What does it take to learn composition?
The fastest way to learn composition is to memorize small fragments of music, and then learn to change and combine those fragments in very specific ways.
The process of changing it, actually forces you to understand it.
When I started Art of Composing in 2011, I had a loose idea of the things I needed to learn. But it wasn’t very clear in my mind.
So I set out reading just about every music theory or composition book I could get my hands on. And I blogged about it at the same time.
What is your motivation for composing?
Since launching my original free composing course on youtube back in 2011, I’ve asked many of the 35,000 people who’ve taken it what their goals are for composing.
If any of these describe you, keep reading.
- You want to compose music that clearly expresses yourself and your emotions in a way that others understand.
- You want to create music mostly for yourself, but you’re interested in film, TV, and video games.
- You want to write down what you hear inside your head, and from that create longer works, hit songs, or just a good piece of music.
- You want to understand how music works, but your music theory is a little bit… shall we say… sketchy.
Your goals may be slightly different, but in the end, we all want some of the same things. To express ourselves, to bring joy to others through music, and to just simply create.
Learning composition is a process that will take time. There is a lot you don’t know, and that’s okay.
Composition is rewarding because there is no end to learning and growing.
You Already Have Listening Experience, and Background Knowledge
We all come to music with a lifetime of listening experiences. I grew up playing trumpet in wind bands and jazz bands.
Others may have had no experience playing at all.
We also learn little tidbits about music along the way. Confusing quotes like “Music is the space between the notes,” which happens to be simultaneously attributed to Miles Davis, Claude Debussy, and Mozart.
This is your background knowledge – everything you’ve learned about music until this very moment.
You then focus on one specific composition skill at a time. This could be something as small as writing a note correctly by hand or as big as a symphony.
Starting with small skills makes the whole process flow better.
A composition skill should be a repeatable process.
Harmony, melody, form – these are not skills. They are categories.
A composition skill should be repeatable, and have a clear goal.
So here is a goal for you. Compose a one note piece of music, right now.
Let’s accomplish this very basic composition skill together, and through this, I think I can show you how you’ll approach learning composition in general.
Grab a pencil, staff paper, and compose with me right now.
Download staff paper here. It will open in a new tab.
Step 1 – Set some restrictions for yourself
Let’s be deliberate about this. Your goal is to compose for me, a 1 note piece of music.
So let’s start with laying out the boundaries.
Restrictions will help to open up our creativity, because they filter out unnecessary ideas from your brain.
For instance, you can throw away any ideas you have that are two notes or longer.
Right now, I just want one note. But we’re going to make it a great note.
Pick each of these before we start sketching and write them down in the corner of the paper.
- The tempo.
- The time signature.
- The key signature.
- What instrument or instruments will be playing the note.
If you want, you can just watch me do it.
- I pick a slow tempo, about 60 beats per minute, also known as 1 beat per second.
- The time signature is, 4/4. I don’t want to overcomplicate this.
- The key signature is C major. Because… it’s C major.
- The instrument I choose for this example is the violin.
Pretty simple right? Now that we have the boring stuff out of the way, let’s get on to the good stuff.
Step 2 – The process of composing, in one note
Let’s imagine your note for a second. Now you don’t need to hear the note before hand in your mind. You can start to get closer to the note you want, without hearing.
Is it a high range note, middle range note, or low note?
Is it loud or soft?
How should the note change over time?
How long is the note?
Here’s what I can imagine.
I hear a note, it’s middle range. The note is… soft.
Very soft. In fact, it is as soft as the violin player can play. Yes, I see the violin player. Heart pounding on stage. The conductor, about to give the upbeat.
And the note begins.
With the lightest touch of the bow, the string begins to just barely scratch out a sound.
But as the second beat hits, the note gets louder. The player puts more pressure. It gets gritty.
By the third beat, the note is very loud, and then suddenly without warning, the violinist accelerates the bow, to leave the ring of an open low G string.
Now, write that down. A low G, 3 beats long, starting very soft (pp), and getting very loud (fff).
Hopefully, you could see and hear in your mind what I just described to you.
It’s a little bit like a story, and you have the ability to imagine music in your head with the same clarity. It also develops and changes as you create it.
Now imagine doing this for more than just one note.
What do we mean when we say “compose music”?
It’s always helpful to have a clear definition when learning a new topic. Music composition is no different.
Musical composition is the process of making or forming a piece of music by combining the parts, or elements of music.
Composing isn’t about being totally unique. The search for ever more novelty has lead to a lot of incomprehensible music.
It’s also not about just copying the past.
What Composers Actually Do
We create music based on our past experience and shared musical vocabularies
Composers don’t create something out of nothing.
Take for example, this very famous piece, Pachabel’s Canon in D.
This chord progression and melody, are actually a commonly used chord progression called the Romanesca.
Here it is being used by Mozart in The Magic Flute”.
This is just one of many examples of composer’s learning from, and borrowing from other composers.
Our goal is to eventually create something new and unique, but not before we master that which has come before us.
How then, do we go about learning to compose music?
The Unique Challenges and Goals of Learning to Compose
Composing has some unique challenges, and it’s important to understand what you’re up against. Many of these will probably be familiar to you:
- There is too much to learn, not enough time to learn it, and it’s hard to understand on it’s own.
- Endless possibilities make starting pieces easy, but finishing them difficult.
- It’s difficult to compose without inspiration, which doesn’t always strike.
- You can’t accurately transcribe what you hear in your head, which means your music sounds different than you imagine.
- Your music theory knowledge is weak and you’re not sure how to apply it.
- You waste a lot of time trying to put together a coherent path to understanding composition.
- Finally, it’s really difficult to see how it all this can come together.
Too Much to Learn, Not Enough Time to Learn It, And It’s All Connected
At a basic level, learning to compose is overwhelming because there is a lot you need to know for things to click into place, and work together.
For instance, in order to harmonize a melody, you need to understand how harmony works. But in order to understand how harmony works, you need to understand how melody effects it.
The simple way around this is to give you very specific exercises which only require specific decisions to be made. For instance, how to write a melody over a chord progression that you already have. Once you can do that, you learn to write chord progressions alone. And then you combine the two skills.
Two separate composing skills become one.
Endless Possibilities Make Starting Easy and Finishing Hard
Endless possibilities make expressing your emotions in an original way challenging. Combine this with a small dose of perfectionism, and you’re stuck worrying about following rules, never finishing pieces.
There are so many great composers creating unique and interesting things. This in itself can be overwhelming.
This amount of freedom also makes it difficult to judge your own work and progress.
Once again, there are specific ways to address this so that you finish pieces. Namely very specific restrictions or boundaries that you choose not to cross. More on these later.
Inspiration Doesn’t Always Strike
When inspiration strikes, new composers usually don’t have a problem coming up with ideas. It’s committing to ideas and using them logically.
The problem is, inspiration doesn’t always strike.
It’s important to save your ideas when it does strike, but the real skill is knowing how to use those ideas to create finished pieces.
You Can’t Accurately Transcribe What You Hear In Your Head
But let’s be honest.
Occasionally inspiration strikes, you’re motivated to write, but you can’t take full advantage of it.
To express what you hear in your head, you have to be able to identify what you hear first. It’s not enough to just get close.
Ear training isn’t exactly fun though, and it isn’t really enough either. You want what you write down to actually sound like what you wanted to write down.
To do this you need a reliable process for hearing and experimenting with your ideas.
Your Music Theory is Weak, and You’re Not Sure How to Apply It
Music theory may not be your strongest point.
But you still want to fill in the gaps in your knowledge and learn how to apply the theory to actually writing music that expresses your emotions.
Theory is really just people trying to explain how music works.
So if the theory has good explanatory power, I like to learn it and use it. That’s the kind of theory you’ll learn here.
Music theory is not limited to college textbooks
A lot of music theory is boring, confusing, and doesn’t really help you to compose.
