7/18/2019 Tips to Compose Music

1/1

TIPS TO COMPOSE MUSIC:

1. Write a 16 bar theme in the key of C - but NEVER allow a. the melody to usethe tonic or b. never include the tonic in root position. 2. Write a melody thatadheres strictly to key and good voice leading. Harmonize the melody serially or using only harmonic material from a distant key. 3. Compose a set of melodic variations over a. a standard ground base, or b. the ground base of the omnibus progression. 4. Choose a hymn text that follows a standard pattern of hymnody (87.87, 76.76. 11 11.11 11, etc...) and write a completely 4 part hymn tune that utilizes at least one inversion or retrograde of the original melodic material. 5.Write a set of theme and variations in asymmetrical meter. 6. Write a set of theme and variations using only the octatonic scale. For an extra challenge, designate rules for modal and transpositional shifts to the scalar material (HWHWHWHWvs WHWHWHWH etc.)