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Analyzing a Song – So Simple Every Student Can Do It

December 13, 2022 //  by  Lindsay Ann //   2 Comments

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English teachers, teaching your students how to analyze song lyrics needs to be a “go-to” strategy, a step toward deeper analysis of more complex texts .

Whether you’re teaching poetry, persuasive essays, or some other writing unit, analyzing song lyrics will give your students an opportunity to look at the different ways that language can be used to capture emotions and tell stories .

This close reading process will also help improve their vocabulary and grammar skills while they are having fun!

Here are some tips on how to teach students to analyze song lyrics so that they can gain valuable writing knowledge through a familiar medium they love!

Analysis of Song Lyrics

Taylor Swift makes analyzing song lyrics in the classroom easy peasy. Like her or not, you can count on her to write songs that tell a story, are layered in deep meaning, and littered with Easter eggs that are fun to try and collect (even for the non-Swifties). 

Taylor Swift’s “ Anti Hero” is a fun student-friendly song to bring into the classroom to practice analysis skills.

With callbacks to songs on other albums in lines like “I have this thing where I get older but just never wiser,” you can challenge students to analyze the development of a theme across multiple texts (helloooo higher level DOK and those really tricky to meet standards!).

Lyrics like “I’m the problem; it’s me” coupled with the title setup an opportunity to teach the concept of anti-hero (I especially like the idea of teaching about anti-heroes after teaching about the hero’s journey) and challenging students to analyze how Swift herself could be seen as this archetype by analyzing other songs and conducting online research.

“Anti Hero” also has what appear to be two references to pop culture ( 30 Rock and Knives Out ) that had even the swiftest of Swifties stumped online. These references are an accessible way to introduce the idea of allegory. 

Taylor has really teed up the song analysis practice in English classrooms to be endless with so many rabbit holes to go down at every turn! 

Song Meaning “Hallelujah”

Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” has a deep meaning making it a popular choice for teaching song analysis.  The meaning of Hallelujah is about someone who was deeply in love and is mourning the guilt of the loss of that love .

The song can teach students how to analyze lyrics by pointing out that even though it doesn’t say so explicitly, this is a song about a break-up .

They can also learn other aspects of reading literature, like examining tone and form. Analyzing song lyrics enables students to apply what they’ve learned as they read other texts or songs.

After reading a poem or listening to a song’s lyrics, students should be able to answer questions like: 

• Who is speaking? 
• How do you know? 
• What do you think the speaker’s feelings are?
•  What does this tell you about their personality? 
• Do these feelings make sense for the situation?

Good Songs to Analyze

When choosing good songs to analyze remember these three things:

• Choose a song that tells a story
• A song with a deep meaning or theme that challenges students’ inferential thinking skills works best
• Pick songs that students will know and be excited to listen to (that means that while “We Didn’t Start the Fire” is technically a great song for analysis, it might not be the most engaging for your students)

Here are some songs for teaching song analysis that will not only help you teach important analysis skills but also engage and delight your students:

• “ Pray for Me ” by the Weeknd ft. Kendrick Lamar
• “ Thunder ” by Imagine Dragons 
• “ Bohemian Rhapsody ” by Queen (this one is suitable for older students)
• “ Born This Way ” by Lady Gaga
• “ Getting Older ” by Billie Eilish 
• “ Drivers License ” by Olivia Rodrigo 
• “ This is America ” by Childish Gambino/Donald Glover
• “ Matilda ” by Harry Styles
• “ Victoria’s Secret ” by Jax (does have some profanity – I’ve linked the “clean” version)
• “ Vacation ” by The Dirty Heads (does say “shit”)

How to Analyze a Song

Teaching students how to analyze a song is similar to teaching poetry or literary analysis, but using songs disguises the learning as a fun activity making it really engaging and accessible for all learners.

Start by having students listen to their song twice .

• Instruct them to listen through for the first time just for enjoyment and to follow along with the printed lyrics (or digital if you have a way for students to access the lyrics online).
• Then have them listen a second time but this time have them highlight and circle words and phrases that they think are important and interesting. 

Challenge students to consider the following questions during their second time listening and to annotate the lyrics as they go:

• Who’s telling the story? What’s their perspective? How do they feel? What’s making them feel that way?
• What’s the mood of the song? Do the lyrics or the music contribute more to the mood?
• What figurative language do you notice in the lyrics? Why might the songwriter have chosen to include that figurative language?
• What could the songwriter be saying about human nature or society through their lyrics? How could you write a theme statement about these lyrics?

Once you’ve gotten your students started with the analysis process, make sure to involve your students. Ask them what they notice and use their insights to build discussion. Have them write a summary of the song or write a detailed analysis or work on a more creative, visual response.

Song & Poem Analysis Paired Text Lesson Plans

Make close reading, textual analysis and literary analysis of songs (and poems)  less intimidating  with these detailed, CCSS-aligned  close reading song analysis lesson plans for paired texts . Integrated close reading, text-based writing, speaking, listening, and inquiry skills, make these lessons both  engaging and worthwhile.

To help you save prep time, I’ve put together some awesome lessons for you HERE , including:

• Carrie Underwood’s song “Cry Pretty” & Macklemore & Ryan Lewis’ song “Growing Up”
• William Ernest Henley’s poem “Invictus” & Imagine Dragons’ song “Whatever it Takes”
• Maya Angelou’s poem “Still I Rise” and Tupac’s song “Still I Rise”
• Stephen Dobyns’ poem “Loud Music” and Incubus’ song “Dig”
• “Anti-Hero” by Taylor Swift
• “Boulevard of Broken Dreams” by Green Day and “Brick by Boring Brick” by Paramore
• “Hotel California” by the Eagles and “Stairway to Heaven” by Led Zeppelin
• Protest Songs
• “Mad World” by Tears for Fears and “A Million Dreams” sung by Pink / The Greatest Showman

Wrapping Up

When students analyze songs, they think about its overall impact.

What makes this song great, and why do you like it? What is it about this song that makes it stand out?

Thinking through these ideas with easily-accessible texts makes transferring their skills and knowledge to literature (ya know, the kind with the capital L ) easier.

They’ll have practice analyzing craft moves like figurative language and allegory, but they’ll also have practice with those more complex reading strategies like making inferences and connections .

Have a song you think would be perfect to analyze in the classroom? I’d love to hear about it! Drop me a comment below to share! 

Hey, if you loved this post, you’ll want to download a  FREE copy of my guide to streamlined grading .

I know how hard it is to do all the things as an English teacher, so I’m excited to share some of my best strategies for reducing the grading overwhelm. 