I basically skip that stuff.
Some music theory is extremely valuable for understanding why the music has the emotional effect that it does, by focusing on the critical elements of the music:
- Melody – the effect of the single line and how composers have tended to handle the problems of writing melodies.
- Harmony – how notes and lines sound together at the same time.
- Form – how any section of your piece can sound like a beginning, middle, or end, and therefore how you can organize it in unique ways to tell your unique musical story.
There is obviously much more to it, but that’s for later on.
Your Wasting Time Trying Finding Good Composition Lessons
Many composers endlessly fish youtube for self-learning resources, trying to figuring out what to study and how to organize it.
But without clear explanations of how composers actually work, the random bits of information seem to fall flat.
I have specifically designed courses to help you put all your random bits of composing knowledge into relationship to each other.
You Have Trouble Seeing How Musical Ideas Work and Should Fit Together
For your ideas to flow effortlessly from your mind to the paper, you need to understand why your ideas work, and how to best use them in order to turn those ideas into finished pieces.
How to Learn Composition
The first step in learning to compose, is realizing that you are just beginning, and not to place too heavy a burden on yourself.
Our job as composers is not to create masterpieces, but instead, piece together a master.
The Grammar of Music
So we begin by learning fundamentals, the grammar of music. For anyone serious about learning composition, it is key to learn the language.
You need to be able to read music notation.
There are many resources for learning to read music out there, and a quick google search should point you in the right direction. You’ll quickly find there isn’t all that much to reading music. The challenge lies more in becoming fluent, than becoming familiar.
But also part of the fundamentals are the basics of music theory. Things such as scales, triads, and seventh chords. These are your building blocks. If music notation the alphabet, these are your words. And much like a child, you probably already have an aural knowledge of these “words”. You know what a major chord sounds like, or what a minor chord sounds like. But as a composer, your knowledge needs to go beyond the aural and superficial level. You need to understand exactly what they are.
If you can read, the next step for you should be to sign up for my free beginner’s composing course, which explains in about the fastest way possible, what all of these basics of music theory are, and how to use them in composition. You’ll receive one email a day, with guidelines, worksheets, and a video.
The Logic of Music
Once you can read and write in music notation, and you know the basics of theory, such as scales, and triads, the next step is to learn how these combine to create small scale, simple music. That is in fact exactly what my free course. The Vocabulary of Composition teaches.
Music’s apparent logic, comes from the fact that most of the music we hear follows the same guidelines. These guidelines become ingrained in our ears, and we expect to hear them. These expectations are built into the music.
The logic is in understanding how to use these expectations.
Start Composing Now by Following My Journey
This series of articles was written for the beginner composer in mind. Where do you begin to learn music composition? What kinds of stuff do you need to have? Do you need a computer, a piano, or a pad of sheet music?
- The Composing Mindset – The Composing Mindset. Music composition first starts in the mind, and having a clear mind and an acceptance of who you are is key to clearing your conscience for creativity.
- Setting Up a Basic Composing Space – The Home Composing Studio Setup. Once you’ve got the right mindset, it is important to create a space for yourself to get away and compose. You may also be interested in this article about having a composing sanctuary.
- Should You Start With The Melody or Harmony First – Melody or Harmony First? The age old question of the chicken or the egg, just rehashed. The answer may not be what you think.
- Start Composing Now! – Now that you’ve read all about music composition, it’s time to start. With all this talk about theory, and fundamentals, the most important thing you can do to become a better composer is… actually compose something.
- Simple Musical Form for Composing – Are you looking for some direction in your compositions? The place to start is musical form. Definition: Musical Form is an emergent feature of music that happens over time when you combine the separate elements of melody, harmony, rhythm, tempo and texture.
- Simple Functional Harmony – Tired of C, F, and G chords? So am I. Learn how to harness harmony.
- Unlocking the Secret to Diatonic Harmony.
Thank you for this insightful guide on composing music! Your step-by-step approach and practical tips make the process feel much more accessible. Looking forward to applying these techniques in my own compositions.
Really great practical advice for music composition. Love how you went through the unique challenges (aka excuses) for not doing it. From my perspective, learning music theory and composition gives you a set of tools to work with. It allows you to unlock deeper possibilities with songwriting in general because you have this vast fabric of theory to work with and draw from.
So, instead of just hearing the songs in your head and wanting to create them, you have the building blocks and the process of creation becomes a matter of putting them together with your own form of expression.
A lot of it comes down to… just get started!
Hey! Thank you so much for this post. I actually have written songs and the music is all done … just in my mind. I mean I can sing the song and you will feel like it’s completely done. The only problem I don’t know how to compose music and also I am unaware of the music theory. Just the thought of composing the music of my own song used to scare me, but thanks to you I think I can pull this off with practice. Lastly, I want to know about your YouTube channel pls.
Hey Jon, I just wanted to say thanks for putting all this stuff together. After a long time of avoiding pursuing my musical talents (I went the finance/MBA/corporate grind 60-80 hour week route instead), I recently restarted my journey by enrolling at Berklee.
Most of the time, the way my composition instructors teach just doesn’t click in my head, and I find myself having to find alternative resources to fill in the gaps in my understanding. Your website has become one of them.
Thanks again!
Hey Jon I have just come across this site from checking out your podcast i checked out the first 7 epesodes today, I have been a dj in the electronic world for 27 years and have been very lucky to travel the world, I also had a radio show on the BBC Radio1 for several years, I have wanted to get into composition for a very long time but have been very intimidated as i don’t have any music theory or a grasp of composition, I just wanted to say this site looks amazing and congratulation on pushing forward with it 😉
Ferg
Thanks!
Hi, Thanks for this demonstration, I was hoping you would give an example for a vocal voice as well, you know like just plain vocal-rhythm,body,lyricss etc. I would like you to try giving me an example. Thank You!
Hi
First of all congratulations to you for this initiative.
I wanted to know what is the best machine/software out there to deconstruct instruments involved in any song being played. For example, if I’m listening to a song, I want that the guitar piece should get separated , picked out and recorded/ written seperately in my computer.
Thank you
Your brain, your ears, a keyboard, and transcription software like anytune.
If you are talking about separating audio, maybe audionamix https://audionamix.com/.
Hi! Thanks for the content. I play guitar and started writing lyrics on my own for a someone I love and can sing them A-Capella but soon I wanted to accompany music too. So just tryna learn all music theory I can and learning about composing
I returned yet again. As a former music grad, I decided I wanted to pick up composition as I had a taste of it while in college. I had a taste of being a conductor, playing several different instruments, studying pedagogy, and majoring on bassoon. I haven’t quite decided my process yet. I concluded that I would try writing melody and harmoney simultaneously after I establish a rhythm I like. I’m going to try that. I might be back. Lol
Good luck.
I started composing after my retirement 6 years ago. Even though I have no musical training but a considerable passion for classical music, I started with my iPhone and garageband and just went for it. I tried to go the Theme and Variations route and found my self fully committed and passionately involved with making music. I also read your guidance and found it to be very helpful in getting the major technical aspects of composing. To my surprise, I found my self to be very prodigious and continued to improve the more I was composing. I got so involved that after five years I decided to learn how to play the piano. If you are interested in listening to my latest work see: paulcaracristi.bandcamp.com
Hi there,
I’m very new to composing (as in, I’m writing my first piece). I’m trying to write a slow air/ballad. I’ve realised I’ve accidentally switched from 3/4 to 4/4 when I pick up the tempo. Is this allowed? Or should I be changing it so that the time signature stays the same the whole way through?
Sorry for such a stupid question.
Alex
You can change meter if it feels right. Sometimes you can also try to write it as both 3/4 and 4/4 and see which one works best.
Thank you so much for creating this website. It’s been my dream to compose as a kid. I never had access to musical training, now that I have the resources and this website I’m able to work towards my music career and goals.
