Music Contest #4 - Comedy [DEAD]

[JetFangInferno]

[COLOR="#FFFF0"]Comedy

Create a piece of music that is comical in nature and inspires laughter [/COLOR]

• No submission may violate any of the site rules. Otherwise, the creator can and shall be disqualified.
• All submissions must follow the given theme. If it does not, a judge or moderator shall inform you as soon as possible to avoid confusion.
• Accepted file formats are MP3, OGG and MIDI.
• Your submission must be posted before the deadline. Your post must include the music in an accepted file format and an accompanying explanation of the song (i.e. explain how it fits into the theme).
• Your submission may not be started/made before the official launch of the contest. This also means you are not allowed to rework older pieces for submission. Everything must be 100% specifically made for this contest.
• Judges may not participate.
• Your final submission must be finished and logically conclude and start.
• Teamwork is not allowed. Ever.
• Your song must include at least 2 parts, meaning that you basically can't have an entire song containing only a single instrument soloing.
• You must post at least 1 WiP before the deadline so your final work can be verified as your own. WiPs may come in the form of the unfinished piece, or in case you're using a program to make your song, a screenshot of said program while you're working on the song with the title and author of the song clearly visible.
• Minimum length is 2 minutes. There is no maximum length, but keep it reasonable, as 15 minute entries may cause a maximum length to be enforced.
• Any method of music production is allowed, including using Sequencers, Virtual Instruments and standard recording.
• Contestants may use any program, except those that rely solely on sampling (such as eJay), to create their music. Essentially, the only part that is judged or limited is the final product.
• All entries must be accompanied by an explanation of how the song fits into the theme, but try not to write a whole novel about it.
• Vocals can be used, though the part being judged is the overall sound. Lyrical content is not judged.
• Sampling is allowed, but restricted as such:

1. If you use an instrument sound sample for a Sampling VSI (meaning that you just use the sound of the instrument, and not a premade loop, and make it play your music) you must provide the source of the sound, be it a website or an individual.
2. SAMPLING COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL WITHOUT THE CONSENT OF THE OWNER IS ILLEGAL, AND WILL NOT BE TOLERATED. EVER.
3. You may use Royalty free sound samples - but you must provide the source of the sample.
4. The final song must be at least 75% of your writing - In essence, you can use a royalty free drum loop (or other form of sampled material) in your song, but if you chose to, you must create enough of the other material or use in such a way that it can be said that YOU wrote 75% of the song. Samples of instruments simply to be used for a sequencer (like building a drum line out of specific drums or using a pitch altering sampler to make a melody out of a sound sample from an instrument) are exempt from the 75% rule.
5. Again, using programs solely based on sampling, such as eJay, is strictly forbidden.

• First Place: 40 reputation points and your entry on the award icon
  
• Second Place: 25 reputation points and a runner-up award icon
  
• Third Place: 15 reputation points

• deepstrasz
• Jazztastic

Theme	How well does your piece emulate the theme? Does it make you think "comedy"?	/15
Creativity/Originality	How original is the piece? How creative are you with the theme or instruments?	/10
Dynamic/Intonation	Basically, how well does it flow? Are accents used to good effect? Do overall levels make sense?	/10
Composition	How well is it composed? Do key changes make sense?	/15

The final result shall be decided 25% by a public poll and 75% by judging.
Final Score = (Judge's Score)*0.75 + (votes/(total votes))*25 = (score)/100

All submissions must be complete and submitted 5 weeks after the contest is started.
The contest shall begin on September 25 2011 and conclude on 1 November 2011, 11:59 GMT.
The deadline shall be extended by ONE week if the majority of the participants agree. 5 weeks is pretty reasonable though, so try to finish in time please.

Current Contestants

• JetFangInferno
• Bugz
• CoBrA b
• DudeSpirit
• KayS

Potential Contestants

• WhereWolfThereWolf
• Devine

Please notify me or one of the judges if you drop out. A post in this thread is fine - more are still welcome to join.

Inviting your friends to vote for you, bribing random members with rep and otherwise cheating with the VB poll system will get you DISQUALIFIED, BANNED from future contests, -REPPED, and possibly INFRACTED. So don't do it!

This includes, but is not limited to, sending PMs out to various users, getting other people to send those PMs, advertising this contest on other sites with the intention to gain more votes (whether it is explicitly stated or not), and so on. If you are suspected of cheating, the staff will notify you and interrogate you (hopefully) over PMs.

If you need a music program to get you started, a list of free/nearly free programs are included here:
Free Composing Resorces


Good luck to everyone!

 

[Bugz]

I particate

 

[Jazztastic]

As I am judging, I am going to write a small note about how to write a better piece, and thus, score better.

