Composition Help
Creating a Musically Effective Composition
Why should students compose?
The term compose means "to put together." A composer is simply a person who puts musical ideas together. Two importatnt aspects of composition are inventing musical ideas and developing and connecting those ideas for a final product.
Aside from its intrinsic value as a unique human activity, composing can help students learn to look for the main ideas in pieces they hear and play as well as think about how composers develop and organize them. This enhances the listening experience and leads to greater insight in performance. Considering the effects of compositional choices on communication and solving composition problems can help reinforce skills needed throughout a comprehensive music education.
Checklist for a good piece of music - Read this before you begin composing, when you have a groundwork, and before you finish.
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How do I turn in my composition?
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Steps for Turning In a Composition
Checklist
- The original melody you were given in your folder on the network
- The revised melody if you had to revise it in your folder on the network
- mp3 version of composition in your folder on the network
- program file of compoisiton in your folder on the network
- Upload composition to YoSoy
- Complete self-evaluation on YoSoy
1. Connect to the server: naxserve.northallegheny.org - Go – Connect to server – Name:nashmusictech – Password: nashmusictech – MACDATA – NASHmusictech folder – Find your period
2. Save the composition as a program file. This is the normal way of saving a file in Garageband, Finale, or Reason. Drag the file from your documents, or wherever you have saved the file, to your folder on the network.
3. Save the composition as an mp3 file. In Garageband, go to share, send song to itunes. In the popup menu, check the compress box. Next to “Compress Using,” choose mp3 encoder and this will send it directly to your itunes library. Drag the mp3 file from itunes to the network You can also convert the file in garageband by highlighting the file in garageband, clicking on advanced in the top tool bar, and choose covert to mp3. Once you have converted the file, drag that file to your folder on the network.
4. Log on to http://www.yosoyartista.net and upload your composition to your online portfolio. The composition will need to be in mp3 form in order to upload it to YoSoy. Write a description of your piece to give the listener background on the composition. Make sure you mark the box that will notify Mrs. Leckey when a file has been uploaded.
5. Complete the self-evaluation on YoSoy student work page. Be sure to check the box that says notify your teacher.
Tips for organizing and developing musical ideas:
*These principles apply to all levels of structure- motives in phrases, phrases in sections, and sections in phrases.
1. An idea must be repeated to be significant
2. The more you repeat an idea, the more you need to vary it.
3. Eventually, you may need to introduce a different idea.
4. If you introduce a different idea, you will most likely return to your first idea
Lay the Groundwork
1. When you begin a composition activity, present the basic ideas to be used. You need only two or three.
2. Internalize the sounds you are manipulating.
3. Share the idea with someone else.
4. Create, perform, and notate aditional versions to generate a palette of choices to work with.
5. Save the ideas and variants in a written or electroni c idea bank.
Simple Ways to Vary Musical Ideas:
1. Changes must add interest without destroying the identify of the idea.
2. Change one thing throughout the idea while keeping all other things constant.
3. Take some aspect of the idea and do the opposite.
4. Exaggerate a feature.
5. Isolate and develop one part of the idea.
Get feedback and revise.
1. A composition project has litle value if you don't take time to hear your work, critique it, and make revisions...that is how you improve.
2. In deciding what and how to revise your composition, create concrete musical aspects to evaluate (melody, transitions, balance, melodic variation, rhythmic variation, musical interest, etc...)
3. Always be able to explain your choices for revision.
4. Trust your musical intuitio n. If something sticks out in a bad way on the first hearing, it should probably be changed. It should just make sense!
When evaluating a composition...ask questions!
1. How much did the composer use variations and contrasts?
2. Was there a good balance between repetitions and contrast?
3. What do you think the composer inteded to express?
4. Did the composer suceed in their musical goal? If so, how?
5. When describing a composition, "I like it" is not an appropriate response. Music is about communicating to others, so always be able to explain your musical choices and opinion with proper terminology. You need to give an educated reponse to defend your musical opinions.