Thank you for great tips and providing straightforward and practical advice in musical composition. Well written article, and looking forward to reading more. Thanks again!
Hi Jon,
I’m from Guatemala, I start to compose music 4 years ago. First, I write instrumental music with a big focus on electric guitar. Actually, I’m trying to compose with vocals and experimental electronic audio effects. I graduated from University with a degree in electronic engineering. In my thesis, I create new audio effects, VST, based on nonlinear mathematical models. At this moment, I want to study my Master’s in something that joins both things. In my country, there are not too many possibilities so I’m thinking to go outside. I took so many composition advice from your web page and you are incredible. Do you know of a master ‘s degree, with the characteristics indicated before, or some keywords to tried to find it in Interner? My principal intention is to join my engineering studies with my true love music to express myself, in a better way, and find a place where I can develop working in this way, playing and sharing new sounds and compositions.
I am not too familiar with programs like that. My recommendation would be to look for specific people to study with instead of just picking an institution by name. With music, your mentors are critical and someone who understands your goals and is able to help you guide your career choices will be very important.
I am a piano teacher and exclusively teach individuals with autism spectrum. Many of my students are musically gifted, but unfortunately with gifted students they seem to always want to play by ear instead of learning to read notes and integrating their aural and sight-reading skills. I have a 15 year old who knows his notes, keys, scales, modes,etc. He composes on the fly, but cannot notate what he plays. In your opinion, should I start with a beginning composition course for him, or listen with him and teach him how to notate what’s in his brain?
I don’t know enough about autism to say what the best path forward would be. Generally, I recommend learning to read and notate for anyone learning to compose, as it gives you a very handy way to remember your music by sketching it. Writing by hand has also been shown to engage different parts of the brain than playing or using a keyboard and mouse, so there is benefit there as well.
You could possibly mix in the reading and writing aspect with playing. Like have them write a few notes, and then improvise a piece based on those notes. It’s more flexible than having to write complete finished compositions.
You could also introduce lead sheets, which are inherently improvisation based, as you have to add the supporting bass line and accompaniment.
I don’t play an instrument. But I have a lot of catchy and sometimes beautiful chords in my head. Should I learn an instrument first?
I would learn a little piano.
It doesn’t require any special skills to make it sound right. You can hear harmony clearly, and as a beginner, playing a single line melody is relatively easy compared to say a string or woodwind (because its just harder to make a good sound.)
Ultimately, I recommend learning a instrument well, but it shouldn’t stop you from also learning to compose.
Hi Jon, I’ve been playing music for over 40 years now. I can play most instruments I lay my hand on. I’m a self taught musician throughout my life. I have always played other musician scores in different band I’ve played with. I find it a lot easier to write an instrumental piece, but I have a big problem with lyrics. I have these ideas all bugling in my brain but I just can’t start to writing it down. I understand a lot about musical theory and I even teach children how to read and play sheet music. I bought me a 32 channel tascam compact home studio with the idea of laying down some original tracks. What you said about trying to learn through YouTube is very true. I’m bogged down with confused information and it’s getting me no where. I set some limitations when it comes to trying to learn from those YouTube lessons, and the pressure just disappeared. Help me out here Jon. Give me some more specific instructions please. There is a river that runs in front of my house and it has been polluted by a mega company a few kilometers up stream. Something that neve happens before. I want to bring awareness to my government and people by composing a song that will resonate around the country and the world about protecting the environment. I have many harmonically ideas but like I said, lyrics is my big problem. See news5Belize.com for information about our river. Called The New River. Thanks for taking time out to read my message.
Rawell,
I am sorry to hear about the river. My recommendation is to go through my free course, read my articles, listen to the podcast, and watch the old symposiums.
At some point, you’ll know if you want to take the full Fundamentals Course, and then move further on to the Sonata Form course.
I want to write music. But I’s can’t play and an instrument or read music. Please let me kmow if it’s hopeless
Thank you for your time..
Not hopeless. I would start learning the basics of reading music, and a little piano though.
Thank you for your quick reply.
Hi Jon
I live in Australia, years ago did my grades and have my Associate in Music (pianoforte) AMusA (AMEB), and have taught many students over the years. I love the old psalms and hymns and regularly play them in church. We have lots of organ music available, but limited variations around the psalms and hymns for piano. I enjoy making up variations etc at home, but prefer to play from music when in public. I’ve been wanting to write music, but don’t particularly want to sit down and ‘hand write’ it all. Do you have any suggestions as to what I need … eg programs (I’ve heard of Sibelius etc) … and do I need an electric keyboard to somehow input what I play into written music — if you know what I mean. I’m hoping that with all the technology around there is something that will allow me to play on a keyboard (though I much prefer my own piano :)) and then transfer what I’ve played into the program.
If I’ve rambled, my apologies. I hope the above makes sense?
Looking forward to your response.
Kind regards, Rosanne
If you are interested in notation, you can start with Musescore which is free. I use Sibelius and Dorico.
You can also use a DAW but the concept is around recording audio more than notation.
Garageband is free on mac, and reaper as well. Windows has some other free ones. I use Digital Performer.
A midi controller is really necessary for inputting notes without wasting a ton of time, although Sibelius and Dorico do have fast notation entry from a regular typing keyboard.
Hi jon, i don’t really know how to start what i have in my mind. Its that i love music i have been going through ample of apps for so long that would really help me create music, no i don’t have any kind of access to any software. My very first question is about the chords, i have zero knowledge about them and i don’t really know where to start and learn then. I have ideas, i can play music in my mind, i have written few lines (say). Nothing is really helping yet. Wanna learn i can learn but i don’t know where to have a good pack of knowledge that would help me.
Start with my free course https://courses.artofcomposing.com/courses/the-vocabulary-of-composition.
Really Inspired…. Very practical and real.
Despite your emphasis that music need not be learned / is not solely learned from college textbooks… I have a textbook question of sorts. Hopefully what I’m getting at here makes sense:
What is a good “textbook curriculum” I can make for myself? Obviously (and I know full well that), not everything can be learned from just the textbooks, but let’s assume I’m already prepared to do all the work falling outside the textbooks. What is a good set of books to cover (and their proper reading order) basically everything book-related that a typical undergrad music program (along the lines of composition, I suppose) would cover?
Theory, harmony, aural skills, counterpoint, orchestration, a music history sequence and a few other book/course titles pop up a lot, but are there any big ones I’m missing? Do any of those overlap? (e.g., it seems that many theory and harmony textbooks cover similar ground, so if I get a book entitled “Music Theory” and another entitled “Harmony,” am I just wasting my money to get the same info rehashed, or are they legitimately different fields/courses?)
And what is the proper order to cover these courses (i.e., read these books)? For example, does orchestration build on counterpoint, or vice versa, or can I study them simultaneously?
So if anyone who’s gone through an undergrad music composition program could leave me a list of courses they covered and the textbooks they used for each, I think you’d be giving me just what I need and I would be very, very thankful.
Hi Adam,
It’s hard to say what an ideal textbook curriculum would be. You can start by looking at some of the books that cover the topic overall in this way, like The Complete Musician. It integrates all of those subjects. Books like this can be tedious to go through on your own though.
I originally learned in college from Harmony and Voice Leading by Aldwell and Schacter. It’s a decent book on Harmony and Voice Leading and goes into the basics of Species counterpoint.
As far as history, I’ve heard a lot of good things about Richard Taruskins 5 volume series.
As a way of bringing things together though, I would recommend copying scores, reading scores, and transcribing music by ear. It can be any music in fact, but whatever your composition goals are will really dictate what you’re transcribing.
I am also trying to learn the piano by following the course which was recommended to me by my husband this one. https://musicgny.com/piano-for-all-review/ I don’t know will I be able to learn it or not but I am really trying because I love the instrument. I will be really grateful if you share some piano learning tips for adults like me which can make piano learning easy.
Thanks Elena. I’ll look at writing some stuff about piano as well.
