Basic Steps for Beginning Composers
Step 1: What group are you writing for?
Click here for a useful guide to the different music ensembles
Step 2: What level is the group/soloist capable of performing at?
Step 3: What style of music are you planning to write?
Click here for a more complete list of genres and subgenres
Think about your strengths and the specific demands of each genre. You should start by writing in a style that you know well. You should also consider the tempo that will best convey the feeling you want and will allow your music to be playable. Remember, computer programs can play anything at any speed, but live performers may not be able to play the music if it is too fast.
Step 4: What form is your music going to use?
Click the links below for explanation videos for various forms
Dr. B Music Theory Lesson 43 (Form)
Understanding Form: The Rondo
What is Sonata Form?
AB and ABA forms
Step 5: Set a functional key and harmony (except for dodecaphonic music)
Click for the Circle of 5ths
Click here for a useful guide to the different music ensembles
- Chamber ensemble
- Solo and piano
- Full band
- Wind ensemble (one performer per part)
- Song with accompaniment
- Solo piano
- Other
Step 2: What level is the group/soloist capable of performing at?
- Grade 1 – Young performers in their first or second year
- Simple rhythms using whole, half, quarter and eighth notes
- In the keys of F, Bb or Eb and relative minor keys
- Grade 2 – Young performers in their second or third year
- Slightly more advanced rhythms than grade 1 with more rests
- In the keys of F, Bb, or Eb and relative minor keys
- Grade 3 – High level 3rd year players and less experienced high school performers
- Rhythms can include sixteenth notes
- Keys can include C, F, Bb, Eb, or Ab and relative minor keys
- Grade 4 – Medium-Advanced high school performers
- Significantly advanced and mixed rhythms
- Exposed parts and possible solos
- Keys can include C, Bb, Eb, Ab, Db and relative minor keys
- Grade 5 – Very advanced high school and most college performers
- Very advanced rhythms
- Exposed parts, solos, occasional chamber music moments in large ensembles
- Keys can include G, C, Bb, Eb, Ab, Db, and Gb
- Grade 6 – Top high school and college performers
- Very difficult and complex rhythms
- Harmonies in any key
Step 3: What style of music are you planning to write?
Click here for a more complete list of genres and subgenres
- Neo-classical
- Neo-romantic
- 20th/21st Century
- Dodecaphonic (12-tone)
- Non-traditional harmonies (whole-tone, octatonic, pentatonic, etc.)
- Jazz
- Minimalist/Post-minimalist
- Popular
- Other
Think about your strengths and the specific demands of each genre. You should start by writing in a style that you know well. You should also consider the tempo that will best convey the feeling you want and will allow your music to be playable. Remember, computer programs can play anything at any speed, but live performers may not be able to play the music if it is too fast.
Step 4: What form is your music going to use?
- Ternary Form - ABA
- Binary Form - ||: A :||: B :||
- Strophic – Intro, verse 1, verse 2, chorus, verse 3, bridge, chorus (and many variations on this pattern)
- Rondo - ABACABA... (alternates between sections with some repetition)
- Sonata Form: ||: A transition B :|| Development AB’
- March – Intro, first strain, second strain, [dog fight] trio (with appropriate repeats)
- Theme and variations
- Through Composed (Not recommended)
- Other form or compound form
Click the links below for explanation videos for various forms
Dr. B Music Theory Lesson 43 (Form)
Understanding Form: The Rondo
What is Sonata Form?
AB and ABA forms
Step 5: Set a functional key and harmony (except for dodecaphonic music)
Click for the Circle of 5ths
- Choose whether to compose in a Major or Minor key
- If writing for winds and percussion the following keys generally function well:
- F, Bb, Eb, Ab
- C, Db, and Gb are possible but should be used only in more advanced music
- Different sections of your form should use variations in chord progressions to keep the music interesting.
- It will help you moving forward to write out the chords and (if you are able) work on voice leading when moving between them.
