342 Answered Questions for the topic Composition

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?... more
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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... more
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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... more
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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... more
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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... more
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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... more
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06/10/19

Are chord progressions used in classical music?
Apart from Pachelbel's Canon which uses (I V vi iii IV I IV V) I didn't see any other classical music that uses chord progressions (?) Think Bach, Beethoven, Mozart kind of classical. Would it be... more
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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... more
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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... more
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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... more
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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... more
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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... more
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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... more
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Composition Composition (music)

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... more
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06/05/19

A question regarding transposition and fugal answers?
Is it compulsory to introduce the answer of a fugue at +5 or -4 scale degrees relative to the home key? I'm not asking whether it's necessary to transpose the answer; my question is whether... more
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Composition Music Theory Theory Chords

06/05/19

Is it Acceptable to Build Chords on Accidental Notes in Classical Music?
I'm writing a clarinet solo with piano accompaniment in B minor. Is is normal to use a D minor chord (or just the first two notes) in classical music (specifically romantic)? I do have a regular... more
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Composition Music Theory Theory Chords

06/04/19

What are the different ways of adding non-diatonic chords?
I'm trying to add more detail to what I'm playing by using non-diatonic chords. So far the main ways I have found are: 1. Borrowing chords from parallel key (mode mixture) 2. Chromatic Mediants... more
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06/03/19

Odd and Even Harmonic Theory?
I've been thinking of ways to harmonize melodies. One of my ways is to not think in terms of the seven diatonic chords, but to just think of in terms of "odd chords" and "even chords". Let's say... more
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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... more
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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... more
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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... more
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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... more
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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... more
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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... more
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Composition Music Theory Theory

06/01/19

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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