To what degree should I be able to read music notation before I start the Vocabulary course?
It helps to be able to say the notes and rhythms in your mind, in both treble and bass clef, without having to reference a chart. You don’t need to be extremely fast, because you’ll practice your reading as you write, analyze, copy, and so on.
You can pause the videos, replay sections, and even slow down the player in the course.
Re-listening to the examples and then applying the concepts is critical to getting it.
Sometimes with denser passages, you need to work slowly at the keyboard, playing through the examples one note at a time until there is a clear understanding of the elements involved. This is actually a critical part of the process, at any stage.
I like to copy scores by hand, because the only way to do it correctly is note by note. Otherwise you tend to assume too much, and make a mistake. The benefit is that the whole time, you brain is still trying to fill in the gaps, on a note to note level. Combine this with listening to a recording (especially on something that slows it down like AnyTune), and playing it on a keyboard while you write – well you’ve got yourself a musical genius stew right there.
Jon,
I don’t know if you’ve had occasion to check out PowerTracks Pro Audio, but they have what I would call a hybrid notation/piano roll function which allows you to enter notes as you would on the staff, but gives you control of duration and velocity and represents your choices by lines above the note (velocity) and to the right of the note (duration). I found this to be the easiest way to compose using midi. Unfortunately, it doesn’t support the Roland Integra-7 synthesizer.
Are you aware of any similar programs that would fit the bill?
There are many DAWs out there. I haven’t used Powertracks, but I have used Band in a Box, so I am familiar with the program. You can also look at Cubase, Logic, Digital Performer, Studio One, and Reaper. I use Digital Performer.
Studio one integrates with notion which has this capability.
Dorico has this capability as well.
Musescore, a free software for writing music, has the possibility of midi input as well. From my memory, you have to tell Musescore how it should interpret the input (e.g. note values (pitch) from a midikeyboard, duration from some other keys, for instance if the midikeyboard has a drumpad or from a computer keyboard).
https://musescore.org/en/handbook/note-input#midi-keyboard
Jon, it is 2019 and I am wondering what software or plugins I would need to:
1) Compose music and transcribe for other instruments, classical-style music, from medieval through present eras. Sibelius? Logic Pro? or?
2) have the playback to sound realistic.
3) allow the input format to be saved so that I will to be able to apply my work using “better” instruments as technology progresses. It should be versatile to use with more than one playback software/plugins, if possible.
I have the ideas and know theory well enough for what I am planning. I just want the software for input via note-by-note notation or to play it into the score with an instrument and best virtual instruments for playback. If it is VSL – that is probably out of my budget right now. Thank you.
The big difference in music composition software is between notation software and DAWs. Notation software is getting better at playback, and Dorico looks particularly promising for the future, as they are adding DAW capabilities, but you are still limited by their playback engine which writes most of the midi data.
A DAW is really performance software. DAWs allow you to perform in your music, and manipulate that midi data in many different ways. This allows you to craft the sound of your pieces. Think of MIDI as the language that all the sampled instruments and synthesizers to use to trigger the sounds.
DAWs usually have weaker notation capabilities and so score creation more difficult. I also personally prefer to work out my music in notation form, so I will usually write in notation, and then move to the DAW when I am ready to get a performance version of the piece.
As far as what makes it sound realistic – that is a mix of the quality of the sample libraries you use and your ability to perform with them. Each sample library has quirks, and you will get used to them as you go. I like the Spitfire libraries, the orchestral tools libraries, but there are many others.
There are a lot of sample libraries now. Here is a good place to learn more about libraries https://www.samplelibraryreview.com/.
VSL is just another library, although VSL has something called VE Pro which allows you to use any libraries on multiple computers streaming the audio back to your main computer, saving a ton of CPU and RAM on that main computer.
My personal setup right now:
Notation – Sibelius and Dorico (I’ve been learning to use Dorico recently and really like it, but it is expensive. Sibelius has a cheaper renting option)
DAW – Digital Performer
Digital Performer, Logic, Cubase, Studio One… they are all very good at this point, and it becomes about your own preferences.
Thank you, Jon. This is encouraging. It is helpful to see your approach with both Notation software and the DAW, using each for what it is best suited. I was hoping for an all-in-one but I see how knowing both are important. So, if you write parts for cello, viola and two violins in Sibelius or Dorico, when you are ready to get a performance version in the DAW, you are “performing” them into it with a midi-based controller or through a microphone, direct in, etc.; then, use the sample libraries for the ultimate sound output. Is there a format you save in, whether in Sibelius or a DAW that allows you to use it with other notation software or other DAWS later, or is that not a concern? Thanks!
Usually I use midi to go between them. From DAW to Notation I will quantize the midi so it’s easier to make sense of in the notation software. Also in general, I’ve found that light quantizing of the midi actually makes the performance a little better because the spitfire libraries have a little character to them.
I haven’t had great results exporting the midi from the notation software and then getting good playback in the DAW. I usually perform it in from the individual parts. The exception is drum parts, which for the most part are pretty straight forward. A little manipulating of the midi data brings a human touch, and you can always still re-perform it in.
The other thing that helps, is to perform small chunks at a time. A don’t be afraid to do a bunch of takes. You can get good at doing 2, 4 or 8 measure sections quickly.
Thanks so much for your advice by way of sharing your approach. Once I dive into it, hopefully this summer, I may get back to you. I have not started delving into your lessons, etc,., but from what I have seen they all look interesting; so, little by little!
Glad you like it.
Okay Jon, please give me some advice for this.
I’m on lesson three and the video is simply overwhelming. I know how to read music, I’ve been playing for eight years, and I understand intervals, but the chords confuse me. I know we kind of went through how to build a chord, but now there are new ones we talk about that use sevenths and don’t follow the rules of thirds like they did before.
I guess what I’m asking for is some clarification. First, I know we went through inversions, but what do “1st” and “2nd inversion” mean. And the second lesson seemed to say that it inversion meant to move the notes up the octave, but in the third lesson a note that is in “1st inversion” only gets moved up a third (4:19 in that video). And was there ever an explanation of “dominant” and “tonic” and the differences between those? I’ll probably have more questions as the lessons go along, but maybe getting the answer to these can make me more informed for the future.
In no way am I trying to insult the program. While it does move rather fast and can be hard to follow just because music theory was never my thing, it is fairly informative. I just want to write some music for fun, but I want it to sound like I know what I’m doing too. Being able to play with more chords would give me more freedom while writing, but I need to know what those chords are. Thanks.
Zoe,
Inversions effectively mean the bass note changes to a different chord member.
Here is a post in my forum about 7th chord inversions.
https://www.artofcomposing.com/question/why-v65-v43-v42
I do think I discuss in one of the early videos about tonic and dominant, but you can also check out my article on diatonic harmony.
https://www.artofcomposing.com/08-diatonic-harmony
If you just started wanting to compose but have always had a passion for music where do you start when writing music? I have been in band for almost 4 years now. I can kinda play the piano. I just don’t where to even start.
Alicia, I would start with a solid understanding of how composition works. The best place is at my Start Here page on the site.
From there, you can sign up for the free course which should take you through the process in a gentle way.
Are there any books to learn music theory like fundamentals of scales,chords,chord progression etc?
My courses teach how scales, chords, progressions, melody, harmony, and form all work together so you can compose. If you need to learn to read music, I suggest starting by looking around youtube.
It is generally acknowledged that most, if not all, classical and other ‘serious’ music is the creation of one person – the composer, who presents his work on musical manuscript, whereupon skilled musicians and the conductor combine to interpret the score in their own inimitable way.
It seems to me, however, that beginning round January 1955 when Bill Haley’s Rock Around the Clock first hit the charts, the same could be said for vast numbers of popular and rock releases.
It is customary, or was until not too long ago, to think of the average rock band as 3 guitars and a drum, expertly manipulating 3 chords to create what on the surface sounded like standard outpourings of music that would quickly and easily be replaced with just another catchy tune.
