Finding the "Starting point" when creating a composition or score?

Question

This is a fairly simple one, and hopefully not too wide-open to be permitted here: what approaches are available when sitting at a fresh screen or sheet of paper, or at your instrument, to create the starting point for a composition?I'm wondering if there are preferred methods as taught in the more formal books on the subject: arranging chords first then creating melodies over them, working the other way around, adding percussion first, working from lowest to highest-sounding instruments, scoring your own instrument first, etc.Are there very visible advantages and disadvantages to any of those particular techniques? I've been known sometimes to write purely at a computer without an instrument near me at all, I have mixed feelings about it as it means I'm not limited by my own abilities, but I'm also not "feeling" the composition as I would be if I were improvising myself.

Answer 1

There is no easy answer to this question. Every piece starts differently. Sometimes a melody, sometimes a chord structure, etc

When I lack an idea, I sit at the piano and just play stream of conscious. Sometimes I hit on a measure or 2 that I liked melodically or harmonically. Other times I just noodle and see what happens.

Another successful method I use is to visualize something and score it in my head. Or watch a scene from a film you like, cut the sound off and score it.

Take 4 bars of a piece you like and rearrange the melody. Invert notes, make it minor if major. If the melody leaps a 6th, invert to a 3rd.

There are a myriad of ways to start but it is important that you DO start! Don't wait around for inspiration. Be inspiring instead. Once you start writing, the music should be your inspiration. Ideas exist all around. They are just floating around in the universe waiting for you to grab one. I know that sounds sort of zen-like but it

is true.

Answer 2

Hi! A great way is to develop a bit more of the element you came up with.

Music consists in 3 elements: Melody, Harmony and Rhythm.

If you original idea was a short melody, work it a little more until you have a more complete idea for at least a section of the song. Then, you can think about adding a basic harmony and a rhythm, without cluttering it. once you have these elements, you can progress to a different section of the song and create a part that complements what you already have.

When you have a basic idea of the song available, you can think about a second level of the 3 elements:

Melody: Refine your melodic line by defining A/B parts, motifs, tension notes and your song structure (AABA, AABB, etc.)

Harmony: Reharmonize your basic harmonic idea.

Rhythm: Add details serving the harmony + melody in order to create a coherent whole.

That's just one of the methods I use!

Have a great day