a piece for solo piano in 3 sections, with main line and accompaniment, where the main line has either 1, 2 or 3 notes.
★ My 2nd YouTube Channel ★ youtube.com/channel/UCHjcEVdMjIOOlVhtTRq4sDwThe Subtle Art of Modern Pop ProductionDavid Bruce Composer2020-05-18 | With modern technology, pop producers have incredible control over every aspect of their music. In this video I take a look at some of their processes and approaches, focusing mainly on Ian Kirkpatrick's hilarious and informative Instagram livestreams and on Finneas, who produces his sister Billie Eilish's tracks. It might surprise you coming from a classical composer, but I find looking into this stuff really stimulating and inspiring. I hope you do too!
Switched on Pop Podcast - Why does every intro sound like it's underwater switchedonpop.com/episodes/why-does-every-intro-sound-like-its-underwater-liveHow to compose music with a recipe (Arvo Pärt, Xenakis and others)David Bruce Composer2020-04-24 | Using algorithms to generate music can seem a bit 'inhuman', but for many of us composers they're an essential part of the process. In this video I look at some of the ways composers use algorithms. Many thanks to Matthew Rose and Ben Levin!