Add to this the portrayal of the musicians as drug induced, womanising layabouts who just happen to be able to knock out a good tune, but underneath the façade of projecting themselves with carefully designed images, the actual creation of the recordings that have gone on sale to the general public are very serious, very businesslike and very skilfully composed and orchestrated works of art, and is why so many recordings have endured over the decades.
Take for example Adam Faith’s ‘What do you want?’ which was released back in the 60s, see
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CkODancaf6E
How about that? Faith has an orchestral accompaniment, a string orchestra no less which is reading from a score that has been composed and orchestrated.
Listen to the enormous output of the Beatles for example. Each recording is actually a work of art, and while Lennon and McCartney are undoubtedly hugely talented and creative, I think the real genius behind them was someone with the skills of a classical composer because so many of their recordings feature little bits of genius that only a real composer could deliver. I guess George Martin filled that role.
It seems to me that few if any bands or groups have ever hit the big time without having classical composers behind the scenes brushing up the scores, though it’s possible that singer/songwriters like Axl Rose of Guns and Roses for example possess that talent, and that underneath his, let’s say, outgoing stage persona, was a highly gifted and original composer and arranger. Perhaps all the members of the group were more than just instrumentalists.
True. George Martin with a genius and a big reason why the Beatles were successful.
What is the importance of a song’s arrangement then, if totally unaddressed in this composition article. Is this regarding the notion that the original composition is structurally devoid of any flaws requiring arrangement (as in re-arrangement, remixing context)?
I apologize if that is a fundamentally basic question, but the context in which arrangement is used around me and by me in my life is not relating to remixing. I refer to arrangement when I speak of the song’s unique structural characteristics (instrumentally).
Arrangement is a term that is somewhat ambiguous. Arrangement can refer to the form, it can also refer to the orchestration, and it can also refer generally to what instrumentation is used, and not how they are used (orchestration). Obviously all of those are important, and they are addressed in other articles, and podcasts throughout the site. I recommend listening to the podcast episodes on orchestration, and form specifically.
its nice
When writing a pop tune, if you want an instrumental break do you write the accompianment or leave it to the performer to fill in and just fill in the melody with no words.
I know if someone adds/changes more than 8 bars they can lay claim to writers credits (and copyrights?)
But I also have no idea what instruments a performer will use, or even if (s)he will change the music style. You’ve heard ballads made uptempo and vice-versa.
These are all very context specific questions. When I write a tune, I usually write a lead sheet. If I want to make an arrangement of that tune, I will go more in depth on parts, but depending on the band and players, it can be just chords, or it can be intricately written out.
Copyright is much more complicated than the number of bars. I recommend reading around the internet on trusted sources for the subject to get a better grasp.
Hello,
I am interested in music and i can sing some movie songs……I wanted to compose song myself …I’m stuck where how to compose and produce it ..i need someone’s help plz trying helping me.
Thank you.
Bob, I recommend signing up for the free course. It should get you started in the right direction.
that is a great thing therd…i am young boy of 18 year old and i want to be in music with all my life…
Thank you so much for this encouragement via the lesson. In fact, I have been shying away from composing because I thought it was pretty difficult. But now, I have carefully understood the basic and I’m sure it is worth venturing into. I have a request. getting a music software to score the idea could be pretty difficult. I am aware of Sibelius and Finale. it is possible sir to send a copy of Finale via my mail, at least the setup so I can try my hand on it? thanks
You can download the free finale notepad to try out the software. It works the same, but with limitations. https://www.finalemusic.com/products/finale-notepad/
You can also try musescore, which is the most popular free notation software.
https://musescore.org/
Hi, I am 25 years old and Right now I am very fond of Music though
thats something late to know my interest, now I am learning Piano with a great zeal and love for it.
My dream is to compose a song, how long does it take to reach there and I am very confused as
whether its too late to enter into music field.
You can learn the basics relatively quickly. But it will take time to master. It is hard to say how long, but it is never too late to learn.
Hello! First of all, I am impressed with this page yours. In my native language, which is Spanish, there is nothing like it. I write because I am very depressed about my condition, a composer, who does not sing or play any instrument. I feel that I have, already arrived where I wanted. That is, I feel, because, I get songs like those, who always dreamed of composing. I can compose a song, every week. The fact is, that since, I have many and I want to give them away. I own MIDI, audio and RETURN LEAD. My fear is having some artistic value, such as Paul McCartney’s Yesterday. I was born with a rare genetic condition that can determine the exact pitch of the notes that make up a chord. Moreover, since I am a child, hear, all singers, detune. I does not happen with musical instruments but I find them a default tuning, that is, that with my whistle, there paddling. Then I was finding logic, cúales are those tunings, against which my whistle, produces paddling. It is interesting, that with tensions {1, 2, 4, 5, 9, 11} of the fundamental chord {I, II, IV, V}, my whistle, NOT PRODUCE PADDLING, which are the musical instruments . Anyway, I have no way to motivate me to release my songs. Perhaps it is because I am very lonely. I only know that because, I have 50 years and 15 years have elapsed since leaving me songs that give me the feeling, that are nice … very nice! I understand, which is my subjective judgment. Anyway, do you want them? Starting, I have prepared a 45. They sound like Yesterday, Paul McCartney. That is the style of melody and harmony. The tempo is extremely variable. I gave them finished with orchestration, rock all. Of course, they sound different textures. My email is [email protected]. I also possess the power, if that, I, I would propose, compose, for 15 days, 15 songs. I finish exhausted and must rest a month sleeping 12 hours a day. But I can do it … if somebody motivate me some words of encouragement. I know automotivar but not enough to release my songs and especially all my ALGORITHMS composition (something like artificial intelligence, to harmonize, develop melodies and tune in 12-edo, so that the “psychoacoustics, is the exact pitch not heated … that, that sounds in my head because of my rare genetic condition “). Regards!
I think the best thing for you would be to get yourself out there, and start getting your music performed. Try to find people that can sing or play an instrument that would be interested in having someone else write a song for them to play. I would also recommend, if not being able to play an instrument is making you feel bad, then learn to play an instrument. The process is not that daunting. I play several instruments myself (trumpet, piano, guitar, saxophone, a little clarinet). It just takes effort and patience.
Hi!
Thanks for all your tips on music composition 🙂
I wondered if you could give some advice (all of us comment-leavers pleading for help 🙂 ). I am intermediate pianist, I only took 4 yrs. of lessons from a private teacher. I did not learn a lot about music “theory” at all. I live with my family of 9 so I don’t get any quiet, practice time on piano. Also I do NOT have an artistic, passionate personality…just music talent 🙂
So do you have any advice 1) as far as me composing music? 2) working in such a hectic environment? 🙂
Thanks– help would be appreciated!
Megan,
To be honest, I am not exactly sure what you are asking. As far as composing advice, I have written many articles on this site about both the theoretical and practical side, and the mental aspects of composing. I would recommend taking a glance at the archives and just clicking through the blog a bit.
You can get some work done in a hectic environment, but I would recommend finding a quite place that you can go to get away when you compose. If you need an instrument to check pitch, then you could start real simple with a pitch pipe, or try to find a place like a school that will allow you to use a piano. There is also a lot of benefit in learning to compose without an instrument. Try writing down ideas, and then checking them later at a piano or using notation software. You will improve over time.
But it sounds like to me, that you don’t know what you want to do. You say you have talent, but you are not an artistic, passionate personality. You don’t have to be crazy and “artistic” in the romantic sense of the word in order to compose. But you do need the desire to compose. Sometimes composing is a lot of work… difficult work. If you don’t have the desire, it is all to tempting to just quit.
Thanks for the reply!
Yeah, I am a little undecided–guess that’s obvious! I do love music greatly, I’m just trying to figure out how I can work with it in the future. And even if I don’t compose something now, maybe later on!
