261 Answered Questions for the topic Composition (Music)
06/12/19
Why do we have key signatures as they are? Could a key with unconventional accidentals make sense?
I mean Western music, classical music, circle of fifths and all that. Why can’t I have a key with, for example, three sharps -- though not the usual F, C, and G, but instead some other combination...
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06/11/19
Composing a song in Cm with major chord substitutes?
I am composing a song in Cm with a very basic chord progression of I-IV-I. So, normally, in Cm, that would be Cm7-Fm7-Cm7, but I am actually playing Cm7-F7-Cm7.First of all, why does this work?...
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06/11/19
What's the best way to provide musicians a copy of a song to use to prepare for a recording session?
I have a few originals I am ready to professionally record and want to provide the musicians that will be recording with me an opportunity to listen to a "skeleton" of the song (most basic outline...
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06/11/19
Want to learn composing and producing music with a DAW. Where do I start?
I am a computer engineer and a passionate music listener. I have been listening to movie scores and soundtracks for many years now and it has really inspired me to want to learn more about music...
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06/11/19
The concept behind relaxing music?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXgqDlrqmzoI am interested to start making some songs that are very relaxing, like the one posted above.The song above is indeed one of the most relaxing songs in...
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06/11/19
Do piano composers often start out with C major?
I'm wondering if composers write their pieces starting with C major since it's just the white keys, and then later transpose the finished song to the key of their choice? Or will starting with the...
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06/11/19
How do you compose using the chromatic scale?
Writting a piece of music using the chromatic scale would be interesting, but I can't think of a way to start it? What kind of structure would a piece have? Is it all subjective and up to the...
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06/09/19
When composing for oboe, how useful is it to think about recorder fingerings?
I'm always a bit anxious when writing for winds, because I don't really have much of a clue how passages will be executed on the specific instrument. (And I know how needlessly complicated some...
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06/09/19
Does it really make difference to play a song in a different key?
I hear sometimes players and composers say that this song won't sound good in F Major for example, and you should play it or write it in G Major (this was just an example). In other words, it seems...
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06/08/19
(Post)-minimalist compositional techniques?
I was wondering if anyone out there knew of any techniques associated with the minimalist tradition. I've been really interested in the philosophical notion of minimalism over the last few months...
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06/08/19
Techniques for memorizing a musical idea and "saving it to paper"?
Sometimes I have a very nice musical idea, with orchestration too, and I clearly hear it in my mind as if I was listening to a CD.But I cannot retain it. The only way is to play it over and over in...
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06/07/19
Are there scales and chord progressions particularly used in Rag music?
I am interested in the underlying scale and chord structures of ragtime music . For example, I was reading in my book Jazzology last night that ii-V-I progressions are frequently used in Jazz. I am...
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06/06/19
How does one compose fills and solos for the drumkit?
I keep hearing that rudiments are the building blocks of drumming. How do you create drum fills and solos out of rudiments?They say that solos and fills are made from rudiments. Are they ALL made...
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Composition (music) Composition
06/05/19
What components make military music especially rousing?
If someone were going to compose a piece of military music to especially rousing, what components would they be looking to emphasize? Like is there a certain key or time that military music is...
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06/03/19
Why is a Cadence important in music?
I'm confused as to what a cadence does. The only thing I understand is that like English it's a period in a sentence. Is that its primary purpose to separate pieces of thought? And how important is...
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06/03/19
Piano Concertos: Why is Brahms 2 considered more mature than Rachmaninoff 3?
**I'm not completely satisfied with the answers so far, so more answers please! There's a nice bounty to be had!**These two titanic concertos are two of the most difficult often played concertos in...
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06/03/19
Resources for "popular" counterpoint?
Basic "About Me:" I was a music and actuarial science double major, dropped the music major, and am now working as an actuarial educator full-time. I'd like to get back to composing. The biggest...
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06/03/19
Ending a song with a dominant chord?
As far as i know, almost all songs end in the tonic chord, because this is the most "stable" condition. On the other hand, a dominant chord at the end of a progression (or song) sounds...
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06/03/19
How to select a key-signature for a song?
There are so many songs in pretty odd key-signatures like 4,5,6 sharps or flats. At least this is my impression when I listen to songs on the radio/net while trying to follow them on my...
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06/03/19
Use of Music Theory in Composition?
I've been told by many people that music theory is not *normative*; it doesn't tell you what to write or do in music to create something beautiful that sounds good. I've been told that it's...
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06/01/19
Influences of Mozart?
[Wikipedia article](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolfgang_Amadeus_Mozart#Influence) only mentions [Hummel](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johann_Nepomuk_Hummel) from Mozart's childhood but gives no...
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06/01/19
Is it too late to learn music theory and composition?
I have been playing electric guitar for 5 years and have pretty decent technique. I have a decent ear too (I'm still improving it). I listened to rock guitar virtuosos like Yngwie Malmsteen, Paul...
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06/01/19
Did Stravinsky and Craft have a dual piano built?
I remember being told 20 years or so ago that Igor Stravinsky used to compose with Robert Craft as an in-person assistant to play things together as they were being composed. I also remember being...
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Composition (music) Composition
06/01/19
How to make your own samples?
I'm trying to compose music with Ableton Live 9 and every tutorial I see uses samples. I don't want to use samples since I would like to create my own sounds. How should I create a kick for example...
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05/31/19
Scales, modes, techniques for writing "Super Mario" style music?
I'm looking for a push in the right direction as to how to go about writing Super Mario type video game themes. What scales/modes work best, time signatures, etc...Examples of where I'm trying to...
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