Product Description

Write the songs that make the whole world sing.

A step-by-step guide to writing music, this book shows musicians how to compose simple chord progressions and melodies, and leads them through more advanced compositional techniques and musical forms. Designed for composers of all types of music, it includes instruction on composing stand-alone melodies, using different scales and modes, themes and variations, orchestration, and composing for film, theater, and videogames.
-Perfect complement to The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Music Theory and The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Songwriting
-Includes a comprehensive glossary of musical terms, as well as an appendix of various computer-based composition tools
-Easy-to-use oversize trim

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #10003 in Books
• Published on: 2005-10-04
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 288 pages

About the Author
Michael Miller attended the prestigious Jazz Studies Program at the Indiana University School of Music. A former percussion instructor and working drummer, he is also an accomplished composer and arranger. He is the author of more than 30 books, including The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Playing Drums, Second Edition, The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Music Theory, Second Edition, The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Singing, and The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Solos and Improvisation.

Customer Reviews

Well-written, focused on the conventional
This is a well-written introduction to traditional composition. The examples are plentiful and nicely illustrate the concepts being discussed and the organization of the book has been carefully thought through. I only have a few complaints/reservations about recommending the book:


First, the book is very much focused on traditional composition techniques. That's the author's intention, and that's great for most people. However, if you're looking for a book that will help you understand the structure of modern (non-pop) music, there are probably better resources. (That said, if you have *no* background in composition, I think it is wise to read this book before trying to do unconventional things... as in, understand the rules before you break them). The author has little interest in electronica and non-diatonic compositions, so if you're looking to compose NIN- or Slayer-like stuff, then you won't be using many of the tools described in this book (though you will use some of them). There *is* a chapter on non-diatonic/chromatic composition, but the author treats these techniques primarily as a means of "spicing up" a traditional composition, rather than a separate approach to composition all together.

Second, the author's examples and approach assume that the reader has/plays the piano or keys. I am a guitarist, and while I understand that illustrating harmony/melody combinations or counterpoint, etc. is most easily done with the piano (assuming a single musician), it would be nice if the examples were chosen to be a little more generalizable. I also think one would have a very difficult time trying to work the examples in this book with any instrument that cannot play chords. Again, this is reasonable given the topic, but prospective buyers/readers should understand ahead of time.

Finally, the author seems a little unsure of where to begin with music theory. On the one hand, he asserts that readers should have a basic understanding of theory (and repeatedly endorses his own book on the topic... blech). However, some of the material covered in the text seems rather basic. Perhaps the overlap between theory and composition is just to gray to make a clean division, but I found the pace of discussion on theory a little uneven.

Overall, a good book and worth the price. Just be aware of the author's intent and the scope of the book before you buy.

great book
I have just read this book completely. I think its a great book with expert ideas. Excellent choice from beginner to intermediate composers.

Simple training for a complex topic
I'm an advanced right brained musician (I've been playing for 20 years but never really gave much thought to theory). This book was just the thing to connect that other side of the brain and now I can start forming some structure out of my playing. The book takes a complex subject and boils it down to the necessities. It's got to be tough to describe abstract concepts like musical phrasing but this book does a good job. Get it if you want to write songs, or even if you just like to jam.