User:Boxiness/Composition notes

problems with my composition: - lacks drama and contrast = try expanding the registral range maybe = or try adding more rhythmic variety, syncopation, rests, or counterpoint = try some chromaticism, dissonances, ostinato, glissandos = add more contrapuntal parts and planes; write interesting walking bass lines - feels too square, too symmetric, too rigid = try messing with the dynamics and tempo = so that certain parts of a phrase may be emphasized, highlighted = try adding tiny variations and randomness and embellishments everywhere

basic composition advice: - arrange chord tones in different patterns = try some tone repetitions as they may contribute to rhythmic variety = don't be afraid to experiment with rests and breaks either - passing notes should generally be used on weak beats - repeat a motive several times in a phrase = apply developmental techniques to these motivic repetitions



LARGELY BASED ON ALAN BELKIN'S WRITINGS

alan belkin's big idea: - the smaller elements of your music should sound more or less conventional = as long as they're not completely boring = don't rely on gimmicks or ornaments to create interest; it's too easy - instead, create interest with the larger, less perceptible forms and patterns = like walking basses, ascending contours = make sure that these repeat enough to become noticeable - basically, think of your music as a puzzle, make them work for the solutions = know that people like fractals: macro-predictable, micro-unpredictable

what makes a theme / motive great: - much of this is analogous to "what makes a good premise for a story" - must establish the setting: key, harmony, tempo, etc - must have some unusual quality in it (hook) - must be short / simple enough to comprehend and remember - must create expectations / suspense through patterns, see section "momentum" = must also contain micro-level variations to thwart easy predictability - must create conflict / drama through the use of contrast = this conflict is to be eventually resolved throughout the rest of the piece - must be conveying a mood appropriate to the situation (context)

what makes a piece of music great: - hook: must contain a memorable and unusual theme / motive that piques interest = unusual is good, but it takes a longer piece to make the listener get it = (this actually exactly mirrors the problem in creative writing) - mystery: must create as many novel non-obvious meta-patterns as possible = obvious simplistic patterns could capture the audience after few listenings = but non-obvious sophisticated patterns require many listenings to understand = the same pattern may be repeated at different scopes, like a fractal - charm: breaking a rule by accident, but keep breaking it until it sounds right = like mispronouncing a word and then repeating it until it becomes legitimate = this is a good way to create mystery, but it also brings unity to the piece - twists: surprises serve to increase tension and make the resolution sweeter - conflict: dissonances and contrasts must be properly resolved over the piece = balance: big thematic internal contrast -> long piece to convince listener - emotion: should engage primal emotions and evoke childhood memories = emotional range: the bigger the range, the longer the piece required - story: should the evocative of characters and plot and engage the intellect - context: mood should be appropriate to the story and the kind of music - stylistic aesthetic concerns: = avoid perfect symmetry; avoid squareness; should be organic but balanced

foregrounding: - complexity: fast moving line > slow moving lines - novelty: new material > old material (usually ostinato) - loudness or timbral richness: e.g., trumpet > flute

sameness vs. freshness: - similar concepts: stability, predictability, flow, connection, rate of novelty - the idea is to balance these aspects as you move through sections of music = introduce new elements slowly while keeping familiar elements the same = give listener time to absorb existing elements before introducing new ones - some elements which could participate in creating connection or novelty: = register, speed, motives (melody or bass), timbre, harmony, modulations, etc - rate at which new stuff is introduced may either induce restlessness or calm - stable structures are good for introductions, resolution / recapitulation - unstable structures are good for heightening tension

momentum / mystery: - similar concepts: direction, progression, expectation, suspense, mystery - momentum can be created in a great number of ways: = e.g., ascending contour, increasing dissonance, decreasing registral spread = e.g., rhythmic acceleration, harmonic acceleration, increasing diminution = e.g., successive peaks forming a scale or triad - humans derive pleasure from discovering complex patterns in the world = if the pattern is too simple, like a scale or ostinato, or = if the same pattern continues on for too long, we get bored = if the pattern is too complex, it becomes unsettling chaos; we get confused = if too many patterns are being introduced simultaneously, we get confused - an effective application of this concept is to create meta-momentum: = e.g., in a complex melodic line, successive peaks rise progressively higher = relationship between the peaks creates direction; details creates interest - momentum can be reset to some extent with cadentials / rests - momentum can also exist naturally in any motivic pattern or ostinato figure = these patterns are relatively simplistic, so vary them to inject interest, = but be careful of retrograde / augmentation / diminution = as they may destroy the recognizability of these patterns completely = are you developing an existing pattern by variation, or making new material?

balance: - to bring about a sense of balance / closure at various structural levels - similar concepts: tension / conflict -> resolution, unfamiliar -> familiar - strong beat, weak beat = strong first measure, weaker second measure = stronger antecedent, weaker consequent = stronger first theme, weaker second theme - ascending contour, descending contour - dissonance, consonance - unstable, stable; familiarity, rate of novelty - tension, resolution



how to begin: - the general idea is to increase tension and provoke interest = this concept applies whether it's the first phrase, section, or movement - crescendo - significant expansion of the register - rising lines - unresolved harmony and incomplete phrases - rhythmic variety - orchestral and registral discontinuities

continuation 1: - goals: = good flow; interest through contrast; suspense; points of reference; climax - good flow means introducing contrasting material slowly and smoothly = reuse introductory material whenever possible = my opinion: use tight repetitions of old material to create new material = sometimes, the more you repeat something the more strange it becomes - contrast is used to show the protagonist's reactions in varied situations = in the musical sense, your protagonist is some meta-pattern = the goal is to provide further clues for the listener about your meta-pattern - suspense = momentum + instability + incomplete meta-patterns = incompleteness: stopping on weak beat; contrapuntal interruption = instability such as key changes could help to increase the tension - points of reference, like motives / themes, bring some relief to the chaos = to increase effectiveness, lead up to them with a pause or a buildup - climax consists of a preparation, a culminating accent, and a release = preparation: crescendo, speed, range, harmonic tension, textural density

continuation 2 (larger works): - punctuation / articulation aids comprehension: PAC, HC, DC, caesura - transition as a separate section: = multiple transitions in the same movement should not be overly similar = transitions should act as a smooth bridge between two different sections = the more ways in which they are different, the longer the transition must be = a conservative approach is to change only one musical element at a time - techniques for writing the transition: = the transition can offshoot from a repetition of the theme = anticipation, elision, overlap, alternation, turning point, interruption - contrast in short pieces could be a subtle modulation to another related key = larger pieces must contain vivid contrasts in = orchestration, texture, register, harmonic rhythm, = thematic / motivic material, length of sections, internal phrase construction - in a large form, you can use multiple interruptions to create great suspense - in a large form, the extra time allows repeats of theme to be more literal - a series of climaxes of increasing intensity can be effective

ending: - no new material shall be introduced; most of introduction can be repeated - climax: pushing every musical element to extremes - fade out: ascending or descending while all activity dies away - coda section: may contain development-like digressions and repeated cadencing