When Development Fails

[ForrestH]

When a composer applies inversion or retrograde (or both) and the results are musically useless, what then?

(I have yet to find a composition guide that follows an illustration of inversion with "If this results in garbage, toss your theme and start over.")

[Benedict]

Well, there is always the possibility that playing it sdrawkcab will deliver something useful to the piece. Good Harmony (theory) is not about saying what is and is not "correct" but understanding what has worked in certain situations and why. Lou Reed plays guitar like a lunatic but it works for him because it is a great counter to his songs and singing.

If the result is truly not useful in the piece then try another Variation, or introduce another Idea to compliment the origin Theme/s.

[Farnaby]

Nobody is forcing you to use inversion or retrograde after all. It is not mandatory in composition

[jancivil]

When a composer applies inversion or retrograde (or both) and the results are musically useless, what then?

I guess here you actually write something.

[ForrestH]

Well yes, do something else, goes without saying, but—

*idea* *runs to the games cupboard*
...

"Hallo! You have reached Anton Bruckner. I can't come to the ouija board right now as I am revising my 4th symphony. Please leave a message at the sound of the great Amen."

Rats.

[jancivil]

Main recollection I have of using those particular two devices was an elective course in composition at CCM (not for majors, I was Applied Music), the course was purely to write a dodecaphonic piece using the usual techniques. I decided being graded on the quality of my rows and manipulations was something I could elect to drop. I guess I hoped for something less cut and dried.

[jancivil]

I don't think I'm clever enough to work with that kind of formal deal. At the time I read up on Webern particularly, for a bit, and got tired.