how did you start composing?

I am realy curious how did you start writing scores and learning the true art of composing.

It will help me and maybe others to create a step by step method of getting better, puting the music in our heads on the score and other important things like those. Or if you could tell were I can find full(big) bios of composers it will be a real great help. Thank you!

I am not a composer just a person whit imagination that wants to compose.

I now how to improvise on an instrument but because of that, I can't maintain a melody in my head long enough to write it and the melody dosen't come out on the papper the way it comes on my instrument.

I started writing as an underclassmen in highs school and it

s been bliss ever since ya know?? Just write, if it's good you'll know, like Radiohgead!!

I first composed my very first melody while fiddling on the violin when I was around 8-9 years old and was interested in composing ever since. I then started taking lessons in composition and learned about the art of harmony. It really is an amazing hobby for me and may become something serious in the future.

I started after I first heard Mozart's k331. Started trying to imitate the music.

I was given a copy of Finale 2002 when I was a sophomore in high school. At that point in my life I knew I wanted to do music in college, but I felt that I wasn't talented enough (or at least didn't have the drive) to go into performance. But when I first booted up the program, I fell in love. The first piece I wrote was a terrible string quartet; I had almost no idea of harmony and the whole thing pretty much revolved around the chord "g minor" with no harmonic motion. Still, I worked on it for hours and knew at that point that I wanted to compose, so I enrolled in some theory classes in high school and now I'm in college living the dream.

Its kind of a funny story.

I was in Music Literature last year, and when we were studying the tone poem and concerto we had a drill question that asked, "How would you organize/write your concerto?" ie. soloist? ect.

So I wrote down my ideas and then went home and wrote one. I wasnt the best composition, Ive discarded it since then, but it got me going and has brought me to my compositions today.

Thanks Ms. Kambui!!!!

I took a liking to composition since I decided to quit the piano after six months of a meaningless void in my life. Soon after beginning playing around and improvising with the piano again, I strived for more, and have looked for more. I keep finding new things that marvel me and I believe my insatiable drive for learning, combined with a fierce tenacity, will help me become at least a good amateur composer.

My grandfather found a program for me because i kept messing with the 2 octave 5 instrument keyboard at his house. My first songs sounded really bad, because I didn't realize that placing four notes on top of each other (like, an E,G,B,D) do not sound good. And it just kinda snowballed from there.

My first songs sounded really bad, because I didn't realize that placing four notes on top of each other (like, an E,G,B,D) do not sound good.

An Emin7 chord doesn't sound good? :huh:

An Emin7 chord doesn't sound good? :huh:

Took the words right out of my mouth.

Anyway, I got started in this whole business by asking my teacher in junior high what kind of programs were out there, she sent me to finale and the rest is history. I made several arrangements for the 8th grade jazz band that year. Actually the one of the Beatles "Birthday" didn't sound half bad. Self study and many books got me to the point I am now.

I saw Leonard Bernstein's Trouble in Tahiti, and I thought to myself... 'I could do that!'

It just flowed in and I realized it was my passion! I've been doing it ever since.

An Emin7 chord doesn't sound good?

When I first started, I had no idea what chord I was.

Minor 7ths are a bit counter-productive with tonality

I've never heard this, but my experience is pretty limited. How so?

I saw Leonard Bernstein's Trouble in Tahiti, and I thought to myself... 'I could do that!'

It just flowed in and I realized it was my passion! I've been doing it ever since.

*/geeeek*

I've never heard this, but my experience is pretty limited. How so?

Every chord can sound not good if it is out of place and doesn't correspond to the composer's intention.

When I first started, I knew nothing about chords and harmony from theoretical viewpoint. It was listening to what is in my head and then trying to put it on the staff. Of course, this process resulted in different chords, including 7ths and 9ths, but it consumed much more time than it would consume now. Sometimes, I wonder how I've succeeded in putting those chords on the staff then.

Music has been a part of my life since I was born. My father was a piano instructor (and tuner) and at the age of 3 I demanded that he gave me lessons. My mom tells me that at the age of 5 I started putting melodies and chords together on the piano.

I didn't do much with it for years, because I thought that musical talent was granted to everyone (both my parents have musical background, they met as he accompanied her clarinet on the piano). I was 19 when I realised that I wanted something to do with music, and conducting came to mind. I enrolled in college with no musical educational background and after 1 week of theory I changed to composition.

I am now a second year student and I can tell you, school makes all the difference. Harmony f.ex. was all in my head from listening to music, but giving the tricks names and learning how to utilise them has helped me greatly.

Hmm... and that's my life's story, I guess. /rant

I have a pretty not-so-interesting story that I may as well share...

From the moment I started taking piano (about three years after my first instrument, Clarinet) I liked to improvise little things on it, but it never really hit my mind that I wanted to write music until I heard about a week-long summer camp where you get to explore what it takes to write a piece of music. I fell in love immediately and asked the teacher of the program what programs were out there. She recommended both Sibelius and Finale. I tried Finale, but didn't like it very much. I remembered trying Sibelius on the computers in the summer camp, and how easy it was for me to use. So I got the educational-ly discounted Sibelius, and I was off and rolling with my first Piano piece (it was a tad impossible, but I have since managed to clean it up... a little.)

Since then I have read plenty of books on orchestration (Rimsky-Korsakov's (sp?) in particular). Theory was never a problem for me- When I was in school, I aced all the theory tests with no problems (or studying for that matter). I currently get all my theory from my Piano teacher. It's all easy, but she assigns a lot of it. :) I also have a teacher, and I have definitely improved in the four months I have been taking lessons.

Ok I think I got the way. Learn to compose like I learned playing a instrument(exercising various things), read a lot of music theory, listen and study a lot of varieties of music. Looks like I have to learn how to use composing programs and study music and theory(I'm not very advance at it) . Thank you.

[re: min7] Nullifies the dominant effect of the 7th.

:huh: That's bullshit stupid. ...but off topic, so never mind. :whistling:

That's bullshit stupid. ...but off topic, so never mind.

E implies a resolution to Aminor, the fact that it is missing a tritone makes a difference. In D major it is a different story.

I'm not saying it is bad, I use it frequently.