A new musician....

Hello, I'm somewhat new to music (I picked up my first instrument [guitar] one year ago now), but I now spend mostly all of my time working on improving my musical abilities. My music isn't really completed with compositional structure, but I have a very large interest in adding compositional components to my music. I guess the problem is I don't know where to start. I guess I'm at the bottom of the compositional totem pole and looking for ways to go up. Can anyone help me?

I have examples of music I can show, but I wouldn't know where to post them in this forum because they're not compositional pieces. Where would I be able to put them up (or can I even?)?

If it's electric or acoustic you should put it in the rock/band/pop section. If it's classical guitar put it in chamber music.

And start with harmony, it's the most practical for single instruments, you will find it will add a LOT to your music. And it's like chess, easy to learn, hard to master. If you play guitar, chances are you already know the basics.

If it's electric or acoustic you should put it in the rock/band/pop section. If it's classical guitar put it in chamber music.

And start with harmony, it's the most practical for single instruments, you will find it will add a LOT to your music. And it's like chess, easy to learn, hard to master. If you play guitar, chances are you already know the basics.

Actually I play more then one instrument (sorry I should've mentioned this in the original post); I play keyboard as well. I'm also familiar with a lot of basic concepts of musical theory, such as harmony, timing, key and modes. I mostly use the keyboard to create chords, but I know how to do it for the guitar as well. I'll post a track or two in the rock/band/pop section, though my music is quite far from rock or pop.

I'm also familiar with a lot of basic concepts of musical theory, such as harmony, timing, key and modes

Then I suggest the following subjects/articles

Counterpoint:

Dolmetsch Online - Music Theory Online - Counterpoint

http://www.youngcomposers.com/forum/crash-course-writing-fugues-3412.html

Non-Harmonic Tones:

Non-Chord Tones

Modulation

Tonicization

Modulation

You should also invest in Piston's books on Harmony, Counterpoint and Orchestration.

Dolmetsch Online - Music Theory Online Index Here's a site with other theory articles and you should apply for a lesson http://www.youngcomposers.com/forum/sign-up-here-6908.html#post94167 here.

Btw, what's your genre? sorry for assuming it was rock or classical guitar.

Then I suggest the following subjects/articles

Counterpoint:

Dolmetsch Online - Music Theory Online - Counterpoint

http://www.youngcomposers.com/forum/crash-course-writing-fugues-3412.html

Non-Harmonic Tones:

Non-Chord Tones

Modulation

Tonicization

Modulation

You should also invest in Piston's books on Harmony, Counterpoint and Orchestration.

Dolmetsch Online - Music Theory Online Index Here's a site with other theory articles and you should apply for a lesson http://www.youngcomposers.com/forum/sign-up-here-6908.html#post94167 here.

Btw, what's your genre? sorry for assuming it was rock or classical guitar.

Thank you very much for the info and links, I'll definately put all of that to good use. Don't worry about apologizing also, I took no offense; you have no idea who I am, I don't expect you to know what I do (thank you for being courteous though). My genre is kind of hard to describe. My music is mainly influenced by Pink Floyd, Brian Eno, Sigur Ros and Radiohead, so my work has a lot of ambient qualities, but I don't think it can simply be classified as strictly ambient. I think the only genre it truely fits under is instrumental, but that is a very wide ranging genre, and doesn't really describe the feel of the music. I actually can't post any of my current work either because all of my files exceed 3.0 MB. I may make a clip of one of my tracks and post that though so I can at least show you something.

You can upload your files for free at SoundClick - Free MP3 music download and much, much more., at iCompositions - Home, or at 5GB of free space to upload and share your files, photos, videos and music - eSnips.com for free, even if they're over 3mb (esnips has a high file size limit). Then you can post a link to the file. Welcome to YC! :)

You can upload your files for free at SoundClick - Free MP3 music download and much, much more., at iCompositions - Home, or at 5GB of free space to upload and share your files, photos, videos and music - eSnips.com for free, even if they're over 3mb (esnips has a high file size limit). Then you can post a link to the file. Welcome to YC! :)

Thank you. Should I post the link in the pop/rock section, or is there somewhere else I should do that?

Should I post the link in the pop/rock section

Or the Experimental/Atonal/Avant Garde section, I think yours would fit there quite nicely from your influences. It still technicly fits in the rock section since progressive/art rock (Ala Pink Floyd and Radiohead) still has it's roots in rock. Btw if I can make a reccomendation, you should look around for a few King Crimson albums, their style is more chaotic and dissonent (Very much Proto-Metal) but still ambient and very very complex.

