Musical composition
Musical composition is:
* an original
piece of
music* the
structure of a musical piece
* the process of creating a new piece of music
A piece of music exists in the form of a written composition in
musical notation or as a single acoustic event (a live performance or recorded track). If composed before performance, music can be performed by memory, through written
musical notation, or through a combination of both. Compositions are comprised of musical elements, elements which vary widely from person to person and culture to culture.
Improvisation is the act of composing during performance, of assembling elements "spontaneously."
People who practice composition are called
composers. Useful skills in composition include writing
musical notation,
instrumentation, and handling
musical ensembles (
orchestration). The definition of composition has broadened to include extended techniques such as
improvisation,
musical montage, preparing instruments, using non-traditional objects or methods of
sound production, and making music from
silence, as
John Cage famously did.
Compositional techniques are the methods used to create music. In discussing the structure or organization of a musical work, the "composition" of that work is generally called its
musical form. These techniques draw a parallel to art's
formal elements. Sometimes, the entire form of a piece is
through-composed, meaning that each part is different, with no repetition of sections; other
forms include
strophic,
rondo,
verse-chorus, etc. Some pieces are composed around a set
scale, where the compositional technique might be considered the usage of a particular scale. Others are composed during performance (see
improvisation); techniques are sometimes used, however, in this case also.
Important in
tonal musical composition is the
scale for the
notes used, including the
mode and
tonic note. When playing or reading
classical notated music, only the
key signature (a designated set of notes in scale) matters. In music using
twelve tone techniques, the
tone row is even more comprehensive a factor than a scale. Similarly, music of the
Middle East employs compositions that are rigidly based on a specific
scale (such as the
dorian,
phrygian,
mixolydian, and
locrian scales etc...), often within improvisational contexts, as does
Hindustani music of
India,
gamelans of
Java and
Bali, and much music in
Africa.
The task of instrumenting a composition, called
arranging or
orchestrating, may be undertaken by the composer or separately by an
arranger based on the composer's core composition. A composition may have multiple arrangements based on such factors as intended audience type and breadth, musical genre or stylistic treatment, recorded or live performance considerations, available musicians and instruments, commercial goals and economic constraints.
Based on such factors, composers or arrangers must decide upon the
instrumentation of the original work. Today, the
contemporary composer can virtually write for almost any combination of instruments. Some common group settings include music for Full
Orchestra (consisting of just about every instrument group),
Wind Ensemble (or
Concert Band, which consists of larger sections and greater diversity of wind, brass and percussion instruments than are usually found in the
orchestra), or a chamber group (often called
chamber music, which calls for the instrumentation of at least two instruments). The composer may also choose to write for only one instrument, in which case this is called a
solo.
Composers are not limited to writing only for instruments, they may also decide to write for
voice (including
choral works,
operas, and
musicals) or
percussion instruments or
electronic instruments.
*
Musical form*
Musical genre*
Music manuscript*
Music publishing*
Composition Today News, competitions, interviews and other resources for composers.
*
Gems of compositional wisdom*
A Practical Guide to Musical Composition*
Music Pages by Bill Hammel
