How to compose a work. Basics of music

How to compose a work. Basics of music

Creating music or composition is a creative process that should be based on the theory of music. The structure of the work has a clear construction logic. Some masterpieces of world classics are literally calculated mathematically. Not by chance in ancient Greece, music was part of a number of mathematical sciences.

A big misconception is the statement that great composers composed their own works under the influence of inspiration. Music geniuses: Bach, Haydn, Beethoven, Mahler, Rachmaninov allocated time for composition every day.

This page will help the musician not only learn how to create professional music, but also help to understand the basic terminology, in particular, used in the analysis. The programs necessary for typing musical scores will be disassembled, exercises for mastering the composition technique will be proposed, and a plan will be given on how to compose a piece of music.

What is the music made of?

Roughly speaking, music is a sequence of sounds in a certain rhythm, which has an emotional coloring. Most often the work contains the following elements:

• Melody

• Harmony

• The form

Consider each concept in more detail.

What is a melody

The melody is a monophonic musical thought. There are recommendations regarding the structure of the melodic line:

• Principle of balance. Do not overload the melodic line. If you want the listener to quickly remember the material, then it is necessary to observe the principle of balance. It consists in the complementarity of rhythm and intonation system. If the intonation pattern includes elements that are hard to perceive, such as jumps at wide intervals, the presence of melismatics, deviations or modulations, and other complicating factors, then a simple rhythm should be used. If the melody of the intonation is simple then a more complex rhythm is recorded.

• The principle of the melodic wave. Perfectly perceived melody, built on the alternation of upward and downward movement.

• Intonation unity. The musical theme may contain leading intonations (intervals). Vivid examples of works based on a second intonation are Mozart's Requiem (Lacrimosa), the main theme of part I of the Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No. 2.

It is worth noting that the melody does not have to be performed in the upper registers, it can also be in the bass or other voice.

To write a truly expressive and beautiful melody you need:

1. Present an artistic image that needs to be embodied in music. Ask yourself questions: instrumental or vocal composition? What character? All these questions will determine the means of expression. In one of the sections of the article, means of expressiveness are examined in detail.
2. Improvise. Play more and listen. Many musicians find an excellent melodic line just with improvisation. The most interesting options may not appear immediately.
3. If improvisation is hard, then try to specially compose a few similar in emotional coloring melodies. Record them either on a tape recorder or in a notebook.
4. Change. Take a specific theme of your composition, try changing something in it, for example, one note, fragment or key. Listen, it became better.
5. Analyze other works. Note the means of expression used by the composer in the melodies you like. This will help to understand what sounds good and what is bad.

If you create a classic piece, then the melody needs to be developed. There are several ways of melodic development:

1. The development allows you to split up the theme, as well as to sequence it (Sequence - consistent repetition of musical material at a different pitch level.)
2. Polyphonic implies the use of canonical imitation.
3. Variational allows slight changes in the melody, while preserving the original harmony and form.
4. The variant method is based not only on the change in the melody, but also in harmony and, accordingly, the form that unites intonation.
5. Genre transformation implies a change in the underlying genre. For example, the theme was a genre-household, and became a choral.

With the complication of the musical fabric allowed the combination of ways of development. In instrumental music, arpeggios, passages and other general form movements can be used as material development, this will allow to diversify the composition.

Harmony

Harmony allows you to combine sounds in consonance, which, in turn, form a sequence. The accords in this sense are represented by intervals and chords. The most often harmonic turns in the composition are characteristic for the accompaniment.

Simply put, accompaniment is an accompaniment to a tune. Texture is defined as a space filled with sounds that has a development. There are several types of billing in the accompaniment:

1. Chord The basis of the texture chords in rhythmic presentation.
2. Figures. There are harmonic - playing chord sounds consistently and melodic figurations - sequential playing of chord sounds with the addition of non-chord sounds.
3. Albertiev bass rhythmically evenly decomposed bass. In some cases, perceived as a hidden two-voice.
4. Polyphonic or polyphonic has several relatively independent voices.

It is advisable to prescribe harmonic revolutions right after the melody, in the form of digital cameras. It is important to remember that specific historical styles are characterized by their own momentum. Historically, there were several areas in this science:

• Baroque

• Classic

• Romantic

• Impressionistic

• Jazz

• Modern

Each area has a number of rules that are not recommended to break when writing in this style.

The form and role of repetitions

Be sure to comply with the form. Without this, the piece will fall apart. For each type of work there is a certain form. The modern music world boasts a variety of forms, both in vocal and instrumental music. The most common models are:

• A simple two-part consists of two internal sections, while in the second part a small fragment of the first is repeated, which develops differently.

• A simple three-part repurse (da capo) consists of three parts. In this case, the second is contrasting to the first, the third is a repetition of the first.

• Sonata is based on the tonal contrast of structurally designed exposition themes, development is carried out in the design section, and themes are combined in a reprise.

