Am i too old to start composing?

Hi guys,


I'm really interested in composing and i have been playing guitar for 2 years (i'm 19) And i was wondering if it's too late to become a good composer since i have started late in my life. I really want to learn how to write a fugue and learn about counterpoint and so-on. So could anyone give me some advice please?

Buy a book on Composing, a book on Music Theory, and a book on harmony.

Read all three of these, and start simple, you'll learn how to write stuff like a Fugue later on. You shouldn't write something like a Fugue just because you want to write a fugue.

hope that helps a little

And no, you are not too old to start composing.

1 other note, you should try to expand your repetoire of music, play different kinds of pieces, and learn from the greats.

that's all I can think of to say right now

First of all thank you for the reply. Would you happen to reccomend me any books in particular? by the way my first 2 classical guitar pieces i learnt was by curulli i learnt his "study in G" and also the waltz version, very clever composer indeed anyone else got tips for me?

Kostka and Payne's Music in Theory and Practice; Kennan's Counterpoint; also Adler's The Study of Orchestration, if you're into orchestral stuff. I don't know about composition... I've never read a good book on the subject. One can't really teach "composition" per se, since everyone goes about it differently. The big thing is to stock up on tools, like theory and counterpoint.

As for having any hope of being a good composer, hey, I started when I was 20 and I'm doing very well. You don't have to be Mozart. In fact, if your goal is specifically to be as good as those who started earlier, you are writing music for the wrong reason!

Thank you very much johan. It looks like composition is alot of fun when you have you big bag of tools by your side And my intention is not to compose as good as bach, or mozart, because that'll definatly never happen But i want to make good music so i can play for people, and start a musical branch in my family, and obviously, because i love music

You are never too old to start learning. I started composing this past December, I was 22, I just turned 23. I had musical background in piano and several other instruments. I applied what I knew into writing music. I study from articles on the internet, also the composers here who have years of experience have been helping me. I would probably not be a good person to ask for theory advice because I am a beginner, but there are several here who could probably teach it for a living; namely, J. Lee, johannhowitzer, Nico (N.S. Canzano, who is actually on vacation right now in Italy), Evan Duffy (pianobeast), and Marius. There are a lot of others, those are just the ones that helped me personally. Also, chopin, the administrator, but he is never on anymore. Good luck

Johann, you just listed the three books I've been recommending to people all year!

Anyway, there are quite a few of us who started late. I started at 19 myself, with almost no theory background at that time.

Aboslutely. You have to be 16 to start composing. After that your mind has developed too much.

Stupid question.

i have started at 37 and have been steadily improving since then. the only thing you need is to want, all others will come in the proper time.

chris was you being sarcastic? or just trolling my thread? Anyway, i thank you all again for reply and giving me the answers that i wanted to hear