Steinke, Schenker, Rameau, Piston, help me decide...

[Ignacy]

Not much too add, except for:

Originally Posted by stevel

Watch out too - there are some typos or errors - especially in the examples themselves (like a C chord with a D root note or something).

Yes! I'm happy that I already have some baggage and that I can spot and correct most of these..

Originally Posted by stevel

I went through (or am still going through) the same problem - back when I didn't know anything, I didn't know how amateurish my music sounded, so I wrote tons of it. Now, if it's not what I think is "worthy", then I throw it out - so I'm a little more (or rather, much more) self-critical now. I think it comes with the territory - the more experienced you become, the harder you try to "out do" yourself.

I too compose very slowly, except when doing exercises. But I've found it's easier for me to get a piece out if I just try to do something simple and fun, not try to write "the next great symphony" or try to hold myself to those kind of standards.

Best,
Steve

It's good to hear that I'm not alone in this respect. I feel that a certain coherence of understanding (with respect to all that I have learnt this past year,and before) is slowly developing and this helps me feel more assured when composing. I hope this will grow stronger. Still, I believe that the next two years will be mostly exercise based, with (I hope) a few compositions here and there.
The simple and fun writing I've already started but it currently still sounds and feels more like exercise than real music but I think/feel/hope that this will become less so.

Thanks for replying and a good day to you!

Frederik.

[stevel]

Originally Posted by Ignacy

It's good to hear that I'm not alone in this respect. I feel that a certain coherence of understanding (with respect to all that I have learnt this past year,and before) is slowly developing and this helps me feel more assured when composing. I hope this will grow stronger. Still, I believe that the next two years will be mostly exercise based, with (I hope) a few compositions here and there.

Frederik.

Frederik,

I meant to mention this somewhere before, and I have mentioned the texts.

I think the one thing you should focus on before going on with more and more theory, harmony, or counterpoint texts, is to focus a little on Orchestration, especially if you are planning to write orchestral-based music.

No matter how "well-composed" your works may become from a theoretical stnadpoint, if you're unable to orchestrate/arrange well your works will never be appreciated in their full glory.

So I'd take a little bit of time off from harmony and counterpoint studies once you feel like you have a really decent handle on them, and try working more with orchestration. 1. it's a skill you need, and 2. it will let you come back to theory/harmony/counterpoint with fresh eyes.

I like Adler's "Orchestration" but Piston's, Rimsky-Korsakov's, and others are certainly worthwhile. And of course there's no substitute for having people play your music for you so you can hear what's going on.

Best,
Steve

[Ignacy]

Originally Posted by stevel

Frederik,

I meant to mention this somewhere before, and I have mentioned the texts.

I think the one thing you should focus on before going on with more and more theory, harmony, or counterpoint texts, is to focus a little on Orchestration, especially if you are planning to write orchestral-based music.

No matter how "well-composed" your works may become from a theoretical stnadpoint, if you're unable to orchestrate/arrange well your works will never be appreciated in their full glory.

So I'd take a little bit of time off from harmony and counterpoint studies once you feel like you have a really decent handle on them, and try working more with orchestration. 1. it's a skill you need, and 2. it will let you come back to theory/harmony/counterpoint with fresh eyes.

I like Adler's "Orchestration" but Piston's, Rimsky-Korsakov's, and others are certainly worthwhile. And of course there's no substitute for having people play your music for you so you can hear what's going on.

Best,
Steve

I concur wholeheartedly.
I have already had a read in some orchestration texts about a year ago, mainly the Korsakov online tutorial (on the Garritan website) as well as a chapter from the Adler (on tutti's) which was given in class room context.
Both were very valuable and interesting. I have ended up buying an original copy of the former and will do the same for the latter (Adler) but just not now. From what I recall the information in that single chapter was very condensed and it would be too much to combine with all the things I'm learning right now. I'll definitely end up buying it at some point in late 2009 I suspect.
Currently I do however read the Korsakov (and Forsyth) when I have some free time (which is rare).
What I do more however is study scores (currently select Mozart Sonata's, a Beethoven Quartet, Mahlers first movements from Symphony 1&2 , Sibelius: Pelleas & Melissande & Tchaikovsky's 5th to name a few).
That does account for orchestration and arranging study too in a sense, does it?

A dream would become reality the day that real people play my music. I certainly hope this day will come. Only time will tell.

Thanks for the extra tip