Thursday, February 14, 2008
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Composition Tools
Contrapuntal Variation as a Composition Tool
Sequence - the identical melody is repeated at a different pitch.
Pedal Point - one pitch is sustained, often in the bass, while the melody and harmonies continue to change.
Modulation - repeating the melody in another key.
Fragmentation - quoting only a part of the melody.
Labels: composition
Friday, January 18, 2008
Melody, Harmony, and Rhythm
Melody, Harmony, and Rhythm
These are the three components of all music—melody, harmony, and rhythm. Melody is a “horizontal” component, the theme, line, or group of phrases in the foreground of a piece, or the theme played over the head in a jazz chart. Harmony is a “vertical” component, the combinations or “voicings” of notes together that resonate as a tone or feeling. Rhythm is the tempo, the timing, or the beat. These three components make up all music, whether folk tunes or disco or toccatas.
When composing, one can manipulate these components to add structure or coherence. For example, development often occurs by changing one or two of the components. An initial melody could be played in an A section, and then changed to a contrasting melody in a B section, while keeping the rhythm and harmony the same. Or, the harmony could change along with the melody.
However, what would happen if all three changed? This could, depending on the composer’s usage, seriously hinder the flow of the tune. If all three elements change, then the consistency of the music is lost and the listener probably becomes confused.
What are some examples? In jazz standards, we could look at “Green Dolphin Street.” The A section presents a melody, is in C Major, and has a latin rhythm. The B section changes rhythm to straight-ahead swing, and introduces a second melody/theme. But, the harmony remains the same, in the key of C, with ii-V-I’s to the root and the major flat third.
Or, looking at some pieces by minimalist contemporary composer John Adams, such as China Gates or Phrygian Gates, we may find some unusual harmonic shifts. However, these do not interrupt the flow of the piece because the repetitive rhythm and horizontal patterns remain the same. Likewise one can analyze any number of pieces and find that usually one or two of the elements change, while the third remains the same for continuity.
Thus, being aware of the three components, melody, harmony, and rhythm provides a good strategy for coherent and understandable writing.
These are the three components of all music—melody, harmony, and rhythm. Melody is a “horizontal” component, the theme, line, or group of phrases in the foreground of a piece, or the theme played over the head in a jazz chart. Harmony is a “vertical” component, the combinations or “voicings” of notes together that resonate as a tone or feeling. Rhythm is the tempo, the timing, or the beat. These three components make up all music, whether folk tunes or disco or toccatas.
When composing, one can manipulate these components to add structure or coherence. For example, development often occurs by changing one or two of the components. An initial melody could be played in an A section, and then changed to a contrasting melody in a B section, while keeping the rhythm and harmony the same. Or, the harmony could change along with the melody.
However, what would happen if all three changed? This could, depending on the composer’s usage, seriously hinder the flow of the tune. If all three elements change, then the consistency of the music is lost and the listener probably becomes confused.
What are some examples? In jazz standards, we could look at “Green Dolphin Street.” The A section presents a melody, is in C Major, and has a latin rhythm. The B section changes rhythm to straight-ahead swing, and introduces a second melody/theme. But, the harmony remains the same, in the key of C, with ii-V-I’s to the root and the major flat third.
Or, looking at some pieces by minimalist contemporary composer John Adams, such as China Gates or Phrygian Gates, we may find some unusual harmonic shifts. However, these do not interrupt the flow of the piece because the repetitive rhythm and horizontal patterns remain the same. Likewise one can analyze any number of pieces and find that usually one or two of the elements change, while the third remains the same for continuity.
Thus, being aware of the three components, melody, harmony, and rhythm provides a good strategy for coherent and understandable writing.
Labels: composition
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Ideas for Compositions
Sources of Ideas for Compositions
Where do composers find ideas for their music? Sometimes the answer is easy, and the idea comes naturally when the writer sits down at the piano or their instrument. But when writer’s block happens, or when the composer is not happy the themes he or she is writing, the following exercises could help for finding useful sources of musical ideas.
1. Always be aware of musical ideas around you, wherever you are. The world and the composer’s own life can provide much inspiration, whether you are at the grocery store, dining with friends, or walking in the woods. As you encounter ideas in various places, it can help to have a recording device or pen and paper available, the jot down the thought and save it for later use.
2. Look to your own experience or observations of thoughts and feelings. The emotions you have had during a relationship, a difficult time, or a particular event were probably similar to what others have experienced. Try to be genuine and express the things you know from your experience, and this may help others to connect to your songwriting. At the same time, the flip side of this point is that it can be good to express things you have not experienced, to create entirely fictional worlds—but the key is that you must have a level of writing skill to make the worlds convincing to the listeners.
