Self Study on Composing?

[ttw]

I have found it helpful to copy pieces by well-known composers into my notation software (I use Finale, but anything will do, even pencil and paper.)

One does learn two things quickly: First, how to use the software. I found out how to do "voices" and "layers" and such. Some of the music called for simple things like chords in quarter notes but some of the voices move in eighth notes.

Second, one gets and idea of how a composer wrote. One is forced to do some analysys while entering the score. PLaying through the music is probably better, but it's not easy to play a symphony by oneself. (Well, maybe Liszt or Brahams could.)

This type of exercise was used in the past. It's something to do while you have writer's block. (Or work out contrapuntal exercises or something.)

[stevel]

I have found it helpful to copy pieces by well-known composers into my notation software (I use Finale, but anything will do, even pencil and paper.)

I found this to be helpful early on too. In fact, it's a time-honored tradition (though I bet some composers also used it as a tricky way to get free copies of their works before the photocopier came along!).

I do find however that my retention is much better with pencil - on paper I tend to hear with my eyes (brain) whereas in Finale I tend to rely on playback as an aural crutch.

One does learn two things quickly: First, how to use the software. I found out how to do "voices" and "layers" and such. Some of the music called for simple things like chords in quarter notes but some of the voices move in eighth notes

Yeah, I learned Finale well when doing a score of Monteverdi's Orfeo when I was a TA for our early music group. It took me forever to figure out how to make a non-breaking space, but Finale could do it.

Second, one gets and idea of how a composer wrote. One is forced to do some analysys while entering the score. PLaying through the music is probably better, but it's not easy to play a symphony by oneself. (Well, maybe Liszt or Brahams could.)

I'll second this as well. I won't say that playing is necessarily better, even for playable works. I think copying it out tends to make one investigate things in a little more detail where when playing, you're usually concentrating so much on producing the sounds, you sometimes forget to listen :-)

This type of exercise was used in the past. It's something to do while you have writer's block. (Or work out contrapuntal exercises or something.)

Naw - I use that time to prepare my scores (make them look real nice) and copy and print parts and so on :-)

Steve

[petite fleur]

Originally Posted by PeterG

Hi All,

Who can recommend me some books that will help me develop my composing skills? Is there an "Idiot's guide to music composing" ?
I can read notations and understand some things about chords and harmonics.

Thanks in advance for the help,

Peter

I'm very much a beginner at composition and I've got two books which I find helpful and easy to follow:

1. The Composer's Handbook by Bruce Cole. It's got chapters on Chords, Textures, Form, Melody, Harmony, Tonality/Atonality etc. It's published by Schott Educational Publications. It's 200+ pages packed with information, exercises and ideas. I can thoroughly recommend it.

2. Composing - a student's guide by Christopher Binns, published by Nelson. I like it, but I don't think it's as good as the first one I mentioned, which is just as well because it's out of print and almost impossible to get hold of. Worth it if you can get it though as it covers some things which the first book doesn't.


I haven't got the Idiot's Guide, but I've just been looking into it and I see it's got a companion, the Idiot's Guide to Arranging and Orchestration. Has anyone got this one and what do you think of it?