Tune Contest (July 10th - July 24th) - Going Solo

[Problem]

For this tune contest I want you to compose a piece for solo instrument. Just choose one instrument and compose a tune for it, with no additional instruments or sounds. The most obvious choice would be a polyphonic instrument like piano, organ, guitar etc. But you could also compose a monophonic tune, e.g. a piece for solo trumpet. Or maybe a drum solo? It's up to you.

The rules in detail:

• Compose a piece for just one instrument.
• It should be possible for one person to perform (no four-hands piano or something like that).
• Polyphony is fine, if your chosen instrument allows it.
• A drum set counts as one instrument, as do paired instruments like bongos.
• A synthesizer counts as one instrument, but don't use more than one sound. No auto-accompaniment, no switching between presets.
• The most important rule: If there aren't at least two entries, I'll be very upset!

You have two weeks, so the deadline is July 24th. I'll announce a winner on July 25th or shortly after.

Happy composing!

[Problem]

5 days left. Come on guys, this should be easy enough. No complex arrangements, just a nice melody for one instrument. It's a great opportunity if you have never composed music before.

[janleht]

Here's something I played through some effects...
Can anyone identify the instrument? 

HOLIDAY RESORT

[Problem]

Thanks, janleht! 

Only two days left. Come on, give this man some competition!

[dactylopus]

I managed to whip up a little something for this competition:

Adventure Tune, July 2013

It feels somewhat empty with only one instrument, but I'm happy with my results.   

[Adeel]

May I ask you all one question: What software do you use for composing music on computer? May you recommend me a software which is beginner-friendly?

Sorry for being off-topic. Its just that I wanted to participate and had idea for the tune but no means to make music...

[dactylopus]

Personally, I use MuseScore for my music.

This program allows you to create sheet music, which made it a bit difficult for me to learn over the past year.  My previous history with music is writing on guitars and keyboards, I hadn't been able to read sheet music since playing trumpet in 7th grade music class.  That said, this is a versatile program that can output your music to MIDI, WAV, and OGG (among other formats), and can even save your file as a PNG or PDF.

Good luck, I hope you write something nice!

[Pinback]

My studio is all geared up towards building/modding my synths atm so all my fav machines are laid up on the slab.

My entry is therefor a result of my studio - here's a drum track from my old Yamaha PSR4600 being circuit bent live (I have it's guts open and am crossing IC connections to make it glitch etc). No external effects added.

WARNING - DO NOT LISTEN TO WITH HEADPHONES ON AT HIGH VOLUME!!!

https://soundcloud.com/gobletleechen/psrdrumglitch

@Adeel I would wholeheartedly recommend Propellerhead's Reason software. Very good for beginners and great free trials, but also good for more advanced musicians too.

[dactylopus]

Pinback, that's a really cool track!  Circuit bending always produces such interesting results.

About the contest:  How are winners chosen?

[Problem]

Three entries, very nice And there's still one day left.

@dactylopus: For the tune contest the host picks a winner, and the winner will host the next contest. So tomorrow I will listen to the entries, comment on each one and pick the winner.

[dactylopus]

@dactylopus: For the tune contest the host picks a winner, and the winner will host the next contest. So tomorrow I will listen to the entries, comment on each one and pick the winner.

Good to know!  Thanks for the clarification!

[Diamond16]

Hey,

Sorry for my lack of activity but now that it is school holidays, I look forward to taking part in more of the tune contests.

Here is my entry:

Solo

I tried to veer away from anything like my previous work.  The instrument is a steel pan, enjoy!

[Adeel]

Thanks for your help: dactylopus & Pinback. I'll try your recommended programs a.s.a.p. I hope that I'll be able to participate in future competitions.

[Problem]

Thanks guys, this was awesome!
With four strong entries we had a very good month for the tune contest. Hopefully we can keep this level up during the next months.

janleht - This is a very creative approach, just what I hoped for. You've created quite a unique sound, well done! It could be shorter though, because it gets somewhat repetitive after a while.

dactylopus - What i liked about your tune was that you started with a simple pattern and slowly developed it into something more complex with nice variations. You managed to keep the track interesting.

Pinback - Circuit bending! Now that's a brilliant idea for this contest. This is an extremely well-executed live performance, and surprisingly pleasant to listen to, considering what you did to that poor drum track.

Diamond16 - This is excellent as usual. The melody is catchy but still has a few twists and never gets repetitive. You really know what you're doing.

It's great that all of you went for a challenge this month - no one took the easy route. This is why it's really hard for me to pick a winner.
But I think this time it's Pinback, because his entry managed to surprise me the most. Congratulations! 

[dactylopus]

Congratulations, Pinback!

Good jobs all around.

Thanks for the critique, Problem.  This was fun!

[Pinback]

Good showing guys - surprized I took it home as I thought you guys' entries were quite awesome!

Might post some more stuff from the 'ol 4600 here sometime. I built a massive 56 socket patchbay for it with a beat following white LED matrix - it looks pretty sweet!

[dactylopus]

I appreciate the compliment!

Your keyboard sounds really cool and customized.  I'd love to see a picture of what you're working with.

Looking forward to the next Tune Contest.  Hopefully I'll write something that will 'surprise' next time.