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Music Composition: Expert Guides and Resources
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Articles & Books From Music Composition
Cheat Sheet / Updated 09-01-2022
For quick reference, most of what you need to know about music composition is covered in this cheat sheet. Whether you’re sitting with a band and need to know what someone means when they say, “Take it up a fifth!” or you can’t remember the proper form for the 8-bar blues, this handy info is right at your fingertips on one convenient page.
Cheat Sheet / Updated 03-09-2022
Songwriting is fun, and also full of challenges. One of the biggest challenges is getting over any shyness you may have about writing songs. Other challenges include finding inspiration, collaborating, jotting down your ideas, and sharing your songs. Luckily, the internet is filled with numerous sources to help you along the way.
Article / Updated 03-29-2021
Walk into any bookstore and check out the Music Books section, and you’ll find yourself before a wall of daunting choices. Stop by any given online bookstore and search for music, and you’ll be faced with even more. It seems there are nearly as many books written about music composition, the music business, and music appreciation as there are albums or compact discs containing music.
Article / Updated 03-29-2021
Musical themes in composition are characterized by three main categories: motif, melodic phrase, and period. You use these three kinds of melodic elements to build your compositions. Motif: A motif is the smallest form of melodic idea. It can be as short as two notes, like “cu coo,” or the first two notes of the theme from Star Wars.
Article / Updated 03-29-2021
Drummers have a language all their own, and drum notation has some peculiarities as well. Rather than write out a drum part, it is often easier to say something like, “Play a half-time groove,” or “Swing.” This article guides you through some of these conventions for composing music for drummers. But first look at the way in which drum notation works.
Article / Updated 03-29-2021
A distinct type of lead sheet, designed specifically for guitar and bass, is called tablature, or just tab. Instead of using standard musical notation symbols, tab uses ordinary ASCII numbers and letters, making it ideal for reproducing music for the Internet and online newsgroups where anybody with any computer can link up, copy a tab file, and read it.
Article / Updated 03-29-2021
Making a living as a music composer is hard. And it’s not because the money isn’t out there waiting for you to come along. It’s simply because that for every legitimate composing job out there, there are dozens—or even hundreds—of budding, starry-eyed composers out there waiting in line for their big chance.Does that mean you should give up?
Create the next big pop hit, bang out a catchy jingle, or write an iconic film score, with music composition skills Today's composers create music for television, film, commercials, and even video games. Music Composition For Dummies brings you up to speed with the theory and technicality of composing music. With easy-to-understand content that tracks to a typical music composition intro course, this book will teach you how to use music theory to write music in a variety of forms.
Proven techniques for songwriting success This friendly, hands-on guide tackles the new face of the recording industry, guiding you through the shift from traditional sales to downloads and mobile music, as well as how you can harness social media networks to get your music "out there." You get basic songwriting concepts, insider tips and advice, and inspiration for writing — and selling — meaningful, timeless songs.
Cheat Sheet / Updated 03-27-2016
If you're getting serious about writing your own digital music, look into a few magazines and online resources that can help you keep up with what's happening in the music industry and offer forums, downloads, and even legal advice. Sibelius is the most popular software for composing digital music; check out some common keyboard shortcuts you'll find yourself using often.
