looking for a good Composition book which would you recocmmend?

[psenior]

I'm sure there are many books on composing out there. I can't think of any to recommend. I would suggest that you listen to as much music as possible, live your life and have some interesting life experiences so you can have something to write about. Maybe you should be looking for books on how to be more creative?

[emtear]

I'm assuming you're not trying to do psytrance, as there isn't much in a traditional songwriting or composition book that's really going to help all that much.

why is that?

mtr

[emtear]

hey guys i could use a good Composition book to help me
with my producing and making my tracks.

i think i understand what you are asking. what i dont understand is why some reply with "dont use a book". i get that you are supposed to be creative but some of us including i can not get around notes and scales. i get that cutting and pasteing is not the best idea, but how are you supposed to learn what note comes next without some kind of understanding. i recently had this discussion at a music store and found it odd it came up here.

as for drums i understand the rules so i can break them. the question is how to learn the rules for notes and scales... then i can be creative and break them...

anyone?

mtr

[Gamma-UT]

I'm assuming you're not trying to do psytrance, as there isn't much in a traditional songwriting or composition book that's really going to help all that much.

why is that?

mtr

It's just because, as I understand it, psytrance is more focused on timbral changes (and samples from movies) than on melody or harmony.

[bert786]

I'm sure there are many books on composing out there. I can't think of any to recommend. I would suggest that you listen to as much music as possible, live your life and have some interesting life experiences so you can have something to write about. Maybe you should be looking for books on how to be more creative?

psenior, you can have all the talent and be creative and talented like most of us on this forum but you still need to know the rules and follow them. I never said i wasn't creative , just wanted a book on Composition ,

had i took this in college i would not need a book id have one.

http://www.collegeboard.com/csearch/maj ... 0.0904.htm

when you know and understand Composition it takes your music writing to the next level. Sure you could produce without any training any theory and Composition but your only hurting yourself in the long run.

[steve4]

With reference to the computer musician book there isn't actually much on the software in it.

Examples are given using both a DAW piano roll and a musical score in most cases but otherwise there's very little in it on how to do anything in a particular program. Some discussion of EDM in relation to some of the different topics but not a great deal.

It's mostly basic explanation of notes and scores, major and minor scales, intervals, chords, rhythm and meter, chord progression rules, harmonisation, motifs etc etc

[asnor]

http://www.amazon.com/Study-Counterpoin ... 0393002772

Not sure if this is what you had in mind, but it's good training-- if you do it.

[Ogg Vorbis]

http://www.amazon.com/Study-Counterpoin ... 0393002772

Not sure if this is what you had in mind, but it's good training-- if you do it.

[jancivil]

I'm sure there are many books on composing out there. I can't think of any to recommend. I would suggest that you listen to as much music as possible, live your life and have some interesting life experiences so you can have something to write about. Maybe you should be looking for books on how to be more creative?

psenior, you can have all the talent and be creative and talented like most of us on this forum but you still need to know the rules and follow them.

when you know and understand Composition it takes your music writing to the next level. Sure you could produce without any training any theory and Composition but your only hurting yourself in the long run.

You should NEVER confuse getting some training in theory with 'you need to know and follow the rules'. Theory is an analysis of what worked previously. It isn't more than that. To say that it amounts to *rules* puts the cart before the horse.

It's just the wrong approach to write music with a book in your hand.

Listen to music. Listen to music you don't know about. Play music with people. Get out more. Cop things off records. Figure it out with your ear and your hands.

I'm a "trained" musician. I'll tell you right now a real teacher will tell a real student of music, "I can't teach you how to write". MUCH less you trying to buy a book that will do it for you. Knowing something about music is something you get with experience, hands-on experience with music, and there is no other way to get it. Books have information. It's good to have as much information as you can find. Do not confuse information with knowing anything: INFORMATION IS NOT KNOWLEDGE.

[Aroused by JarJar]

http://www.amazon.com/Study-Counterpoin ... 0393002772

Not sure if this is what you had in mind, but it's good training-- if you do it.

Gradus Ad Parnassum is still great after all these years (centuries). For one thing, it is clearly not giving "rules" of the algorithmic type for composition- it is exercises. The deep fundamental concepts apply to any kind of music, and also to mixing and arrangement, not just composition. In comparison: Bruce Lee did tons of yoga-style pushups, but he certainly never busted out with one in a fight.

But you have to do it, and you have to "get it" conceptually.

[flowdesigner]

As trance is pretty heavily chord-oriented, I'd go for Rikky Rooksby's 'How to Write Songs on Keyboards' as that is pretty much centred on the use of chord progressions -

looks, great, but anything like this i can buy as pdf. thanks