About Lindsay Ann

Lindsay has been teaching high school English in the burbs of Chicago for 19 years. She is passionate about helping English teachers find balance in their lives and teaching practice through practical feedback strategies and student-led learning strategies. She also geeks out about literary analysis, inquiry-based learning, and classroom technology integration. When Lindsay is not teaching, she enjoys playing with her two kids, running, and getting lost in a good book.

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Definition of assignment

task , duty , job , chore , stint , assignment mean a piece of work to be done.

task implies work imposed by a person in authority or an employer or by circumstance.

duty implies an obligation to perform or responsibility for performance.

job applies to a piece of work voluntarily performed; it may sometimes suggest difficulty or importance.

chore implies a minor routine activity necessary for maintaining a household or farm.

stint implies a carefully allotted or measured quantity of assigned work or service.

assignment implies a definite limited task assigned by one in authority.

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Nine Teaching Ideas for Using Music to Inspire Student Writing

By Natalie Proulx

• May 10, 2018

Some of the greatest written works of our time have been inspired by music. Walt Whitman conceived of and wrote “Leaves of Grass” while listening to opera . Alice Walker, Langston Hughes, Ntozake Shange and Ralph Ellison were all moved by spirituals, jazz and blues . And Lin-Manuel Miranda’s rap musical “Hamilton” was born of his love of hip-hop . These writers understood what many educational researchers know — that music opens up pathways to creative thinking, sharpens our ability to listen and helps us weave together disparate ideas .

In this teaching resource, we suggest nine exercises to use music to inspire student writing — from creating annotated playlists and critical reviews to music-inspired poetry and personal narratives. Each idea pulls from Times reporting, Opinion pieces and multimedia on music to give students a place to start. The activities are categorized according to three genres: creative and narrative writing; informative and explanatory writing; and persuasive and argumentative writing.

How do you use music in your classroom? Let us know in the comments.

Creative and Narrative Writing

Exercise #1: Write a story or poem inspired by music.

One way you might let your students be inspired by music is to have them describe in words what they hear, a method Jean-Michel Basquiat employed in his poetry and paintings.

In “ Bowie, Bach and Bebop: How Music Powered Basquiat ,” Ekow Eshun writes:

In 1979, at 19, the artist Jean-Michel Basquiat moved into an abandoned apartment on East 12th Street in Manhattan with his girlfriend at the time, Alexis Adler. The home, a sixth-floor walk-up, was run-down and sparsely furnished. Basquiat, broke and unable to afford canvases, painted with abandon on the walls and floor, even on Ms. Adler’s clothes. The one item that remained undisturbed was Ms. Adler’s stereo, which had pride of place on a shelf scavenged from the street. “The main thing for us was having big speakers and a blasting stereo. That was the only furniture I purchased myself,” said Ms. Adler, who still lives in the apartment. When Basquiat was around, she recalled, “music was playing all the time.” On Thursday, the exhibition “Basquiat: Boom for Real” opened at the Barbican Center in London. The show focuses on the artist’s relationship to music, text, film and television. But it is jazz — the musical style that made up the bulk of Basquiat’s huge record collection — that looms largest as a source of personal inspiration to him and as a subject matter.

Invite your students to read the article and then listen to the Times-curated Spotify playlist “ The eclectic taste of Jean-Michel Basquiat ” as they view his art and read his poetry . Discuss what they notice about the musical influence in Basquiat’s work. How do the content, colors, textures and shapes in his paintings resemble the sounds they hear? How are these reflected in the words, phrases, mood and rhythm of his poems?

Next, have students listen to a song or playlist (perhaps one they created, one you created or one of these Times-curated ones) and, like Basquiat, let them write what they hear:

• describe the images that come to mind; • name the feelings and thoughts triggered by the imagery and sounds in the music; • mimic the pacing and rhythm through word choice, sentence structure and line breaks; • borrow the words, phrases or lines that resonate most; • or build on a theme or message.

Here’s an example of what one composer wrote as he listened to his own classical piece, “Become Desert”:

From the stillness around you a high glassy sound descends, like first light. Each new sound seems to breathe — emerging from and receding back into the stillness — and the glint of bells, like desert plants, here and there. Almost imperceptibly the music swells and continues falling in pitch. From somewhere above — like a gleam of metal, like sunlight emerging from behind a ridgeline — comes the sound of flutes. You are in a strange landscape. You don’t know how to read the weather or the light. You are unsure how long you will be here, or how challenging the journey may be.

To take this exercise a step further, students might use what they wrote while listening to music to develop a short story or poem. They might share their writing and song choices with the class so their classmates can analyze how music inspired their writing.

Exercise #2: Pen your own song or rap.

Invite students to write their own music about topics, events or themes you are studying in class. How can they summarize in song the role of the mitochondria , the main themes of “Romeo and Juliet” or the events that led to the Civil War?

Here’s an example from Julien Turner , 20, who produced this music video called “ XY Cell Life ” for a college biology class:

For inspiration, students might check out the Times “ Diary of a Song ” video series to see how songwriters and musicians like Zedd , Ed Sheeran and Justin Bieber make hits. What stands out to them about these songs? What are the artists’ processes for making music? How do they write lyrics and sounds that resonate with an audience? How do they communicate content and emotion?

You might have students simply write lyrics — like these students who wrote “Hamilton” hip-hop verses and these young people who summed up the year’s news in our annual “Year in Rap” challenge .

Or, invite them to make their own music videos or recorded songs. In this case, you might refer to use our lesson plan “ Project Audio: Teaching Students How to Produce Their Own Podcasts ,” which has a helpful section on audio editing and advice for gathering non copyrighted sound effects and music.

Exercise #3: Share what music means to you.

What role does music play in your students’ lives?

What are they listening to right now? What musicians and bands mean the most to them? What music inspires them? What song lyrics do they consider literature? Which artists do they believe are the future? Which do they think will stand the test of time?

We have published over 1,000 writing prompts for students , including many, like the questions above, dedicated to personal and narrative writing about music. You might have your students choose a question that speaks to them and read the related Times article. Then invite them to share their thoughts, stories, opinions and experiences in writing.

You can search “music” to find our newest music-related writing prompts here , which are open for comment indefinitely.

Informative and Explanatory Writing

Exercise #4: Connect songs to current events.

Music has always been a reflection of and window into society, culture and history — and the current era is no different. Hip-hop, folk, classical and even opera music draw on current events and politics for source material.

What connections can your students make between the music they listen to and current events? How does learning more about the context in which a song was written help them better understand it?

