When most people think of a composer, they imagine someone sitting in a dusty attic with a grand piano, big white wig, and the year is 1800. That might have been accurate back then, but the modern composer is just like you and me. In fact, I am one.
In this course I’ll show you techniques I use for writing music in a variety of styles and situations. I’ve worked with major american orchestras, film studios, and video game designers, so I’ve got more than a little experience. I’m also a PhD in music composition and a university professor (of music composition).
Recently I was named as a semi-finalist for the Grammy Foundation’s Music Educator of the Year award because of my in-person university classes. Now I’m taking those classes in an online format in order to reach more students, and give them the joy of Music Theory.
I’ve made several “series” of this class, and this is only part 1. As the class grows, we will go deeper and deeper into my techniques. This class is focused on the beginning: Generating ideas and getting started.
Music Composition Techniques course will cover the following topics:
Topic 1 - Introduction
- Welcome And Overview
- My Background
- What Is The Difference Between Music Theory And Music Composition?
Topic 2 - Tools And Methods
- Software Tools For Composers
- Good Old Pencil And Paper
- To Sit With An Instrument, Or Not To Sit With An Instrument?
Topic 3 - Process
- Which Comes First? How Do We Start?
- F-Sharp!
- Program Music And Metaphore
- [DOWNLOAD] Symphony Fantastique
- Character Sketches
- Free Writing
- Canon
- “Good Composers Borrow…”
Topic 4 - Form
- What Is Form?
- Different Form “Templates”
- Starting With A Plan
- Graphic Form Representations
Topic 5 - Harmony
- Triads: Our Most Basic Building Blocks
- Building Triads
- Diatonic Chord Progressions
- Inversions
- Roman Numerals
- Song Analysis: No. 1
- Song Analysis: No. 2
Topic 6 - Writing Chord Progressions
- The Circle Of Fifths
- Using The Circle Of Fifths For Composition
- Song Analysis: No. 3
- Non-Chord Tones
- Song Analysis: No. 4
Topic 7 - Writing Melodies
- Writing Melodies Alone
- Antecedent And Consequent
- Writing Melodies With A Harmony
- Using Other Melodies As Influences
Topic 8 - Wrap Up
