An excellent self-teaching method for aspiring composers

books:


	• Composing Music: A New Approach William Russo, Jeffrey Ainis, ... University Of Chicago Press, 1988 - 240 pages average customer review:based on 12 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Clear, logical, complete.

The book's author is clearly influenced by minimalism not only in his approach to music, but also to writing and music instruction. His clearly modal approach to both melody and harmony is presented in superbly logical and fluff-free sequence of explanations and exercises. Some of advanced chapters on topics such as mating lyrics with music or writing picture music are brilliant as well.

An excellent self-teaching method for aspiring composers

I picked this book up a few years ago, and am still getting a lot out of the exercises. The processes used are very refreshing, from a music student's perspective. The approach is from the view of more contemporary music, and the text leaves out the stuffy, "unnecessary" theory. If you want to study theory, get a theory book.

This book is designed to teach the individual who has little experience outside of very basic music fundamentals. From the first page you'll be writing "mini-compositions". The book works through the following concepts (chapter by chapter):

1. The Cell, the Row, and Some Scales
2. Harmony (I)
3. Transformation
4. The Small Theme and the Large Theme
5. More Scales and teh 12-tone Row
6 Isomelody and Isorhythm, Combined
7. Ostinato
8. Accompaniment Procedures
9. Harmony (II)
10. Counterpoint
11. Organum
12. Imitation: A Useful Game
13. Words and Music
14. Picture Music
15. Popular Music as a Source
16. Minimalism

Although you certainly don't need to have advanced theory knowledge to make use of this book, once you do gain those skills, the book will prove that much more helpful.

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a wonderful tool for composing

This book was very helpful to me; the excercizes have you writing right away, and I liked that- learning by doing. I had very little technical knowledge when I started, but it didn't hinder me from understanding and using this book. I think this is an excellent starting point for someone just learning to compose. It is encouraging to be writing right away, especially when something ends up sounding good. I never thought I could write music!

Nice book-Gave me Ideas

If you are a real musician or lyricist, this book will help inspire you and give you some background in the format of western pop music. I recommend this book to any seroius songwriter, but please no more songs about butterflies!

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reviews: page 1, 2, 3

Aimed at those who have some knowledge of music but not formal training in composition, this concise introduction to composing starts right in with a brief composition exercise, then proceeds step by step through a series of increasingly complex and challenging problems, gradually expanding the student's musical grammar.

"This is a wonderful book for anyone who is developing improvising skills or who would like a fun way to explore music."?Jim Stockford, Co-Evolution Quarterly

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