The Art of Composing Music
This post is going to be the first in a series of post that will cover how to compose music. Having a personal process of composing music can be just as important to composing well, as knowing music theory. If your process is disjointed, or even worse, you don’t have a process, then you probably won’t get into the right frame of mind for creativity.
So we will start off this series by first talking about the composing mindset.
The Composing Mindset
Composing music is a joyful act of creation. But sometimes it turns out to be a frustrating act of wasted time. Why is this? Is it because you don’t have that special “spark” that the greats had? No. It is simply because of your mindset approaching the composition.
Start Off With A Beginner’s Mind
The first step in learning to compose music is to approach each composition with a beginner’s mind. This can be easier said than done sometimes, but remember, if you expect to come out sounding like Mahler or Beethoven, or the Beatles for that matter, chances are you will become frustrated.
Beginner’s mind is basically approaching the process of composing without an expectation of being great. By just doing this, you will find that you probably come up with better, more flowing melodies and harmonies, as well as enjoying them more. It’s taking away the instantaneous self-criticism that prevents out true inner musical genius from coming out.
There Will Be Plenty of Time for Self-Criticism Later
Trust me, you will have all the time you want down to road to re-look your compositions and determine whether they are good or bad. But you have to have the composition first before you can make that decision.
Be a Prolific Composer
Just look at the examples below to see how you match up. You have to just write a lot of music to find the really good stuff.
- Mozart – Well of 600 Compositions including over 40 Symphonies.
- Bach – Over 1100 Compositions.
- Beethoven – 345 Catalogued Compositions, actually over 400.
I am sure there is a lot of Beethoven, that people really won’t listen to much, as well as Mozart and Bach.
I was obliged to be industrious. Whoever is equally industrious will succeed equally well.
Johann Sebastian Bach
So Go Compose Music
So go, right now, and compose something. It doesn’t matter if it’s going to change the world or not, that is not really why you are doing it. And approach it with a beginner’s mind.
As usual, let me know what you think.
Jon
Just out of curiosity, does the things you teach on this site apply only to classical composition, or does it also apply to more modern styles of music (rock, pop, heavy metal, etc.)? And are there resources on composing music for more than one instrument (like, for instance, pieces for violin and piano)?
The focus is teaching classical techniques because I believe they apply to many genres. Many of the same techniques that are used in say, sonata form, can be applied to more modern genres like film scoring and video games. It’s just a matter of understanding how they relate. If you want to get a jumpstart on it, I recommend taking my free course, The Vocabulary of Composition.
As far as orchestration, I can highly recommend Orchestration Online. I would also recommend listening to my episode on Orchestration, https://www.artofcomposing.com/aoc-009-my-principles-of-orchestration.
I imagine this concept can be applied to all types of music or genres.
I enjoyed the read, love the beginners mindset, very good advice. My process is intuitive and I need silence, then a song will emerge with various melodic instrumentation. I don’t read music or know any theory besides the ABC foundation of music ie: When I was 5yo I learnt to read basic music and play basic songs (Now I play basic guitar by feel) – The problem I face is how to play all these sounds in my head and how to speak the language of music to educated talented musicians who know theory in order to give birth to the songs.
I completely understand the criticism part! Thank you!
Hi Jon,
It was so benefical for me to read this. I am not a pro, so I trend to compose from a popular perspective, but I love classical music (orchestral music in general). I did this https://soundcloud.com/donethur/vals-waltz , but I still wasnt satisfied as it doesnt sound like the best composers, so i was really frustrated, as when I try to compose like Mozart, the techniques are missing and also, the ideas, I just cannot make the right sound, orchestration and right harmony (or for example, I can make Mozart-like melodies, good quality, but when I try to put the harmony, I mess it up). So, I was decided to study more, reading here and there in the internet and I ended here (I cannot formally study, as I have a family and not much time now, it is just my hobbie, but I spend the time I have on this, as I love it). Well, basically, this helped me a lot, because I was getting that frustrated with the results, I even thought in quicking and selling my instruments. But what I read here helped a lot: the beginner’s mind, I just lost this in one moment, and that was the cause of my own restriction. I think I just lost the joy of it at the moment I started to compare myself with the greatest (just what you described here), and this really affects. When you think as a beginner, all sounds great, and you use that joy to advance and becoming more and more creative (in a part of the creative process, then all comes naturally). Thanks to you, i am starting a new piece now. So, thank you for spending time for all of us.
