Help composing?

[qelery]

My piano teacher asked me to try to compose my first song. Every time I get a melody, I end up hatting and starting over.  Do you have any tips? Would it be best to start with left hand, right hand, or both?

[Mayla]

Start with a three-note composition; take your time and make sure it is really what you want -- remember, you only have three notes to say what you want to say.  If you can, record it and attach it to your post, and then come back here.

[opus10no2]

Stunning teaching methods there Mayla 

I'd do 9 instead 

[Mayla]

Only three, qelery.

[qelery]

Do you mean I only have 3 notes, or I can only use three notes throught the entire song?

[Mayla]

You can use any

1
2
3

notes on the piano, but only those three notes will comprise your entire, first composition.  This may not be the one for your teacher, but it's the one you will start with for now.  Now, get composing  .

[chopinmozart7]

You have to know the notes. as soon as i did that, i started to comepose my first piece
and dont care about right or left hand, when you are writing down the music then right or left. Anyway just sit down in and improvise some melody from your brain or take a walk and do the same. If you have it in your head, try to play it on the piano.


PS. Your first piece doesent have to be superb.( very good).. My first piece wasent good neither but the more you compose the more you get the hang of it, and now when im about to compose my 20th piece it goes like flowing water. ask your teacher to give you some note paper or buy some. If you have questions,just ask your teacher. Good Luck!

[lostinidlewonder]

Start with chords 8 bars should do, and make it sound like it finishes at the end. Then fill in a melody over it.

[db05]

Start with chords 8 bars should do, and make it sound like it finishes at the end. Then fill in a melody over it.

Yeah, that's what I did with my 2 songs so far. Cadences are so good for this finishing feeling. Arpeggios and scale fragments make nice melodies, too, when you're out of ideas.  I couldn't quite decide on a vocal melody though.

[lostinidlewonder]

I couldn't quite decide on a vocal melody though.

I think melody is the hardest thing to deal with. A great melody can make you a millionaire.

[ted]

I think Lostinidlewonder is right. Simple melody has a wonderful power within the human psyche, yet its generation seems curiously unrelated to knowledge and learning, even sometimes conscious thought. An untutored tyro can pick out a simple tune which might move people all around the world for decades. I have always found the melodic phrases I create which move me most will literally pop up out of nowhere when I least anticipate them. The more I deliberately try to form them the less often they appear. I rather like this fact, that there exist facets of music which are independent of scholarship and effort. It makes life much more interesting.   

[t-rex128]

Do you listen to lots of musical scores, soundtracks, etc?
I am very interested in composing and that is what got me started.
This should help you hear tunes in your head.  Think of a cool melody for a long time that sticks in your head.  Then arrange it for piano.

Also, try your best to compose music in your head.  If your good at this and you know some theory and your notes on the piano well, you should have no problem! 

being a good sightreader helps, too. (if your no good at sightreading, then sightread!!! play through any music (not too hard) that you can get your hands on.  play thru it without stopping!)

-t-rex

[dan101]

I would start with C major and get comfortable with the one, four and five triads. After that, explore the other diatonic triads within C. If you want many more free tips, I'm a composer and you should feel free to visit my site at the link below (http://www.musicmasterstudios.com).

Good luck and have fun.

[communist]

try making an improvisation of a piece, than change the harmonies and some of the rhythms etc... than see if you can come up with something

[bachapprentice]

If you’re familiar with the Circle of 5ths start on the key of C Major and use I – IV – V chord progressions which is C – F- G also play the relative natural a minor scale for the lead. I would use a Harmonic am scale just raise the 7th note (7th Degree) one half step.