• Dynamic contrast can add a lot of depth to music. Use crescendos and decrescendos to create mood in your piece. A submitted work of all one volume will almost undoubtely score VERY low
• Use variety in your instruments and notes. No, this does not mean that incorporating a full symphony will automatically make you score better, what I am saying is that using a variety of sounds is enjoyable to the ear
• Use high quality sound recording equipment, if available. I don't want my speakers to die from hearing feedback every time you hit a high note. Use as high of quality as you can.
• Make your piece highly styalized. Make it over the top, give it some pizazz, add fairy sparkles, whatever. Make the theme *stick*, and people new to creating music probably shouldn't stray from their genre.
• Incorporate "Funny" into this. Make a call and response between an two instruments, with one terribly bad and the other terrifically amazing. Record the noise of a pie hitting a face. Include horns, laugh tracks, or parts of a comedy routine. Make me think that this music is funny.
• Actually spend time on your rhythym section. Repeating the same two measures of drums, bass, and piano (or any combination of the three) over and over again will not score well. Add rhythym changes, add fills on the drum part, shift up an octave in the piano/bass, or just flat out write new notes
• Spend time making this, and don't rush it. I can almost guarantee that if you spend more time absolutely NAILING that solo, or changing your backbeat for the HUNDRETH time to make it absolutely perfect, you will have the edge on the competition.
• Lyrics can be an instant way to incorporate humor into your work. Use them sparingly, a comedy routine with background music is going to get a piss poor score

Here is a perfect example of a comedy song. It has somewhat funny lyrics, but the laugh out loud parts come when Jack Black cues "Sax Man" to wail out, and he completely botches it.

You might want to try to find some other songs for inspiration. Any copies of other songs however, will be disqualified.

 

[JetFangInferno]

Jazztastic, thank you for your terrific advice. You have addressed many points that composers such as myself tend to fall short on and I believe everyone can improve by following your guidelines.

However, I must inform you that lyrical content will not be judged because it gives an advantage to vocal-based songs.

 

[deepstrasz]

May your contestants come wide and proud.

 

[Skycraft]

Looking forward to see what the entries are gonna be like

 

[Bugz]

Using all kinds of program is good enough right? ( using Acid Pro 6 )..

 

[JetFangInferno]

Anything but pure sampling programs (MusicShake, eJay), amd as long as they do not violate the rules as stated in my original post.

 

[Bugz]

Alright, my wip will be up very soon

 

[Jazztastic]

@Bugz if you can get it up before the server resets I can give you some advice right now. Otherwise I'm going to bed.

 

[Bugz]

I think i can, but it's not yet two mixed songs. Still completely early wip

 

[Jazztastic]

You've got five minutes

 

[Bugz]

I think you can go bed , it will be ready for tomorrow

 

[SA Dashie]

Interesting .

 

[Bugz]

Wip.

next will be full version, including another mixed song

 

[Devine]

How should music make you laugh? I only laugh at music when it's extremely bad.

 

[JetFangInferno]

Devine, that is the challenge

 

[Jazztastic]

@Bugz, I'm going hiking in twenty minutes, so I'll listen to it later today.

@Devine, That's the challenge

What do you guys think of me providing some resources for you guys to use? I could easily provide a 4 measure phrase for a few different styles, I already wrote one for hip-hop. I talked to Jet, and only problem would be that it would be too repetative. What do you guys think?

 

[Bugz]

@Bugz, I'm going hiking in twenty minutes, so I'll listen to it later today.

@Devine, That's the challenge

What do you guys think of me providing some resources for you guys to use? I could easily provide a 4 measure phrase for a few different styles, I already wrote one for hip-hop. I talked to Jet, and only problem would be that it would be too repetative. What do you guys think?

I need some ressources :/, is there a place to get some free?

 

[Jazztastic]

By resources, I mean royalty free drum loops, sorry if that wasn't clear. I downloaded beatcraft yesterday and was playing around, and like I said, I can provide a few different genre ideas to get creativity flowing and to help kickstart this contest. If you guys think it's a good idea, I'll get up a few different ones by the end of today, otherwise I'll just drop it.

 

[Bugz]

By resources, I mean royalty free drum loops, sorry if that wasn't clear. I downloaded beatcraft yesterday and was playing around, and like I said, I can provide a few different genre ideas to get creativity flowing and to help kickstart this contest. If you guys think it's a good idea, I'll get up a few different ones by the end of today, otherwise I'll just drop it.

Start making some

 

[CoBrA b]

Awesome. I'm in, as soon as this starts.

 

[Bugz]

The contest shall begin on 13 August 2011 and conclude on 17 September 2011, 11:59 GMT.

Its already started

 

[CoBrA b]

Its already started

Oh. It's not the 13th where I am, yet. Whoops.

 

[Jazztastic]

@Bugz, I listened to your wip. This has a ways to come yet. I don't really feel that it fit the theme. It wasn't even slightly comedic, there wasn't a single thing funny about that song, and it doesn't sound like a soundtrack that would be played to something funny either. The drums rarely synched up with the rest of the song. The voice effect used is . . . annoying.

