Tips for Composing

Throughout history we have had composers of music, young and old. Children have composed as young as four years old. Amy Beach composed when just four. Mozart composed many minuets when just five years of age. Beethoven composed a sonatina at the age nine. There have been many great lasting compositions composed by children.

Recently, I judged many compositions by young composers from age 8 to 16 years of age. Most of the compositions were very creative and interesting. I found that most of them would benefit from a more careful study of the construction and theory of music let alone knowing what already has been composed. Simple, helpful suggestions are:

PHRASES
Phrases should be an even number of measures, average lengths are 8 measures. A melody should consist of two phrases, the first as a question, then an answering phrase. This may consist of a balanced amount of musical measures such as four measures each or two measures. The phrases may then be repeated perhaps louder or slower, higher or lower.

FORM
Follow some form - the traditional song form is ABA If there is a middle section, it should be a certain length, compositions obviously vary in balance with other sections of the piece being composed, however 3 measures most definitely is too short. The piece I saw by this young composer was fairly good and then out of the blue was a three measure mixture of assorted notes then the theme repeated. If the middle had been extended and been 8 measures the piece would have been fairly good.

HARMONIC ACCOMPANIMENT
Use a left-hand accompaniment to compliment the melody. The melody usually sounds best against a simple left hand accompaniment given a rhythm and harmony to the melody. A single bass note that has no harmony support can take away from an otherwise lovely melody. One composition had a left hand accompaniment of a c chord played as c, then e and g together. If the chord had been just broken up and played separate the piece would have sounded 100% better.

(I suggest a look at my book "The Complete Book of Improvisation, Chord Progressions & Fills" which includes almost a hundred different left hand patterns for every chord, to be used as accompaniments for a melody.)

A challenge is given to all composers to stretch their imaginations, rekindle their desire to create and determine to do their best to compose music of the highest caliber at any level of proficiency.

Not until the last day of our lives have we learned all that we can. As tastes differ in the type of music we compose, so do our ears. We all don't enjoy the same kind of music.

Stravinsky clearly defines his attitude toward composing in the Poetics of Music as the acceptance of limits as a means of freedom. He states," The creator's function is to sift the elements he receives from imagination, for human activity must impose limits on itself. The more art is controlled, limited, worked over, the more it is free."

"As for myself, I experience a sort of terror when, at the moment of setting to work and finding myself before the infinitude of possibilities that present themselves, I have the feeling that everything is permissible to me"

"My freedom consists in my moving about within the narrow frame that I have assigned myself for each one of my undertakings. I shall go even further; my freedom will be so much the greater and more meaningful the more narrowly I limit my field of action and the more I surround myself with obstacles. Whatever diminishes constraint diminishes strength. The more constraints one imposes, the more one frees oneself of the chains that shackle the spirit."

I hope you will re read Stravinsky's secrets of composing. He unlocks some mysteries of composing that are certainly worth thinking about today.

The composition " Minuett" was composed by J.T. Ahle. He is ten years old and has taken piano lessons for three years. His teacher is James Kessler. J. T. also plays the guitar and cello. He enjoys sports, particularly soccer and baseball. Congratulations J.T. for your winning piece in your category.