Yes, the fact that you realize your music doesn’t match up to your heroes means you are not fooling yourself, and you will develop.
Sir, I want you to edit my cover song. Will you help?
There are a ton of great resources on the site for learning composition. I recommend reading all the beginning material, going through the free course, and getting a few compositions in this style under your belt first. Unfortunately, I can’t devote much time right now to looking over others compositions as my schedule is very busy.
I usually record random tunes of melodies that come up in my head. When I later listen to them, I get discouraged as they don’t sound that great. Reading this article, I’ll try to compose whatever that comes to mind. Thanks for the motivation!
Nothing beats just making progress, writing notes down, and then critically judging and improving on it.
same here
Just out of interest, what music qualifications do you possess? What qualifications do I need for a career in music? Bachelor’s degree? Master’s degree?
Thanks.
You can read about my history on my about me page. I have a Bachelor’s degree in History, but my passion is composition and music theory.
i also do composing am from india. i want to collaborate with different country guys. if you are ready then friends lets do some rock.
Sir, any time I sing, people love my voice but I have try learning piano but have not got it does this mean I don’t have the gift for it, do I need to have musical gift to succeed?
The “gift of music” generally doesn’t count for much. It is hard work and determination. If you put in the work you will get better.
I’m really glad you talk about self-criticism. That has been a huge hurdle for me!
It is a big hurdle for every composer.
Bro I haven’t studied composing. but I read lot. studied guitar chords and dirty loops studio.i have made good songs too.. I’m satisfied with my songs. and people who hear find it surprising that the songs are good.but I fear to take this as profession because I don’t have any base.only some random knowledge. what shud I study next.. to get some ordered knowledge.?
It is always hard to say if someone should pursue composition as a profession. You have to be honest with yourself and your abilities. Like every other profession, it can take years to build up the required skills, and even more years to actually get enough work to support yourself. Just have clear and realistic expectations and learn your craft.
Interesting, but I don’t really see how this site is useful… the two or three pages I’ve seen so far tell me what I need to learn, but they don’t actually teach me them or tell me where to learn them.
Try the free course. https://www.artofcomposing.com/courses/free-beginners-composing-course
Would you recommend composing directly recording from a keyboard into a midi channel of some squencer ?
I recommend using any method that works for you. I tend to compose short themes by hand on paper without recording them. From there, I tend to finish compositions in my notation software, Sibelius.
I have other friends that like to compose directly in their sequencers. It’s a matter of preference.
I would say, it is important though, to understand what you are composing. If you improvise something, and it is interesting but you don’t understand why, then take the time to transcribe it and understand why it is interesting to you. That is how you slowly build up your unique vocabulary.
I always try and compose on MuseScore 2 but I never know what to compose because I never have any ideas and I don’t know the software inside out so I don’t know how to create triplets and other stuff like that. Do you know anyone who does know MuseScore 2 inside out?
Tom, on the lefthand side of the musescore homepage, you’ll find a series of videos covering the basics of musescore.
https://musescore.org/
You can also find many of the videos directly on youtube, as well as other musescore tutorials.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZ4kRzkHroU&list=PLTYuWi2LmaPGb4SKXHm9JULQ-0CH8KpUk
As far as not knowing what to compose, that is a deep subject. Part of it is having compositional goals set, understanding when you’re practicing simple compositional techniques or when you are actually composing for a deeper purpose. It’s also important to just write, even when you don’t feel like it, because once you start, ideas tend to come naturally.
Awesome! Thanks mate!
would it sound weird if someone wrote a piece for flugelhorn that was originally played for tenor sex? Europa? etc. I would think the phrasing would be interesting
thanks, R wallace
Don’t think it would sound weird. That kind of thing is done all the time.
Dear Friend,
I like to become a music composer, so firstly i like to learn about audio engineering.
From there i like to learn music composing.
Can you suggest.
Regards
Shahul.
I recommend reading through as many articles on the site as possible. And then signing up for my free beginner’s composing course. I have some basic engineering skills, which are necessary for film or game scoring, but composing and engineering are really completely different skill sets.
You can sign up for my free beginner’s composing course at https://www.artofcomposing.com/free.
