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February 11, 2017 at 4:02 pm #25722
Does anyone have any tips on composing music? I thought I might try my hand at it…and it’s harder than I thought it might be. 😛 Where to begin, I have no idea.
☀ ☀ ☀ ENFP ☀ ☀ ☀
February 11, 2017 at 4:44 pm #25724I want to know the answer to this myself. If @reaganramm isn’t too busy, I bet he’d have some pointers.
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February 12, 2017 at 9:45 pm #25748I shouldn’t be answering this ’cause I’m not that musical, but everyone I know is super musical and many have composed pieces. And since you’re trying to compose I assume you know the basics down. Chords, notes, and stuff.
First, invest in music theory. You can literally start by just googling music theory. I know https://www.musictheory.net/lessons has some basic resources. You need to know music theory so that you increase the possibilities of where you can go. Of what works and what doesn’t. It helps you expand creatively. I can’t overemphasize the importance of knowing music theory.
Second, know what genre you’re trying to write in. Just listen to the stuff. Know what has and hasn’t been done. Maybe research a little, but people that I know don’t really research all that much.
Third, compose and experiment. Compose music and experiment a bit. Find related chords. Find tunes based on the chords chords. Mix and match them. Or find the tunes first. Shift popular tunes into major or minor and experiment with that. Doing all of this gives you a better feel for the music. Trial and error takes time, but it gives you experience.
What you’re aiming for is to be proficient enough for you to just let the music flow. And flow is only gained by knowing what you’re doing, where you’re going, how you’re going to get there, and, most importantly, seeing the possibilities.
I’ll now let more knowledgeable students of the craft take center stage. Just remember to have fun!
I blog on story and spiritual things at mkami.weebly.com
April 17, 2017 at 5:03 pm #30878@daeus @emma-flournoy @kate-flournoy @that_writer_girl_99 @jess @ethryndal @northerner @overcomer @warrioroftherealm @anyone else interested in writing music
*watches as thread deflates like a balloon*
Ahem…I found the answer to all our music-writing problems! It is Musescore. What every music composer needs. I’ve only been using it for a few days, but as far as I can tell, it’s awesome. Basically it starts you out on a page with a bunch of measures, and you type out the music as you want it. Each key on the keyboard goes with a note. (I.g. D would be a D note) But that’s not the best part. You can choose virtually any instrument that you want in your song, often that is more than one (we’ve had up to 14), and the computer will play it for you in the sound of that instrument, or all the instruments together. It’s quite incredible, really. I recommend it to anyone looking for a hobby, a past-time, or if you’re looking to have fun with music.
I’ve composed several already, and they sound almost as if I had a real choir and cellos and violins and even shofars!
The download is safe and free, which makes it even better.
Anyway. There’s your random Dragon Snapper recommendation. 😛☀ ☀ ☀ ENFP ☀ ☀ ☀
April 17, 2017 at 5:41 pm #30883@dragon-snapper Yes. I use MuseScore all the time! It’s great!
"Not all who wander are lost."
Wild Australian. INXJ.April 17, 2017 at 5:43 pm #30885@f5a8c3e92 Awesome! What type of music do you write, and which is your favorite instrument to use?
☀ ☀ ☀ ENFP ☀ ☀ ☀
April 17, 2017 at 6:03 pm #30886I’ve been using MuseScore for the past several weeks for a composition. It has been ENORMOUSLY helpful.
Jackson E. Graham
April 17, 2017 at 6:12 pm #30888@dragon-snapper I play piano and generally write classical-style music. The stringed instruments are great to use on MuseScore.
"Not all who wander are lost."
Wild Australian. INXJ.April 21, 2017 at 1:03 pm #31251@Dragon-Snapper Hey, we have MuseScore. I’ve had…many problems with it, but much of it is awesome. XD I don’t use it much anymore, but I used to use it for writing down soundtrack sheet music that I couldn’t find online. I listened to videos or tracks of the music and figured out what the notes were and all, and wrote it down in MS. Now I still do that kind of thing, except I just memorize whatever I’m picking out and skip the trouble of having to write it down. 😛
I wish MuseScore could teach you how to compose music, not just give you a resource for writing it down.
But yes, it’s a great program. 😀 -
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