When most people think of a composer, they picture a bewigged genius like Mozart or Beethoven frenetically directing mighty orchestras in the ornate palaces of Vienna. While that may have been the case once upon a time, modern composers make themselves heard far beyond the classical conservatoire and concert hall. These days, soundtracks are in high demand in industries such as TV, film, advertising, and even gaming to help create immersive and exciting experiences. Whatever your musical ambitions--composing a dark requiem in a beautiful Viennese apartment or producing the next great Star Wars-like movie theme in LA--the fully updated Music Composition For Dummies hits all the right notes to help you become confident in the theory and practice of composition.

To help you translate your musical ideas from fleeting tunes in your head to playable bars and notation on paper, professional composer and instructor Scott Jarrett and music journalist Holly Day take you on a friendly step-by-step journey through the process of musical creation, including choosing the right rhythms and tempos, creating melodies and chord progressions, and working with instruments and voices. You'll learn how to match keys and chords to mood, use form to enhance your creativity, and write in different styles from pop to classical--and you'll even learn how to keep hammering away when inspiration eludes you.

Organize and preserve your musical ideas
Formalize your knowledge with professional vocabulary
Get familiar with composition apps and software
Make a demo and market on social media

Filled with musical exercises to help you acquire the discipline you need for success, Music Composition For Dummies has everything you need to turn your inner soundtrack into a tuneful reality!

Autorentext
Scott Jarrett has been a theatrical music director and has taught recording labs, voice, guitar, music theory, and composition. He has worked with artists from Willie Nelson to Dave Grusin. Holly Day has created work for over 3,000 international publications including Guitar One Magazine, Music Alive!, and Brutarian Magazine. She is also the co-author of Music Theory For Dummies.

Klappentext

You can hum it, but can you write it down? When most people think of a composer, they picture a bewigged genius like Mozart or Beethoven frenetically directing mighty orchestras in the ornate palaces of Vienna. While that may have been the case once upon a time, modern composers make themselves heard far beyond the classical conservatoire and concert hall. These days, soundtracks are in high demand in industries such as TV, film, advertising, and even gaming to help create immersive and exciting experiences. Whatever your musical ambitions--composing a dark requiem in a beautiful Viennese apartment or producing the next great Star Wars-like movie theme in LA--the fully updated Music Composition For Dummies hits all the right notes to help you become confident in the theory and practice of composition. To help you translate your musical ideas from fleeting tunes in your head to playable bars and notation on paper, professional composer and instructor Scott Jarrett and music journalist Holly Day take you on a friendly step-by-step journey through the process of musical creation, including choosing the right rhythms and tempos, creating melodies and chord progressions, and working with instruments and voices. You'll learn how to match keys and chords to mood, use form to enhance your creativity, and write in different styles from pop to classical--and you'll even learn how to keep hammering away when inspiration eludes you. Organize and preserve your musical ideas Formalize your knowledge with professional vocabulary Get familiar with composition apps and software Make a demo and market on social media Filled with musical exercises to help you acquire the discipline you need for success, Music Composition For Dummies has everything you need to turn your inner soundtrack into a tuneful reality!

Inhalt

Introduction 1 Part 1: Basics and Rhythm 5 Chapter 1: Thinking Like a Composer 7 Chapter 2: Tools of the Trade 13 Chapter 3: Musical Scrapbooks: Writing on Paper and Screen 21 Chapter 4: Rhythm and Mood 27 Part 2: Melody and Development 39 Chapter 5: Finding Melodies Where You Least Expect Them 41 Chapter 6: Scales and Modes, Moods and Melodies 53 Chapter 7: Building Melodies Using Motifs and Phrases 65 Chapter 8: Developing Your Melodies 75 Part 3: Harmony and Structure 85 Chapter 9: Harmonizing with Melodies 87 Chapter 10 Composing with Chords 97 Chapter 11 Composing from the Void 119 Chapter 12 Beginnings, Middles, and Endings 131 Chapter 13 Musical Forms 139 Part 4: Orchestration and Arrangement 157 Chapter 14 Composing for the Standard Orchestra 159 Chapter 15: Composing for Rhythm Sections and Small Ensembles 185 Chapter 16: Composing for Multiple Voices 195 Chapter 17: Composing Commercial Music and Songs 207 Chapter 18: Composing Electronic Music 231 Chapter 19: Composing for Other Musicians 241 Part 5: The Part of Tens 253 Chapter 20: Ten Career Opportunities for Composers 255 Chapter 21: Ten Recommended Books for Composers 265 Chapter 22: Ten Platforms for Promoting Your Music 271 Part 6: Appendixes 277 Appendix A: Modes and Chords Reference 279 Appendix B: Glossary 299 Index 305