Leaderboard

Well, no one ever said you have to love those first pieces… You are learning. Think of them as exercises if that makes you feel better about them. This is a place to learn and much of what is shared here is written by people who are still learning. Don't let it scare you. Write a little every day, and put it out here. Just working alone by yourself, you'll likely either get bored or frustrated. This is a LONG journey, so you will want some company for the trip. And we want your company too. Go ahead and keep writing. Write as much as you can. That's the best way to get the theory you are learning to stick in your head. The rules aren't "the rules" because Zeus engraved them on a diamond encrusted sword blade and presented them to Mozart. They are just the shorthand way of remembering what you learned in an hour-long struggle with the left hand of the piano part you were writing last Tuesday. The struggle will help you remember the importance of the rule, and the rule will succinctly sum up the struggle. It's not enough to know the rules, you need to be able to apply them. Which means writing as much as possible. Just remember, however awful your first pieces are. (And they will be awful. Everyone's are awful. Musical geniuses started early enough that their awful period happened when they were 4 years old. They still had the awful period, though. You just didn't hear about it.) However awful your first pieces are, the next ones will be better. And the next ones better than that. And however awful the first pieces were, they were still a better use of your time than sitting on the couch watching Hoarders. (:

Writing IS part of the learning process. Indeed, you can only learn composing by doing it. But the techniques and craftsmanship outside of the creative aspects need to be learned too. Sometimes this happens while doing a piece and sometimes not. More often than not, however, you will need external training from a book or six, and instruction from a teacher (if applicable). The biggest thing you MUST know is music theory. Know it backwards and forwards and sideways. Orchestration is also essential, right along with harmony and counterpoint etc. Basically anything to do with music short of playing the instruments yourself! Indeed, it is daunting, but that's the life of a composer. Alan Belkin's oft-quoted letter may be of interest to you: http://alanbelkinmusic.com/letter.html