- You may use the following basic ‘rules’ to construct a functional chord progression. In general, an interesting progression should use 4 to 6 chords that start and end on the tonic (I or i chord).
- Note: You should not use every chord available. You may also want to repeat a chord more than once in your progression.
Step 6: Write out a melody (or melodies) using your chord progressions
Use the links below for tips on writing a memorable and functional melody
Three Tips for Writing a Great Melody
10 Tips for Writing Great Song Melodies
When Melodies Combine
Building Blocks: Changing the Key
Building Blocks: How Notes Relate
- Melodies often start on the tonic note (but do not have to).
- If you are stuck, use the notes in the chord to outline an upward or downward motion.
- When you have a basic shape to your melody, you can add in passing tones to make it more interesting.
- There are a few ways to structure a melody to help it sound coherent:
- As a sentence – A (2 measures) A’ (2 measures) B (4 measures)
- Binary – A (ending on V) B (ending on I)
- Motive based (write a ‘hook’ and build your melody out of that)
- You should always pick one note of your melody to be the highest or the lowest to give the music a sense of movement and give it a goal.
- You should have unique melodies for each section of music. It is good to use similar rhythms or motives between the sections to make them sound like they belong together.
- Using too much repetition makes your music predictable and will often cause the audience to stop paying attention.
Use the links below for tips on writing a memorable and functional melody
Three Tips for Writing a Great Melody
10 Tips for Writing Great Song Melodies
When Melodies Combine
Building Blocks: Changing the Key
Building Blocks: How Notes Relate
Step 7: Write out your accompaniment
- Choose rhythms that will add to your melody without covering it up or cluttering the sound space.
- You may want to use the same rhythm throughout the accompaniment and use the chord progression to assign the different notes vertically through the score.
- If you are very new to writing, you will want to limit the number of different rhythms/active parts to 2 or 3 to allow the listener to hear and understand what is going on.
- In general, larger instruments will perform more cleanly if they are given longer notes. Faster notes should be reserved for smaller instruments that can more easily articulate them.
Step 8: Orchestrate (write out the parts)
- Not everyone in the group should play at the same time for the whole piece of music.
- Changing the instrumentation helps keep the music interesting.
- Be sure to study the normal ranges for the instruments and keep your parts in the standard range. In general, you should not use the highest or lowest notes on any instrument to keep the parts playable.
- Make sure that the ranges you use match the level of difficulty you are trying to write
- It may help you to plan out which instruments will play which sections of your music ahead of time.
- If you are orchestrating for chamber ensemble, carefully look at the music you have written and see which lines/parts seem to naturally fit in the ranges of the instruments you are writing for.
- Bands often contrast sections by separating out woodwinds, brass, or percussion and using them in different combinations.
- Bands can generally safely double parts in the following ways across sections:
- Flute, oboe, 1st clarinet, 1st trumpet, bells/glockenspiel
- 2nd clarinet, 1st alto saxophone, 2nd trumpet
- 3rd clarinet, 2nd alto saxophone, 3rd trumpet, 1st horn
- Tenor saxophone, 2nd horn, trombone, euphonium/baritone
- Bassoon, bass clarinet, bari saxophone, tuba
Step 9: Listen and revise
- Listen to your music and see what works and what could use some revisions.
- It may help to leave your music for a few days and then go back and listen to it to allow your ears to reset.
- If you find any spot boring or lacking interest, that is a compositional problem you have to solve.
- Think about what the music needs there and then adjust the melody, harmony, accompaniment rhythm, or even add a second melody to contrast with the main melody.
- If you find any spot boring or lacking interest, that is a compositional problem you have to solve.
Remember, this is your music and should sound like you wrote it. If you believe that the music has something important to say and is well constructed, it will be easier to convince others to perform it. It is always a good idea to have another musician or trusted friend or parent listen to the music. Take any suggestions or criticisms and make informed decisions based on how you want your music to sound.
Good luck and happy composing!
Good luck and happy composing!