342 Answered Questions for the topic Composition

Composition Songwriting Harmony Melody

05/07/19

How to make the dominant preparation less boring?
This is one thing that I have always noticed when I compose a sonata. Even if I can get through most of the development section in sonata form, the dominant preparation sort of grinds my gears. I'm... more
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05/07/19

Which advanced chords can I use for a song composition in scale of G?
I am making a song composition in a scale of G.I have already used major chords **G, C and D** and in some places I have used **Am, Em and Bm**.I would like to make this composition richer with... more
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05/07/19

How to determine what key changes are appropriate?
In the month or so until my band get back together I've been working on writing some new material, and want to try and expand how complex my songs are. I apologise if there are a lot of questions -... more
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05/07/19

Why do some arrangements of notes make a good melody and some don't?
A note by itself is not always particularly pleasant to hear. Why do some specific combinations of notes make a good, pleasant melody? Why are some people good at coming up with such pleasing... more
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05/07/19

How to dramatically change the feeling of a song while keeping the melody largely the same?
How to dramatically change the feeling of a song while keeping the melody largely the same? Let's say we have a happy, upbeat pop song and we want to turn it into a sad song (or vice versa). Is it... more
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05/07/19

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... more
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05/07/19

Can I have two different instruments play the same melody at the same octave?
I am writing an orchestral track and so far I have written the melody of strings (violins and such) and I want to add trumpets and here are 3 things I consider. 1) Have the trumpets play the same... more
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05/07/19

How to create Chord progressions that make sense?
I've been reading over Walter Piston's Harmony book, and it has been an eye-opener to say the least. I understand concepts like tension and release, voice leading and so forth, but I still don't... more
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Composition Composition (music)

05/06/19

Do real-life emotional experiences affect one's creative ability?
I have heard people say that music only flows from a broken heart. But I have never yet in my life been heartbroken in a big way. When I sit down to write music, not one melody comes out from me... more
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Composition Composition (music)

05/06/19

The use of each key in Western music?
I've been looking into variations on the following question: why was X piece written in Y key? For instance, why did Beethoven choose to write the Moonlight Sonata in C# minor? Presumably we can... more
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05/06/19

Off beat chord change in progression?
I'm self learning to compose something using a daw. I'm a self tough on theory and quite poor so please but hope the question make some sense. I followed a tutorial that suggest the possibility to... more
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05/05/19

chord progressions - Fm to Bb, sounds different to Cm to F?
I recently started trying my hand at composition and could not figure out why the two chords progressions sounds different:1. F minor followed by B flat major, which is an interval of a 4th2. C... more
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Composition Songwriting

05/05/19

How to avoid a rut when listening to the same composition hundreds of times?
Often I find myself re-listening to certain parts of a piece repeatedly when composing it, generally hundreds of times in a short time. This creates a pattern of behaviour that becomes dull and... more
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05/04/19

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... more
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Composition Composition (music)

05/02/19

Any advice for a novice composer?
I have been learning the acoustic guitar for about 3 years, but just recently started writing my own songs. I am currently learning music theory. Given that starting point what advice would you... more
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05/02/19

Do Most Pop Songs Have An Instrument Play Chords While The Singer Sings The Melody?
I'm very curious if most instruments play a melody at the same time, and work in counterpoint, or it's just a singer playing a melody while some instruments play chords.
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05/01/19

What exactly should I have to learn to understand why certain combination of chords are harmonic when played in a sequence?
I am an intuitive music composer trying to move to a technical music composer. As a dummy, I see music as a composition of 'pieces' (my word). Each piece is a set of notes that are melodical when... more
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05/01/19

Emulating human performance in orchestral software?
I recently bought *Garritan Personal Orchestra* and find it a great tool to get professional-sounding orchestral renders of my scores. However, I feel a certain lack of "human" playing in it, i.e.,... more
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05/01/19

How can I make two chords on the ukulele sound interesting for a whole song?
I'm accompanying my friend on one of her own songs with my uke. However, the song only has two chords the whole way through!The chords are `Dm` and `Am` - eight even beats of each. It's mostly slow... more
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Composition Songwriting Learning

04/30/19

Do composers often compose one instrument 'section' at a time?
Whilst learning more about the art of composition for traditional classical music, I have come across a question that I always wish I *knew* the answer to. Multilayered classical 'songs' are so... more
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04/29/19

Beginning composer wanting to know where to start?
I'm a seventeen-year-old aspiring film composer. I have twelve years of piano and theory experience, but beyond that, I have no experience with anything else musicwise. I am homeschooled with no... more
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04/29/19

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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04/29/19

Why are most string quartets in a key with few accidentals?
The most accidentals I have seen in a string quartet is 4 flats or sharps. Now I have been told that this is because C major, G major, D major and A major are the easiest keys on a string... more
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04/29/19

In 12-tone music, how frequently do composers allow themselves to alternate between adjacent notes of the tone row?
In Vi Hart's [video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4niz8TfY794) on twelve-tone nursery rhymes, she says that one of the rules of twelve-tone composition is that you're allowed to alternate... more
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Composition Songwriting

04/29/19

When composing parts for different instruments, how do I find out if the part is playable?
I'm thinking of composing pieces for small ensembles with varied instrumentation. Typically I compose on a keyboard. How do I determine if the musician can easily play the parts I write for them?... more
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