Is there any way to improve composing?

Question

Beside playing drums I'm toying with software to create music. The problem is when I need to advance further. I may have some good, let's say "riffs" (or pieces, or melodies, or ideas), and I'm pretty harsh with everything I create (until I'm really proud out it, it's crap to me), but have no idea how to make it longer. I have lots of "samples", short melodies, but I just can't make them last longer.

Is there any way to make creating music little easier? Some music theory stuff? And how to connect pieces, how to extend existing one? That are things I'm really interested in.

I would be very grateful for any answer., I love both music and creating it, but the lack of ability to "continue" is getting me down.

And I know that there was thread for composing, but it was aimed for guitar, and I'm seeking more general tips.

Answer 1

Listen to as much music as possible in as many styles as possible and force yourself to listen to music that you aren't familiar with or even don't like. You can't progress from a point of no reference. Like when you learn to speak, you learn vocabulary from practice and by emulating others. Then, after you've built up a broad vocabulary, you can start to talk like your own self. The same is true with composing (or playing for that matter).

Technically speaking, theory certainly won't hurt. If you learn proven and accepted ways of doing things "right", then you can be more confident when you break those theory "rules". But remember, it is all still theory. You need to let your own ear guide you through.

Also, don't spend all your time writing at the computer if you can help it. A computer is a great tool and can certainly ease a lot of pain when writing, but it is just a tool. The music still comes from you. Use a pencil and paper and you'll see the difference. They both have their places.

Finally, for some practice, try to write every single day, even when it feels difficult. If you can only write a couple of bars in a day, then that's still better than nothing. If you need some structure around that, try just writing melodies and don't pay attention to key or even a time signature. Just work on melody. If you do that and practice it, you'll start to learn to incorporate that into your compositions in a practical way. Melody is king.

Answer 2

In addition to tptcat's nice answer:
Besides just listening to music you could try and copy music for yourself -- record it or write it down. This will force you to observe all the details of the music you are listening to. And when you've copied a song (as best you can), think about what riffs, pieces, melodies, or ideas there are (that you could have made) and how the songmaker extended these or connected them together. This might give you ideas to build on and develop for your own material.

Answer 3

Harmony is king, learn to write music 'improvising', 'rehearsing' on a real instrument.

contrary to @tptcat I don't write music on paper. And I don't think it can be easy for a drummer that don't play a multi-tonal instrument (strings or keys).

Harmony is the fact of putting several notes together. For example, managing a bass line and one line of melody, is already harmony. The bread and butter of many western tunes.

My favourites instruments for composition are the guitar and the piano or synth. Though it takes years to master them, it happens quickly that one can play simple pieces on them very fast. Playing a bass line and a melody line for example ( 2 notes progression).

But best is to try 3 notes progression, so as to instinctively learn and feel in the guts the movements between the modes, basically the circle of the fifth, that gives (given an start point, let's say a C Major) the 5 other possible chords you could play next step almost blindly and that will always sound good (Am, GM, Em, FM, Dm)... though sometimes not enough exotic or surprising ;-)

Then you could interest yourself in all the modes, Major, Minor of course, but also Ionian, Dorian, etc... that could show you paths for making melodies.

I think that before imagining music in your head (that's what writing with pencil and paper means, and means years of training for me), you have to feel music in your fingers, just like you play drums.

On the other side: @tptcat's argument to listen to any sorts of music to improve the hear... yeah, that's a really good advice. +1.

Answer 4

Try to sing one of your favourite songs out of key. Then sing it in key. Ask yourself - what makes it work. Change a few bars of your favorite song and see what you get. Dont worry if you destroy it in the process. Just add on a few bars of your own and keep going. Try to learn how to improvise? Ask yourself what works for you (not me)? Try this exercise even if you do not feel like doing it (everyday).

Answer 5

I believe compositions are generated out of the experiences of one's life. Live you life to the fullest, rest will come chasing you. Let your feeling guide you for a while you will see the difference.

Importantly always appreciate your composition if it comes out of your life experiences and the feeling that came within you going through that.

Finally, Keep Practising!