You might start by having students read and analyze how journalists make connections between music and current events every day. Take Childish Gamino’s latest video, “ This Is America ,” for instance. In a roundup of the best writing about this music video, Judy Berman writes:

But Glover’s graceful moves aren’t exactly the point. There’s plenty of messaging about race, violence and the entertainment industry in the song and video — which helps explain why fans and critics have devoted so much time to dissecting its references and debating its meaning.

And Doreen St. Félix from The New Yorker relates the video to the present day:

The video has already been rapturously described as a powerful rally cry against gun violence, a powerful portrait of black-American existentialism, a powerful indictment of a culture that circulates videos of black children dying as easily as it does videos of black children dancing in parking lots.

You might have students read the roundup or one of the articles it excerpts, or let them choose another topic or genre that interests them, such as:

Beethoven’s 200-Year-Old ‘Fidelio’ Enters Today’s Prisons Mouse on Mars at M.I.T.: A Symposium Becomes a Dance Party Eminem Lashes Out at Trump in Freestyle Rap Video New ‘Hamilton Mixtape’ Video Takes Aim at Immigration Celebrating Women’s Rights, ‘That Most American of Operas’ Watch 5 Moments When Classical Music Met Politics Can North Korea Handle a K-Pop Invasion? Review: Beyoncé Is Bigger Than Coachella

For whichever article they choose, students should consider: What current events does the music they read about reference? How do these allusions contribute to the artist’s message? What other themes in the music can they relate to what is happening in the world?

Then, challenge students to pair a song of their choosing with one or more Times articles and write an essay that explains the relationship between the song and the current or historical events.

Students might start by annotating song lyrics themselves or referring to Genius to find explicit connections and discover underlying themes that in some way relate to society, culture, history and politics. Students may also choose to research the artist to find out more about his or her background, beliefs and politics.

For help in writing the essay, what we call a text-to-text pairing , we also have a whole lesson plan that guides classes through the process of generating and writing about relevant connections between their studies and the world today, as well as dozens of example essays written by teenagers .

Exercise #5: Create an annotated playlist of songs related to a topic.

Every Friday, The Times publishes “ The Playlist ,” a weekly tour of notable new music and videos. Times pop music critics choose about a dozen of the week’s most popular or intriguing songs and music videos and write a short commentary for each. They even create a Spotify playlist of the songs each week.

You can use “The Playlist” as a model for students to compile their own annotated playlists — playlists with explanatory text or commentary for each song — related to a topic you are studying in class. It might be straightforward, such as songs that reference historical or current events, use a particular literary device or exhibit a specific musical technique. Or, the playlist could be more symbolic, like pieces that tell a story when played together, demonstrate a theme from a novel or capture the essence of a time period or setting. (You might use one of these as an example of a theme-oriented playlist.) Playlists could even be autobiographical, with students selecting songs that express aspects of their own identities.

Students can read through several of the past columns and listen to the playlists to determine what makes for compelling commentary. For example, on Billie Eilish’s and Khalid’s “Lovely,” Jon Pareles writes:

“Lovely” is the song of someone inextricably attached or trapped: “I hope someday I’ll make it out of here,” Billie Eilish sings with Khalid — not in dialogue or counterpoint, but in unison, as if they’re each others’ partner and burden. “Wanna feel alive outside/I can fight my fear.” The backdrop is piano and strings lingering on two chords; the melancholy never lifts, and at the end Khalid and Ms. Eilish share a chilling greeting: “Hello-welcome home.” J.P.

And on First Aid Kit’s “Fireworks,” Mr. Pareles writes:

First Aid Kit, a duo of sisters from Sweden who usually favor a folky, countryish approach — they’ve got a song named “Emmylou,” after Ms. Harris — turn to a gauzy retro sound in “Fireworks,” a song always about ending up lonely: “Why do I do this to myself every time/I know the way it ends even before it’s begun.” With a 1950s slow-dance beat and echoey guitars, it’s already nostalgic for the next failed romance. J.P.

Ask students: What do they notice about h ow the commentary is written? What does the writer include and why? How is it organized? What makes it interesting (or not)?

After students have curated their own playlists, they are ready to write song annotations. Some ingredients they should include in their writing are: a claim explaining how the song relates to the topic or theme; evidence from the song (e.g., lyrics, instruments, rhythm or melodies) illustrating their claim; and analysis that explains the significance of these aspects of the song.

Students can share their final playlists on Spotify so that everyone in the class can listen to and comment on them.

Exercise #6: Profile an artist in an imagined interview.

The Times Music section regularly profiles artists from different genres, time periods and corners of the globe. Students can use these articles and interviews as mentor texts before doing research and writing their own mini-biographies of a music figure they admire.

In an “imagined interview,” students, working individually or in pairs, play the part of both interviewer and interviewee. They do background research on an artist they select, come up with a list of questions and answers for the interview, and then write a profile on their subject.

To start, have students read one of these interviews with musicians:

Khalid, the Teenager With 5 Grammy Nominations: ‘They Got It Right This Year’ Jay-Z and Dean Baquet, in Conversation John Mayer Has More to Say: The Outtakes Bruce Springsteen on Broadway: The Boss on His ‘First Real Job’ Adele on ‘25’: Song by Song In Hip-Hop, Inspiration Arrived by Way of Kirk Franklin Gwen Stefani on Spirituality, Insecurity, Pharrell and ‘Truth’

Ask students: What types of questions did the interviewer ask? What subjects did the two discuss? What questions were missing from the interview that you wish were asked?

If you plan on having students write narratives based on their imagined interviews, they should also read at least one example of how Times writers write narratives based on interviews. Here are a few:

The 5 ‘Handsome Girls’ Trying to Be China’s Biggest Boy Band ‘I Could Barely Sing a High C’: Pretty Yende Finally Conquers Lucia For Milford Graves, Jazz Innovation Is Only Part of the Alchemy Dua Lipa Was Raised on Pop Bangers. Now She Writes Them. Valee, Kanye West’s New Signee, Is a Rapper Who Just Might Build You a Koi Pond Rafiq Bhatia Is Writing His Own Musical Language Ashley McBryde Takes Nashville, No Gimmicks Required

While reading, they should consider the following: What information did the reporter include and why do you think they made these choices? How did they effectively weave in biographical details to tell a story about the artist and the music?

Next, assign students to choose their own musical artist to interview and profile. The following steps can guide students through the process:

1. Do Your Research : To learn more about the artist you selected to interview, do an in-depth study of several song lyrics or an album, read published interviews with the artist, watch a video or listen to radio interviews to see how the artist speaks.

