Atonal Writing

[MaestroX]

I've been given a task by my composition teacher which is to write a completely atonal piece. Can anyone give any tips on writing atonally?

[JoshWiniberg]

Wear a blindfold...

But no, in seriousness I know no techniques for composing atonally. I do it occasionally though, but it is entirely by ear. Sorry.

[ascottk]

Does your teacher have any specifics on atonality? Without a tonal center? Avoiding any diatonic implications? Definately avoid anything that hints at harmonic progressions or melodies. You should take a look at Anton Webern's scores in the early 20th century since he followed Schoenberg's rules more closely. Webern's most famous atonal piece (misnomer since he used the twelve tone technique) is his string quartet:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/String_Quartet_(Webern)

There's a few ways to approach this:
Go through all 12 pitch classes without repeating a pitch class until you use them all once. Avoid intervallic patterns. Triadic harmony is easily identified as having tonal implications.

You do need to clarify what "atonal" means. Schoenberg didn't like that word because it implied too much. You could actually make non-pitched sounds with instruments and call it atonal. A good example of this is Penderecki's Threnody to the Victims of Hiroshima:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Threnod...s_of_Hiroshima

So clarification is needed.

[Thorolf]

I suggest to you that a part of the challenge posed by your teacher, is to just try to make it "atonal" by ear. It's not so difficult. Whenever something sounds like having a definite tonal direction, just choose another tone, and if needed, yet another, till the feeling of tonality vanishes. You usually end up using most, if not all of the 12 chromatic steps rather quickly.



Regards

[ascottk]

Originally Posted by Thorolf

I suggest to you that a part of the challenge posed by your teacher, is to just try to make it "atonal" by ear. It's not so difficult. Whenever something sounds like having a definite tonal direction, just choose another tone, and if needed, yet another, till the feeling of tonality vanishes. You usually end up using most, if not all of the 12 chromatic steps rather quickly.

That's why the second Vienese school's compositions were so short during their atonal period!

[reith]

Originally Posted by Thorolf

I suggest to you that a part of the challenge posed by your teacher, is to just try to make it "atonal" by ear. It's not so difficult. Whenever something sounds like having a definite tonal direction, just choose another tone, and if needed, yet another, till the feeling of tonality vanishes. You usually end up using most, if not all of the 12 chromatic steps rather quickly.


Regards

"Sound" advice (excuse that!) because you can write something moderately tonal achieving an acceptable form then, when you alter it, the form will already be established. Another point is, depending on your regard for atonality (do you want it to sound just a jumble of quickly dellivered notes - runs going all over the place, crashes, raspberries, etc, or would you like the listener to have time to absorb each "event"/phrase/what-have-you? (This is where Ligeti and Penderecki win out most times)). If the latter, give it time/duration and consider the real value of silence (not too long at a stretch as the listener might think it's ended). This is one of the factors that makes Webern's Orchestral pieces so accessible.

I'm firmly convinced that atonal music can be as accessible as anything tonal if composed in a way it can communicate mood (at least) to an audience.

[Ballaw de Quincewold]

Thorolf pretty much hit the nail on the head. Another way that I use is to just continuously modulate every half a bar or bar.

[MaestroX]

Thanks for all the advice. I should have mentioned but I'm not allowed to use serialism. So I have to find a new way of unifying the piece.

[reith]

In which case it must be very difficult to write a completely atonal piece which, to me, would suppose the avoidance of any tonal centre. I can't even recall a piece (that doesn't use serial techniques). Though you'd be allowed brief references to a tonal centre even if it shifts, surely?

Reith

[MaestroX]

He left it open yet closed. I have to be atonal without using serialism. So iI have to find a new way of making the piece hold together. So maybe I can hint on tonal centres but never fully be in one. Its difficult indeed.