Product Description

Musical composition is a key discipline in music programs in conservatories, colleges, and universities. Many teachers consider it as important in the development of young musicians as listening and performance. It can be argued that through compositions musicians achieve the deepest insight into the composer and his music. Musical Composition takes the student through the elements--melody, harmony, counterpoint, and rhythm--before covering a variety of special subjects such as writing vocal and choral music, accompaniments, and film and TV music. Chapters are devoted to recent techniques including free diatonicism, serialism, and indeterminacy. Over 200 examples illustrate points in the text and there are exercises for each chapter.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #411947 in Books
• Published on: 1986-11-06
• Released on: 2007-12-03
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 188 pages

Review
'The format is excellent and there are many well-chosen music examples to illustrate matters discussed in the text.' Eric Leigh Music Teacher

'a splendid book, unfailingly well-written, chock full of sound advice and practical help, a highly-concentrated 'course' of musical composition which every fledgling (and other, more established figures) would do well to read...No composer can finish this book without emerging a more finished artist than he was when he began it.' Music and Musicians

Customer Reviews

great read and methodology for novice to advanced composers
I highly recommend this wonderful book. I have used it myself to teach beginning composition lessons, and used it as a reference many times for advanced analysis and composition. It's a real down-to-earth read that can be absorbed quickly while retaining many great composition "rules of thumb". Only a moderate understanding of music theory is needed to grasp concepts within the book. Great exercises in the back of the book.

good book for the beginning composer
This book is a nice sketch idea of how to compose in a small ensemble or solo setting. the examples given are of good quality and obviously very thoughtful. I would recommend this book for beginning composers. The short chapters provide enough details to understand most topics. For a more mature developing composer, I would recommend Techniques of a Modern Composer by David Cope as well as 20th Century Harmony by Vincent Persechetti. Also, nothing really helps understanding composition than just studying the masters! if you need a good book to help you get started, however, this book definately fits the bill.

An excelent book for composers
This book covers almost every aspect that the composers are looking for. It is a book for composers indeed! It's a book of sound roules. Examine the techniques of the 20th century showing exactly how it will sound the work and how the parts will interact as a form.

Mr Brindle is a composer and that's why composers will welcome this book. It talk in the same idiom that composers want. It gives the harmonic and composition techniques but it shows the pourpose of it. The roules that he shows are taked from his own impresions and analisis,not from other books of theorics writers.

The contemporary techniques(Free pentatonic music,pandiatonicism,impresionism,polytonality, tonal contradiction,interval harmony etc.etc.) are stated very cleverly.

It has,also,a chapter devoted to choir writting that explain,as I have never seen before,this technique,and is so good that you think that the choir writting is easy after that.

I'm a composer,and I'm always seeking for good boks on the subyect of composition. This one will belong on my library forever.

ferreyramarcelo@usa.net