DeepSeaSeamus

To all the people that wrote paragraphs about how stupid I am, I didn't mean that we should ignore the past. Just that in order for it to be relevant today it needs to be reinterpreted into new idioms, thus "moving on" from the old styles. Nobody is telling you what to write or to have fun, but lets face it if you write in a purely classical or romantic style you aren't going to break new ground and it isn't going to be relevant today unless you significantly diverge from that old style.

Well when it comes to composition, maybe we should move on. There just isn't any new material left in those old styles, and what is the point in repeating the past?

Are there any soft-synths out there that use the old tuning temperaments? I'd like to fool around with them.

step into the time cube and everything will become clear.

maybe get a sense of humor perhaps :toothygrin:

God forbid people try to put a positive slant on a mans life after he just died.

Arguing about what constitutes art is probably the most boring thing in the world.

Well if you are notating every detail, then stick with that. Write out the chords explicitly in the correct rhythms.

Here is a site with tons of guitar scores "Classical Guitar Big Archive" You can do it any way you want. You can notate every detail, most classical guitar pieces are like this, or you can do a jazz lead lead sheet type of thing where you just write out the melodies and label the chords names on top. Or you can just tab it, it doesn't matter. It all depends on what you are notating and who is going to be reading it.

Taken from → Music Composition Weblog ← 8.1. There are at least three models for how composers see their roles: 1. Master of the Universe model (AKA the "Control Freak"). Some composers see themselves as "masters" or "controllers" of everything they compose. They make a plan for the piece, and they use their skill and mastery to make the music follow the plan. 2. In Touch with the Universe model. Other composers adopt a more mystical approach; there are countless potential musical ideas floating around out there, waiting to be brought to life by a composer attuned to them. This kind of composer sees her role as the medium through which some of the infinite thematic possibilities can be given the spark of life. 3. Sometimes the Master, Sometimes the Mystic model. This is perhaps where most composers find themselves. Sometimes a person may feel a sense of mastery over their craft, while other times they feel like they are caught up in something bigger, like riding a wave, hoping to go along with that wave for as long as they can. Interestingly, the same points of view can be found in different people's attitudes towards parenting; some people seemingly attempt to plan their babies' entire lives before they are even born, while others pay close attention to the growing child in order to try to learn what kind of person they were sent by the universe (or God, or Vishnu, or the Great Mother Goddess, etc.), and try to serve as facilitators who help the child become the person that s/he was meant to be. 8.2. Basically, how you see your role as a composer determines the way in which you proceed. 1. If you see yourself as the Master of your music, you are likely to have made a plan before beginning; when your idea has run its course, you simply follow your plan and move to the next stage. 2. Those who adopt a more mystical model might choose to listen to the musical idea over and over to o determine where IT "wants" to go, or if it has said all it needs to say. 8.3. I happen to think both approaches have merit. The value of starting with a plan, even a loose one, cannot be overstated. It is also a very good idea to listen repeatedly to the music at every step of the plan to see where it wants to go; you almost certainly will have to change the plan as you go. 8.4. Sometimes (frequently, in my case!) we get stuck because our composition is not turning into the kind of piece we had in mind when we started. Perhaps we had intended to write a fanfare, and we discover we are actually writing something with a more subdued, soulful character. Or perhaps we were asked to write a short, relatively easy work for a friend, and what we end up writing is long-ish and rather challenging. There is no simple solution for this, but options include 1. Stopping the piece you are writing and begin again, 2. Continuing with the piece you are writing until it is finished, and perhaps then begin a new composition that is more in keeping with the original plan, or 3. Determining where your plan began to go awry, and 'fixing' it from that point forwards. I have tried all three, and your options often depend on other factors, such as an imminent deadline, how far along you are in your composition (if you're not very far into your piece, then option (1) would might be your best choice; if you're almost finished, then (2) would be more feasible, for example), the purpose your music is meant to have (if writing for film, for example, you don't have the luxury of option (2); you have to evoke the mood or character that would best fit the scene, and if that's not happening, then you have to keep at it until it does), etc. 8.5. Getting stuck is common, so perhaps the most important thing to remember is that it is a normal part of the creative process, so try not to make too much of it when it happens! 8.6. Sometimes, the solution(s) you come up with to being stuck end up being the the most inspired part of your composition. It may sound corny, but it's true: Challenges = Opportunities for inspired solutions!

Thats pretty harsh, not everyone is a musical genius that just has their ability "come naturally".

Here is some music created by different mathematical functions, some of it is pretty interesting. The Sound of Mathematics

All it takes is practice. Tell him to use one of the many online trainers, or get a program like earmaster.

Have a look at this http://clarkross.blogspot.com/2008/08/composition-issues-outline.html Check out other topics he posts about as well

I'm curious, what Bach piece is that atonal sounding passage from? Also, where can I find your post about the Messiaen and Radiohead similarities?