2. Prepare Your Questions : Consider this artist’s particular music and biography. What more do you want to know about the artist and his or her music? What in the songs or videos you studied struck you that you would like to ask about? For more inspiration, our lesson plan “ Beyond Question: Learning the Art of the Interview ” provides additional advice on how to conduct good interviews.

3. Conduct Your Imagined Interview : Based on your research of artists — their background, their music and the way they speak — imagine how they might respond to your questions. Be creative, but try to stay true to who the artist is. Alternatively, you could role-play the interview in partners, where one person is the interviewer and the other is the artist. It might be helpful to record the interview and take notes.

4. Write Your Article : You may choose to write your interview in a question and answer format , or create a narrative .

5. Share the Final Product : Share your imagined interviews with your classmates and reflect on the activity. Was your writing convincing to readers? What did you learn about writing artist profiles?

Persuasive and Argumentative Writing

Exercise #7: Review an artist, album or song.

Which artists, albums and songs can your students not stop talking about — either because they love them or hate them? Channel that energy into an argumentative essay using our culture review-writing lesson plan . In this lesson, students read Times reviews and heed advice from Times critics to write their own. They practice developing a clear claim, citing evidence and writing with a strong voice.

You might allow students to choose one of their favorite (or least favorite) artists or songs to practice writing passionately and knowledgeably about a subject. Or, challenge them to explore a genre of music they might not normally listen to and see what they can learn.

Consider having your students submit their finished pieces to our annual student review contest . They can read winning reviews from past years here .

Exercise #8: Weigh in on the latest criticisms, trends and news in music.

Music today incites opinions not just about the artists and albums themselves, but also about universal themes, like the music industry , social media , morality , the human condition , culture , the past and the future. “ Popcast ” is The Times’s podcast dedicated to discussing these very criticisms, trends and news in music.

You can invite students to weigh in on the music-related topics they care about most in a group writing activity that mimics the conversational style of this podcast. Here, they learn how to make a claim, develop it with evidence, write counterclaims and respond directly to one another in an informal and fun way.

First, you might start by having students listen to one full episode or excerpts from “ Popcast ” to analyze how the discussion unfolds. What background information is provided? How do the critics talk to and respond to one another? How do they open and close each episode?

Beyoncé and Kendrick Lamar Break Boundaries

Or, you might have students examine what a conversation like this looks like in writing. “ Kendrick Lamar Shakes Up the Pulitzer Game: Let’s Discuss ” by Times music editors provides a good example. The conversation begins:

JON PARELES To me, this prize is as overdue as it was unexpected. When I look at the Pulitzers across the board, what I overwhelmingly see rewarded are journalistic virtues: fact-gathering, vivid detail, storytelling, topicality, verbal dexterity and, often, real-world impact after publication. It’s an award for hard-won persuasiveness. Well hello, hip-hop. ZACHARY WOOLFE … But there is also wariness, which I join, about an opening of the prize — not to hip-hop, per se, but to music that has achieved blockbuster commercial success. This is now officially one fewer guaranteed platform — which, yes, should be open to many genres — for noncommercial work, which scrapes by on grants, fellowships, commissions and, yes, awards. PARELES That response is similar to many publishing-world reactions when Bob Dylan got the Nobel Prize in Literature — that a promotional opportunity was being lost for something worthy but more obscure, preferably between hard covers. A literary figure who had changed the way an entire generation looked at words and ideas was supposed to forgo the award because, well, he’d reached too many people? Do we really want to put a sales ceiling on what should get an award? The New York Times and The New Yorker already have a lot of subscribers … uh-oh.

Then, in small groups, have students come up with their own music topics worthy of debate. For inspiration, they might browse some of the past “Popcast” episodes.

You might then have them brainstorm some initial ideas and conduct research in the Times Music section to deepen and broaden their knowledge about the subject.

Next, invite them into a written conversation about their chosen topic. One student initiates the conversation and then each person in the group takes a turn responding to what each other writes — acknowledging their classmates’ remarks, voicing their own opinions, making connections and citing evidence to support or disagree with others.

Exercise #9: Write an editorial on a music-related topic.

Many musicians and music aficionados also contribute Opinion pieces to The Times, where they write passionately and persuasively about music’s influence in their lives, culture and society.

What music-related topics do your students care about? Do they believe music should be a required subject in school? What do they think today’s artists say about the world they live in? Can and should musicians’ work be separated from their personal lives?

Have your students write an editorial on a music-related topic that matters to them. We’ve written several lesson plans on teaching argumentative writing, including “ For the Sake of Argument: Writing Persuasively to Craft Short, Evidence-Based Editorials ,” “ I Don’t Think So: Writing Effective Counterarguments ” and “ 10 Ways to Teach Argument-Writing With The New York Times .”

You can pair any one of these lessons with music editorials as mentor texts, like the ones below:

A Note to the Classically Insecure The Real Song of the Summer Three Cheers for Cultural Appropriation The Heartbreak of Kanye West Is Music the Key to Success? Graceland, at Last The Songs That Bind

Students can also search for their own examples in the Music or Opinion sections. Or, refer to the many music-themed argumentative writing prompts we have published.

They might consider entering their finished editorials into our annual student editorial contest . And they can read essays from past winners here .

Other Music-Related Resources from The Learning Network

Lesson Plan | The Ten-Dollar Founding Father Without a Father: Teaching and Learning With ‘Hamilton’

Lesson Plan | Teaching With Protest Music

Teaching Close Reading and Compelling Writing With the ‘New Sentences’ Column

What this handout is about

This handout features common types of music assignments and offers strategies and resources for writing them.

Writing about music

Elvis Costello once famously remarked that “writing about music is like dancing about architecture.” While he may have been overstating the case, it is often difficult to translate the non-verbal sounds that you experience when you listen to music into words. To make matters more difficult, there are a variety of ways to describe music:

• You can be technical and use terms from music theory. Example: “The cadential pattern established in the opening 16 bars is changed by a phrasal infix of two bars (mm. 22–24), thus prolonging the dominant harmony in the third phrase.”
• You can describe your feelings and personal reactions to the music. Example: “I felt that the chorus of the song was more gripping than the opening.”
• You can try to give a play-by-play description of what’s happening in the music. Example: “The saxophone soloist played a lot of scales in his improvisation, and the pianist added sparse chords to it.”

Without an extensive knowledge of music theory, you will most likely wind up doing a combination of 2 and 3. However, in all of these examples, you are only describing the music. Most music professors want you to analyze it. (So what if the dominant is prolonged? What is the effect and meaning of this?) How your description of music becomes an analysis of music depends on the kind of assignment you are answering. Consult our handout on understanding assignments for help in getting started.

