Learning to Compose

[fuel925]

After completing Grade 8 in music theory, I am interested in learning to compose, but I don't exactly know how to go about doing this. I don't want to take university courses or anything similar, but I was wondering if people offer lessons in composing similar to how you take lessons in piano? Do lessons of this kind exist?

[frederic]

You can't be taught how to compose. Nearly all the great composers were self-taught. If you've done grade 8 theory you should be well equiped to compose. The only way to learn to compose is listen to a lot music, study them closely with the score, and see what the composers do. And most importantly, you need inspiration, whatever that may be.

[jas]

I agree. I've had a lot of composition classes at uni and have come to realise that you can't be taught to compose. I really hate composing, which I think is quite unusual because everyone else seems to love it. Or I hate being made to compose, that's probably it.
I think there are books you can buy that will give you a grounding in forms etc. but if you've done grade 8 theory they probably won't tell you much you don't already know. Just try things out, listen to the kind of music you're interested in writing, maybe get some notation software that can play it back to you.

Jas

[BoliverAllmon]

UMMM let's see. Bach had a teacher, Beethoven had a teacher, Mozart had a teacher, Barber had a teacher, Shostakovich had a teacher, and that is just the ones I can think of off the top of my head. Composition teachers can help get you started, just like in playing the piano though, once you learn how to compose you have to learn to find your "voice." Compostion lessons do exist outside of universities. You might start by calling the University and see if they can point you in the right direction. Good luck

boliver

[jas]

UMMM let's see. Bach had a teacher, Beethoven had a teacher, Mozart had a teacher, Barber had a teacher, Shostakovich had a teacher, and that is just the ones I can think of off the top of my head. Composition teachers can help get you started, just like in playing the piano though, once you learn how to compose you have to learn to find your "voice." Composition lessons do exist outside of universities. You might start by calling the University and see if they can point you in the right direction. Good luck

boliver

What I meant was, if you have no inclination towards composing, or you don't have whatever it is that makes someone a good composer, you can't be taught to do it. A teacher can, as you said, "help you get started," but they can't actually teach someone how to compose. The only that would work would be if it was a mathematical or scientific process of some kind that didn't actually involve musicality.

[BoliverAllmon]

ok, I gotcha.

[sonatainfsharp]

Plus, the teachers you mentioned were more or less piano/music teachers, not specifically comp teachers.

The way to "learn" is to have an imitative period where you purpose compose in styles you have heard or are influenced by. This ultimately and automatically leads to your own style.

I have had a few composition teachers, all big names in the field, but none of them "taught" me as my piano teachers have.

[BoliverAllmon]

all of those guys took counterpoint lessons and theory lessons

[bonbonbon]

<The Study of Counterpoint> by J.J.Fux helps a lot

[dinosaurtales]

I disagree with most of the above. 

First of all, composition Can be taught.

Secondly, inspiration is NOT the key.  It requires a combination of time management skills and the willingness to put active thought into it.  i.e. waiting till night before a due date, waiting for the "inspiration" will produce zilch every time.  If a tidbit of inspriation hits, which, after much active thought it does, then something cool can come out of it.  But planning and forethought (sometimes research) is the key

[rc]

I speculate that the greatest stumbling block to composing would be to start at all. Such a long history of brilliant music sets the bar intimidatingly high, a paralysing first step.

My suggestion would be to just go ahead and write something, probably won't be a masterpiece, but it gives you an experience to learn from, somewhere to begin. Perhaps working off theoretical forms would be a good way to start, imitation was a good suggestion, use a learning/practice approach.

When I think of it, I believe the ideal is to begin with an idea and use theory to help develop it, rather than coming to material through theory. But starting from theory could be a good way to start learning.

It would be best to find someone to help you learn, but there's no harm in going on your own for the time. Give yourself assignments; "I'll write a minuet and trio in D", "a fugue based on this Mozart theme", "a theme and variations on that TV jingle". Try different approaches to coming up with original material: from different theoretical perspectives, from improvisation (would be a valuable skill in composing!), or maybe daydreaming what might sound good to go with a beautiful sunset and trying to make it real.

It doesn't matter if you churn out some crap, so long as you learn from it, use the experience to improve. A journal would be a good idea, to keep track of discoveries, or jot down ideas.

[rc]

I remembered a web page I'd stumbled onto a few years back on composition, seemed useful and well thought out. Dig it: https://www.musique.umontreal.ca/personnel/Belkin/bk/

[meli]

Hi, I think that having a grade 8 theory will give you the basic skills required for composition. I was just like you, after passing my grade 8, I wanted to learn to compose but I didn't even know how to improvise! My piano teacher is now slowly guiding me (in improvisation)  and I admit its fun to improvise and finally create a composition that I feel proud of. The only thing I hate is writing it down  I'm sure there is music software that will notate it for you, and play it. If you are real serious about composition, I'm sure there are music teachers who specialize in this area and can guide you . I guess to compose in a certain style e.g. jazz, waltz, minuet etc.. just study alot of similar compositions and have a teacher to guide you. Don't be afraid to make mistakes, as its part of the learning process. Have fun.