Thank you for prompt reply.
I love music so much that I can’t stay without it, so I’ll like to be a composer myself I need your help sir
I recommend reading through the site, and taking the free beginner’s course. If you find it helpful, then sign up for the academy.
Dear Mr. Jon,
I compliment you for a very helpful course.
In fact, I know a little bit of Western Classical Music and listen occassionally.
My major interest is Indian Classical music and I play bamboo flute.
Indian Classical Music, probably you may be knowing, does not have Harmony. Also there are Ragas, means melodic frame works based on which music is made. Music is not composed but played impromptu. However there are classical based songs in which there should be composing scope. What I like to understand is, whether the concept of composing Western Music can it be applied Indian Classical as well?
Kind regards
S V Pathak
I don’t see why it couldn’t. The concept of western composition is really just writing things down before performing them. The main benefit of this is you get a chance to question it, and decide if you want to keep it. You’ll probably end up with something pretty different from what you would get improvising, if that is what you are going for.
As far as other concepts, like how harmony, melody, and form is handled, yes you could combine them. I think it would lead to some very interesting things.
You may be interested in this. It is a concerto written by Ravi Shankar for Sitar and Orchestra.
https://youtu.be/O0OWmUyhBR0
So, I went and tried to compose with a beginner’s mind. I came up with what seems like a first verse of music. No chorus. Just a simple melody.
Hi, thanks for this post, so much truth in it!
I’m currently a composition student and do remember encountering all these problems when starting out… it can be tough! But keep at it, and it is quite rewarding and enjoyable (although it can be stressful when you have deadlines, but that’s true for anything, isn’t it!).
More tips for mental blocks- you need to take breaks occasionally. Go around and take a walk, or enjoy a nice pastry, or just sit and think for a moment away from your workspace. You can also try free improvising or just doing a variation off some pre-existing composition. Good luck to all 🙂
Lara, thanks for the tips. I 100% agree with those. In fact, I sit down at the piano to free improvise quite often. It’s nice to create music without the need to write anything down or remember it. And of course… exercise.
I’m a senior in high school, and for my senior project I’m writing a piece for the band to play. It’s just every time I write a melody I can’t match up some sort of harmony, and vice versa.
Hi Sir John ,
I have this problem , everytime I compose music I always get stuck at one part and fail to finish it. Like my imagination is trapped at one thing , maybe because I dont have a process.
Thanks.
Mike,
Sadly, I think everyone has this problem every once and a while. I actually read something quite funny today. It was basically that, we can’t be too upset with ourselves because we start more than we finish, simply because the inverse can never be true. You can’t finish more than you start!
There are a few things though, that I would recommend.
First, write something short, that you know you can finish. This will help the mental block and emotional baggage of knowing you haven’t finished anything in a while.
If there is something that is really blocking you on a piece, don’t be afraid to discard the piece. Sometimes this can hurt a little, but in the long run, if you are not staring at the same into, or main theme, you will begin to get new ideas.
Finally, you may just be a little burned out, or you may be acting to hard on yourself. Sometimes its just good to take a break from the things you love. It doesn’t mean you don’t love composing anymore, it just means you need a break.
Jon
I am a new learner persion & intrested music composition i can sang song and harmonium also can made some tune pl give necesury advise me thank
Vishu,
Keep reading the site, and hopefully it will allow you to develop as a composer. Welcome.
Schwabie,
Its good to see you are working towards improving your composing. As long as you are continually improving, and not getting impressed with yourself and your accomplishments, you will have no problems becoming a great composer. As far as what you learn, you can read the articles on the site, or sign up for the beginner’s composing course I offer for free. Feel free to send me a sample of your work or post a link to something like soundcloud where you host your music, so we can listen. Sometimes its best to just put your music out for the world to hear.
Jon
Dear Jon,
My name is Michael Schwab and I very much would like to be a composer. I am going to take two musical courses next year in high school. I have composed many compositions and many people believe that i’m great at what I do. What I also know is that I have competition. I would like to learn something. Please respond.
Sincerely Michael-
PS- You can call me Schwabie
i have passion and love for music.i want to be a composer and a pianist.how will u help me?
Timothy, I am glad you have a passion. Hard work and focus are the main ingredients. I will show you the way, but you have to walk it. Hope to see you in the academy.