Composing for an Idiot...

I usually compose music by just playing. And sometimes it comes easy, other times it doesn't. I'd like to be able to do more with my left hand. Usually I just play a chord with the left hand and my right does the melody. Can someone give me and idea's or any way of writing music that you think is easy. I like darker music, sad, gloomy, but I also like happy, not peppy, but happy sounding music. Ex. Tori Amos - Bouncing off of Clouds. I love writing music but I don't want it to have the same sound to it all the time. Some advice would be wonderful.

-Schro

Hi Shrödinger, did you ever find your cat?

Oh never mind.

When it comes to composing I too lack any serious knowledge. However, I’m working on remedying this.

I bought a video course from The Teaching Company on music theory and found it very helpful. It goes on sale periodically (once or twice a year) for $69. You can even ask them to email you when it goes on sale.

Understanding the Fundamentals of Music

There’s also a short course on 8notes that covers pretty much the same material for free. It’s well worth going through their 46 lectures.

Music Theory on 8notes.com

I go back and forth between The Teaching Company video and the 8notes site and I’m gleaning new stuff all the time. I don’t think The Teaching Company course really covers any more material, but it’s nice to have a ‘live’ instructor, he points things out that might otherwise not be apparent.

I was like you on the piano. Whenever I wrote new music I would basically play chords with my left hand and a melody with my right. To break away from that I actually had to start writing music using a music notation program like Finale’s Notepad. It’s free and can be found here:

FinaleMusic

I’ve only been playing the piano for about 2 years. I started the violin and classical guitar at the same time. I’m self-taught and learning more than one instrument actually helped I think. I just recently bought a flute and clarinet about a month ago and I’m already playing simple melodies on both of them as well.

I don’t consider myself to be a ‘musician’ by any stretch of the imagination. I just toy with these things. But now I’m writing pieces with multiple instruments.

I have to say though, that the courses I mentioned above have helped a lot. It still takes me quite a while to write it all down though and figure out all of the proper intervals, harmonies and counterpoints. But I’m working on it.

I’d highly recommend the 8notes theory course. It’s free and you can jump around to the parts that you need.

I’m a newbie on this site by the way, so I’ll probably get kicked off now for giving you bad advice. (ha ha)

James