3. Look for ideas that have universal appeal. Music that expresses ideas that connect many people or that lots of people can relate to is often very powerful. A good example is love, such as the joy of finding new love, or the fear of losing love, or the hope of encountering love in the future. Another example is spirituality, religion, or the divine—the concept of peacefulness and interconnection that is available to all, not just a few.
4. Place yourself in musical environments where you hear what other musicians are doing with composition and improvisation. Attend jam sessions and pick up different styles and techniques. Go to concerts, talk to musicians, listen to new music, or take a music class at a university.
5. Experience foreign cultures. While music is a “universal language,” the variety and diversity found by traveling to another country can be striking and provide many new ideas. The sounds of African choral singing or folk melodies, sung as a natural part of everyday life during chores or rituals, may contrast greatly with what you are used to in concert halls. Or the scales and harmonies of Indian or middle Eastern music can open up new worlds and possibilities. The ostinato patterns of Latin American music, used so pervasively throughout the music in villages and cities, keyboards hammering away at octave and third patterns, show further ideas. Virtually any exposure to musical thought that is foreign to you can help your own writing evolve.
6. Find poetry, paintings, or other art that you like and set music to it. Try setting a poem to music, writing melodies that express the lines. Or write pieces about pieces of artwork, like Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition (which Ravel famously orchestrated—see Famous CD’s).
7. Changing pieces between styles can in turn generate more ideas. For example, you could play a Bach piece in the jazz idiom, improvise over a chord progression from Telemann, or reharmonize a melody. This can lead to new thoughts, possibly a fusion of the ideas, interesting ideas in the new context, etc.
8. Find phrases or patterns on your instrument that you just enjoy. As Leonard Bernstein stated, “The meaning of music is in the music, and nowhere else.” Sometimes it is good to just improvise on your instrument and find patterns of notes that appeal to you—any phrases, or scales, harmonies, anything that interests you.
Where do composers find ideas for their music? Sometimes the answer is easy, and the idea comes naturally when the writer sits down at the piano or their instrument. But when writer’s block happens, or when the composer is not happy the themes he or she is writing, the following exercises could help for finding useful sources of musical ideas.
1. Always be aware of musical ideas around you, wherever you are. The world and the composer’s own life can provide much inspiration, whether you are at the grocery store, dining with friends, or walking in the woods. As you encounter ideas in various places, it can help to have a recording device or pen and paper available, the jot down the thought and save it for later use.
2. Look to your own experience or observations of thoughts and feelings. The emotions you have had during a relationship, a difficult time, or a particular event were probably similar to what others have experienced. Try to be genuine and express the things you know from your experience, and this may help others to connect to your songwriting. At the same time, the flip side of this point is that it can be good to express things you have not experienced, to create entirely fictional worlds—but the key is that you must have a level of writing skill to make the worlds convincing to the listeners.
3. Look for ideas that have universal appeal. Music that expresses ideas that connect many people or that lots of people can relate to is often very powerful. A good example is love, such as the joy of finding new love, or the fear of losing love, or the hope of encountering love in the future. Another example is spirituality, religion, or the divine—the concept of peacefulness and interconnection that is available to all, not just a few.
4. Place yourself in musical environments where you hear what other musicians are doing with composition and improvisation. Attend jam sessions and pick up different styles and techniques. Go to concerts, talk to musicians, listen to new music, or take a music class at a university.
5. Experience foreign cultures. While music is a “universal language,” the variety and diversity found by traveling to another country can be striking and provide many new ideas. The sounds of African choral singing or folk melodies, sung as a natural part of everyday life during chores or rituals, may contrast greatly with what you are used to in concert halls. Or the scales and harmonies of Indian or middle Eastern music can open up new worlds and possibilities. The ostinato patterns of Latin American music, used so pervasively throughout the music in villages and cities, keyboards hammering away at octave and third patterns, show further ideas. Virtually any exposure to musical thought that is foreign to you can help your own writing evolve.
6. Find poetry, paintings, or other art that you like and set music to it. Try setting a poem to music, writing melodies that express the lines. Or write pieces about pieces of artwork, like Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition (which Ravel famously orchestrated—see Famous CD’s).
7. Changing pieces between styles can in turn generate more ideas. For example, you could play a Bach piece in the jazz idiom, improvise over a chord progression from Telemann, or reharmonize a melody. This can lead to new thoughts, possibly a fusion of the ideas, interesting ideas in the new context, etc.
8. Find phrases or patterns on your instrument that you just enjoy. As Leonard Bernstein stated, “The meaning of music is in the music, and nowhere else.” Sometimes it is good to just improvise on your instrument and find patterns of notes that appeal to you—any phrases, or scales, harmonies, anything that interests you.