Making an argument about music

Often, you will be asked to make an argument about a particular piece of music. In its most basic form, this is a statement about the piece with evidence that persuades your reader to agree with your argument. Clearly presenting your overall argument will help you organize your information around that main point. See our handout on argument.

For example, if you are writing about the historical importance of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, you might develop an argument like this:

“Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, completed and first performed in 1824, is historically significant because of the ways that it challenged and expanded audiences’ expectations of symphonic structure.”

If this is your argument, then you should research what the audience expectations for a symphony might have been in 1824 based on other pieces of the time. How many movements did symphonies typically have? What were their formal structures? What were the performing forces? Once you understand the expectations of the day, you can identify the specific ways that Beethoven’s Ninth is different as well as what specific moments of the work (the entrance of the choir, the grand recapitulation which begins the last movement, etc.) you can cite as evidence for your argument. As you can see, making an argument in music involves historical or cultural evidence AND specific observations about the piece itself which combine to give a richly textured picture of the music and the composer, as well as the context from which they both emerged.

Even when making evaluative or interpretive claims about music, you should always provide evidence to support your claims. Music often evokes strong emotions in listeners, but these may not be the same for everyone. Music that you experience as “powerful” or “triumphant” may be experienced by another listener as “angry” or “violent.” Giving specific examples from the music will help explain your emotional reactions and give your reader a context for understanding them. For example, instead of saying

“The chorus of ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit” sounds angrier than the verses,’ you might argue that, “The added distortion in the guitar, increase in volume, and additional strain on Kurt Cobain’s voice give the chorus of ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ an angrier or more critical tone than the verses.”

Musical terminology

On occasion, or in some assignments, you may feel overwhelmed by the amount of technical vocabulary used to describe even the simplest musical gestures. Over the past thousand years, the study of music (particularly Western classical music) has acquired a host of specialized terms from Latin, Italian, German, and French, many of which remain untranslated in common usage. Do not be intimidated! If you have questions about these terms, ask your instructor or consult a reliable music dictionary . Typically the terms that will be most helpful to you and most essential in your writing will be ones that have been covered in class and explained in the textbook.

In addition to all the terms that you DO want to use, musical discourse also comes with some terms that professors and TAs might find particularly unhelpful. Generally these include casual value judgments such as  “good,” “bad,” “lame,” “awesome,” “girly,” “soulful,” etc. These words may be fine when discussing an album with your friends, but they are not acceptable descriptors in academic writing. The most glaring of these words, however, and the one that your instructors will undoubtedly be on the lookout for is “authenticity” (and its close relatives “authentic,” “real,” genuine,” etc.). Instructors are particularly bothered by this word for two reasons:

• “Authenticity” is bound by a whole host of cultural and historical assumptions that make it impossible to pinpoint with any accuracy. Music that is considered “authentic” by one person might be considered deeply inauthentic to another and vice-versa. Similarly, music that was considered “authentic” by a group of fans in the 1960s may have lost its “authenticity” in the 1980s, but may have enjoyed a newfound “authenticity” in the early 2000s.
• “Authenticity” is not a claim about the substance of the music. Describing a performer as “authentic” is shorthand for referring to one’s personal conception of how musicians should look, sound, and act. What was it, specifically, that led you to interpret a particular artist as authentic? Was it an effective use of anti-commercial rhetoric in their lyrics or public persona? Was it their references to a particular tradition of music-making such as “folk” or “the blues”?

Examining the ways in which a particular style, band, or song came to be understood as “authentic” by its fans can be a valuable subject of inquiry, but any time you come across the word—in your or someone else’s writing—you should imagine it in scare quotes and try to more closely examine what the author is trying to say with the word in that particular context.

Common music assignments

Concert report.

You may have the opportunity to attend a live concert and report on it. Pay careful attention to the types of questions in the prompt. This is different from a music review in which you pass judgment on how “well” the players performed. Your professor might be okay with you adding your opinion, but most professors want you to listen closely to the music and try to describe it as accurately as possible using some of the vocabulary you’ve learned in class. A typical prompt usually asks for information about the performance venue, the performers, the music itself, and quite possibly your reactions to it. Make sure your report answers all of the questions!

Strategies: Read through the concert program. Sometimes there are program notes that provide background information and formal discussion of the music. This might act as a model for your own report. If your “concert” is more like a jazz jam session, you may not know the names of any of the pieces you hear. Sometimes you can just pick out your favorite performances to discuss. Elements to listen for might include (but are not limited to) instrumentation, variety of pieces performed, interaction of the performers, the setting (size, type, and location of the venue, acoustics of the space, etc.), audience reaction, and your own subjective interpretation.

Historical analysis: placing a piece in context

You may encounter this assignment in a music history or appreciation course. An instructor might ask you to pick a piece of music and discuss its historical context. This usually requires research, whether on the composer, the original performance, or the historical meaning. Sometimes you will be asked to relate the music itself to its historical setting. You may also need to make an argument about the piece. See our handout on writing history papers .

For example, you could write a paper relating how Mozart’s 1778 visit to Paris affected the compositions he wrote while there.

Strategies: Make sure you feel comfortable with the basic historical information before beginning an analysis. If you don’t know exactly what Mozart did and when, you will have trouble making any kind of argument.

If you are crafting an argument about how music relates to historical circumstances, then you should discuss those musical elements that most clearly support your argument. A possible thesis might be “Because Mozart wanted a job in Paris, he wrote a symphony designed to appeal to Parisian tastes.” If that is your argument, then you would focus on the musical elements that support this statement, rather than other elements that do not contribute to it. For example, “Though his Viennese symphonies featured a repeated exposition, Mozart did not include a repeat in the symphonies he composed in Paris, which conformed more closely to Parisian ideas about musical form at the time.” This observation might be more helpful to your argument than speculation about what he ate in Paris and how that influenced his compositional process.

Song analysis

How do the music and text (a song’s lyrics, an opera’s libretto) work together? You may complete this assignment for a music history or appreciation class. You should aim to make an argument about the song in question, using both text and music to support your claims.

Strategies: Look at how the text is set to music. This often requires you to first examine the text. Is it in a regular poetic form on its own? Does it have some type of pattern or other play with words? What is the meaning of the text? For more on word play and rhyme schemes, see our handout on poetry explications .

Now look at the text and listen to the music with it. Does the composer set it in an unusual way for the genre? Does the music seem to fit with the general meaning of the text, or does it seem to be at odds with it? Does the composer bring out certain words or lines of text? Why?