So thanks for your time 🙂
Hello, I appreciate your efforts on making us learn more and more about composing music. I have also been playing piano for so long but i have been wondering how i could come up with some compositions and failing. This is so helpful!
Glad to help.
Hi Jon,
Thank you very much for your reply. I am a university grad, and I’m planning to go back to school for this. I’ve only recently decided to pursue this passion, as I’ve been too afraid in the past. Part of the reason was that I wasn’t brought up with an education in music, and wasn’t particularly musically inclined until my teens. I felt too old as an adult.
I can read music, but there is a lack of connection between the notes and the sounds. That is something I’m going to have to work on.
As far as the keyboard goes, is a 88 key keyboard necessary? Or a 61 should do?
I am quite serious about pursing an education, if not a career. It is something I’m going to live with if I end up not doing anything about it. I’ve had several ideas but have not written them down, but one of the most revealing clues I had in terms of where my passion lies was when I had dreams with music I believe I composed. After I finish the beginner’s course, I’ll look into the other packages. Do you recommend I brush up my piano skills before taking 101?
Thank you again for your answers!
I have a 49 key keyboard. I would make sure though, that it is a midi controller, with a modulation wheel. You can take the 101 course without brushing up on your keyboard skills, because most of the exercises are done on paper or in notation software.
Hi Jon,
First of all thank you for the information you have provided here. I have a few questions regarding an education in film scoring.
I have no formal training, and have had very little writing experience. I am a mediocre pianist at best, and have no means of accessing the instrument right now. I do have a guitar at home, but have left it to rust. I barely know how to pluck a chord. Long story short – I’ve got a passion, but I lack the proficiency in an instrument and formal training in music theory. I would like to know how I could best prepare for an audition at an music college or university offering a degree in composition for film/TV. I know this is something I want to pursue, but I am simply overwhelmed by the daunting task of diving into the unknown (so far). I have the following questions for you:
1. Should I be a maestro at any instrument? Or is a certain level of profiency required at least (in my case piano)?
2. Is pursuing a degree productive if I want to pursue a career in film scoring? If so, does the institution matter?
3. Is originality or complexity more important when it comes to the compositions for the audition? Or is that more relevant to the style/genre?
Any practical advice would be most appreaciated! Thank you again!
Lulu,
I am not going to sugarcoat it, you have a long road ahead of you if you want to pursue film/TV composition. However, if you are in highschool, then you are still in a good position to pursue, but it will take time and patience.
My recommendation would be to learn piano/keyboard first. And not just chords, and pop songs. You need to learn to read music. While it is true that some film composers have been able to make a career without the ability to read music notation, they are the exception. You do not have to be an excellent pianist, but you will need the ability to play in your music into a digital audio workstation (DAW).
Once you can read music, you should also learn about the fundamentals of music theory and composition. That is what Music Composition 101 is all about – the fundamentals. But you need to be able to read both treble and bass clef first in order to understand the course.
Then it is a matter of practice. Compose as much as you can. Don’t worry about getting fancy sample libraries, or expensive software. You can do a lot with free resources on the internet.
As far as a degree is concerned, that is a very deep question, because a lot of factors come into play – money, time, where you go to school, who you study with there, what your goals are, how serious you are about film scoring as a career.
Finally, as far as originality, I wouldn’t worry about that until you have a lot of experience composing. I would first try to emulate your favorite composers, and listen to as much music as possible. Originality will come later.
Keep an eye out on the blog, because I am going to write an article about this.
Am having hard time in compose my music, expecially rythms pleas help me out…
I recommend going through the free course and the free articles on the site. https://www.artofcomposing.com/courses/free-beginners-composing-course
Try vigorously studying rhythmic dictations. (Listening to a rhythm and trying to write it down by ear.) once you have mastered this then you will be able to think in terms of rhythm. Musictheory.net Is a great place to start.
Thank you for sharing <3
Thanks.
I am focusing on composing music in Beethoven/Tchaikovsky style: loud, forced, and strong. The first piece I am starting on is the choral symphony “SYMPHONY OF THE LORD”, also known as the Symphony No. 1 in D major. I will be using text from the Bible as part of this piece. At this beginning point, I am very confused on what keys for the soloists to sing and as I am composing pieces for classical orchestra (not the large current orchestra), I am unsure on how many instruments would be suitable. If you composed any choral works in classical style, could you maybe give me some handy tips on how to compose a perfect choral symphony? Thanks.
Riley, I haven’t really composed much for choir, but I would recommend instead of starting with a symphony, compose a number of shorter, simpler pieces for choir and orchestra first, and see if you can get them performed by a local school orchestra and choir, if it’s available. The complexity and cost of orchestral music makes it difficult to get performed, so orchestras tend to be very selective about the music they choose. There is a good book, called choral composition, which would probably answer all your questions about writing for choir. After that, I recommend getting a good orchestration book, like the Samuel Adler book, as a reference. You can also listen to my podcast on orchestration, which gives you a decent system for composing for orchestra.
Choral Composition: A Handbook for Composers, Arrangers, Conductors, and Singers
Podcast 009: My Principles of Orchestration.
it s strong and loud espesially the quantus Tremor est futurus part.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcscOz8hDJc
if you want to compose in that style listen to this piece look after dies irae by jean baptiste lully
please I like your introduction to this topic on composition of music and I will like to follow you through.
Feel free to signup for the free beginner’s course and read through all the articles on the site.
You can sign up for my free beginner’s composing course at https://www.artofcomposing.com/free.
Greetings from Boston! I am a composer in my senior year of High School applying to and already attending conservatories in Bsoton and composition is a part of what I will do! For my senior project I am composing a piece for our HighSchool band which is small and contains no string instruments aside from a bass guitar. My style and love is classical so would you believe concert band instruments would work fine? Also, challenging music is what I love and how I compose as well, finishing Chopin Ballade no. 1 in fact, and that sort of sound is what I’m looking to achieve, what do you suggest I do to get amazing sound quality like in Rachmaninoff Concertos without string instruments and without writing difficult music as it’s my first time away from just piano? How should I approach this?
Jonathan,
I think it is great you have some composers that you are aspiring to sound like, but I would recommend starting simpler. Generally things such as Rachmaninoff Concertos and Chopin Ballades have very intense intricate writing, and they are written from the perspective of virtuoso pianists. My suggestion is to listen to good wind band music, and try to find something you like out of it. Here is a list to get you started http://www.naxos.com/series/wind_band_classics.htm.
If you can get your hands on any scores, to see how they are put together, that is also good. IMSLP is a great resource for scores, and here is the wind band category http://imslp.org/wiki/Category:Scores_featuring_wind_band.
Generally I would approach step by step. Start with creating a simple theme, and then expanding that theme into a longer piece, followed by orchestrating it. If you start with orchestration from the beginning without a plan, or without much experience, you can easily get lost in the details and find trouble finishing.
I recommend taking the free course, and reading more on the site, as well as listening to the podcast.
Is there a way I can show you a sample? I have to submit two solo piano works to a college. One of which is done, I’d be great to have some feedback. Thanks.
I do play the keyboard and piano very well,do listen to and play some good classical songs….i’ve been composing a classical song with 1st progression I-I-IV-I….my movements have been good as told to me by choirmasters…but i’m stuck right now because i want to create a real masterpiece..it’s my 1st time of composing a classical song-comprises of both solo and choir..can u help?
i really need help
I recommend focusing on the fundamentals and creating smaller pieces that you understand. We do not really get to dictate what will or won’t be a masterpiece when we set out to compose. The best we can do is learn our craft, and create from a place of honesty.
As far as logging in, make sure you check your email for your login credentials. If you haven’t signed up, you can sign up here: artofcomposing.com/free
I am using a french online tool called flat.io to have all my classroom collaborate on the same music score to compose something. It is actually working and we got impressive results – how to start is explained here: http://sharetoclassroom.org/2015/10/02/flat-io/
Having all my students composing a new music altogether is really a positive experience and a source of many discussions.
