Information On Composition
 

I have learned many things regarding composition in the past few weeks from various sources. I thought I return the favor to those who helped me on this forum, so here it goes. (Note this is NOT my works, just sharing all that I have found useful).

Melody
A motive is a group of notes around one up-beat. You can compare a motive to a word in the human language. There are three types: lamb, choree, and amphibrach.
Lamb - begins with a down beat and ends with an up beat
Choree - Begins on an up beat and ends on a down beat
Amphibrach - a combination of the first two motives, begins and
ends with a downbeat

2 (Normally) Motives make up phrases (half sentences). They are normally a whole melodic idea in a composition.

I will add the harmony information in a bit, but I'm off to dinner with the lady at the present. Enjoy, and feel free to add or to correct me if I posted anything wrong.

Interesting,


Didn't know the names for it. I often referred to it as on beat, or against the grain.

Sounds intresting...but what is up/down beat?

pick a bpm and tap it with your foot. when your foot goes up that is the up beat, and when your foot hits the ground thats the down beat. classical music is usually on the down beat, and jazz is most common on the up beat

Right.. like..in between beets? Kinda like...that thing reggae guitarsts do?

Where have you read that?

Search for this program called pallete...it explains a lot and also helps with composition. Also search amazon.com for music thoery and order some of the composition books.

Personally I just had an epiphany occur today. Though none of you care it is a very good thing to take into account. I have become bored with music in the past few weeks and have been suffering from major blocks in my own writing. . . One of my best friends brought something up about my approach to music and indeed he was correct though he said it in a very odd way. . . I do take too much of a theorhetical approach which can never be good. . . I was sitting and decided I was going to throw theory out of the window and just do my own thing. . . whenever I did, all of my problems went away. . . including the block on my creativity. Maybe they are not the most choppy or shredtastic licks ever but they are from the bottom of my soul. . . My love of music has once again been renewed. . . Moral: Don't allow theory to encompass everything you do. . . unless it is an area like theory classes, books, or jazz band. . . later people.

Very true, I don't disagree at all, I feel the same way. But I use theory as a reference if I am stuck for a lick or run, or to connect parts of a song , etc.

Best way to write: use both..

Some of my best riffs are so not in a key, it's not even funny

Yeah, thats right.

I had just lost so much for music and all it ended up taking to get me back on the right path ended up being Varg Vikernes. . . well and of course Yo-Yo Ma's quote "learn all that you can about theory then forget it."

that mans a genious at his playing of the bach chello suites. he's very right though, because when you learn all u can about somthing it goes in your head, well mine computes it in terms i understand. so when i sit down and right i dont relize im using theory till afterwords. its pretty weird, but its what sounds natural. but i also worked on my ear for a year and have developed perfect pitch.

Write music using Mod 12 math. Endless possiblities.

I will look into it, I saw your and Mansley's post on the subject. It seemed to be very interesting but semi-boring. You tend to have good advice anyways, later.

Yes, I agree too. Study theory... Play guitar.

Manx

There's no such thing as perfect pitch :)
And theory can help make your songwriting process faster. All in all though, you want to write by ear.