Labels: composition
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
The Structure of a Song
Knowledge of songwriting structures is important for writing understandable, listener-friendly songs. Song elements such as the verse, hook, and chorus are usually incorporated in a few standard ways. Using the structures below can help shape any musical ideas into an organized, tight composition.
First, how could we define the most common song elements? The verse contains information that sets the scene, such as introduction of characters and emotional tone. The verse leads up to the chorus, or refrain, which is generally the strongest, catchiest, and most memorable part of the song. The chorus often contains the hook, or the central theme of the piece. The hook is often a catchy phrase with a distinct feel, meant to be repeated and to stand at the center of the song. Finally, the bridge is usually a departure from the other parts of the song, used to provide a release or add another dimension.
These elements are usually combined in the following most common structures:
Verse – Verse – Verse
Verse – Chorus – Verse – Chorus – Verse – Chorus
Verse – Chorus – Verse – Chorus – Bridge – Chorus
Verse – Verse – Bridge – Verse
The first structure, which we could also call AAA, is an older structure. Each verse or A section has the same melody but different lyrics. The section is usually eight bars long. The repeating verse structure makes for an easy sing-along type of tune, but at the same time the melody needs to be very strong so as to bear the singular repetition.
The second structure could also be called ABABAB. This introduces the chorus into the pattern, allowing for a change from the verse. At the same time, this structure can easily become somewhat boring, and again requires a strong melody in the verse to hold the listener’s attention.
The third structure, which we could also call ABABCB, is the most popular structure in modern popular music and on the radio. It allows for variety by alternating between chorus and verse. It allows for repetition of the chorus, to increase memorability and exposure to the hook. It also allows the bridge—usually four or eight bars—to provide a further fresh section and build energy, before returning to the final chorus.
The fourth structure, or AABA, is also a fairly popular means of organization. The first verse sets up the scene and provides an introduction, while the second verse further develops the same ideas. The B section provides a departure from the first ideas, adding suspense, or shedding new light on the themes. Finally the third verse serves as a return to the initial ideas and provides a conclusion.
These four structures provide the most common and most reliable ways of forming well put-together songs. There are also possibilities for modification, such as placing the chorus first or merging and cutting the sections, which one can experiment with after understanding the fundamental concepts. Overall these structures provide basic tools for shaping ideas and hooks into workable pieces of music.
First, how could we define the most common song elements? The verse contains information that sets the scene, such as introduction of characters and emotional tone. The verse leads up to the chorus, or refrain, which is generally the strongest, catchiest, and most memorable part of the song. The chorus often contains the hook, or the central theme of the piece. The hook is often a catchy phrase with a distinct feel, meant to be repeated and to stand at the center of the song. Finally, the bridge is usually a departure from the other parts of the song, used to provide a release or add another dimension.
These elements are usually combined in the following most common structures:
Verse – Verse – Verse
Verse – Chorus – Verse – Chorus – Verse – Chorus
Verse – Chorus – Verse – Chorus – Bridge – Chorus
Verse – Verse – Bridge – Verse
The first structure, which we could also call AAA, is an older structure. Each verse or A section has the same melody but different lyrics. The section is usually eight bars long. The repeating verse structure makes for an easy sing-along type of tune, but at the same time the melody needs to be very strong so as to bear the singular repetition.
The second structure could also be called ABABAB. This introduces the chorus into the pattern, allowing for a change from the verse. At the same time, this structure can easily become somewhat boring, and again requires a strong melody in the verse to hold the listener’s attention.
The third structure, which we could also call ABABCB, is the most popular structure in modern popular music and on the radio. It allows for variety by alternating between chorus and verse. It allows for repetition of the chorus, to increase memorability and exposure to the hook. It also allows the bridge—usually four or eight bars—to provide a further fresh section and build energy, before returning to the final chorus.
The fourth structure, or AABA, is also a fairly popular means of organization. The first verse sets up the scene and provides an introduction, while the second verse further develops the same ideas. The B section provides a departure from the first ideas, adding suspense, or shedding new light on the themes. Finally the third verse serves as a return to the initial ideas and provides a conclusion.
These four structures provide the most common and most reliable ways of forming well put-together songs. There are also possibilities for modification, such as placing the chorus first or merging and cutting the sections, which one can experiment with after understanding the fundamental concepts. Overall these structures provide basic tools for shaping ideas and hooks into workable pieces of music.
