Studying Composition

[gregorym]

Great stuff, man. Really, really good. Like someone else said, I think you’re good to go!

Thanks Brian! I appreciate you listening.

Have a good one,
Greg

[gregorym]

Does anyone have suggestions for books, videos or any education material that deal with the subject of music composition?

I have a few books on the subject, but I don't have any videos. Any resource that really got you excited, please share.

Thanks,
Greg

As for Latin, I've made all my videos free. Some of the books are free as well.

https://salsablanca.com/lessons

and yes, I'm published and have had hits (in Latin America, not here yet

Wow. this is awesome! Thank you, tresero! I've been looking for this educational material since the 90's when I fell in love with Tito Puente's music.

[tresero]

Does anyone have suggestions for books, videos or any education material that deal with the subject of music composition?

I have a few books on the subject, but I don't have any videos. Any resource that really got you excited, please share.

Thanks,
Greg

As for Latin, I've made all my videos free. Some of the books are free as well.

https://salsablanca.com/lessons

and yes, I'm published and have had hits (in Latin America, not here yet

Wow. this is awesome! Thank you, tresero! I've been looking for this educational material since the 90's when I fell in love with Tito Puente's music.

I have much more that I don't have public. PM me if you want.

[Kolstad]

There aren't many good books on writing in music, so I would look for other writing ressources and work to apply them to music. A book like "20 Master Plots" by Ronald Tobias can show you a lot of narrative builds, that can also be translated to music. Consider the builds analogue to the progression of a mix, and the roles of instruments analogue to the roles of characters in a story, and then you can start working on some inspired stuff.

Thats how I would approach it, if starting from scratch, and get going really fast.. its all about storytelling skills.

Cool idea. Use other composition books, like story writing, and apply to music composition.

Have a good one Kolstad,
Greg

Yeah, look into the concept of dramaturgy also. It's defined as "adapting a story to actable form", so if you play with that idea and relate it to music you'll have "adapting a story to musical form". When you have a background in the humanities, and pursue the creative depths, you may find that we are all one big family that can inspire each other..

[RThornton]

One of the irritating things is to have studied and then not be - apparently - using it. I studied to Masters level and most of what I do for Taxi, I could have done in school, however, I make better choices and get things done faster because of my training. Maybe I do use it after all and that is an encouraging thought.

Study of Music involves analysing content and context. I find that watching Taxi TV and studying the music, helps me write music which has the correct content and is right for the context.

If you are looking for a good book, "Gradus ad parnassum" - by Fux - is a study on Counterpoint and that is helpful for writing in your DAW.

[gregorym]

If you are looking for a good book, "Gradus ad parnassum" - by Fux - is a study on Counterpoint and that is helpful for writing in your DAW.

Thanks for the book recommendation. I'll have to check it out.

Also, lol, I know what you are saying about education and higher education. I wonder if I would have been better off just writing music and cues instead of all that time in school. I count high school as only 20% useful. Music School was 100% worth it, but I was a slacker. And then there was software engineering school. Software engineering was hands on, and I need that anytime I'm doing programming etc. But high school really was a let down. I was a slacker then, too, but this idea that everyone needs a rounded education as a young person in high school is nonsense. I wonder if we would all be better off specializing in that high school time. I can't read of write well, but I read and write good enough. I got that in college, not high school. Sorry about the rant. I was working for the last 4 hours and my brain is slowing down at this point.

Thanks RThornton
Greg

[RThornton]

No problem Greg,
Rant away. Music is the outlet for emotions, creativity and the stresses of the day. It's good to have this space to do that.

Robin

[Ted]

I bought that counterpoint book by FUX a few years back but could never really get into it— probably because my sight reading skills aren’t the best and it’s written in somewhat of an archaic style. A bit advanced for what kind of music I do. I really wish someone would make a version of this book with audio examples of the exercises within. Maybe someday I’ll get back into studying it. I do always get a chuckle out of seeing “FUX” on my bookshelf though.

Last night before bed I was looking at my bookshelf and saw a book I’d picked up at a Road Rally when I dabbled in Taxi the first time years ago. It’s called “Writing Music for Hit Songs” by Jai Josefs. It’s a fantastic book for composition. It contains a treasure trove of analysis of chord changes/modulations/devices/etc in some of the greatest popular songs ever written. Great for rock and R&B. Really easy to read and comprehend. Highly recommended

[charlie2]

Yes to all

Plus get into music theory deeply. Understand what exactly is going on in the music you love.

Analyze the music you like and Use those ideas...try to use the music you love as a base to your own music.

Phil spector...John Lennon...they all did this

After learning theory theres also a serious book on the Beatles music by Terence j o Grady. Called beatles a musical evolution.
Saw it on amazon for $2.00

[AlanHall]

Though Fux is a classical work, for sure, I found Theory and Practice of Musical Composition by Adolf Bernhard Marx to be a more diverse and interesting read myself.

My first college text was Harmonic Practice by Roger sessions. Not too steep for folks with little to no theory, although today the internet offers help on any definition or topic under study. Sessions starts with 18th-century music as a basis, so maybe a bit less confusing than the Renaissance concept of Fux.

I bought that counterpoint book by FUX a few years back but could never really get into it— probably because my sight reading skills aren’t the best and it’s written in somewhat of an archaic style. A bit advanced for what kind of music I do. I really wish someone would make a version of this book with audio examples of the exercises within. Maybe someday I’ll get back into studying it. I do always get a chuckle out of seeing “FUX” on my bookshelf though.

IIRC I saw among a list of books advertised in the back of a recording (?) or player's magazine, one titled "Instant Composer" by the author J.J. Fux. I guess 'instant' if someone needs help adding a harmony line to their vocal?