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As a composer, you mostly end up writing for instruments that you yourself don't play. Apart from Hindemith, it is fairly impossible to maintain a high level of proficiency on every instrument - there just isn't that much time and it is not feasible. However, that does not excuse having a working knowledge of the instrument. Though it might seem silly to ...

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 ...

jjmusicnotes' answer is a good answer, and I'd like to make a special plea for the percussion section. I know many musicians don't have much time for percussionists, but as a composer the section can be your ally. It can keep the ensemble together (whether there's a conductor or not); it can give you a lot of support for dynamic changes; and it can help make ...

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) ...

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, ...

I'm not sure if anyone has actually pinned down the date or composer. Searches on Google or Trombone History books don't yield very much. According to a quote from one link I found: Its first deliberate use in performance is fairly recent in the long history of the trombone, and its acceptance as a legitimate technique came somewhat later. Also: ...

In Germany, typically GEMA https://www.gema.de/en/ collects and distributes the fees. Rules and regulations are rather complicated. If you perform and it's typically a good idea to have a contract with the venue and to make sure the contract clearly states who is on the hook for that type of thing.

In UK there are two bodies that collect on behalf of musicians - PRS - performing rights society, and PPL- phonographic perfomance limited.Both have pretty complex remits, too much so for revealing here, but have the power to charge people for performing songs , or playing songs, e.g. on radios, in public.In 2009 a shelf-stacker was pursued because she was ...

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 ...

It's easier to identify Chopin, since he developed a very personal style. For example, if there is strong chromaticism, it's probably Chopin. But it should be noted that, toward the end of his life, Beethoven too started composing in a more chromatic manner. Listen to the Adagio of op. 106 or the Arioso in op. 110. It doesn't seem like Beethoven at all: it's ...

You don't have to learn to play the instrument, but you should definately learn about the instrument and it's possibilities and limitations! If you don't learn about the instrument you run the risk of writing music that is technically unnecessarily difficult, or impossible, to play. For example: making bad keys selections; writing note sequences that ...

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, ...

Disclaimer: I am not a lawyer, and I am not giving legal advice. These matters are generally covered by international laws and treaties that go back 100 years or so, but laws vary in different nations and locations. My comments are based on what I know about the music business in the USA. Answer: Musicians are generally not responsible for paying license ...

The New MySpace is currently in limited Beta. They are still busy rebuilding it and there are many many bugs still. This is likely not a bug but intentional until they have a product that they would like to actively promote as ready to go. The danger is that they would hurt their newly minted site if visitors took it to be complete but full of bugs and ...