The art and craft of creating new music.
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1answer
9 views
A question about a passage from The Study of Counterpoint by Johann Fux
On page 39 of Alfred Mann's translation of The Study of Counterpoint there is a passage which I will quote in which the justification Joseph gives in using an f# I don't understand.
Here is the ...
0
votes
1answer
47 views
Figuring out the difference between major and relative minor scales?
I always seem have difficulty determining whether a song is in a major scale, or the relative minor. (the 3rd note back into it, but minor)
Lets use the Pokemon theme song for example. As I ...
2
votes
2answers
45 views
Cadential Six Four Chord
Must the V chord always immediately follow the I 6-4 in a cadential six-four or can there be maybe a passing six-four in between like in measure seven of beethoven's piano concerto no.1 op.15, I? ...
0
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4answers
53 views
Diminished Intervals
If I go from F# to D# down (F#-D#) is that a diminished third or augmented second interval?
I am composing in minor mode and want to know because augmented intervals are forbidden in part writing.
0
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1answer
24 views
Diminished Intervals in Voice Leading
I know that augmented intervals within part writing in both minor and major keys is forbidden but what about diminished intervals? For example if I we're in e minor and in 3/4 time and I'm writing a ...
15
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3answers
296 views
As a composer, should I be composing music for an instrument I don't play?
I wanted to know if composing music for a specific instrument demands that you know how to at least play the instrument. I'm sure if you know how the instrument sounds by itself as well as within an ...
2
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2answers
121 views
What is this 4 bar part of music called?
In the song Amie by Pure Prairie League there is a repeated section of muisc that is about 4 bars long(or 2 depending on how you count it). It occurs between every section of music except near the end ...
7
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1answer
89 views
Finding the “Starting point” when creating a composition or score
This is a fairly simple one, and hopefully not too wide-open to be permitted here: what approaches are available when sitting at a fresh screen or sheet of paper, or at your instrument, to create the ...
8
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2answers
3k views
How to turn any (pop) song into a jazz song?
Quite often there are pop songs wich get covered in a jazz style. These covers are seen from youtube to tv.
Now I tried doing something like this, with for example Bad Day by Daniel Powter. It's ...
6
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2answers
93 views
Tips for using complex time signatures in a “catchy” pop song?
I'm looking to write some music in the vein of a band I discovered recently called Icarus The Owl, who use some pretty wacky time signatures (anything from 21/16 into weirder territories) but always ...
-2
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1answer
91 views
2 guitar progression [closed]
These are progression from a song that I was playing with a friend but we don't understand it at all. Can somebody please explain conceptually why they sound good when played together i.e first ...
3
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3answers
113 views
How many bars can a clarinet sustain?
Apologies if the question is too silly (my profile might explain why I don't know the answer).
I am writing a piece and at some point I want a clarinet to hold a note until the performer runs out of ...
7
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9answers
390 views
What instrument can an old guy learn if the main goal is to write music
At this old age I began, two years ago learning to write music. I write it using Sibelius and let the computer play it for me.
I have been strongly recommended to learn to play an instrument. I have ...
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1answer
31 views
Who's the composer to this music? [closed]
I came across this fascinating video on Youtube, and I'm wondering who composed the music.
My apologies in advance, I'm naive in this area.
Any thoughts will be appreciated.
15
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8answers
358 views
Any advice for a novice composer?
I have been learning the acoustic guitar for about 3 years, but just recently started writing my own songs. I am currently learning music theory.
Given that starting point what advice would you give ...
2
votes
2answers
136 views
Aiding the transcription of naturally occuring sounds. e.g. Horse whinnying, bird singing, etc
I edited the question extensively. The comments helped me to phrase it to reflect more what I really wanted to ask.
....................
I don't have perfect pitch and badly trained and imprecise ...
4
votes
3answers
103 views
Temporarily Changing Keys - Which accidentals to use?
I've was taught that whenever you write a run of notes going up, you should use sharps instead of flats; And whenever you go downwards, you should generally write flats instead of sharps. My question ...
2
votes
2answers
112 views
What should I be trying my hand at to practice composing?
I don't really know how to play any instrument, but I do have some USB keys that I have plinked with in Garageband.
I'm not interested so much in learning to perform my works. I enjoy and am inspired ...
0
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2answers
67 views
Music and time, “natural” time
To play music rhythm in time it was always something difficult to me, with a metronome also. Basically I can not count time. On the other hand I have some intuition to compose simple music, and when I ...
0
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2answers
168 views
Myspace is dead. What are the alternatives? [closed]
I've been playing and composing music all through my life, and I want a sort of showcase to store and make it available.
I was thinking about Myspace, but from several sources I heard it is in a ...
4
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1answer
1k views
What makes a happy song happy? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
What gives a piece of music its personality and feeling?
What makes a happy song a happy one? What are the elements that give this particular property to a music piece? ...
5
votes
1answer
164 views
How can I improve my piano accompaniments?
When I play piano or keyboards, I've noticed that I keep slipping into playing the same chords (and variations thereof, such as very simple bass lines) with my left hand while I use my right hand to ...
2
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4answers
142 views
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3answers
197 views
What does an arranger do?
When you see the "arranged by" attribution on a score, what did the arranger (typically) do?
6
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1answer
111 views
Can someone explain the rhythm of a Mazurka?
While perusing some Chopin and Liszt sheets, I tried to play a Mazurka or two. But, I simply don't understand how the rhythm works. It feels awkward and unbalanced when I try and I just don't get it, ...
4
votes
1answer
164 views
What is “Sonata-Allegro form” and what other similar forms should I be aware of?
There are lots of classical pieces called "Sonata", and they usually have 3 movements. But there are guitar Sonatas by Paganini that only have 2 movements! And I heard there's a crazy Tchaikovsky -- ...
