Learning to compose music is a journey. Like any journey you have to start with a first step. Some people say that you cannot "learn" to compose. The main reason they say this is because they have difficulty describing what it is to compose. They say you can learn technique, and you can learn music theory. But its the other stuff... the creativity and inspiration that you can't learn.
When really start to think about it, not one person on this earth started knowing anything about how to compose music. All of the great composers were born, and at some point, learned how to compose. If they didn't "learn" then how did they get from point A, not knowing anything about composing, to point B, being a composer.
The problem that most people have is not that they don't have the ability to learn to compose. All of the great composers throughout history had teachers. It may not been a teacher in person, or may not have been a book about the subject, but they had teachers. Ernst Toch use to take bits of string quartets and try to complete them the way the original composer would have. He would then go back and check to see what he did different and why.
Where most of these people have failed is not at the base assumption that music can't be taught. Instead, they have failed in their own dedication to becoming great composers. Its not that they don't enjoy composing, or they are not putting in enough hours. Its more that they don't know what is required to truly master a subject. This dedication cannot be misdirected.
Most of the stuff peeople spend time composing, while it may be fun and a release, won't necessarily improve their composition skills. You have to focus on things like four part harmony, and counterpoint - things that aren't inherently fun, and you need to do them enough to get them down.
The best way to do this is through composing a lot. But not just any type of composing... directed compositional exercises. Do you ever wonder why Beethoven, Mozart and Haydn got to where they are? Its because they had to write a lot of music. And it had to be decent. This gave them a lot of opportunity to experiment with different techniques and harmonies until they were comfortable with them. So go compose a lot and make yourself a better composer with focus and dedication.
When really start to think about it, not one person on this earth started knowing anything about how to compose music. All of the great composers were born, and at some point, learned how to compose. If they didn't "learn" then how did they get from point A, not knowing anything about composing, to point B, being a composer.
The problem that most people have is not that they don't have the ability to learn to compose. All of the great composers throughout history had teachers. It may not been a teacher in person, or may not have been a book about the subject, but they had teachers. Ernst Toch use to take bits of string quartets and try to complete them the way the original composer would have. He would then go back and check to see what he did different and why.
Where most of these people have failed is not at the base assumption that music can't be taught. Instead, they have failed in their own dedication to becoming great composers. Its not that they don't enjoy composing, or they are not putting in enough hours. Its more that they don't know what is required to truly master a subject. This dedication cannot be misdirected.
Most of the stuff peeople spend time composing, while it may be fun and a release, won't necessarily improve their composition skills. You have to focus on things like four part harmony, and counterpoint - things that aren't inherently fun, and you need to do them enough to get them down.
The best way to do this is through composing a lot. But not just any type of composing... directed compositional exercises. Do you ever wonder why Beethoven, Mozart and Haydn got to where they are? Its because they had to write a lot of music. And it had to be decent. This gave them a lot of opportunity to experiment with different techniques and harmonies until they were comfortable with them. So go compose a lot and make yourself a better composer with focus and dedication.
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Learn more about how to compose music. If you are curious about harmony, you should read this article ondiatonic harmony and how to improve as a composer.