• Variations - a model built on a multiple change of the original theme.

• Verse and chorus are used in vocal music.

Synthesis between forms is allowed..

Do not be afraid of shaping repetitions. A person’s thinking absorbs repetitive information better. In classical music you can find similar use of repetitions:

• The leitmotif is used for symphonic or theatrical works with pronounced drama.

• Leitteme is a subject acting as an actor.

• Shaping repeats characteristic of certain composer models.

In contemporary popular music, composers also actively use repetitions. So the chorus saves music and text. In the verses, only the words change. Electronic music is also filled with repetitions, an example is the composition using samples.

Dramaturgy

Music refers to a number of arts that should evoke an emotional response from the listener. Otherwise, the musical composition will not be popular. When composing a song it is important to remember the role of dramaturgy. There are several options for dramatic development:

1. The tragic concept has a conflict

2. Contemplative lyrics have no conflict; aesthetic principles prevail.

Each of these options has countless subcategories, so we will not dwell on them in detail. It is important to understand that in either case, there must be a climax. There are several varieties of climax, depending on its location in the composition:

1. The top-source is at the beginning. Characteristic for lyric works.

2. The middle or at the point of the golden section is most popular in the works of romantics, so it allows you to create an atmosphere of tension.

3. The top-horizon is at the end of the piece. Leaves the listener a sense of understatement, incompleteness. It has a strong emotional effect.

In a piece of music, the climax is accompanied by the following features:

• Expansion of the melody range (usually the highest sound in the entire work)

• Invoice seal

• Increased dynamics

The composer must necessarily think through the climaxes. In one work there can be several climax points. If an essay includes several instruments, then from the point of view of dramatic art, it is necessary to introduce them gradually so as not to overload the texture.

Means of expression

The content side of the composition allows to personalize the means of expressiveness. These include:

• Tonality strongly influences the work, some tonalities in classical music have their own meaning. For example: Des-dur is an expression of true love.

• Lad The most common are major, which is used to express lighter and lyrical images, and a minor with a more dramatic hue.

• The presence of melismatika or lack thereof.

• The inclusion of musical symbols. Especially characteristic of compositions in the baroque style.

• Instrumental timbres. Each timbre has its own color and range in which it sounds most effectively.

When composing a work, it is necessary to experiment with means of expression, changing the tonality, mode, adding or removing melisma.

Exercises

There are a number of exercises and tasks to help master the composition:

1. Analysis of the works of other composers. Before you write a work in a particular style, you need to look at how professionals do it. Select for yourself the most successful techniques and try to put them into practice.

2. Choose a text or poem with a bright emotional coloring. Analyze. Try to improvise, recreating the atmosphere in the text. The same can be done using artistic images in painting.

3. Choose a specific form and try to write in it using all the rules.

4. Play scales, passages, chords, try to modulate. All practical skills are sure to come in handy when composing.

5. Be engaged in the selection of other musical works, it will give you a base for the formation of a musical ear, as well as improve the technique of playing the instrument.

6. Improve your knowledge of music theory.

Programs for the set of notes when composing musical compositions

Sibelius 8 is one of the best music editors who have proven themselves in the global software market for professional musicians, composers and arrangers.

The functionality of this program include:

• A large set of built-in templates.
• The ability to set page markup
• Availability of necessary tools
• Several convenient ways to set notes
• MIDI function available
• You can listen to the song
• Constant updates

Sibelius is a useful program for both novice composers and professionals.

Similar in functionality is MuseScore 2.

Note: in many modern music editors there is a function to listen to the received text, moreover, you can save the file as an audio recording in various formats. The only disadvantage of such audio recordings is the poor sound quality, which does not convey timbre. So, if the author wants to achieve the highest quality sound, then you need to use specialized recording software, such as FL Studio 12, Mixcraft 8 or Audacity. Recording can be done both on virtual instruments and using a MIDI keyboard.

Summary: Composition Plan

Instrumental music:

1. Improvisation and composition of the melody;
2. Analysis of the nature of the melody;
3. The choice of a musical form capable of expressing the character of a melody;
4. Drama development: climaxes;
5. Extract harmonic speed in the selected invoice. If necessary, the inclusion of deviations, modulations;
6. Arranging or instructing (as needed);
7. A critical look at the work;
8. Adjustment (if necessary).

Vocal music:

1. The choice of a poem or text;
2. The choice of musical form;
3. Text mood analysis;
4. Definition of climaxes in the text;
5. Writing vocal melody;
6. Creating a rough harmonic plan;
7. The choice of texture that corresponds to the content;
8. Extract climax moments in music;
9. As necessary arrangement;
10. Critical view (play track after a while);
11. Adjustment.

Hope the article helped you understand how to compose a piece of music. Try it. Improve your own composing skills. Look for an individual style. We wish you creative success!