Music Composition

by Dr. Lai Sheung Ping

31st January, 2007

Content

• I. Importance of Music Composition in Education

• II. Principles of Compositional Studies• III. Procedure of Compositional Training in

Classroom• IV. A Good Composition Teacher• V. Materials for Early Composition Lessons• VI. 20th Century Music Vocabulary• VII. Musical References

I. Importance of Music Composition in Education

a. Composition as a U. S. National Content Standard for Music Education

b. Composition as a special type of intelligences

c. Composition as an intellectual investigation of musical styles and languages

d. Composition as a problem-solving discipline

II. Principles of Compositional Studies

1. Motivation

2. Nature vs. nurture

3. Idea and craftsmanship

4. Style does not matter. Quality matters.

5. Life-long learning discipline.

III. Procedure of Compositional Training in Classroom

1. Integration of listening, performing and creating in a music classroom since the primary level.

2. Basic compositional skills taught at the senior secondary level.

3. How much to teach depends upon the availability of time, the musical background of the students, and the learning process of the students.

4. Time needs to be reserved for tutoring of individual compositions.

5. The writing process of each beginner’s composition should be closely monitored. When the student composer becomes more experienced, they could be more independent in their learning.

IV. A Good Composition Teacher

• A good composition teacher = a good composer and a good teacher in one.1. Be well-equipped: having a solid foundation of compositional

techniques. 2. Be caring and be able to communicate with the students.3. Be able to evaluate students’ works based on objective criteria

and to offer solutions to compositional problems.4. Be positive, encouraging and inspiring to students.5. Be open-minded with musical styles and students’ ideas. 6. Be flexible and creative with teaching method.7. Be patient with students’ progress.8. Be willing to spend extra time to tutor students’ compositions

individually.

V. Materials for Early Composition Lessons

• A. Melodic Writing

• Melodic Characteristics

• Tonality and Harmonic Implication in the Melodic Line:

B. Melodic Form

1. Melodic Units

2. Phrase relationship

3. Phrases in Combinations:

C. Harmonic Writing

• Four-part writing is the standard training of harmony, but it is limited to one musical style, the Bach chorale style. Harmonic writing in different styles should be included in the training as well.

• 20th century harmony is based on different types of scales (besides major and minor), different harmonic progression (other than cycle of 5ths) and different harmonic systems (other than tertian). It is a different area of study. Before getting into 20th century harmony, students’ foundation on traditional harmony must first be solid.

D. Form and Style

• Students should be encouraged to practise with different standard formal structures and styles, as well as to explore new forms and styles.

E. Instrumental Writing

1. A variety of textures and patterns of piano writing could be discussed.

2. Students should have a general of knowledge of the range and timbral characteristics of each instrument for which they choose to write. It would be ideal for composers to work closely with performers and write music for them to play.

Writing for Piano Trio(violin, cello and piano)

• Possible combinations of instrumentation within a piano trio:

1. Piano solo

2. Violin solo

3. Cello solo

4. Violin and piano duet

5. Cello and piano duet

6. Violin and cello duet

7. Violin, cello and piano trio

• Any of the three instruments can play the roles of foreground (melody) as well as background (harmonic and rhythmic support). Sometimes, middle ground (countermelody) occurs as well. An interesting sounding trio should involve constant changing of roles and relationships among the instruments.

F. Vocal Writing

1. The same principle of instrumental writing applies to vocal writing.

2. Composer must pay attention to text setting: basically, setting the melody according to the pitch inflection and rhythmic characteristic of the text.

3. There is a limit to the level of complexity in vocal writing which is possible in instrumental writing.

VI. 20th Century Music Vocabulary

• Scales: • Harmony:

• Key Centers: • Rhythm:

• Texture: • Timbre:

• Form: • Styles:

Music Composition References

• Cope, David: New Directions in Music, 5th edition, Wm. C. Brown Publishers, 1989.

• Forte, Allen. The Structure of Atonal Music, Yale University Press, 1973.• Kostka, Stefan: Materials and Techniques of 20th Century Music, Prentice-Ha

ll Inc., 2004. • Morgan, Robert: Anthology of Twentieth-Century Music, W.W. Norton & Co

mpany, Inc., 1992.• Morgan, Robert: Twentieth-Century Music, W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., 1

992.• Persichetti, Vincent: Twentieth-Century Harmony, Faber, 1961.• Schwartz, Elliott and Godfrey, Daneil: Music since 1945: Issues, Materials an

d Literature, Schirmer Books, 1993.• Stone, Kurt: Music Notation in the Twentieth Century, W. W. Norton & Comp

any, Inc. 1980• Turek, Ralph: The Elements of Music, 2nd, McGraw-Hill, 1996.