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Looking for advice in studying composition
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| jsrobinson |
Hi all,
So I'm coming to realize one of my weakest areas, unsurprisingly, is outright composition. I've studied a lot of music theory over the last few months, and need some help putting it into composition perspective.
I'm mainly focusing on Psytrance. Instead of more block chords, it's an interplay between phrases and instruments.
Can anyone recommend a good place to start? I've seen it mentioned to study classical, which makes perfect sense. Is there anything I should be doing in addition to just listening in regards to study?
I suppose I'm just not sure what to focus on to most efficiently use my study time while trying to become more skilled. Thanks for any advice guys. |
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| chris marsh |
hey
do you play piano?
if not i would recommend it. I started about a year a half ago with the view to help my productions (on a little 2 octave plastic keyboard :)
now i take lessons and i just took my jazz grade 1 exam, so early days but i think it really helps + the piano is a great way to put music theory into practice and to understand it as its laid out in a very user friendly way (compared to the guitar etc)
plus i cant see myself still trying to produce electronic music when im fifty but could imagine myself playing some piano :)
learning some basic jazz is a great way to start to help understanding: interplay, shell harmony, improvisation, rhythm etc etc etc |
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| cryophonik |
| quote: | Originally posted by jsrobinson
I've studied a lot of music theory over the last few months, and need some help putting it into composition perspective.
I've seen it mentioned to study classical, which makes perfect sense. |
Studying classical music is the same as studying music theory. You're just studying how music was made, which, as you are starting to see, is NOT the same as composition. Music theory is essentially the "language" of music, composition is the creation of music. That's why they are taught as separate (but interrelated) disciplines in most college curriculums.
| quote: | Originally posted by jsrobinson
I'm mainly focusing on Psytrance. |
You don't need to study composition to make psytrance. If you are going to study composition, you should challenge yourself to understand and compose a wider variety of music and more advanced music, not one sub-genre that is based on very basic and simple harmonies/melodies. The people who compose psytrance are not highly skilled composers - not that that makes it bad music if you happen to enjoy it, but it doesn't require studying composition to emulate it.
You would be better off working on your ear-training skills (i.e., ability to figure out songs that you hear) and, as Chris suggested, learning an instrument, particularly piano. Between having a working knowledge of theory, a decently trained ear, and the ability to play the piano, you'll be more than set to make psytrance. The rest of it is just listening to enough psytrance to be able to identify the defining characteristics, which you've presumably already done, and sound design to synthesize the sounds used in that style, which you won't learn from studying composition. |
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| Looney4Clooney |
as cryo said, composition is more the study of form. The process, wether making music , writing a book or drawing is somewhat similar. I also think it isn't really going to pay off learning classical composition.
But if you are interested, the process is easy just like anything. Look at what has been done, try to dissect it and find the common elements, rinse and repeat. Do that for 20 years. |
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| jsrobinson |
Right on, thanks guys. I've been working to improve my keyboard skills.
I have all major and minor chords starting to get under my hands after a little bit of solid practice at least. Inversions are another story. |
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| Looney4Clooney |
i have played piano for a really really long time and have taught enough people that i would say, doing arpeggios and scales , in a technical manner not that helpful. Like alot of people just play them without thinking. And then their hands do the work, not their brains, and they don't really know what they doing.
So if you plan to learn piano, well i'm assuming it is to help make music, not to be a piano god, take the time to do everything slower, and really think about what you are playing. What note you are playing, the relationship between al the intervals. Go slow , use 1 hand and really make your brain thinking about what you are doing. Don't try to learn all of them. Focus on one or 2 keys.
But being able to do this
http://youtu.be/y-QrSc_Jw3g
after 10 drinks and having trouble not saying jokes that undermine the jew and the poles at a party will never fail to steal everyones thunder. It is funnier if you make bee sounds and stop sometimes and slap the closest ass and say , gotcha. Preferably female. And then handstand on the bench, backflip , and land on your back. Every in that room is now yours. |
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