Product Details
Composing Music: A New Approach

Composing Music: A New Approach
By William Russo, Jeffrey Ainis, David Stevenson

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Product Description

Aimed at those who have some knowledge of music but not formal training in composition, this concise introduction to composing starts right in with a brief composition exercise, then proceeds step by step through a series of increasingly complex and challenging problems, gradually expanding the student's musical grammar.

"This is a wonderful book for anyone who is developing improvising skills or who would like a fun way to explore music."—Jim Stockford, Co-Evolution Quarterly

Product Details

  • Amazon Sales Rank: #71717 in Books
  • Published on: 1988-02-15
  • Original language: English
  • Number of items: 1
  • Binding: Plastic Comb
  • 240 pages

Customer Reviews

a wonderful tool for composing5
This book was very helpful to me; the excercizes have you writing right away, and I liked that- learning by doing. I had very little technical knowledge when I started, but it didn't hinder me from understanding and using this book. I think this is an excellent starting point for someone just learning to compose. It is encouraging to be writing right away, especially when something ends up sounding good. I never thought I could write music!

An excellent self-teaching method for aspiring composers5
I picked this book up a few years ago, and am still getting a lot out of the exercises. The processes used are very refreshing, from a music student's perspective. The approach is from the view of more contemporary music, and the text leaves out the stuffy, "unnecessary" theory. If you want to study theory, get a theory book.

This book is designed to teach the individual who has little experience outside of very basic music fundamentals. From the first page you'll be writing "mini-compositions". The book works through the following concepts (chapter by chapter):

1. The Cell, the Row, and Some Scales
2. Harmony (I)
3. Transformation
4. The Small Theme and the Large Theme
5. More Scales and teh 12-tone Row
6 Isomelody and Isorhythm, Combined
7. Ostinato
8. Accompaniment Procedures
9. Harmony (II)
10. Counterpoint
11. Organum
12. Imitation: A Useful Game
13. Words and Music
14. Picture Music
15. Popular Music as a Source
16. Minimalism

Although you certainly don't need to have advanced theory knowledge to make use of this book, once you do gain those skills, the book will prove that much more helpful.

Nice book-Gave me Ideas5
If you are a real musician or lyricist, this book will help inspire you and give you some background in the format of western pop music. I recommend this book to any seroius songwriter, but please no more songs about butterflies!