hi everyone,
I wanted to know how people compose songs as i want to start composing. I know about form -ABA AABA ABBA. But i want to know some more stuff about composing - have you got any advice
Thanks PR

When I compose something, I think of the style of music I want it to be, and sit at my piano and just let any random tunes come into my head, and I experiment with loads of different tunes and 9 times out of 10 the tunes will fit with the music I have given. Sorry this probably isn't very helpful, but it works for me, and not to be bragging, but, I've got A*'s for my compositions (I'm doing music GCSE) so it works!
Research different styles etc.
I find the best way is just to improvise a tune in your head, or by singing it in a certain style, as this works for me, and you get a good, musical tune most of the time!

That's exactly what I do, except I have a little dictophone turned on when I'm experimenting - thataway if I play something I like, I have it recorded, can go back over it, work on it, write it down etc.

I know there are composing classes people can take at night or whatever, but I found, for me, it was just to sit down and 'mess' around, and thats how I started writing songs / instrumental stuff.

I've already composed a few tunes, one of which i played at a festival and got 84/100 which beat loads of people who were playing songs from abrsm syllabus.

Well it seems like your already quite an accomplished composer, but then there is always more to learn.

My advice is that you sit down have a little think and play around, it doesn't have to be complicated, you could improve it later. Always have some manuscript ready as well so you can write it down.

What I'm beginnig to learn after many years of messing around is: don't force yourself to find a nice melody when you don't feel like composing. It's not just a job to get rid of. It's a language you can use to create stories about feelings. Whenever inventing music, never cease to see it as something human: be in it, and move yourself around in it. This isn't something you can do just at once; you have to grow your own musical person.
Listening to some music you like can be a way to get in the right mood: after hearing the composers voice, just try to answer in your own way.

Actually some of the greatest music was composed by people for whom it was a job, to be done to a deadline (though perhaps not "just a job"). Think of J S Bach, starting a cantata on Monday, getting parts ready for the rehearsal (Friday? or did that become the traditional choir practice evening later?) and performing it on Sunday; or Haydn when his employer wanted a new baryton trio, string quartet or symphony.

Woo hoo nearly finnished my first work. No names just yet, any suggestions? A little inspiration, this is one of the themes.

FGA.....................AGF.........E...D...DFF.........

It probably sounds nothing like what I intended it to but have a go!

I guess that with practice and enormous talent that can be done, but not all of us have those blessings

I don't know, you compose a great deal better than I do

Actually some of the greatest music was composed by people for whom it was a job, to be done to a deadline (though perhaps not "just a job"). (...)

[/quote]
I guess that with practice and enormous talent that can be done, but not all of us have those blessings

[/quote]

That's right; my advice was meant for non-advanced composers, who have not yet developed this 'musical person'. "Star composers" like Bach, Haydn, Mozart, Telemann as well as many contemporain musicians can smoothly slip into the right mood for composing; perhaps they even never really get out of it ! (Little Tchaikowsky used to complain to his mother that he couldn't get rid of all that music in his head.) In that case, stress can enhance productivity. But I don't believe those great composers could write their most original masterpieces while watching Jerry Springer on TV. It's a psychological matter.

I find it helpful to choose a chord sequence and i produce a melody which matches with the chord sequence then i can elaborate more on the chords after. For instance i won't play them as block or broken chords but find a different bass line. I have got a predicted A* by my music teacher and have won composition in school events for the past four years so it's worked for me! I just start with maybe four chords such as C A D and G then make up a little melody then i develop the chords I change them and put them not necessarily in the tonic position but maybe starting on the dominant note (if its C chord then i'd start on G [G,C and e]then i sometimes put the chords in the treble clef as well as the bass clef.
Sorry If thats really confusing! But thats how I compose my songs i find it easier to compsoe by improvising every time i practice- i just make up a random song and its helped my composing to develop! Em xxxx

I always go about it exactly the opposite way! I guess everyone has different approaches which work for them though... None of my compositions came out very well where I tried to do chords first. I always find my melody ends up really boring because I just think of the first thing that fits the chords!

Rosie, I work how you do.... I guess it depends how your brain works. I'm definitely a melody/counter-melody/contraopuntal texture person, and find it hard to compose chordally and to think chordally.