Maybe other tools exists to do the same but I really recommend teachers of any grade to try something similar with your students.
Looks cool, thanks.
Being a piano teacher, I have always wanted to know how to get music published. I have asked people who have gotten music published successfully, and they look at me like I’m crazy. I started to compose my own method for my students, who seem to get excited when I write music for them! But how to get published is still a big mystery to me. Do I need an editor? Your course, looks really interesting, and something I might enjoy doing….. If you could send me an email on this topic, I would really appreciate it.
Thanks for your time,
Sincerely,
Holly Zendels.
Holly,
I am not too familiar with the process of being published, but here is a good place to start. http://www.mpa.org/directory-of-music-publishers/
It is a link to the Music Publishers Association directory. I would probably say the best way is to call up several publishers and ask them. My focus has really been on film scoring, and less on concert music so I am not that familiar with the ins and outs of that world.
As a general point, I would say to get published your music must differentiate itself in some way. I would think modern publishers are looking for unique composers with interesting viewpoints on the world. So as with anything else, master your craft, and publishing will eventually come.
Hey Jon- I’ve been enjoying your website for some time and have enjoyed doing the free composer workouts. I went back to try one today that has been particularly helpful and couldn’t access it- has that recently changed? Is there any way to access that still, if I’ve used it before?
Thanks,
Laura Harper
Laura,
I haven’t changed any workouts from free to paid in a long time, so if it was free before, it should be. Make sure you are logged in. Let me know which lesson it was, and I’ll double check to see if it is still free.
Hi Jon,
I have been a student of Indian Classical music as a kid & played on a harmonium for years. I tried but I have never been able to read or write music. I composed(?) several melodies with lyrics & had been appreciated as a teenager but eventually did not pursue. Melodies flow into my head & I sync it with lyrics – very few remembered & many forgotten. Lately I hum & record the melody. But I want to do better, I want to write and compose songs & today I found your site. Can you tell me what I should do? Thanks a lot
Moushumi, I would recommend signing up for my free beginner’s composing course at https://www.artofcomposing.com/free. This short course explains my philosophy towards composing. If you like the course, then you can sign up for the full paid academy. Beyond that, I have a lot of articles on the site that cover the craft of composition.
can u tell me what is chamber music?
Chamber music generally implies the music is of a smaller scale than orchestral music. So it could be anything from solo piano, string quartet, or even a chamber orchestra, which generally has one of each instrument (not absolute, but generally). Beyond that, you are getting into the realm of symphony orchestra which has much larger groups to work with.
Hi Jon,
I’ve loved music my whole life. I learned to play piano at a young age even though I kind of fell off of it in high school. I can sit down and just play and enjoy it. I’ve always wanted to take the next step in composing, finding myself enthralled with countless great movie scores and compositions. I have a Mac with Logic Pro X. Any other tips that I might have not already heard to get the ball rolling farther? I’m sure there’s a lot of work to put in, I just want to get to the point where the work produces unique sound inspired by the many great score composers I’ve heard and possibly produce my own in the future.
Nathan,
For film scoring, the rabbit hole goes quite deep, because you are required not just to compose, but to deliver a well-mixed final product. However, I will start with composition:
It is important that you area able to compose quickly, and efficiently. Most film scores are tonal, so having a solid grasp of tonal composing in the late romantic style is the most useful. It also helps though to be familiar with as many styles and genres as possible because you will frequently be called upon to do many different styles.
Get good at transcribing. A big issue to constantly deal with is the temp track. You have to be able to listen to what you hear, digest it, and do something that sounds similar but unique. It’s tricky.
Learn to orchestrate. This takes a while, but start small. Learn just one instrument at a time. The range, characteristic styles of playing, and how to combine it with other instruments in it’s own family.
Read scores. Whatever composers you like, you can probably get their scores. Some are easier to find that others, just start by googling, or going to worldcat to find in a local library.
As far as sample libraries and software go, there are many choices out there. If you want to dabble, but don’t want to make a huge investment, Spitfire Albion 1 is a great sounding library. It is basically simple patches like high strings, low strings, high brass, low brass, etc. But you can still do a lot with that. From there, you could look at getting more libraries. You can also check out http://www.try-sound.com/index.asp/en, which is a little old at this point, but still allows you to try out some libraries, how they play and so on.
I don’t use logic, but I know many that do. It is adequate. The most important thing is learning to use it efficiently, so it is not a creative roadblock. The software should be an extension of you, not a thing that you have to always fuss with. It will end up hurting your creativity if you constantly have to refer to the manual to get things done.
Good luck. Film scoring is a lot of fun, but it is also a lot of work. So be prepared.
Hi Jon. I have a very nice singing voice and when I sing other people’s music,my listeners gets crazy but I can not be able to compose my own, when I happen two compose one it doesn’t sounds good two me,wat can I do two have my own music?
Humphrey, I would recommend going through the free beginner’s composing course, and then deciding from there. One of the best ways to get better is also transcribing music by ear, and then writing it down. You’ll get good at hearing something and then being able to reproduce.
Hi, how do I know that the melody that I composed doesn’t already exist somewhere?
Rosy, that’s a tough one. There are some search engine’s like this one http://www.peachnote.com/ but they are a little tough to use, and I can’t imagine they have everything.
The best defense against this is to listen to a lot of different styles of music, that way, you end up blending them together, and avoiding copying one specific composer.
Hi Jon
How can I apply for the one year membership. I went through ur website and could find only the monthly membership option.
You can purchase an annual subscription here: Purchase Annual subscription.
Hi Jon,
Is there also an option to purchase access to the course itself, as you have with the 101 class? Many thanks!
Thank you very much
My pleasure.
how long should the beginners course take?
If you are talking about the free beginner’s course, it is about an hours worth of video to watch. How long it takes to do the exercises is up to you, but you could easily spend a week on it, or more.
The Academy Music Composition 101 course usually takes a few months for people.
Thanks Jon for helping.
No problem.
Hi! I just started composing. I’m done with the lyrics & the melody, but the thing is I don’t know what chords is in my song. I really wanted to play it with my guitar. Is there any way to solve this? Please.
What you are really looking to do is harmonize your melody. Generally, if you start with basic I, IV, and V chords, you can generally get a decent harmonization, and then from there start to add additional functional chords. Depending on how “out there” you want to sound, you can get pretty crazy with harmonization. This is a very long topic through. I suggest reading my harmony articles, and taking my free course.
This has to be my 2nd favourite piece in the week,
i can’t let you know the top, it might offend you!
Hi Jon, I’ve recently began studying orchestral composition, especially film scoring. I’ve closely been studying the work of John Williams and Hans Zimmer. I don’t have much of a grasp on composing for orchestras, any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks.
Hi Jon, I’m really interested in Film Scoring for large scale orchestras, like John Williams. I’m not sure where to start. Thanks.
Austin,
Film scoring requires a firm grasp of the fundamentals of composition, regardless of the style you choose. But if you want to compose like John Williams, then I suggest really getting in depth on harmony, counterpoint, form, melody, and orchestration. John Williams is a master of all of these. Just listen to the Jaws score, in which he wrote a very impressive fugue.
I have been composing songs using MIDI piano software. My problem is I don’t know how to arrange…all I have are the notes for the lyrics. Can’t play the real piano. Don’t have formal training in music, either. Took inspiration from the late Lionel Bart who could compose, but not arrange. I tried a musical arrangement software, but the staff diagrams looked too intimidating to understand.
Arranging and orchestration are somewhat of a different skill set from composition. At the highest levels they merge, but for beginner’s it definitely helps to break them apart. Try mapping out your arrangement by describing it first, and then orchestrating to meet those descriptions. It could be vague descriptions first, and then you can refine them as you go. Something like “Ethereal with high strings” for a section, and then “big build up with full orchestra”. Once you have it mapped out, then orchestrating is a matter of finding good models to copy and copying them.
