How to Write Music, Part 3

by David Doty

How do composers write music for instruments they don’t play?

Paper is cheap. Ink is cheap. Couldn’t composers just sprinkle droplets of ink on a piece of paper, hand it to a performer, and presto! (or andante, adagio, whatever), the piece gets performed?

Try this and a couple of things could happen:

The piece gets performed. It might not sound anything like what you had imagined or desired, but it gets performed nevertheless. Mission accomplished.

The piece receives no performance. Congratulations, you have another composition for the shelf.

Or worse yet, whether the piece gets performed or not, the performer(s) refuse(s) to work with you ever again. Not good!

Composers face multiple challenges when writing music, for performance at least, for instruments they cannot play and vocal parts they cannot sing. Assuming the composer wishes to continue receiving performances, if not also commissions, what should he or she do? The answer:

Consultation.

Composers don’t consult with performers for a variety of poor reasons. Perhaps they’re arrogant, lazy, or downright insensitive, bordering on the sadistic. Sometimes composers think they are too busy or too shy. But consultation with performers is key (no pun intended) to learning how to write for unfamiliar instruments and vocal parts. How should composers do consultation? I recommend the following:  

• Do Your Homework First. It will help to consult books on orchestration, musical scores, and recordings before meeting with performers. Time spent consulting is time away from practicing or teaching, so respect performers’ time. They will be glad if you do.

• Write Some Sketches. Come to a consultation appointment with sketches in hand. You want to learn how the instrument / vocalist sounds in various registers, playing various rhythms, articulations and dynamics, and what your particular performer(s) are capable of playing. It will help your performer(s) give you useful feedback if you share something of what you have in mind.

• Ask Them to Play Something. Many performers will also be happy to play selections of their repertoire for you, giving you further opportunity to discern their skill level and to imagine new possibilities.

By consulting with performers you not only show them respect, but you also receive the opportunity to learn important information leading to better compositions, more performances, and more enjoyment of the gift of music. It assures that you won’t write anything too easy or too challenging for your performers, and it may also provide you with inspiration, an invaluable tool for overcoming dreaded writer’s block.

Your Takeaway. What experiences have you had consulting about new compositions, whether as a composer or performer? Or, even if you’ve never consulted, what value do you think such consultation adds? Share your thoughts with a comment.

Epikos Under Construction

A picture is worth a thousand words... or notes?

This is a photograph of sketches for a piece that I wrote called "Epikos" after the Greek word for "epic" or "journey" (Who said "Epic fail" !?!). The piece was performed by the NOISE quartet at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. This piece dealt with non-linear processes, but I'll save more on that for another time. 

How to Write Music, Part 2

In the previous How to Write Music post we discused the two main approaches to writing music, the Outside-In approach, working from the outside or the big picture (structure, instrumentation, duration, etc.) and the Inside-Out approach, developing a motif, hook, riff, etc. Regardless of which starting point you choose, some point you will need to decide between static and dymanic for any given musical element. What do I mean?

Static describes any element that remains constant or changes very little over the course of the piece. A vocal solo for soprano with piano accompaniment remains static in terms of instrumentation if both produce sound throughout a song. Dynamic, of course, means change. Change may be applied to rhythmic patterns, harmonic progressions, tempo, dynamics, and more. Static and dynamic are opposite poles of a continuum such that we must speak in relative terms. The texture of a minimalist composition from say, Philip Glass, is more static than the storm and stress of a Beethoven symphony.

To improve your music listening skills, as you listen, try to identify what musical elements are dynamic and which are more static. Is there a particular rhythmic patter that defines the piece? Is there an element of ear candy used throughout? Does it change during the bridge?  

To go to the next post in this series, click here.  

How to Write Music, Part 1

by David Doty

There are two primary approaches to writing music: Outside-In and Inside-Out.

The Outside-In approach begins with the macro, the big picture. It involves planning the structural elements, instrumentation, duration, etc. before getting down to actual pitches, rhythms, melodies and harmonies, etc. This is a great approach if you want to work with elements of hypermeter and large form structure, such as the intentional use of the golden mean as a compositional device. For many, however, this approach may be too abstract.

The other approach, Inside-Out, begins with a germ… (*cough*) a brief, simple idea which the composer builds upon. This could be a guitar riff, an ornament, a hook, or a tag line. It could be a twelve tone row, a pitch cluster, a mode, or a scale. Or it could even be a sound, recorded or generated, that you modulate, interpolate, transpose and in all manner of electronic music mutilate into a sonic mind-blowing odyssey.

In my own composing I enjoy employing a combination of both approaches. A solely Inside-Out approach can get one stuck quickly (and turn one’s composition into a type of minimalism when undesired) while an Outside-In composition sometimes feels impossible to start without some sort of kernel from which to work. I like starting with such a kernel, then stepping back and asking, "Now, what's going to happen to this idea throughout the course of the piece?"

This is to say there’s no right way to write music. The important thing is to start. The Chinese have a saying, “The longest journey begins with a single step.” The longest composition is no different. It begins with a choice: What happens first?


Click Here to go to "How to Write Music, Part 2." 

On Commissioning New Music

Any organization, ensemble, performer, or person can commission a composer to write new music. The process of commissioning varies from composer to composer. But before we look at how one generally goes about commissioning a composer, perhaps we ought to consider why. Why would anyone want to pay a composer to write music?

Why not?

Some new musical works have been commissioned in memory of loved ones or on the occasion of an important event in the life of an individual or organization, such as a birthday, anniversary, dedication, expansion, or other significant milestone.

Musical performers and performing groups often commission new works to expand their repertoire or find new musical challenges. They may also commission and premiere new works to stimulate interest and draw audiences to their performances.

Others, such as music aficionados and patrons of the arts, commission new works in order to be involved in the production of music and beauty, a means by which the non-musical can make music.

And then there is always the insatiable desire for something new. The eye never has enough of seeing, nor the ear enough of listening. Composers love writing new music (or we would find something else to do) and new music is, well, cool because it’s new.

Now that we have looked at some of the reasons for commissioning composers to write new music, how is it done? Generally, the interested party contacts the composer and begins a process of negotiation. The commissioning party typically has an idea in mind for the duration and instrumentation of the piece, whether a vocal solo, choral work, symphony, etc., although this is by no means a rule. The composer may also suggest instrumentation and duration based upon the commissioning party’s goals and resources. After agreeing on the duration and instrumentation for the new piece, the two parties negotiate the composer’s fee. Some composers have set fees for works with given parameters while others are more flexible. Often on larger projects the composer will require half of the fee in advance to begin composing with the remainder of the fee due upon its completion. The composer may also charge a fee for the production of the score and parts (as for a large ensemble, such as symphony orchestra or chorus) but usually the cost for these is included in the composer’s fee.

Normally, the composer retains all rights of the composition. The commissioning party receives recognition for commissioning of the composition, including the date of commission and the occasion. This information is included at the top of the first page of every score and every part and will be included in the program of the performance. Typically, the commissioning party either is the performer or performing ensemble, or is already in contact with the performer(s) who will premiere the composition before commissioning the composer to write. In some instances the composer may also assist with arranging the premiere of the new piece, but this is decided on a case by case basis.

New Music Quote

"More people prefer contemporary music to the leading brand." - David M. Gordon