Track Description : It a kind of slow tango, not really orthodox (excuse me, argentinian members of the forum), with some changes in pulse and groove.
My Creative Vision : I started this piece as a soft, melancholic, sad song, with the method of choosing a chord cadence and then adding a moving melody. But early, the chords I selected brought me the tango feelling. Not a tango to dance, but a short of modern waltz-tango, (althoung it’s 4/4). I guess that some music I used to listen to many years ago, simply came out. So my influences (that I indeed recomend you to listen) could be Astor Piazzolla and Juan José Mosalini (Seminal impressionist tango creators), Cristobal Repetto (young but traditional tango), Lito Vitale (beautifull songs with a tango feeling) and Luis Salinas (guitar Maestro and huge singer).
Composition Overview : The cadence is presented by the guitar in a “Hotel California style” that soon turns to a tango accent. A flute enters to a soft melodical bridge. Then some brass create a surrounding atmostphere to elevate the emotion joining with bandoneon bass notes that I think they fit really well. It lead us to the bandoneon melody. Later, the bandoneon holds the second voice letting guitar taking the focus. Finally, flute and brass come back to the scene in a fadding ending.
Main Sounds :
Guitar: Ample Sound AGML2 Lite.
Flute: Reason sounds
Horn and trombone: Spitfire BBC SO
Bandoneon: Sonic Reality Ethnic Instruments
The process worth the effort. Definitely, these challenges make me go further and experiment out of my natural tendence.
I have discovered some interesting performance ways that tango needs, like attacking the note in advance, or some particular harmonies, among others. I continue progressing on the guitar expression, and even I dare to introduce a bandoneon
Love it. I see what you mean about the Hotel California style, this is very much my style
I think it would be awesome for others if you told them what sort of chord voicings you are using. It might inspire them to try this style themselves. Well done!
Thank you Geoff for your words.
I usually only think about chords for a while and then I let de cadence flow, so naming the chords is something hard for me. But I will try, if it makes the description more helpful.
The cadences used in different moments are:
Cm - Baug - Eb/Bb - Am7b5 - Fm - Bb - Bbsus4 - D - D7 - G
I knew therexweee a lot of tasty chords going on there as I was mimicking them on my guitar as it was going through, which is why I knew people would love to hear what these beautifully phrased chords were
Btw I love the phrase you used then, “let de cadence flow!”
That should be on a coffee mug!! in honour of your comment I’m going to use this in my next youtube video! ;D as we would say in wales - keep your ears peeled for it
Beautiful piece. Sounds like it should be in a sad mafia movie. The arrangement is great. I like the flute. You used instruments I would not have thought of using for this.
Vincente - beautiful piece and guitar playing. The first 30 seconds was perfect… I could have listened for hours. My main feedback would be to not be afraid to let things breath before developing too much. Don’t overthink your arrangement. I think with a simple bongo and perhaps acoustic bass and maybe your flute continuing would have been enough for the whole piece to keep us in that beautiful sad trance that we love listening to with sad music. By changing the rhythms up frequently and adding the accordion and horn I lost my sad trance that I wanted to enjoy more in the beginning of the piece. These are just my thoughts of course.
On a minor technical note, sounded like there was something in the guitar that slammed your compressor at one point. Perhaps a HP filter would catch this or manual dip any volume spikes on the track.
You did a fantastic job and I hope to hear more guitar from you in the future.
Thanks Brandon for your time and notes.
I decided to add some rhythm changes to fit better with the tango heart, and the bandoneon gallop. And also to pass through different states (sad, tragic, despair).
I think the sounds in the guitar you talk about are knocks on the guitar body. I let them sound to make the playing more real. Moretheless, I introduced the imperfection of the aparition of the chord notes in the bandoneon and other details, because I think certain “dirty” finish can make it more natural and fits better with the tango, as a street music.
Thank you so much for your words.
Like your colorful music.
I find bandoneon and accordion to be the hardest instrument to get right in a mix although I play them a little myself. You on the other hand nails it. Congratulations. My vote.
Very cool piece Vicente! I had to listen to it a couple of times as at first I didn’t get a sad feeling, but the second time, I imagined the death of a beloved member of a small, sleepy town in Italy (I know it’s Tango ) so it had a melancholy, but sweet sadness to it. Job well done!
Thanks Fredrik for your words. Very glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for the vote
I found this accordion library among some old sounds I had archived. It is not perfect, but its not bad after all. I love playing new sounds, (I guess that we all do). Sometimes the sound in itself starts the project without any story behind.
Hey Matt. I thank you. Maybe, I should have developed a story in the description to help the listeners dive into the feeling, but this time I just let the music suggest me how to evolute. Only the picture added was my focus to mantein the idea.
Some of you have tell me about the Italian (neapolitan mafia?) sound. Interesting . I am not an expert but I think that there is a huge heritage from the inmigrant italian culture in the argentinian culture (just see their surnames).
Yes, that is true (Lionel Messi, Yesica Toscanini, etc.) I think why it gives the impression of ‘mafia’ is because of The Godfather movies depicting the Italian-American mafia; the music is quite similar in style.
I usually compose from a visual, usually fantasy or Sci-Fi artwork/games/movies and rarely compose from my own experience, which I guess is a rare thing? Maybe because I’m trying to be a composer for those medium so I never write from my personal feelings, but I try to tell a story.
I already had an idea in the previous contest to give actual feedback and Eurovision type of scoring to my favorite entries after the voting. As you can imagine, all the excuses with time and stuff… No excuses anymore and better late that never I guess.
My 10 points goes to Vicente! Gotta love the “not so common approach when it comes to the instruments”. I guess in terms of sad music, it would be safe to go and pick a piano and some weeping strings on top of that. To my surprise, acoustic guitar and bandoneon (I first thought it was accordion) was a really nice fit in here. I really got the tango wibes you promised
As you seemed to use VI for the acoustic guitar I would suggest to try and add some or more (not much) fret noises to add some reality. Though, I don’t know how controllable those noises are in lite version or can you control those at all?
You are really kind Riku. Thank you so much for your support to my entry.
In my opinion, this forum contests let you go in a broader road. They have not the restrictions of a real project where the people who pay stablish some walls and point you the way, and that is why I try to expand my ideas as much as possible. I never ever composed anything similar to a tango and I had a really gooood time.
About the sound aspects you mention, I can tell that, yeah, your ears work perfectly it is an accordion. I didn’t find a free vst bandoneon that was good enough for me.
My acoustic guitar has this fret noise utility, and i think i switched it on. Maybe, some other sound stepped over the frequency.
Thank you again for your time helping others.
Your opinion is specially valuable, because you are one of the favourites month after month.
in honour of your comment I’m going to use this in my next youtube video! ;D as we would say in wales - keep your ears peeled for it 
but did you love “the cadence” or with the mistake “de-cadence”? Was it a real mistake? Jeje you’ll never know…
) so it had a melancholy, but sweet sadness to it. Job well done!
it is an accordion. I didn’t find a free vst bandoneon that was good enough for me.