Give me some advice for composing.

[disgruntleddave]

I have no lack of ideas. in fact i have jotted down main motifs/ideas for 3 songs recently, 2 jazz (one swing regular, least potential, one bossa nova that i am writing right down and love it, and one classical celtic style band piece).

i just want to know what the best advice to sticking with it is, what order to do things, how best to organize myself, etc - so i can get something done.

[mostly alto guy]

Composing is different for everyone, whether we're talking about music or text. Some people compose at a certain time each day; others never try to write unless they are in the right frame of mind. You just have to figure out which is best for you, and once you do, don't fight against your natural tendancy.

Whenever you do write, work at keeping your songs real, meaning, make sure what you put on paper is what you hear in your head AND what you feel in your heart. If you have the requisite training, then you already know how to put notes on the page. That's the science. The art of composing is in making what's on the paper "feel" right. Don't imitate anyone else's work. Incorporate elements if you like, but individualize them. Remember, they're YOUR songs.

Good composition winds up feeling and seeming as if had been easy to write, as if it just fell out of your pen (or keyboard). That's what you should strive for.

[disgruntleddave]

ok. for over 70 percent of my life ive been in music, (i am 18 now), 7 years of which i was taking piano formally. getting the stuff on paper is not the problem.

mainly it is the patience of getting a lot of stuff on paper. i can hear what i want in my head, but when it comes to writing out full orchestration (for concert band for example) i can never find the drive to do it.

thats my main problem.

[gary]

I have degrees in composition and have done a fair share of writing in different genres. Like "mag" said, we don't all do it the same. I am a slow motivator and have, my entire career, responded better to deadlines than to just getting up in the morning to the singing of birds hardly waiting to put that first note on the paper. Matter of fact, I just recently heard of Duke Ellington (who can be better or more prolific than him) saying "Don't give me money, give me a deadline".

I usually find ways to impose deadlines on myself. Then I usually cram in a lot of writing in a short time with fairly good results. It's not the best system for mental or physical health but seems to work best for me. I was surprised some time back to hear of a book written about composer/arrangers and thier work styles and there were many that not only worked like I but even missed deadlines. One story told of a composer who had to personally pay back a major comission. I have a friend in the NY Phil who told me about Wynton Marselis missing several deadlines. I mean, can you imagine messing with the NY Phil board of directors and principal conductor?!

On the other hand, Igor Stravinsky used to religiously get up in the morning, play some Bach on the piano for clarity and then write for several hours. I believe it was Maria Schneider who said it was important to do some -any- writing at the same given time of the day to keep a routine. I can see benefits to this, just like practicing your instrument when you don't feel like it.

I heard a phrase when I was in school that has really stuck with me over the years and use it as a motivator, perhaps because it lets me know that I am not the only one that feels this way and also that there is, indeed, a reward for the hard work, and it is "I don't really like writing, I like having written". I try to keep in mind the satisfaction that comes from hearing something I have written played and use that end goal as a motivator to get up off my arse and write.

I am not advocating doing it my way; seems to me Stravinsky's is the best but you've got to find out what works for you and go with that since anything else is ineffective.

As Bill C. would say, "Ah feeeuul yer payne".

[Minatar12]

The most important thing to do is to write something EVERY day. Even if its only 20 seconds worth of music, I think its important to do at least some every day. Its sort of like longtones on saxophone, you do it and you do it until the tone is natural and easy to come by.
If you don't know much about orchestration, there are several good books about the subject. I don't know any off the top of my head just about jazz, but the standard is Samuel Adler's orchestration book.

If your writing big band arrangements, unless you have a set, definite melody in your head, and already know the chord changes you want, probably you shouldn't try and write the melody line first. Try and come up with cool progressions and harmonies you like, and build off those.
I could go on, but I have work, so I hope that helps a bit :)

[sax cheese]

i'd say as long as you have a rich enough harmonic vocabulary (any jazz musician should have otherwise they are not a jazz musician), you are inventive and creative when it comes to texture and intstrumentation/arranging - (look at birth of the cool:miles/wide angels:michael brecker/free jazz:ornette coleman) then theres only one thing left; good listening. my sax teacher told me the music you compose is only ever as good as the music you listen to. make sure your'e only listening to the music that you love, try and get a range of styles that you listen to, and dont just listen to something because its catchy. this will sort out the melody part of things, after all, melodies usually come from little motives we dream up in our heads, which come from the big musical soup in your brain.

and i totally agree with some other dude who said something, be original and let it flow out of you cos it will sound good when you've found it easy to think of it.