organising material

Hello,

I would be glad to hear some tips for organising musical material.

I mean when I've got some sort of motive or melody, how do I proceed from there? (I know the question is rather too open, but I think it would give a broader range of answers)

I proceed thus: I figure a melody out, think of another melody to answer it and play along with the material for development)

I get a melody I like, I am incredibly happy, I rarely get any inspiration at all.

I then develop this melody as much as physically possible.

but what about form? do you try to organise the material so it fits in some kind of form (AB, ABA and so), and do you try to keep it in an even amount of measures?

I do like to keep things in 4/8/16 measure groups. but that's just personal preference.

Form: I only really write in three forms, Binary (AABBA), Ritornello (ABABABABAetc - A being a theme and B being a modulating solo) or Fugal form.

Try and conceptualize the grand scheme of things, before writing anything. Your pre-compositional process is as important as the actual notes.

Spend some time considering all aspects of the piece, and how they relate.

Form? Harmony? Rhythm? Orchestration? ...broader terms: contour, density, kinesis...whatever helps you form a solid idea of where your piece is going and how you want to get there.

...just some ideas. I seemingly spend more time thinking about a piece than I do actually writing it.

...