I composed this piece about 13 years ago, but have never heard it played on a real piano by a real musician. I am seeking an ambitious pianist who likes the piece well enough to take this on and record it. I recently tried to convert my midi file to notation, but was told recently that it is difficult to tell which notes should be played with which hand (since most notes appear on the treble clef). So I think this may be challenging, and I admit I am not a pianist, so I have little guidance to provide.

I also welcome any sincere feedback about the piece. Only a few people have heard it, so I am curious about what actual musicians may think about it.

I have attached both the midi file and the sheet music.

Thanks for your consideration.

Sincerely,
Pietro Michelucci

It's a cute sounding piece allright, but the dumb-ass ending rather lets it down. There could at least be some development or evolution leading up to the end, instead of simply flicking it off.

I fear this is totally unplayable as written (and I did try) unless a pianist sits down and spends considerable effort and time to work out an arrangement between the hands. Even then, simplifications may well be needed. You can not reasonably expect this from a pianist, unless you stumble upon one who sees this as a nice challenge/exercise. If the jumping LH moftif is meant as an ostinato to which the RH embroiders and improvises, then at least that motif should be clearly delineated, preferably on its own stave. There seems to be no reason why almost everything here sits on the upper stave.

You do not have to be a proficient pianist to compose good and playable piano music - lots of composers did well despite being barely adequate - but I believe that, in order to compose for any instrument, one must have a certain awareness of the practicalities of that instrument.

Hi Chris,

Thanks for reiterating your earlier feedback in this forum. (Thanks also for recommending that I post to this forum).

Of particular value to me is your suggestion to move the jumping LH motif to its own staff. I think I may have asked about this in our prior correspondence, but wasn't sure how to approach it. Since the left hand motif naturally falls on the treble clef, is it reasonable/typical to include a second treble clef that is designated for the left hand?

I have mixed feelings about the ending. I'll give some thought as to whether or not I will try to rework it, but welcome other people's feedback on the piece as well as the ending.

Thanks and best,
Pietro

Is is typical to separate the hands as much as possible, so that LH has the lower stave and the RH the upper stave. The actual clef is not so important, you sometimes see two staves with treble clefs (for high-lying writing) or two staves with bass clefs (for low-lying writing). Actually in 4-hand piano music this is more or less the norm, for obvious reasons.

If both hands must be on the same stave, which often happens, still be sure to make clear what goes left and what goes right. Typically, RH notes get upward stems and LH notes get downward stems. In some cases it canb be left to the pianist to take some middle note with the RH or LH but that should be an exception (happens often in polyphomic music though where one hand partly takes over the line from another hand).


There's no need for mixed feelings about the ending ! It sucks, not to put too fine a point on it. You can't just chop an otherwise nice piece off like that. Why not continuing the jumping motif for a while, gradually making the other hand's figuration ever sparser, all the while getting softer. Just an idea - maybe not very original, but anything seems better than this.

I agree the ending does not do justice for the rest of the composition.

Have you ever considered exchanging the hand development? (i.e. the left hand plays the right hand melody in the bass clef, while the right hand plays the left hand accompaniment in the treble clef).

Then carry the melody lower and end it with a right hand chord progression and a single note in the bass.

Just a thought.

Thanks - I will try to decompose this into two hand-specific staffs in a playable manner.



Chris, I feel like you're holding back. Please let me know how you really feel about the ending



Point taken. I will revisit the ending and consider your approach to it.

Best,
Pietro

Thanks very much for your comments and interesting suggestion for the ending. I like both the idea of carrying the melody on the lower end as well as having a someone punctuated ending with the single bass note. I will give it more thought.