I am planning on adding orchestration and arranging courses to the academy in the future.
Understanding and listening natural harmonic help, so I did a website to help me, it may help you with little effor : http://www.bachmonic.com
Very cool site. Thanks for sharing.
you said on the comment that people can get started once they know how to read music. do you mean by that like reading sheets and being able to play them? like i’m not really good at piano or guitar but at least i can read the sheets and know most of the symbols in it
Most of the examples and explanations I give require that you are able to read, at least on a basic level, traditional music notation. You do not have to be able to play piano, although as a composer, piano is an extremely useful instrument. You just need to be able to look at a note, and understand what it means.
I want to be a music composer,but what can i do?
Saidu, there are many things you can do. I recommend at a basic level, learn to read music and play an instrument. In particular, if you can read music, you’ll be ready to take my free course. You can sign up, on this page.
I have a project for my music composition class. I have to create a song using the B flat scale using Logic Pro. I just don’t know where to start. Can you help me?
Ari, I recommend going through the free course.
I am the very beginner in music but i listening from 13 year how wana learn how to make music compose music and from were to begin
regards
alikhan
Well you’ve come to the right place.
What about if I would like to learn something more towards jazz (but not in its pure form, which I don’t like) to then incorporate this knowledge to writing full tracks of a more contemporary nature. Would you give me an advice?
Learning the fundamentals of music composition will apply to any style you want. Straight ahead jazz tends to work within the guidelines of traditional tonal music, with some obvious freedoms taken. Modern modal jazz is a little different, but improving your process of composing will carry over no matter what genre you write in.
Hey, thanks for you answer. Do you think I could start from your sonata book? I’m not sure how advanced it is. I don’t enjoy classical music too much but I sooo don’t understand the logic behind planning a composition and building on top of an idea (motive?), but it seems this book could help, possibly.
I’ve learned scales and modes, I can play through some of them (just up and down). I know how to build most not very complex chords; although, can’t really improvise with them, that’d be just too quick for me to be able to orient myself. So I know just the basics. Also, reading notes is quite a slow process for me.
What do you think? I’m not very interested in super complex stuff, which music conservatory books will offer and it seems like nowadays you can get away without it anyways, unless you’re a very traditional musician.
Thanks very much and
i want to receive more Lessons from you
Hey! Your music is awesome! What program do you use to write/record/produce your music personally? I would it if you would give me your email I also have other questions regarding how you write your music. I love composing as well but am having a hard time starting out as I don’t know anyone who composes, let me know any tips you have in regards to a beginner 🙂 Thanks
My process is usually like this. I get my initial ideas by composing on paper with a pencil, usually at the piano, although I am trying more and more to compose away from instruments.
Depending on what I plan on doing with the idea I will then move to either Sibelius (when I plan on having sheet music and trying to get it played by real people) or Digital Performer (when I am going to create an elaborate mockup on my own).
I recommend you go through my beginner’s course, and read through my articles. They will probably answer a lot of questions (and hopefully raise new ones). You can email me through the contact form.
Hey, im spanish. Does your program help people in ALL genres? (Like salsa or merengue etc). Im extremely intrested.
Cesar, the course is based in the fundamentals of music composition, so it will apply. The specifics are geared towards classical composition, but understanding how the phrasing, harmonic movement, and form of larger classical pieces work will spill over to other styles. None the less, I recommend signing up for the free course and checking it out.
So, I’ve started a song on my electric piano but I don’t know where to go from there; it’s a minor and dramatic one person duet kinda thing. I can play long intricate tunes when someone else has written it down but I can’t seem to make my own. So I pretty much just have an intro to a song that could very well never get finished. How do you turn something into a complete piece of music?
I’m using the chords g with g# and a#, and c with d# and e with a recorded tune.
ALL MINOR
I recommend going though the free beginner’s course, and following a specific form, like small ternary form. It will allow you to develop the piece in a logical way. Once you get good at following the form, the process of developing a piece will become ingrained in you and you can start to create your own forms.
You could try writing a fugue with the tune.
I have found your website, Jon, and hope to learn much from you and fellow-composers therein, as well as making useful contributions, myself
Hi Jon,
I’ve just finished studying your lesson one in “Composition 101” I had long in mind,composing a piece based on the acronym FACE, which of course, is meant to help one remember where the notes are in the treble clef.I tried out various combinations, and the one that pleased me most was the melody C-A-F-E.
I had every intention of carrying out your advice to write a second bar, inverting the opening 4-note theme; that theme,however, although I liked it as far as it went, sounded incomplete to me, so I addled a couple of twiddly -bits, namely two A sharps in succession. . I then started the inversion motif, but found, to make it sound right to my ear, I had to depart from the original theme, “returning” as it were with Bflat-A-Aflat-A-F-C . I like what i have so far, and, already, I can hear in my head, somewhat of a natural progression, which I will follow up apart from the 101 course, which I look forward to continuing
I doubt that you will be much miffed by my departing from my ‘homework assignment’, indeed, I hope that you will feel gratified at providing the base for launching an opus that I I am excited at creating, using your methods of inversion; retrograde; and inverted retrograde.
All sorts of ideas spring from your writings, Sir,and I look forward to sharing musical ideas and experiences with fellow composers, when your website is ready, meanwhile, perhaps I can join in the discussions within your blog, if you will kindly direct me to it?
Best wishes,
George Garrett.
Could you please comment to the new music composition software AthTek DigiBand? http://www.athtek.com/digiband.html
Click on this link which promotes the app, and which includes an “independent” (?) review. I, personally, am not impressed by the description of this program which actually boasts that “It does the dirty work (of composing) for you”. To me, that’s like saying, if you want to bark, then get a dog {:-D
Musescore looks much more to my taste.
Hi Jon’
please help me find the worksheet that You mentioned in the video posted on youtube.
Just below the main article on this page, there is a red box with a sign up form. Put in your email, and then click the sign up button. After that, you will receive an email asking to confirm your registration. After that one, you’ll receive your email with the link to the course hub page.
Earlier in September I completed the sign-up form for the free beginners composition course and confirmed with the email that followed. I have received nothing since except the announcements of the Academy’s opening.
Please review and let me know what has happened, or if there is something else I am to do.
Thank you
/Danny W
Danny i’ll look into it.
would you pls tell me how to subscribe for videos aftr lesson 8 on youtube?
Just below the main article on this page, there is a red sign up box. Just enter your information, and you’ll receive and email for the course. As of right now, there are only 7 videos, but I am working on an updated series soon.
Hello,
I have an extensive background in music. Sometimes, i get “stuck”- where do i go next? Do you address this?
Thanks
Hey Roland. Sorry about the delay in getting back to you. I’ve been working construction on an island the last few weeks and have not had a lot of time. Getting stuck is a problem we all face. These are the best ways I’ve found around it.
Hope this helps.
would you pls help out to find how to sign up for the courses??
I just wanted to “Thank you” , and “Thank you again” for your hard work, time, and effort . I’ve have been struggle for years as a beginning piano player, and trying to figure out what works, what doesn’t work, and what sounds good. I know ultimately that decision lies with me, but this SO helpful and I am extremely grateful.
Hello. So I was wondering if you could put something out like, step by step for composing something. I mean like if you want to compose then do this and this and then this. Thank you!
Kathleen, funny enough, I already have two things similar to that. I highly recommend signing up for my free beginners composing course. The sign up form is just above the comment section on this page, and at the bottom of each article on the site.
After you go through that, if you want to compose a longer piece in sonata form, I have an ebook called, “Composing Music in Sonata Form” which takes you through step by step from basic idea to completed piece. You can find a link to that book in the menu bar under “Sonata Form Book” or just go to http://www.sonataform.net.
Hope this helps.