For example, you might say, “In the chorus of ‘Poses,’ Rufus Wainwright sets his first line of text to a long, arching melody, reminiscent of opera.” This describes the music and lets the reader know what part you are talking about and how you are hearing it (it reminds you of opera). Now tell the reader what is significant about this. What does it do for the meaning of the text? “The text suggests that ‘you said watch my head about it,’ but this rising operatic melody seems to suggest that the singer is really floating away and gone into another world.” Now your description of the music functions as evidence in an argument about how the song has two layers of meaning (text and music).

If you can do more theoretical music analysis, this might be a good opportunity to look at how the harmonies and phrase structures do or do not line up with the text. “Schubert sets the regular metrical pattern of the text to even four-bar phrases until he gets to the line ‘Ich will den Boden kuessen’ (I want to kiss the ground), whereupon it changes dramatically from there.” Once again, go further by explaining how this observation helps us understand the meaning of the text. “This technique extends the time spent on these lines and makes it seem like the singer is so frantically trying to reach green earth (through the snow), that he can’t maintain a steady pattern. He is overcome by desperate emotion when he thinks of seeing the ground again.” Now you have elucidated a moment in the music that casual listeners might have missed, and you have told them how, and why, it heightens the meaning of the text.

Performance/media comparison

For this assignment, you will compare different performances of a piece, different stagings of an opera, or different settings of a story (e.g. a stage version of an opera versus its movie adaptation). See our handout on comparing/contrasting for more tips on this type of assignment.

Strategies: Make sure you know the basic work before you begin comparing different versions of it. If you are comparing different instrumentalists’ or singers’ interpretations of a piece of music, then familiarize yourself with the piece. Listen to many different versions until you feel comfortable with it. Then you can focus on whatever elements of the individual performance the professor asks you to analyze (tempo, rubato, inflection, articulation, tone color, vibrato, etc.). Make sure you are familiar with these basic elements of music as well. Then ask yourself, what is the overall effect of the different performances? Do they interpret the piece differently? If they are not distinct in terms of overall interpretation, how are they different? How are these differences significant to your understanding or experience of the piece? Now you can use your musical elements to explain why.  Remember to go beyond simply listing differences and similarities by making an argument about the music and its significance.

Let’s say you were asked to compare two performances of J.S. Bach’s Goldberg Variations: one recorded by Glenn Gould in 1955 and the second recorded by Jory Vinikour in 2001. You might observe that Gould’s performance is significantly faster than Vinikour’s and that Gould does not always repeat each section as the score indicates. How does Vinikour’s decision to play more slowly and with more repeats impact your experience of the piece? What might this tell you about the approach that Vinikour takes to Bach’s music versus the approach that Gould takes? You might also observe that Gould’s performance is on the piano while Vinikour’s is on the harpsichord. How does the instrumentation affect your experience of the piece? Is it historically significant that the two performers chose different instruments? Does this tell us something about the status of Baroque-period performance in the 1950s versus Baroque performance in the early 2000s?

In the case of opera, there are more elements beyond the music to take into consideration. Your assignment might ask you to focus on the staging (costume, set design, lighting, action). Remember that just as a play may be produced in different ways, there is no one “correct” staging of an opera. Some may be very traditional and attempt to portray the setting and time period used in the libretto (text). Others may try to make social commentary by “updating” the scenario to something that seems more relevant today. Others may try to comment upon the opera/story itself by making even more avant-garde productions.

For example, a production of Handel’s opera Giulio Cesare in Egitto (Julius Caesar in Egypt) might be set in Egypt in 47 BC, as it is in the original storyline. Or a modern opera producer and stage designer might collaborate and “update” it to appear to be about a Western superpower in the Middle East. Same exact text and music, different costumes, set design, lighting, and on-stage action. Does one production seem more believable to you? Does one make you think about the implications of the story more than the other?

Works consulted

We consulted these works while writing this handout. This is not a comprehensive list of resources on the handout’s topic, and we encourage you to do your own research to find additional publications. Please do not use this list as a model for the format of your own reference list, as it may not match the citation style you are using. For guidance on formatting citations, please see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial . We revise these tips periodically and welcome feedback.

Bellman, Jonathan. 2007. A Short Guide to Writing About Music , 2nd ed. New York: Pearson Longman.

Herbert, Trevor. 2009. Music in Words: A Guide to Researching and Writing About Music . New York: Oxford University Press.

Holoman, D. Kern. 2014. Writing About Music: A Style Sheet , 3rd ed. Oakland: University of California Press.

Wingell, Richard. 2009. Writing About Music: An Introductory Guide , 4th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.

You may reproduce it for non-commercial use if you use the entire handout and attribute the source: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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Art of Composing

Let's learn to compose together.

How to Compose Music

What does it take to learn composition.

The fastest way to learn composition is to memorize small fragments of music, and then learn to change and combine those fragments in very specific ways.

The process of changing it, actually forces you to understand it.

When I started Art of Composing in 2011, I had a loose idea of the things I needed to learn. But it wasn’t very clear in my mind.

So I set out reading just about every music theory or composition book I could get my hands on. And I blogged about it at the same time.

What is your motivation for composing?

Since launching my original free composing course on youtube back in 2011, I’ve asked many of the 35,000 people who’ve taken it what their goals are for composing.

If any of these describe you, keep reading.

• You want to compose music that clearly expresses yourself and your emotions in a way that others understand.
• You want to create music mostly for yourself, but you’re interested in film, TV, and video games.
• You want to write down what you hear inside your head, and from that create longer works, hit songs, or just a good piece of music.
• You want to understand how music works, but your music theory is a little bit… shall we say… sketchy.

Your goals may be slightly different, but in the end, we all want some of the same things. To express ourselves, to bring joy to others through music, and to just simply create .

Learning composition is a process that will take time. There is a lot you don’t know, and that’s okay.

Composition is rewarding because there is no end to learning and growing.

You Already Have Listening Experience, and Background Knowledge

We all come to music with a lifetime of listening experiences. I grew up playing trumpet in wind bands and jazz bands.

Others may have had no experience playing at all.

We also learn little tidbits about music along the way. Confusing quotes like “Music is the space between the notes,” which happens to be simultaneously attributed to Miles Davis, Claude Debussy, and Mozart.

This is your background knowledge – everything you’ve learned about music until this very moment.

You then focus on one specific composition skill at a time. This could be something as small as writing a note correctly by hand or as big as a symphony.

Starting with small skills makes the whole process flow better.

A composition skill should be a repeatable process.

Harmony, melody, form – these are not skills. They are categories.

A composition skill should be repeatable, and have a clear goal.

So here is a goal for you. Compose a one note piece of music, right now.

Let’s accomplish this very basic composition skill together, and through this, I think I can show you how you’ll approach learning composition in general.

