261 Answered Questions for the topic Composition (Music)
05/31/19
How much are composers aware of the harmony structure they are using?
I am mostly referring to composers writing complex music, for example, classic composers. In particular, I am referring to change of harmony, and change of key.
Let's take for example a fugue for...
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05/31/19
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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05/30/19
Examples of acoustic instruments producing sounds very close to pure square, triangle or sawtooth waves?
I've been able to find plenty of info about acoustic instruments that create sounds close to sine-waves, and I understand that sounds approximating square, triangle and sawtooth waves are produced...
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05/29/19
What is a good freeware MIDI editor for minor changes running on Windows?
I compose music on my CVP-501. I record the tracks on a MIDI (.mid) file and record them as a wave (.wav) file. However, being human, I make mistakes. Plus, my setup for recording could be a lot...
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05/29/19
What is the relationship between the melody line and the rhythm chords?
Let's say I've written a song with the chord progression I-IV-V in the key of A (just as an example). So, the chords I'm playing are A-D-E. When playing a lead over this rhythm, what notes do I...
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05/24/19
Is writing important for electronic composition?
I am an electronic producer, and I was wondering if electronic music producers even write down their music on scores? Is that important enough to do for this category of music genres? Or should I...
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05/24/19
Layering multiple instruments?
I am very new to the song writing process. In a section like the chorus, how do you get the layering of many instrument to get that full and rich impression? For my first composition, I just had...
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05/24/19
What are some effective ways to use a key change during a song?
In my own songwriting, I might change keys to reinforce a change in the direction of the lyrics. For example if the first two verses are first person but the last verse is 3rd person, I might...
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05/24/19
Significance of pop songs with progressions that alternate one chord with one that's three semitones below it?
I've noticed a couple of pop songs that use one chord progression that alternates between swapping one chord (either fifth or fourth) with one that's three semitones below it (to third or second):*...
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05/24/19
How do I express humming in music notation?
I have a section in a vocal piece where I want singers to hum. I'm going to include "mmm" in my music notation, but is there a good way to more clearly express the intent to hum in the notation?
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05/24/19
Where do musicians draw their melodies from?
It has been in my head for so long.
I am a visual artist, animator, I do motion graphics, 3D artwork and most of my work is done visually.
I am puzzled by this question.
Visual artists, they draw...
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05/23/19
Tips for using complex time signatures in a "catchy" pop song?
I'm looking to write some music in the vein of a band I discovered recently called Icarus The Owl, who use some pretty wacky time signatures (anything from 21/16 into weirder territories) but...
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05/23/19
Where do musicians draw their melodies from?
It has been in my head for so long. I am a visual artist, animator, I do motion graphics, 3D artwork and most of my work is done visually.I am puzzled by this question.Visual artists, they draw...
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05/21/19
Uses for augmented chords in composition?
I've been studying for music theory for many years and I enjoy just writing little chord progressions and melodies to see what certain progressions sound like and how interesting I can make them....
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05/21/19
Are doubly augmented and doubly diminished intervals practical?
In music theory when naming intervals, a lowered diminished interval is a doubly diminished interval (dd) and a raised augmented interval is a doubly augmented interval (AA). One example is a...
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05/20/19
How can I stay informed of new art music?
As a composer, it's vitally important that I'm aware of what's happening in the contemporary music world. I find it very difficult to keep myself informed of a field that often flies below the...
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05/20/19
Uses for augmented chords in composition?
I've been studying for music theory for many years and I enjoy just writing little chord progressions and melodies to see what certain progressions sound like and how interesting I can make them....
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05/19/19
Is Lilypond actively developed? Will the format become obsolete?
## Developmental state of LilyPond
The official homepage has a [notice](http://lilypond.org/sponsoring.html) that reads "Since no developer currently is listed for commercial development, your...
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05/17/19
Is there any way to improve composing?
Beside playing drums I'm toying with software to create music. The problem is when I need to advance further. I may have some good, let's say "riffs" (or pieces, or melodies, or ideas), and I'm...
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05/17/19
Why do modern popular songs composed on piano sound different than songs composed on guitar?
Songs that I hear that are piano based - ie. **composed and originally performed on piano**, seem to have a different feel than those composed on guitar. The flow, the movement, the chords used -...
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05/17/19
If A minor doesn't have any accidentals, is it still minor?
As part of a music course, we have to compose a 3 minute long piece based on a river's journey. Having finished the composition, we now have to write a set of sleeve notes - basically an analysis...
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05/17/19
Is there some trick for counterpoint beyond 2 voices?
I really suck at chord harmony, so whenever I compose, I tend to use counterpoint a lot.
Counterpoint is somewhat easy when you just have two voices. Because I just compose for fun, I generally do...
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05/16/19
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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05/16/19
Ritardando, Rallentando, and Allargando?
Three common musical markings for gradual slowing down are ritardando, rallentando, and allargando. How do these differ from each other in interpretation and execution? For example, I was taught...
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05/15/19
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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