I wouldn't look at fugues until you're really up to scratch basic counterpoint and harmony. Those recommended books are really aimed at university students and people who are already fairly proficient in composition.

I suggest you start by getting hold of the scores of pieces you like, and composers you admire, and listen and analyse. Start with simple solo keyboard/guitar works. Ask yourself how the composer is achieving the various effects, look at the sort of melodies they're using (are they stepwise, or leaping? Do they repeat phrases? Are they using the same little patterns again and again? etc. etc.), the harmonies they're employing, and then try to come up with your own, similar sounding ideas and compositions.

You won't be able to imitate exactly, or come up with things that sound exactly like the person who you're copying, but it's a good way to start, to see what works. Make notes, they'll help. Invest in a notation program for your computer. Listen to lots of music.

That's really excellent advice! I talked with a guy named Jerry Luckhardt who conducts a college band in MN (lucky me) and he told me to listen to as much music as I could. Another thing is to start small, like Zetetic said. Once you feel you have a good start on a piece, this website is a sweet place to show other composers what you've made. Once you think you've got a nice piece of music, I think getting it performed would be the next step. You could either learn to conduct it yourself (if it needs conducting) or, you could have someone else conduct. lol I'm probably stating the obvious here.

I actually have Sibelius, but I haven't done too much work in it yet. I actually don't know much music that has a score since I don't listen to much classical music. I guess that is where I should start. I do know some, and I know what I've heard I've loved, but I don't know specific composers and haven't really taken a deep look at it. Listening to the music is very key though, I must agree. I listen to Pink Floyd, Brian Eno, Radiohead and Sigur Ros and analyze how they make their music, and that has got me where I am today. Any suggestions on composers that I should listen to?

Listen to composers you like. There's no more than that really. Then listen to the works of related artists, those who inspired those composers, and those who were inspired by them.

I suggest you start either by looking at very early Mozart piano compositions (which have a very specific and noticeable 'feel'), and perhaps some of the easier Bach keyboard works (the short organ preludes, some of the notenbuch works). . . if you want to write rock/pop music however, these probably won't be of a great deal of help. Ultimately it boils down to what you like. I'd recommend you shove some stuff by these guys onto your CD/mp3 player: Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin, Mahler, Rachmaninoff and John Cage. They'll help give you a broad overview of 'classical' music, from Baroque to Experimental. You could probably find some free files on the internet if you're a cheapskate. Maybe listen to a Classical Radio station? See what you like, then find related people. Start simple. Ask lots of questions, most of all, to yourself.

I actually don't know much music that has a score

Acctually both Pink Floyd and Radiohead have a lot of their music in midi format... I wouldn't reccomend the Pink Floyd ones though, to this day I still haven't found one that's any good.

Well. I would first learn some basic chord progressions. Then maybe get into more complex harmony. I don't know what to say though. I stick to noramal avant-garde classical compositions though. But that is how i started.

I'm sorry I haven't posted in a little while, I've been busy. I realize now that Radiohead and Pink Floyd have their music in the form of a score because they have tab books which come with notation. I'm still not familiar with any particular composers, but I'll continue to work on that until I find what I enjoy most.

I also have to apologize because I have yet to post any of my work. I work on music a lot so I improve somewhat quickly, and since I've been working on it such a short time overall, I grow unsatisfied with my prior work as I grow as a musician because it's simply no longer the limits of what I'm capable of. I will still post some of my work so you have an idea of where I am, but I'll try and make something new as well to put up.

I did just realize today though that with the demo of Sibelius I can't save any of my scores, so I really won't be able to accomplish that much with the program just yet. Hopefully soon I'll be able to get the full version.

Btw if I can make a reccomendation, you should look around for a few King Crimson albums, their style is more chaotic and dissonent (Very much Proto-Metal) but still ambient and very very complex.

Or is it?

Well it is for at least one album.

I second the recomendation. Don't turn away from them because you find something you don't like. King Crimson might as well be several different bands they sound so different sometimes.

early 70s was progish

late 70s was heavy metalish rock

80s was polyrythm rock

90s are kind of like the late 70s, but not as cool

00s is kind of ambient, I don't like it so much

They have a ton of stuff to listen to.