how do you compose?

[edoguy]

I was wondering how you musicians compose a music.
How do you start?

[gary]

Start by writing simple melodic lines that you like. Then harmonise them. You can pick around with harmonies with a guitar or at the piano but I would recommend learning something about chords and their function and construction.

Learn about different song forms, then theme and variations. Learn what development is and how to do it. Write your songs for small instrumental combinations and have them played (very important). Get yourself a good orchestration book. Study scores and the recordings. Learn 17th C. counterpoint. Study theory and get yourself a good teacher.

[edoguy]

what is your favorite song you composed?

[gary]

I still think most fondly on a little ditty I wrote for kids in a barrio school Suzuki string program that was played in a gym by over a hundred little elementary school children, practically all of whom were Mexican immigrants. It was one of the most satisfying things I believe I've ever done.

[martysax]

When I was in my freshman year at Brandeis, I was recruited by some campus musicians to form a "New Wave" band. We had a female lead singer, guitar, bass, drums, Fender Rhodes, and me.

For that band, I wrote a little love ballad called "I beat her with a rake!" that still rings loud this day.

She paid for her mistake
when I beat her with a rake,
beat her with a rake,
beat her with a rake.

For me, it always starts with lyrics. I then develop a few hooks around the syllables of the main works. String them together with some stuff and you've got a good start.

My punk-rockabilly band, the Cyclones, would write at least one original per month and work it out on stage. Sometimes it's like throwing a bunch of notes on the floor, picking up a few pieces, and developing a motive.

[Grumps]

That brings it all back Marty. When I was in law school in the mid-80's I had an "alternative" band... although I don't think that term was applied back then. We'd do mostly all originals, and I'd do my best song writing in the shower; singing some profane melody. Then figure it out on the keyboard.

[Pete Thomas]

I'm a strong believer in logical development of small phrases. It's just like improvising, but you have more time to get it right. Logical development doesn't meean you have to follow rules, it should be a balance of development that the listener kind of expects and development that is a bit of a surprise.

Too much obvious development and the listener gets bored

Too many surprises and the piececloses direction.

A lot more (and some examples) at:

http://www.petethomas.co.uk/composition-motif.html

[odsum25]

Gary is right on about learning theory. Find a good harmony book, a good counterpoint book, and learn it all. Otherwise you're just throwing notes around. It can sound nice, but there is never goin gto be much musical depth there. I like the Piston "Harmony" or Aldwell/Schacter "Harmony and Voice Leading" (if you're into the Schenker thing) harmony books. For counterpoint start with Fux. It's archaic, but will get you the basics and then some. And I can't emphasize enough studying scores you enjoy and that are generally considered great music. A must is to study the Bach chorales inside and out. Play with the voice leading yourself and see what you can do. If you move onto orchestration, Rimsky-Korsakov and Forsyth are the first step.

[Greelmo]

Compositional technique is always a controversial subject among musicians. Honestly, write what you like. If you want to be taken seriously, however, make sure you are WELL versed in the history of music, eastern and western theory, orchestration, etc. If you are educated, you can write concert music, film music, rap beats, etc. Go hit up google and find an interview with Danny Elfman (the most sucessful film score composer of the past coupld decades, arguably of course). Notice how intelligently he can speak of his style in the context of music history. That's the true trick. He knows what's out there, so he can take the next step and write a successful score.

[breitenfeld]

First look for the material:
This can be a melodic or rhythmic tiny idea, a sequence of chords, texture, timbre, etc.

Then think and listen to ways of developing/extending this material. Most techniques can be found in books or in the web or a teacher.

It is important that the music has an emotional graph. BASICALLY, music has a forward or backward motion as well variations on this too. Climaxes are nice.

The most important thing is that you hear what you want to do, of course trying it out on an instrument before to clarify before and after hearing it in your head is important too.

John Cage said: "Most composers hear music in their heads and then write it down, I write music down to be able to hear it."