Grab a pencil, staff paper, and compose with me right now.

Download staff paper here. It will open in a new tab.

Step 1 – Set some restrictions for yourself

Let’s be deliberate about this. Your goal is to compose for me, a 1 note piece of music .

So let’s start with laying out the boundaries.

Restrictions will help to open up our creativity, because they filter out unnecessary ideas from your brain.

For instance, you can throw away any ideas you have that are two notes or longer.

Right now, I just want one note . But we’re going to make it a great note.

Pick each of these before we start sketching and write them down in the corner of the paper.

• The tempo .
• The time signature .
• The key signature .
• What instrument or instruments will be playing the note.

If you want, you can just watch me do it.

• I pick a slow tempo, about 60 beats per minute , also known as 1 beat per second.
• The time signature is, 4/4 . I don’t want to overcomplicate this.
• The key signature is C major . Because… it’s C major.
• The instrument I choose for this example is the violin .

Pretty simple right? Now that we have the boring stuff out of the way, let’s get on to the good stuff.

Step 2 – The process of composing, in one note

Let’s imagine your note for a second. Now you don’t need to hear the note before hand in your mind. You can start to get closer to the note you want, without hearing.

Is it a high range note, middle range note, or low note?

Is it loud or soft?

How should the note change over time?

How long is the note?

Here’s what I can imagine.

I hear a note, it’s middle range. The note is… soft. Very soft. In fact, it is as soft as the violin player can play. Yes, I see the violin player. Heart pounding on stage. The conductor, about to give the upbeat. And the note begins. With the lightest touch of the bow, the string begins to just barely scratch out a sound. But as the second beat hits, the note gets louder. The player puts more pressure. It gets gritty. By the third beat, the note is very loud, and then suddenly without warning, the violinist accelerates the bow, to leave the ring of an open low G string.

Now, write that down. A low G, 3 beats long, starting very soft (pp), and getting very loud (fff).

Hopefully, you could see and hear in your mind what I just described to you.

It’s a little bit like a story, and you have the ability to imagine music in your head with the same clarity. It also develops and changes as you create it.

Now imagine doing this for more than just one note.

What do we mean when we say “compose music”?

It’s always helpful to have a clear definition when learning a new topic. Music composition is no different.

Musical composition is the process of making or forming a piece of music by combining the parts, or elements of music.

Composing isn’t about being totally unique. The search for ever more novelty has lead to a lot of incomprehensible music.

It’s also not about just copying the past.

What Composers Actually Do

We create music based on our past experience and shared musical vocabularies.

Composers don’t create something out of nothing .

Take for example, this very famous piece, Pachabel’s Canon in D.

This chord progression and melody, are actually a commonly used chord progression called the Romanesca .

Here it is being used by Mozart in The Magic Flute” .

This is just one of many examples of composer’s learning from, and borrowing from other composers.

Our goal is to eventually create something new and unique, but not before we master that which has come before us.

How then, do we go about learning to compose music?

The Unique Challenges and Goals of Learning to Compose

Composing has some unique challenges, and it’s important to understand what you’re up against. Many of these will probably be familiar to you:

• There is too much to learn, not enough time to learn it, and it’s hard to understand on it’s own.
• Endless possibilities make starting pieces easy, but finishing them difficult.
• It’s difficult to compose without inspiration, which doesn’t always strike.
• You can’t accurately transcribe what you hear in your head, which means your music sounds different than you imagine.
• Your music theory knowledge is weak and you’re not sure how to apply it.
• You waste a lot of time trying to put together a coherent path to understanding composition.
• Finally, it’s really difficult to see how it all this can come together.

Too Much to Learn, Not Enough Time to Learn It, And It’s All Connected

At a basic level, learning to compose is overwhelming because there is a lot you need to know for things to click into place, and work together.

For instance, in order to harmonize a melody, you need to understand how harmony works. But in order to understand how harmony works, you need to understand how melody effects it.

The simple way around this is to give you very specific exercises which only require specific decisions to be made. For instance, how to write a melody over a chord progression that you already have. Once you can do that, you learn to write chord progressions alone. And then you combine the two skills.

Two separate composing skills become one.

Endless Possibilities Make Starting Easy and Finishing Hard

Endless possibilities make expressing your emotions in an original way challenging. Combine this with a small dose of perfectionism, and you’re stuck worrying about following rules, never finishing pieces.

There are so many great composers creating unique and interesting things. This in itself can be overwhelming.

This amount of freedom also makes it difficult to judge your own work and progress.

Once again, there are specific ways to address this so that you finish pieces. Namely very specific restrictions or boundaries that you choose not to cross. More on these later.

Inspiration Doesn’t Always Strike

When inspiration strikes, new composers usually don’t have a problem coming up with ideas. It’s committing to ideas and using them logically.

The problem is, inspiration doesn’t always strike.

It’s important to save your ideas when it does strike, but the real skill is knowing how to use those ideas to create finished pieces.

You Can’t Accurately Transcribe What You Hear In Your Head

But let’s be honest.

Occasionally inspiration strikes, you’re motivated to write, but you can’t take full advantage of it.

To express what you hear in your head, you have to be able to identify what you hear first. It’s not enough to just get close.

Ear training isn’t exactly fun though, and it isn’t really enough either. You want what you write down to actually sound like what you wanted to write down.

To do this you need a reliable process for hearing and experimenting with your ideas.

Your Music Theory is Weak, and You’re Not Sure How to Apply It

Music theory may not be your strongest point.

But you still want to fill in the gaps in your knowledge and learn how to apply the theory to actually writing music that expresses your emotions.

Theory is really just people trying to explain how music works.

So if the theory has good explanatory power, I like to learn it and use it. That’s the kind of theory you’ll learn here.

Music theory is not limited to college textbooks

A lot of music theory is boring, confusing, and doesn’t really help you to compose.

I basically skip that stuff.

Some music theory is extremely valuable for understanding why the music has the emotional effect that it does, by focusing on the critical elements of the music:

• Melody – the effect of the single line and how composers have tended to handle the problems of writing melodies.
• Harmony – how notes and lines sound together at the same time.
• Form – how any section of your piece can sound like a beginning, middle, or end, and therefore how you can organize it in unique ways to tell your unique musical story.

There is obviously much more to it, but that’s for later on.

Your Wasting Time Trying Finding Good Composition Lessons

Many composers endlessly fish youtube for self-learning resources, trying to figuring out what to study and how to organize it.

But without clear explanations of how composers actually work, the random bits of information seem to fall flat.

I have specifically designed courses to help you put all your random bits of composing knowledge into relationship to each other.

