About this course
Music Composition 1 is the first course in a series of two courses that teaches how music is put together and how to write your own music. The course is divided into two parts. Part one covers the study of rhythmic composition. Part two covers the study of melodic composition. (Harmony and form will be studied in Music Composition 2)
Course lectures consist mainly of video but also include some text. Each section of the course covers a particular concept (or related concepts). Concepts and compositional techniques are demonstrated throughout the course with real musical examples (pictures and audio samples).
Besides lectures, each section of the course also contains memory questions, section quiz, listening assignments, and transcription/composition assignments. Memory questions serve to summarize and reinforce key concepts learned, while the quizzes tests the students' knowledge and understanding of the material from each section. Students who take this course will get practice transcribing music (hearing a rhythm or a melody and writing it down) and also learn how to use music notation software. In the composition assignments students will get real life practice using the information and techniques learned in each section to write their own rhythms and melodies.
The length of time needed to complete the course depends on how much time is spent each day/week on the material. To complete all the assignments in each section, a suggested pace might be 1-2 weeks per section. (There are 21 sections.)
Who should take this course? Every student of music should know how to compose! It is a sad but true fact that most modern music teachers and music courses do not include music composition as part of the students' musical education. In the past it was typical for students of music to be able to compose music. The complete musician can play an instrument, has knowledge of music theory AND can also compose! If you want to deepen your understanding of music, learn to write it!
(Note: If you would like each and every composition assignment looked over by your instructor and to receive comments and suggestion on them please contact Mr. Peters about receiving this service at an additional cost.)
What are the requirements?
- A computer with internet connection, screen to watch video, and speakers to hear audio samples.
- A basic knowledge of music theory: students who take this course should be able to read notes in treble clef and bass clef, have a basic knowledge of note durations, meter, key, scales, flats, sharps, intervals, chords, and chord inversions. If you do not already have a rudimentary understanding of music theory it is recommend that you take a music theory course before enrolling in this course. (See Music Theory by the author of this course.)
- Some type of music notation software. The notation software demonstrated in this course is the Finale NotePad software. NotePad is a very basic music notation program and has all the necessary functions for a beginning composition student. An important part of music composition is getting your music to paper, and so this course will also develop the students' ability to properly notate their music. This software not only prints professional looking sheet music, it also allows the student to hear their compositions as they are writing them. You can read more about NotePad and download it for FREE at: www.finalemusic.com/NotePad
- Although not a necessity, it is very beneficial that the student have some ability to play the piano (or other instrument)
What am I going to get from this course?
- Over 119 lectures and 3.5 hours of content!
- 190 Diagrams and Audio Samples (to illustrate concepts taught)
- 125 Memory Questions (to reinforce concepts taught)
- 90 Transcription and Composition Assignments (to practice the concepts taught)
- 76 Listening Assignments
- 21 Quizzes
- By the end of the course you will be able to compose your own RHYTHMS. This includes rhythmic motifs, phrases, periods and phrase groups.
- You will also learn how to develop your RHYTHMIC material through a wide variety of compositional techniques.
- By the end of the course you will be able to compose your own MELODIES. This includes melodic motifs, phrases, periods and phrase groups.
- You will also learn how to develop your MELODIC material through a wide variety of compositional techniques.
- You will get practice transcribing music (hearing rhythms and melodies and then writing them down in notation form).
- You will get practice notating music using basic music notation software.
What is the target audience?
- Every student of music!
- Beginning Composers/Songwriters
- Composers/Songwriters with previous knowledge or experience who want to brush up and hone their skills (and maybe learn some new techniques!)
- Anyone who has always wanted to learn how to write music!
- Although this course uses many examples from classical music, most of the information and compositional techniques learned in this course can be used by musicians of any genre (including rock, pop, and jazz)
