Compose Music

Compose Music... Getting Started

Composing music is something that does not require your ability to read a note of music.  You can create tunes on a guitar, a piano, or sing into a tape recorder without writing anything.  I went the route of "paper music" since I'm more comfortable with notating my compositions on paper and enjoy the ability to sit down and sight read a composition at the piano.  Reading has its advantages, but like anything, it should not become an end and focus in itself, nor should it obscure your goal - to spontaneously express yourself musically.   

It is important to realize that anyone can potentially compose music.  My four-year old daughter sings spontaneous songs which I have yet to record.  I should do so, as these moments are precious, spontaneous, and in many ways, sacred.  I must admit I was a bit disillusioned with my academic musical studies in college because I allowed myself to believe that in order to be a "legitimate composer" I had to write music a certain way, and that blatant melodic, singable phrases were not considered "legit."  I became absorbed in writing more studied and less spontaneous.  I paid careful attention to minding my use of certain intervals, as well as rhythmic and harmonic complexity. I thought the more complex the better. 

After I left college and took a couple steps back from what I had learned, I realized there was nothing wrong with taking a mindful, thoughtful approach to composition, but not at the expense of writing what was in my heart and mind.  Instead of labeling certain melodies "off limits" for risking it might be judged sentimental or whatever have you, I simply wrote what I heard and was impressed with what came out.  I recommend you listen to the music inside you - the technical aspects can be learned.  The gift of listening to what you have to say is something nobody can teach you nor take away...

Compose Music

Whatever brought you to music, whether it was a musical relative, a friend, a great musical work... all should be embraced, as there is no "right" way to come to music.  If composing music is your passion, then you have come to the right place.  I learned the notes on the keyboard from an encyclopedia my mother kept in her house.  Inside the "music" article was a map of the keyboard, the notes on that keyboard, and where these notes fell on the grand staff.  After plunking out notes on the keyboard to create my little melody, I would look in the dictionary to see where these notes were on the staff, then write them down on manuscript paper.  That is how I learned to read and write music.

Composing music is something I aspired to do the day after I watched the film "Amadeus."  I was so overcome with the power of Mozart's music and brilliant genius of Mozart, I sought to learn all I could to become the best composer I could possibly be.

So... after learning the basics of note values, time signatures, and where the notes were on the Bass Clef and Trebel Clef, I listened to as many pieces as I could.  First, I listened to lots of Mozart, and soon learned by ear the sonata-allegro form which I tried to emulate in my own early compositions.  Next, I went on to the music of Chopin, a much different compositional style indeed.  I loved these grand works for piano, and also sought to emulate this style.  When learning about composition, there is absolutely nothing wrong with imitation.  That is how we all learn.  Even the great masters imitated other composers.  I once had a college professor at a prospective school I was looking at shoot down my music because he thought it was too derivative of others' music.  I was only eighteen years old!  Of course I did not yet have my own completely unique voice, but I had done well learning many valuable compositional techniques which I applied to later works that were more "me" if you will.  Truth be told, I really didn't come into my own "voice" until after college, around the age of 24.  It takes time to learn who you are, and you can learn who you are musically by experimentation as well as imitation.  By learning what you are not, you learn what you are.