24
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8answers
475 views
What exactly should I have to learn to understand why certain combination of chords are harmonic when played in a sequence?
I am an intuitive music composer trying to move to a technical music composer. As a dummy, I see music as a composition of 'pieces' (my word). Each piece is a set of notes that are melodical when ...
3
votes
3answers
399 views
recognizing the motif
I encounter the term motif in composition books, and still have no idea what a motif is. Many sources (including some dictionaries) try to define it as "prominent sequence of notes" or "basic theme of ...
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5answers
1k views
Does it really make difference to play a song in a different key?
I hear sometimes players and composers say that this song won't sound good in F Major for example, and you should play it or write it in G Major (this was just an example). In other words, it seems ...
0
votes
1answer
89 views
Arranging a copyrighted song [closed]
I have a friend in high school who wants me to arrange a copyrighted work for her high school band to play in concert. What do I need to do to make sure that the final composition is legal and ...
4
votes
2answers
151 views
How to compose an acoustic guitar chorus?
I've been playing guitar off and on for years, and every once in a while I come up with some lyrics and chords that seem to be really great for a few verses. The problem is that I can never seem to ...
10
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5answers
2k views
Tips on counting and playing odd time signatures
I'm pretty interested in learning, composing and playing along to songs using odd time signatures (3/4, 5/4, 7/8, ...) and I'd like some advice on how to wrap my head around all this stuff.
For ...
23
votes
8answers
1k views
Key signature for writing in modes other than major and minor
I have trouble deciding what accidentals to put in the key signature for pieces in dorian, phrygian, lydian or mixolydian modes. There seem to be tradeoffs associated with each choice.
For example, ...
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2answers
171 views
How to write partitures for an orchesta
I know a single musician would read from a partiture in real time and that is no problem, the partiture has its silences and tempo.
I am more a lyric musician but I like composing music because I ...
4
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2answers
135 views
Capturing music in my head
Here's a strange question, so I welcome improvements...
Since I can remember, I've had grand orchestrated music pop into my head throughout the day-- sort of a musical dreaming. It's really good ...
5
votes
5answers
203 views
How to keep practicing to compose music when you're too picky to listen to yourself playing
I'm a pianist, and I also compose songs in DAWs. My main spare time occupation is to improvise on the piano, and I've been doing it for several years now.
Even before I learned any instruments (when ...
14
votes
6answers
1k views
Is it possible to write a song without a key?
"This song is in F Major", "That song is in A Minor", "This song is in D Minor, but modulates to F Major in the middle", etc.
Can we say "This song has no key"? Are there songs that have/follow no ...
7
votes
5answers
505 views
tips for writing the drum notes to a song in a band
I play the drums in a band, and the song has already been written and everything that the vocalist, guitarist and bassist will play. The drums were left out and I have to write them to fit the song.
...
11
votes
2answers
630 views
Well-known composers or piano pieces generally suitable for someone with small hands?
One of my struggles with playing the piano is that I have small hands. I can reach an octave - mostly. I can reach it, I just can't maneuver between octaves quickly. Often times a piece will have a ...
13
votes
5answers
331 views
Is there any way to improve composing?
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 ...
7
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4answers
787 views
A total newbie wants to learn how to write songs. What does he need?
I am recently being interested in writing my own songs/my own music. However, I'm a newbie when it comes to music. I am not really musically talented nor inclined. I only know basic guitar chords and ...
2
votes
1answer
96 views
General methods for turning a riff into a song?
Say if have a really nice 2-bar riff that I like a lot. How would I go about composing a song around that?
Ok, the obvious answer is "play it a few times, then make some variation of it, play that a ...
1
vote
3answers
149 views
How to write a keyboard part for an existing song?
I was asked to make a keyboard part for a song somebody else has written. It's probably going to be organ.
I have no idea how to do this. I've been playing for a few years and I can improvise a bit, ...
2
votes
3answers
335 views
How to understand layering of multiple elements in composition (pop/jazz)
I'm trying to understand more about how to compose music and most importantly combine multiple instruments at the same time.
I'm quite capable of composing a bass-line, chord progression, or main ...
5
votes
2answers
461 views
What is this chord (spelled 2nd, 4th, 5th) and how is it used?
For the piano/composers:
I compose music for the piano in my spare time, and one particular chord that has caught my attention (as one that I like a lot) is the D-F-G chord in C Major.
I have seen ...
10
votes
3answers
198 views
Is there a name for this sort of ambiguity with respect to the rhythm of a piece, and/or is this a recognized technique in composition?
If you listen to the first 40 seconds or so of Veridis Quo by Daft Punk, you'll probably feel like you have a pretty good idea of the beat of the song, each of the chords starting on the first beat of ...
7
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3answers
115 views
Registering with a Performing Rights Organization
Out of curiosity, I've recently taken a look at the websites of ASCAP and BMI, two big PROs. As a musician, if I wanted to hypothetically register with such an organization:
Should I register as a ...
3
votes
3answers
132 views
How can I establish myself as the creator of a given work [closed]
If I write a composition and want to share it with the world, what's the best way to establish that I am its creator? I remember reading a book where you could do something like write it down and ...
2
votes
1answer
299 views
Which advanced chords can I use for a song composition in scale of G?
I am making a song composition in a scale of G.
I have already used major chords G, C and D and in some places I have used Am, Em and Bm.
I would like to make this composition richer with some ...
5
votes
2answers
801 views
What are the characteristics of Negro Spiritual vocal arrangements?
I've tried several times to write vocal arragnements that are in the style of Negro Spiritual music.
Here's an example of the style I'm referring to.
Typically, I use simple SATB style arrangements, ...
