Rubicon - Have you crossed yours today?

This one started out with me messing around with the symphonic software instruments I'd obtained recently. Using a string bass section I came up with a brooding riff that didn't seem to have any direct reference to a standard key or chord - F#-A-C#-D-C#-F. Then I added French horn crescendos using combination of the notes above followed by a violin section playing notes in tremolo. The effect is kind of like that of an old horror movie score. To top it off I went to a trumpet section building to a high pitch with cymbals and kettle drum rolls.

Not wanting to pursue the piece as some sort of kitsch classical work, I crashed it into a kind blaring, droning rock riff with bass, two guitars and drums, still using the same notes above. One guitar playing echoy single notes and the other playing the chords: F#-A-C# followed by F-Bb-D. (Here I'm adding the Bb which seems to fit the group.)

At this point, I really didn't know where to go. I named the piece "Rubicon." I had in mind that the song would start out tense, chilling and abrasive - apprehension, angst, etc. before crossing the point of no return - then become mellower, a kind of coming to terms with the crossing. But this strange set of notes didn't seem to want to resolve itself into anything. I ask Greg (the music major). He said I was using what's called chord colors and they tend not to resolve themselves.

So I cheated or maybe cheaped out. I ended the big guitar riff with drum fill and a crash going into a drum beat solo. Then using a kind of staccato bass riff, I hurl the song into a D major key (with kind of minorish feel) and take off from there. I switch the lead instruments from electric guitars to electric piano, flute and dobro. I climax the tune with a double-time beat and flute riff that sounds a little like foot-stompin' Celtic music.

Rubicon clocks in at close to 6 minutes. I'm not sure if this rambling progression of stuff really works but it was certainly an instructive piece.