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It has recently come to my attention how some composers approach their music-making very technically - labeling chords, roman numerals, showing modulations etc. But this kind of approach is very much the opposite of how I write music. I studied all those technical aspects of music as well of course. But how I make music now is very much based on my gut feelings and intuition rather than technical rules. I am still tangentially aware of all those technical aspects of my compositions of course. But inspiration, for me, comes first and the technical understanding, after. How do you approach composition? Which approach do you value more? Technique or Intuition? Which comes first and which is secondary?

The way I approach composition is primarily intuitive, and it relies heavily on listening and on my direct relationship with the instrument. I usually don’t begin with a specific theoretical or harmonic idea, but rather with a sound, a musical gesture, or a feeling that emerges at the piano. I allow the music to develop as naturally as possible, following what my ear and instinct tell me, and only afterwards do I use my theoretical knowledge to understand, refine, and shape what has already emerged. I also think that my many years of immersing myself in the music of the great composers have deeply influenced the way I think musically. Through years of listening to and studying their works, many of the principles of their musical language have gradually become almost intuitive to me—not as conscious rules, but as an internalized musical language. So, for me, theory is not the starting point, nor is it a set of rules that I have to follow; it is rather a tool that helps me give form, coherence, and clarity to something I have first heard and felt. For me, music is first heard and felt, and only afterwards analyzed.

When it comes writing, I like to write from structural point of view. Think analyical as I write (melodic form, hamorny, musical form, counterpoint, etc). That way, I can try to a cohesive composition. The recent piece I wrote I went through and looked for motive i could use for ending section. :)

I really liked the replies and I couldn’t agree more. The ultimate purpose of music, as has been pointed out, is, I believe, to evoke emotions, whatever they may be. And taking it to extremes, whether one relies solely on inspiration or bases everything on theoretical and technical considerations, the result will be ineffective. I don’t think there’s a single composer, including in pop music, who has achieved any real success by relying predominantly on one or the other. Many pop musicians don’t have much technical training, but they have teams behind them who make up for all that. Relying solely on inspiration and intuition is like a surgeon who operates with great talent but knows nothing of anatomy. Conversely, an anatomist cannot operate on the basis of theoretical knowledge alone. These are inseparable aspects for any composer of even the most basic calibre. And as has also been said, ultimately it becomes a naturally interwoven process. The idea, the inspiration, can come from a great many sources, but technical knowledge allows you to greatly improve the result in every respect. I also believe that, nowadays, many composers are eclectic and draw on elements from various musical languages, depending on what they think will work best for what they wish to express. I don’t know – the broader the range of resources, the more varied and better the results can be. It’s like being a chef with 10 ingredients or with 100.

Great topic! I would personally argue the two are inseparable. Sure some may choose to emphasise one over the other as more important although that creates a false binary, and probably reflects their experience and training. Music is a form of human expression that is built upon a language that has been continuously shaped according to technical innovations, fashion and the political, economic and social conditions of the time. I'd argue that the syntax of that language, with enough training and application, becomes second nature - much like how we speak our native language. That is the intuitive aspect of producing music and which has greatest utility when producing an outline. The obsession with Mozart's compositional process, given his mythologized status, has helped us understand he produced his music by completing the outer parts first and I expect that has been the common practice across the board. Obviously, this still requires technical knowledge and proficiency in a plethora of domains not limited to form, structure, voice leading, and manipulating tonality; but is nonetheless a relatively free part of the overall process where 'inspiration' is most relevant. Much of what follows, in my opinion, is the process of adding complexity to that foundation. And this is where one's technical competencies really tend to shine: through orchestration decisions; enriching the voice leading and counterpoint between the various parts; the manipulation of ideas; and ultimately shaping of your ideas into a compelling construct capable of engaging your audience successfully. For me, the latter is often the most technically demanding, with increasing difficulty in accordance with structural complexity (compare the task of writing a conventional minuet with an opening movement to a suite in sonata-allegro form). Artistic inspiration without technical competency will have a tendency to lead to art that has 'potential' - at best - for the need of further refinement. And technically competent expression that lacks 'humanity' - so to speak - will may result in mechanical and uninspired art. AI music can sound a bit like the latter. There is a useful analogy that likens the depth of knowledge in music theory to that of an iceberg. The deeper one gets, the more abstract the concepts. But mastery of those deeper realms will provide the composer with a wider variety of tools to apply. One cannot simply be inspired to write a 4 part fugue; they would not get very far if they tried...

Hello @PeterthePapercomPoser! Let's see, by "technical composition," do you mean things like deciding beforehand to resolve to a major chord here or using a diminished chord there to create a darker mood? Or perhaps composing using mathematical formulas? In any case, I personally feel that it’s best to use whichever approach fits the moment. For instance, even when inspiration strikes, I often fail to give it shape because I lack the necessary skills. At times like that, or when I have no inspiration at all, I’ll compose based on technical principles instead. Sometimes that process sparks a new idea, and the reverse happens too. Of course, if you consider a technical breakthrough to be a form of inspiration itself, then we’d really need to clarify our definitions, though perhaps this isn't the place for that. Sadly, I’m not a gifted composer, I just do it for fun, but I enjoy both methods because each is important and has its own unique appeal. Personally, I find it satisfying when I start with technique and end up creating something that matches what I envisioned. (And sometimes, creating something unexpected too!) Best, Lithl.