Pretty advanced, huh? But that's John Cage (Another of my heroes)

CHEERS!

[ElThommo]

Only just started writing my own stuff, but I tend to sit down with my sax and play until something that I like and develop a tune off of that. Occasionally I'll get some made up tune in my head and try and put it to paper at a later date.

[Robenco15]

I've been blessed to just have graduated from a high school that has a great music department.

I'll test out of a year and a half worths of theory classes at college now. I'm in the process of writing a legit Sonata Allegro (1st movement of a symphony) for full orchestra. Fun stuff. I love writing. Playing. Analyzing scores (completely analyzed Beethoven's 1st symphony 1st movement, now onto the 2nd), conducting, and of course listening. I try to constantly be doing something with music at every second of my day. Especially during the summer.

Since it doesn't sound like you have a basis really of theory I would look into some books but try to somehow take a class or find a teacher or something.

Whenever you go to write melody (on piano, sax, or anything), which I suggest you do, always try to keep a progression in mind. Look at your notes, your cadence points, and see what's the dominant maybe and that kind of thing. Always try to write with a progression in mind. If you don't, you'll write something, and then when it comes time to add legit harmonies and stuff that serious composers add, you'll have to change your melody to reflect proper harmonic "rules", if you will.

I've written string quartet stuff, I've put music to text (poems in both cases), and like i said i'm in the middle of a Sonata Allegro.

If you are starting, I would get a notation software, open a blank piano score and just write stuff with that. No reason to start out with a full orchestral score or anything of that sort.


p.s. I learned using the Robert Ottman theory books. I find it works better than anything else. Instead of learning everything NOT to do, he breaks EVERYTHING into rules and then you just folllow rules based on what is going on in the song. Example - (This is four part choral writing which can be translated into anything) If the basses are a 4th or a 5th apart, rule 2a says, Keep a common tone and move the other voices by step to the nearest chord tone (which would be in similar motion as well). By using his rules you avoid pararell fifths and octaves which are a HUGE no no in classical music theory. You also avoid cross voices, cross relations, and augmented seconds and 4ths. There are always exceptions once you get into the more advanced theory methods but he has rules for those as well.

I find they work great. I just got a 5 on the AP Music Theory exam. Saving thousands of dollars in college now too.

[jazzbo mcgee]

start with silence... then take away everything you don't like.

jazzbo

[raf:)]

take a music thoery class for the basis if your still in high school i think they should have one i took one in my high school and never regreted it helps teach u functions and all the good stuff

[silvin]

Originally Posted by edoguy

I was wondering how you musicians compose a music.?

With a cup of tea. never coffee.

[Enviroguy]

1. Computer ($1200)
2. NoteWorthy Music Program ($29)
3. Soprano Sax (to work out melody) ($1000)
4. Strange nervous fever (free)
5. Watching the mouths of 250 Baptists all drop in unison as you play a "re-imagined" version of their favorite hymn (priceless)

[littlemanbighorn]

Originally Posted by silvin

With a cup of tea. never coffee.

No, quite the opposite. Or with some nice Scotch(or rotgut, depending on the style of music.)

[bluesaxgirl]

In a concert band, I find it easy just to see what sounds good together on the piano, assign it to instruments, add effects, and then change it to the appropriate key. I guess it could work for a jazz band also.

[Sivarix]

how do you compose?
I was wondering how you musicians compose a music.
How do you start?

Start by writing simple melodic lines that you like. Then harmonise them. You can pick around with harmonies with a guitar or at the piano but I would recommend learning something about chords and their function and construction.

Learn about different song forms, then theme and variations. Learn what development is and how to do it. Write your songs for small instrumental combinations and have them played (very important). Get yourself a good orchestration book. Study scores and the recordings. Learn 17th C. counterpoint. Study theory and get yourself a good teacher.[/quote]

Can you not explain how you compose, instead of telling us how to compose?

[silvin]

I guess Gary was telling about his own practice, wasn't he? Wasn't you Gary?