how to start

hey maybe this has been discussed before ;

I've been composing music for around a year now , and i want to know is there a specific way to compose, like to start composing for one instrument then for two ... and then for a full orchestra. because i find it really hard to compose for more than 5 or 6 instruments and i dont know what to do , should i keep composing until i can compose for an orchestra by time , or is there anything i should do or learn? btw i studied music by myslef , no tutor or courses or anything.

There are tons of books that are intended for beginners to learn the basics of composition. I would recommend perusing some of these. A solid foundation is integral in music - no matter WHAT aesthetic you eventually arrive at. That said, Dominus states a very important thing in his brief post: Go to School. A textbook or treatise will give you a good start but a private teacher will really make your talent bloom (to use colorful language). As far as writing goes, when you start with a blank page you need to think what it is you want to write and just go for it. You learn as you go in this art - as you do with any other art. Your ears and tastes will dictate where you will go as a composer more than anything else, IMO. Without a good solid foundation, however, nothing else will manifest.

Jawoodruff , thanks for the reply .

I cant go to a school i dont really have time , but i can use some reading , do you recommend any books on composition?and orchestration?

Before writing for larger ensambles, you could read the orchestration threads part 1,2,3,4 in the masterclass section:

http://www.youngcomposers.com/f60/masterclasses/

Then you could try to arrange an small theme for more than 5 instruments, maybe woodwinds and strings.

There's nothing wrong with being able to write for 5 or 6 instruments, in fact its great. The four part SATB texture is the basis of harmonic study and application. The two most common settings of this texture are the Chior and the String Quartet. Generally the Chior is used to express more public ideas while the String Quartet is more personal, kinda like an extended diary entry. Some people regard the String Quartet as the highest form of musical expression, and the various colors you can create with 5 or 6 different instruments is phenominal.

So really I wouldn't get to bent outta shape not being able to write for a full orchestra. Its really a matter of the idea you're trying to get across. I'm willing to bet your music has a personal aesthetic to it. :)

However with regards to your question, I'd study some of the Beethoven Symphonies, La Mer by Debussy, Russian Orchestration (Tchaikovsky, and some Mozart Concertos. I'm not very familar with a lot of modern stuff so you'd have to ask someone else about that. For the most part Orchestral writing deals with the idea of contrast between the musical timbres of the various instruments and the "dialouge" between them. Every instrument doesn't HAVE to play at the same time, they can, but more often then not they don't. Studying some pieces in full or just looking them over will be of great help to you.

I'll leave by saying that the Orchestra is the most public of all musical setting. If your intent is personal then skip the orchestra (unless you're brooding then by all means).