342 Answered Questions for the topic Composition

06/22/19

Natural vs tempered semi-tones?
I am reading "Fundamentals of Musical Composition" by Arnold Schoenberg. Chapter XI, page 99, states: > Chromaticism is difficult partly because the natural semi-tones differ in size from the... more
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06/22/19

Over/under pitch note?
I know there is a quarter tone notation, but is there a symbol for music score that will simply say over/under pitch? I think quarter tone notation might be too strict/rigid in music arrangement... more
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06/22/19

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... more
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06/22/19

What is "Sonata-Allegro form" and what other similar forms should I be aware of?
There are lots of classical pieces called "Sonata", and they usually have 3 movements. But there are guitar Sonatas by Paganini that only have 2 movements! And I heard there's a crazy Tchaikovsky... more
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06/21/19

Why have I never found any music written in the key of C Sharp Major?
Music is written in almost every key that corresponds to every note that is on my piano keyboard. There is clearly a C Sharp (black key right of C) on my piano keyboard but I don't recall ever... more
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06/21/19

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... more
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Composition Music Theory Theory

06/19/19

Harmony or Melody First in Composition?
I'm wondering if when composing one would start with an idea for harmony such as a chord progression, or does one start on the melody side maybe developing a melodic motif. What comes first, or... more
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06/19/19

In a TTTTBBBB arrangement, what do you call each group of singers?
I can assume the BBBB can be divided into Baritone I & II and Bass 1 & II, but what about tenors (assuming they’re all tenors and not countertenors)? Is there another name or does it go... more
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Composition Piano Songwriting Chords

06/19/19

Accompanying a RH melody (improv/comp)?
Are there any interesting rhythms/patterns for accompanying the melody (because I can play those by ear), such as breaking chords or etc. For doing piano covers of pop music, I am able to play the... more
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Composition Songwriting Theory Chords

06/19/19

Is a chromatic mediant considered a modulation?
Say I go from a C major chord to an E major chord. I understand that this is a chromatic mediant. Does this change my key from C to E though? said differently, does non-functional harmony change... more
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06/19/19

Why aren't songs with 11 beats 13 beats, common?
I wonder why haven't I heard songs that have 13 beats or 11 beats (or may be 17 beats or other complex number) per measure. Are there any songs like that and why don't people and music directors... more
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06/19/19

How to practice orchestration?
How can I *practice* composing for an orchestra? Should I take Beethoven's Fifth Symphony, analyze and then copy everything down on manuscript paper? I would like to hear some *techniques* for... more
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06/19/19

Skills for writing your own songs?
What are some good starting points to begin writing songs for someone who possesses limited theory knowledge and playing experience (beginner)?What are the essentials skills and knowledge for... more
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06/18/19

A total newbie wants to learn how to write songs. What does he need?
I am recently being interested in writing my own songs/my own music. However, I'm a newbie when it comes to music. I am not really musically talented nor inclined. I only know basic guitar chords... more
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06/18/19

Do I have to be a virtuoso pianist to compose faster music?
I was about to compose my third movement of my first sonata, but the other movements are notated Andante and Adagio. I would want my final movement to be notated Allegro or something even faster... more
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06/18/19

Looking for a high level Music Programming language?
I'm looking for a high-level programming language. I did some googling and found a number of examples (some summarized here http://users.soe.ucsc.edu/~sasha/proj/musicpaper.pdf) but haven't found... more
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06/16/19

Is it possible to create a completely new genre of music?
This question might appear really weird, but still I ended up asking me this. Every genre of music as we know today comes from some previous genre (as an evolution, a combination of two different... more
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06/15/19

Accidentals in First Species Counterpoint?
On page 39 of Alfred Mann's *The Study of Counterpoint* there is a passage concerning justification of using accidentals in first species counterpoint.Here is the passage:>Aloys: [...]but why... more
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06/14/19

Tension and Tonic?
It is widely known that music "wants" to be resolved on the tonic. But does it mean that I can end with the tonic, let's say, one/two octaves higher or lower than the whole melody that is being... more
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06/14/19

How could I create a musical vocabulary based on a group of similar classical pieces?
Sometimes I'll be working on a group of pieces and realize that I'd like to experiment with abstracting some of the musical ideas (rhythms, harmonies, etc) into a musical vocabulary that I could... more
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06/13/19

Composition Training (with Hindemith)?
I am looking to get back into composition and trying to get some advice on textbooks.By way of background, my biggest liability is my lack of formal training (I have none). During my early teens, I... more
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Composition Music Theory Theory

06/13/19

Does a cadence cover all "punctuation marks" in a musical phrase?
Does a cadence cover all "punctuation marks" in a musical phrase?
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Composition Music Theory Theory Chords

06/13/19

How to compose a Shout Chorus?
How do you compose a [Shout Chorus](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Refrain#Shout_chorus)? I don´t know how to start and I need to compose one for Wine and Roses.
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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... more
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06/11/19

Formalizing "surprising, yet inevitable"?
My music teacher told me that one property of great music is that it is both surprising and inevitable - you don't expect something, but looking back you see that it has been carefully prepared... more
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