AlbertPensive

By default, any note that doesn't belong to the chord is heard as a nonchord tone (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-chord_tone). If you put much "empasis" to the D7m combination, it'd become a "real chord". The "emphasis" is something that depends on how fast the chords tend to change, its position within the mesure, etc... Btw, a real Dm7 chord would be OK too (even with very strict harmony), because the C is prepared, and it would resolve a 5th below (Dm7>Gm)

:toothygrin:

I use a dropbox folder as my working directory, and the program stores different versions of the same file. But I haven't used that for composing. On the other hand, Sibelius has a system for storing different versions in a single file, and it lets you compare them. ... And you know, Sibelius is not difficult to get...

I meant Piston's harmony treatise, or sth similar. In your score you're using the natural D minor scale throughout, with C instead of C#. That's the quintessence of film music. In fact you didn't use a single chromaticism in the score. You need to read one of those treatises to learn how to spice it up. Of course, as .fseventsd said, you could start with a symphony, but still, the number of composers who began to sketch out scores with ~20 staves is (statistically speaking) really small (maybe Shostakovich?). A few more examples: Wagner sketched his operas in 3-5 staves, while Elgar used piano scores, like Schubert...

If you're a total beginner, I personally think you should leave the idea of a symphony aside for a while (just google "symphony Op.1": nothing), and try pieces with fewer instruments (sonatas, trios...), which you may orchestrate later. After all, Schubert's symphonies were conceived as piano 'sonatas', while Beethoven sketched whole movements in one staff, and so on... But first, of course, you'll have to begin with short pieces, maybe bare themes of around 16-32 bars... For the composers you've mentioned, I'll asume you want to write in a tonal common-practise language, in which case you should have swallowed at least 1 harmony treatise (e.g. Piston's, or at least sth. succinct like Rimski's, stay away from Harmonielehre) before trying anything. You should also know the forms in which movements and sections tend to be laid out (a good start: www.teoria.com, wikipedia... for sth meticulous: Caplin's Classical form). If you already have the right 'tools', then listen and analyze scores! For form and harmonies you don't need the full score, use piano reductions. Then try some of this: Deduce the form of the movement (sonata form, ternary...), and mark out the sections. Spot all the themes and recurrent motifs. Count the bars of every phrase, section, everything (proportions, (a)symmetries, (ir)regularities?). Find all the cadences and modulations, and check out where are they (are they structurally meaningful?). Analyze the harmonies (chromatic or modal inflections? treatment of dissonance?) and the movement of the basses. Finally, look how things are developed. Other stuff: http://imslp.org/wiki/Musical_Composition_%28Stanford,_Charles_Villiers%29 http://archive.org/stream/largerformsmusi01goetgoog#page/n202/mode/1up haven't read that in full, though all these Bernstein videos are pretty cook for beginners ... And try to put in practise all what you've learned from time to time. Later you can learn to orchestrate. Read a treatise... well, maybe you could start with this: http://www.music.indiana.edu/department/composition/isfee/

No, assuming that's a piano score, examples 1 and 2 mean: play those notes (all the ones inside the 'hook') with the right hand, even if some are written on the left hand staff. Example 3 is a 'cancellation' of other marks similar to examples 1 and 2, it means: play those notes (on the treble staff) with the right hand, as usual. Example 4 seems to be an unrelated thing. I'd never seen it. The "don't arpeggiate" symbol is a bracket: [ , not an l-shaped 'hook'.

10) Exception: If a dominant 7th chord is followed by the tonic in 1st inversion, you can make the 7th ascend. E.g. Schubert's quartet in A min. - mov. 1 - 2nd theme. 4) It seems quite vague IMO. That's about avoiding false relationships isn't it? If the doubled alteration is approached or followed by contrary motion, it's generally OK. I think... it's when you've mastered the rules and know 'how' they sound. I mean, I just notice when something has parallel 5ths. Then, you can make 'choose' to include 'unconventional' sounds, if the music requires it. Besides, even if you don't feel the need to use them, following them for some time will make you pay attention to the vertical (chords) and horitzontal (melodic motion) components of music, which is very important, regardless of the style you choose.

I'd recommend you to read a traditional harmony treatise, like Piston's.

It'd be much more easier to understand if you also included the melody and the phrase structure. BTW, modal jazz is usually non functional, but the rest of modal stuff usually is (ie. Grieg's concerto, 3rd mov).

Old forms (like sonata form) shouldn't be neither treated as the only "valid" ones, nor completely discarded as relics. We have alternatives, yet at the same time, sonata form offers development, contrast, etc, which are important aspects of many musical styles. Let's not be so reactionary (on ether side).

I must admit I'm quite fond of writting long detailed markings in Italian, I find them kind of amusing.

What?? I don't get it. It's just an accopmainment. He just follows the common practise tonal rules: No parallel 8's & 5ths, false relationships handled with care, resolved dissonances, etc.

I'm mostly talking about the chord (G)BDbF, acting as V (instead of Fr 6th). An example is the ending of Schubert's quintet To this basic "frame" one can add 9ths and 13ths, creating a chord "family". Scriabin even uses b5th + #5th You can use whole tone, octatonic, and acoustic scales with that (usually still as V). Check out the finale of Rimsky's concerto or anything by T. Monk. In Scriabin's middle period there are tons of examples of this chord family, in tonal contexts. As his style progresses, the chord becomes more "static" (and it's used w/ the scales I said). The Mystic chord belongs to this family. As I said the chord can resolve to many different things, so you cand do whatever you want. Oh, and you can treat the Db as a C#-appoggiatura to D (creating a normanl V7), as in the 2nd chord of Wagner's Tristan

Yeah, but yours are only Italian 6ths or/and dominant 7ths without 5th. There's no dim. 5th