Music Teacher - Quick tips for starting a composition

BEFORE YOU START

Provide a brief. Something quite loose and flexible is fine, but it's always far easier to plan a journey when you know the destination. Include as much detail as you want.

Set targets. Get learners to think about what the final composition has got to achieve, and then break down the process into achievable targets with deadlines. Imagine they are writing for a client – a TV producer or performing artist. What do they want, and when?

Inspire with listening. Ask them to make a short listening list of pieces that are similar to the piece they want to write. All composers borrow ideas!

Use whatever tools work best. Some students will take to composition software, but others may just want to play, scribble on paper or sing into their phone. Find the way that works best.

IN THE EARLY DAYS

Work on ‘germ’ ideas. These could include a melodic phrase, a two- or three-chord pattern, a bass line, a rhythm, a sound or just a couple of notes. Keep ideas short and don't expect to use them all.

Have a key or a scale in mind. This could define the style – will it be diatonic, chromatic, pentatonic or modal?

Let early ideas evolve by themselves. If a style emerges, run with it, but don't force it. Make the principal ideas as strong as possible and spend time on them, rather than writing too much too early.

Melody is king! Focus on writing one or two strong melodies. Use targeted listening to nail down the characteristics – balance the phrases, the step and leap, the rise and fall.

Have the instrument(s) in mind that you're writing for. If you are writing for a specific instrument or voice, make sure that your material is appropriate for it.

Have a basic structure in mind. Just like a painter or an architect, a composer should know what the rough ‘dimensions’ of the finished composition will be. Manage your space wisely but allow for flexibility.

AS THE COMPOSITION GROWS

Use as little material as possible. Develop just two or three strong ideas – maybe one chord sequence, a couple of melodies, a rhythmic idea or a riff. Pop songs, for example, frequently use just one chord progression all the way through – the variety is in the melody.

Work on melody, harmony and rhythm. Work with just one or two instruments and focus on the important elements. The arrangement can come later – don't map out a massive list of instruments and sounds before writing a note.

Repeat and balance with small changes. If the material is strong enough, it will stand the test of being repeated – the trick is to balance this repetition with small incremental changes. Listen to Coldplay's ‘Clocks’ for an example.