Labels: composition
Monday, January 14, 2008
cycles
Triads
C (X32010)......... F (133211)......... G7 (320001)
D (XX0232)......... G (320033) .........A7 (X02020)
E (022100) .........A (X02220)......... B7 (X21202)
F (133211) .........Bb (X13331) .........C7 (X32310)
G (320033) .........C (X32010) .........D7 (XX0212)
A (X02220) .........D (XX0232) .........E7 (020100)
B (X13331) .........E (022100) .........F#7 (255422)
Harmonic Circles
C (X32010) ..................Am (X02210)............ Dm (XX0231)........... G7 (320001)
D (XX0232)......... ........Bm (X14421) ...........Em (022000) .............A7 (X02020)
E (022100) ..................C#m (X35543) ..........F#m (244222) ...........B7 (X21202)
F (133211) ..................Dm (XX0231) ............Gm (355333)............ C7 (X32310)
G (320033) ..................Em (022000) ..............Am (X02210) ...........D7 (XX0212)
A (X02220)......... .........F#m (244222) ...........Bm (X24432) ............E7 (020100)
B (X13331) ..................G#m (X46654) ..........C#m (X46644)........... F#7 (242322)
.
Melodic Cycles
C (X32010)...........Am (X02210) ............F (133211)........... G7 (320001)
D (XX0232) .........Bm (X14421) ............G (320033)........... A7 (X02020)
E (022100) ..........C#m (X35543) ..........A (X02220).......... B7 (X21202)
F (133211) ...........Dm (XX0231).......... Bb (X13331)......... C7 (X32310)
G (320033) ..........Em (022000) ............C (X32010)............D7 (XX0212)
A (X02220) ..........F#m (244222) ..........D (XX0232) ..........E7 (020100)
B (X13331) ..........G#m (X46654) .........E (022100)............F#7 (240302)
Minor Fourths
Cm.......... Fm .......Bb7 ...........Eb......... .Ab........... Fm..............G7
Dm .........Gm ........C7 .............F......... ...Bb ...........Gm .............A7
Em ..........Am ........D7 .............G ............C .............Am.............B7
Fm ..........Bbm.......Eb7 ..........Ab ..........Db ............Bbm..........C7
Gm..........Cm .........F7 .............Bb .........Eb .............C......... .....D7
Am ..........Dm .......G7 ..............C ............F ..............Dm ...........E7
Bm ..........Em ........A7 ..............D ...........G ..............Em ...........F#7
C (X32010)......... F (133211)......... G7 (320001)
D (XX0232)......... G (320033) .........A7 (X02020)
E (022100) .........A (X02220)......... B7 (X21202)
F (133211) .........Bb (X13331) .........C7 (X32310)
G (320033) .........C (X32010) .........D7 (XX0212)
A (X02220) .........D (XX0232) .........E7 (020100)
B (X13331) .........E (022100) .........F#7 (255422)
Harmonic Circles
C (X32010) ..................Am (X02210)............ Dm (XX0231)........... G7 (320001)
D (XX0232)......... ........Bm (X14421) ...........Em (022000) .............A7 (X02020)
E (022100) ..................C#m (X35543) ..........F#m (244222) ...........B7 (X21202)
F (133211) ..................Dm (XX0231) ............Gm (355333)............ C7 (X32310)
G (320033) ..................Em (022000) ..............Am (X02210) ...........D7 (XX0212)
A (X02220)......... .........F#m (244222) ...........Bm (X24432) ............E7 (020100)
B (X13331) ..................G#m (X46654) ..........C#m (X46644)........... F#7 (242322)
.
Melodic Cycles
C (X32010)...........Am (X02210) ............F (133211)........... G7 (320001)
D (XX0232) .........Bm (X14421) ............G (320033)........... A7 (X02020)
E (022100) ..........C#m (X35543) ..........A (X02220).......... B7 (X21202)
F (133211) ...........Dm (XX0231).......... Bb (X13331)......... C7 (X32310)
G (320033) ..........Em (022000) ............C (X32010)............D7 (XX0212)
A (X02220) ..........F#m (244222) ..........D (XX0232) ..........E7 (020100)
B (X13331) ..........G#m (X46654) .........E (022100)............F#7 (240302)
Minor Fourths
Cm.......... Fm .......Bb7 ...........Eb......... .Ab........... Fm..............G7
Dm .........Gm ........C7 .............F......... ...Bb ...........Gm .............A7
Em ..........Am ........D7 .............G ............C .............Am.............B7
Fm ..........Bbm.......Eb7 ..........Ab ..........Db ............Bbm..........C7
Gm..........Cm .........F7 .............Bb .........Eb .............C......... .....D7
Am ..........Dm .......G7 ..............C ............F ..............Dm ...........E7
Bm ..........Em ........A7 ..............D ...........G ..............Em ...........F#7
Labels: composition
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
`My Dream Collection``
DREAM GUITAR COLLECTION
............
.................
.................
Fender .....................Schecter ......................Fender .......................Ibanez ....................
Stratocaster....... ..Hellraiser C-1...............Standart Stratocaster ................JAM..............
_____________
______________
Fender _____________________Gibson _____________________Gibson
Stratocaster______________ SG Menace ____________Les Paul ``Supreme``
American Deluxe