Any Ideas on how to start, finish or continue these?

I've been composing for about two months (playing piano for a lot longer) but I have an overall problem with starting and finishing stuff. Most "scores" I write just start kind of instantly and end very sudden.
The first one doesn't really have an ending, I think it's better on the last ones but how would you make these longer? 

Happy Adventure Something.mp3

epic orchestral 2.mp3

dreamy weird stuff.mp3

Edited November 29, 20178 yr by Leander20null1

While I’m no expert on this, I can give you some tips from my personal experience.

It really pays of to study cadences, that is, endings of musical phrases. For a start, look for example here: http://openmusictheory.com/cadenceTypes.html 

Or here: http://bassus-generalis.org/muffat/muffat_regulae.html (Only the chapter on cadences)

Now, these are examples of classical music, the second link even of baroque music, but the same principles apply as for modern tonal music. And they are a good way to start on cadences before you dive e.g. into Jazz cadences, which are more complicated, but are built on the same basic principles. Even the Wikipedia article https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cadence_(music) says so, so it must be true ;-) 

I have written many different cadences and so after some practice, it has become much easier to write a cadence. And this is something one can learn alone, as one hears if a cadence works or not.

One neat trick in composing is to reduce your composition to a harmonic / melodic „background level“ and plan your composition this way with a broad brush, and then fill in your basic motives where they belong. It now becomes much easier to envision which rhythms and pitches to use to fill the gaps. Important: Don’t feel compelled to strictly adhere to your plan, as new ideas will come up when fleshing out the composition.

Another trick is that many compositions can be analysed as a series of weak and strong cadences. So, if you have learnt to write cadences of varying degree, you are able to write a small composition as well. Probably nothing groundbreaking, but it is a good start.

My best personal solution for these is probably: sing it to yourself. When you're at work, or on the way to work. or waiting for the program to load XD

That way, your subconscious will keep working on that, and in a while you'll come with an idea for more.

Other than that... Try to start small with one or two instruments, and add the others step by step. 

Another idea is drawing yourself a line- when it's high the music is at climax or close to it,

and when it's low almost nothing happens, exepct for maybe a quiet bass line.

Coming up with the form of the piece will help you develop it.

Also, try to think of a story to your piece, it might be helpful.

When I do that it really helps me developing idea.

I hope that was helpful.

I wonder if you noticed

that the lines keep 

getting

shorter.

;)

I second what @Rabbival507 said. Often, I am just repeating some snippets of music in my head, while I am waiting somewhere, and after a while, they develop into a longer ideas. What doesn't work for me is developing new ideas while sitting in front of notation software. 

7 hours ago, ilv said:

The way you continue a piece is your own choice. Everyone experiences writer's block, and I often leave things unfinished for months or even years because I can't continue them. I often leave it till later and then I might have some fresh ideas. In the "Composers' Headquarters" forum, there's a thread on dealing with creative block. I don't remember the link, sorry. I can give it to you if you can't find it yourself.

 

Thanks, I'll have a look for it :)

I think the epic orchestra should be the middle and you should open with an ostinato rhythm in the woodwinds with some percussion