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AOC 003: So You Want to Become a Composer?

AOC 003: So You Want to Become a Composer?

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The Art of Composing PodcastEpisode 3 of the Art of Composing Podcast. In this episode, I talk about what it takes to start composing immediately.

What is in this episode:

  • The mindset you need to learn to compose music.
  • How to approach the act of learning to compose.
  • Why you need 20 hours to become good at composing, and 10,000 hours to become a master.
  • How to setup your studio for zero-friction composing.
  • A little more on why you need to learn your musical grammar and logic.
  • How you can take the free beginner’s composing course at www.artofcomposing.com/free.

Resources and Links Mentioned in this Episode:

Episode 3 Take Aways

  • Becoming a composer first starts with calling yourself a composer. Fake it till you make it, thats what I always say.
  • You need to approach composing with a beginner’s mind, this will give you the freedom to accept what you are learning and to grow as a composer.
  • Be prepared to put in at least 20 hours of deliberate practice to get comfortable with composing, and another 9,980 hours to become a master. Don’t worry, even if you only do your 20 hours, you’ll be a pretty decent composer.
  • Setup your studio so that it is comfortable for you, with all of the basics for composing at an arms reach. At a minimum, have your staff paper, a pencil, an eraser, and some kind of instrument to help orient you on pitch.
  • Learn the grammar of music, and learn it well. It will make your life so much easier.
  • If you are worried about how to start with the first note… then just start with C, that always seems to work out… but seriously, try to think of the shape of your melody, and mixing up scale lines and chord lines.
  • You can also take one of your favorite pieces, and then write a variation on it. Remember, you are practicing, so you can do whatever you want, as long as it helps you progress in your goal of becoming a composer.
  • Finally, learn some basic musical form, basic diatonic harmony, and go through my free beginner’s course. It is available at artofcomposing.com/free.

The Diatonic Harmony Charts

Major Harmony

Diatonic Harmony

 

Minor Harmony

Minor Diatonic Harmony

Transcript – AOC 003

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. I don’t know if this website is still active, but I would like to say that I am an aspiring composer. How did you start composing? Where did you begin?

      Reply

    2. Adi, talking about the first 20 hours, what I am getting at is you need to be focused and deliberate no matter what you practice. If you practice scales, chord, harmony, counterpoint, form, orchestration… that is up to you, although if you are a beginner I recommend the basics first.

      Reply

    3. Hi Jon, thanks for the podcasts. they are really helpful. one question regarding podcast 3. u mentioned that we need to put in atleast 20 hrs of practice first. do u mean I need to practice scales, chords, triads etc?

      Reply

      • Adi, talking about the first 20 hours, what I am getting at is you need to be focused and deliberate no matter what you practice. If you practice scales, chord, harmony, counterpoint, form, orchestration… that is up to you, although if you are a beginner I recommend the basics first.

        Reply

        • Thanks for the advice Jon . I have been learning music for the last 8 yrs but haven’t concentrated on Music theory and composition so far.
          Can you recommend any websites that give info. on form, counterpoint and orchestration. Maybe with examples and exercises that I can follow.

          Reply

    4. Oh you are alive, well this is a late comment but I wanted to let you know that I am enjoying your podcasts, keep doing this nice work. By the way why I can see the podcast 4 on the Blog Section but I can’t see it on the Podcast section? Cheers 🙂

      Reply

    5. why is it that everywhere i go i keep learning the same things??? intervals, chord progressions…etc??? does music theory end within that range???

      Reply

      • This site, while we cover music theory quite a bit, is not solely dedicated to theory. I am trying to look at what is important for a composer to know and understand. There are many branches of music theory that are just not that practical for a composer to learn. Not that they aren’t interesting in themselves, but they just don’t relate that much to the act of composing music.

        If you are looking for an interesting podcast on some deeper levels of music theory, check out this one. https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-labyrinth-of-music-theory/id289335612. It is called the Labyrinth of Music Theory and is very interesting.

        Music theory certainly does not end with intervals and chord progressions. however, I am trying to lay a groundwork for my listeners, so that we are all relatively on the same page when it comes to learning music composition. There are many more topics that can be looked into if you want to. If you want to know how deep the rabbit hole goes, you can check out these resources:

        Music Theory Online
        British Post Graduate Musicology
        Gamut
        Journal of Film Music
        Journal of Music and Meaning

        These are just a few of the online theory journals. I am glad to see you are motivated to dig deeper.

        Reply

    6. Jon,
      Very nice job in inspiring budding composers and making this knowledge and experience available to all. I’ve been composing for years and find your information valuable on on point. Keep up the good work and have a happy new year!
      Regards,
      Jeff

      Reply

    8. Hi Jon.

      Just wanted to say I am enjoying the site and material (although I have not started working yet) and appreciate all the effort you must put in. I have listened to a few of your compositions which I find interesting. I come from more of a rock background but also enjoy orchestral music.

      Once again, thanks for doing this and I wish you and your family all the best for the holiday season and for the future.

      Alan

      Reply

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