It said that this was a remix. While using sampled material is allowed (such as the lyrics), perhaps it might be better to build your own song.

I uploaded one of the beats I finished today. More will come soon enough. It's a 4 bar hip-hop beat with a minor fill at the end. I wouldn't use it more than twice in a song, if you want to score well

 

[Bugz]

@Bugz, I listened to your wip. This has a ways to come yet. I don't really feel that it fit the theme. It wasn't even slightly comedic, there wasn't a single thing funny about that song, and it doesn't sound like a soundtrack that would be played to something funny either. The drums rarely synched up with the rest of the song. The voice effect used is . . . annoying.

It said that this was a remix. While using sampled material is allowed (such as the lyrics), perhaps it might be better to build your own song.

I am gonna mix my own song into this

 

[JetFangInferno]

I hope you all realize that the contest has NOT started yet. The actual contest may start at a later date depending when Pyritie approves of the contest so do NOTsubmit any WIP's yet.

 

[deepstrasz]

Wip.

next will be full version, including another mixed song

This is not original.

 

[Bugz]

I hope you all realize that the contest has NOT started yet. The actual contest may start at a later date depending when Pyritie approves of the contest so do NOTsubmit any WIP's yet.

Shit .... forgot anyways i basicly just had to learn this before i do something d_d

 

[Pyritie]

what the fuck is comedy music

 

[Bugz]

what the fuck is comedy music

Stated some post's above, can you approve it?

 

[Jazztastic]

Silly Pyritie. Here is what I consider to be comedy music

-Music that is funny to listen to
-Music with funny lyrics
-Music that could be the background for a comedy routine.

I'm sure that it is a lot broader than that, but those are what I just thought of off of the top of my head

 

[Devine]

Silly Pyritie. Here is what I consider to be comedy music

-Music that is funny to listen to
-Music with funny lyrics
-Music that could be the background for a comedy routine.

I'm sure that it is a lot broader than that, but those are what I just thought of off of the top of my head

Could you give some examples?

 

[Bugz]

Could you give some examples? D:

You dont seem to be the laughing kind

 

[Jazztastic]

Here is an a solely instrumental example, from Earthbound. I would consider this comedic

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTMqnfpX7zU

Here is an example including lyrics, from Team America. I would also consider this comedy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IhnUgAaea4M

I linked a lonely island video earlier. Almost everything they have done is comedy.

Here's an autotuned example of comedy. This should show that there are tons of genres you can do for this contest

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9QS0q3mGPGg&feature=fvwrel

 

[Skycraft]

I would consider just about every song by Weird Al Yankovic to be considered 'comedic', since they are pretty much all parodies.

OFF-TOPIC:
Weee 1000 posts. :3

 

[Pyritie]

I would consider just about every song by Weird Al Yankovic to be considered 'comedic', since they are pretty much all parodies.

do you honestly expect someone to make something like that for a contest like this

 

[Bugz]

Never.. Not gonna happend

 

[Skycraft]

do you honestly expect someone to make something like that for a contest like this

No of course not, unless of course someone manages to get the 'OK!' from the original owner of the song they are parodying. Apart from that it was only an idea/suggestion/thing.

 

[JetFangInferno]

Here are some excellent examples of Comedy music:

• Naruto's Daily Life
• Go Go Naruto!
• Fooling Mode

And Pyritie I need to ask you a question. If you're dismissing Comedy music because you don't know what it is, then why did you approve of Music Contest 3's theme "Schizophrenia" when there is even less music for that?

 

[Bugz]

Here are some excellent examples of Comedy music:

• Naruto's Daily Life
• Go Go Naruto!
• Fooling Mode

And Pyritie I need to ask you a question. If you're dismissing Comedy music because you don't know what it is, then why did you approve of Music Contest 3's theme "Schizophrenia" when there is even less music for that?

You sir! listen to much anime -.-

 

[JetFangInferno]

I see absolutely no problem listening to anime music. If you never saw "Naruto" in front of the song titles, would you call it anime music? Think beyond the medium that music is presented.

 

[Bugz]

I like naruto no problem at all. But you could have found other examples; with lyrics

 

[JetFangInferno]

Okay I understand. The problem is lyrics are not judged -- at least that's what the rules (not set by me) state.

 

[Bugz]

They should be :/ it's comedy

 

[JetFangInferno]

From WhereWolfThereWolf: "The idea is to judge lyrics as you would any instrument, no more or less points given for their addition. The quality of the words themselves do not matter, it's a music contest not a story/poem/writing contest so they should not be taken into consideration in the judging - an epic poem or just neutral syllables, it's all scored the same."

 

[Bugz]

Well, so the lyrics could be for the poll :/

 

[JetFangInferno]

You can include lyrics but they will not increase/decrease your overall score.

 

[Bugz]

Alright. Thinking to do a pony rap :v

 

[JetFangInferno]

That would be epic LOL