You Have Trouble Seeing How Musical Ideas Work and Should Fit Together

For your ideas to flow effortlessly from your mind to the paper, you need to understand why your ideas work, and how to best use them in order to turn those ideas into finished pieces.

How to Learn Composition

The first step in learning to compose, is realizing that you are just beginning, and not to place too heavy a burden on yourself.

Our job as composers is not to create masterpieces, but instead, piece together a master.

The Grammar of Music

So we begin by learning fundamentals, the grammar of music. For anyone serious about learning composition, it is key to learn the language.

You need to be able to read music notation.

There are many resources for learning to read music out there, and a quick google search should point you in the right direction. You’ll quickly find there isn’t all that much to reading music. The challenge lies more in becoming fluent, than becoming familiar.

But also part of the fundamentals are the basics of music theory. Things such as scales, triads, and seventh chords. These are your building blocks. If music notation the alphabet, these are your words. And much like a child, you probably already have an aural knowledge of these “words”. You know what a major chord sounds like, or what a minor chord sounds like. But as a composer, your knowledge needs to go beyond the aural and superficial level. You need to understand exactly what they are.

If you can read, the next step for you should be to sign up for my free beginner’s composing course, which explains in about the fastest way possible, what all of these basics of music theory are, and how to use them in composition. You’ll receive one email a day, with guidelines, worksheets, and a video.

The Logic of Music

Once you can read and write in music notation, and you know the basics of theory, such as scales, and triads, the next step is to learn how these combine to create small scale, simple music. That is in fact exactly what my free course. The Vocabulary of Composition teaches.

Music’s apparent logic, comes from the fact that most of the music we hear follows the same guidelines. These guidelines become ingrained in our ears, and we expect to hear them. These expectations are built into the music.

The logic is in understanding how to use these expectations.

Start Composing Now by Following My Journey

This series of articles was written for the beginner composer in mind. Where do you begin to learn music composition? What kinds of stuff do you need to have? Do you need a computer, a piano, or a pad of sheet music?

• The Composing Mindset – The Composing Mindset. Music composition first starts in the mind, and having a clear mind and an acceptance of who you are is key to clearing your conscience for creativity.
• Setting Up a Basic Composing Space – The Home Composing Studio Setup. Once you’ve got the right mindset, it is important to create a space for yourself to get away and compose. You may also be interested in this article about having a composing sanctuary .
• Should You Start With The Melody or Harmony First – Melody or Harmony First? The age old question of the chicken or the egg, just rehashed. The answer may not be what you think.
• Start Composing Now! – Now that you’ve read all about music composition, it’s time to start. With all this talk about theory, and fundamentals, the most important thing you can do to become a better composer is… actually compose something.
• Simple Musical Form for Composing – Are you looking for some direction in your compositions? The place to start is musical form. Definition: Musical Form is an emergent feature of music that happens over time when you combine the separate elements of melody, harmony, rhythm, tempo and texture.
• Simple Functional Harmony – Tired of C, F, and G chords? So am I. Learn how to harness harmony.
• Unlocking the Secret to Diatonic Harmony .

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Reader Interactions

April 12, 2024 at 11:01 am

Really great practical advice for music composition. Love how you went through the unique challenges (aka excuses) for not doing it. From my perspective, learning music theory and composition gives you a set of tools to work with. It allows you to unlock deeper possibilities with songwriting in general because you have this vast fabric of theory to work with and draw from.

So, instead of just hearing the songs in your head and wanting to create them, you have the building blocks and the process of creation becomes a matter of putting them together with your own form of expression.

A lot of it comes down to… just get started!

March 17, 2023 at 6:18 am

Hey! Thank you so much for this post. I actually have written songs and the music is all done … just in my mind. I mean I can sing the song and you will feel like it’s completely done. The only problem I don’t know how to compose music and also I am unaware of the music theory. Just the thought of composing the music of my own song used to scare me, but thanks to you I think I can pull this off with practice. Lastly, I want to know about your YouTube channel pls.

June 7, 2022 at 5:49 am

Hey Jon, I just wanted to say thanks for putting all this stuff together. After a long time of avoiding pursuing my musical talents (I went the finance/MBA/corporate grind 60-80 hour week route instead), I recently restarted my journey by enrolling at Berklee.

Most of the time, the way my composition instructors teach just doesn’t click in my head, and I find myself having to find alternative resources to fill in the gaps in my understanding. Your website has become one of them.

Thanks again!

October 7, 2020 at 12:19 pm

Hey Jon I have just come across this site from checking out your podcast i checked out the first 7 epesodes today, I have been a dj in the electronic world for 27 years and have been very lucky to travel the world, I also had a radio show on the BBC Radio1 for several years, I have wanted to get into composition for a very long time but have been very intimidated as i don’t have any music theory or a grasp of composition, I just wanted to say this site looks amazing and congratulation on pushing forward with it 😉

October 7, 2020 at 3:54 pm

August 30, 2020 at 11:23 pm

Hi, Thanks for this demonstration, I was hoping you would give an example for a vocal voice as well, you know like just plain vocal-rhythm,body,lyricss etc. I would like you to try giving me an example. Thank You!

May 23, 2020 at 1:29 pm

Hi First of all congratulations to you for this initiative. I wanted to know what is the best machine/software out there to deconstruct instruments involved in any song being played. For example, if I’m listening to a song, I want that the guitar piece should get separated , picked out and recorded/ written seperately in my computer. Thank you

August 11, 2020 at 10:05 am

Your brain, your ears, a keyboard, and transcription software like anytune . If you are talking about separating audio, maybe audionamix https://audionamix.com/ .

May 16, 2020 at 11:14 am

Hi! Thanks for the content. I play guitar and started writing lyrics on my own for a someone I love and can sing them A-Capella but soon I wanted to accompany music too. So just tryna learn all music theory I can and learning about composing

February 25, 2020 at 10:05 am

I returned yet again. As a former music grad, I decided I wanted to pick up composition as I had a taste of it while in college. I had a taste of being a conductor, playing several different instruments, studying pedagogy, and majoring on bassoon. I haven’t quite decided my process yet. I concluded that I would try writing melody and harmoney simultaneously after I establish a rhythm I like. I’m going to try that. I might be back. Lol

March 2, 2020 at 7:25 am

February 7, 2020 at 8:21 am

I started composing after my retirement 6 years ago. Even though I have no musical training but a considerable passion for classical music, I started with my iPhone and garageband and just went for it. I tried to go the Theme and Variations route and found my self fully committed and passionately involved with making music. I also read your guidance and found it to be very helpful in getting the major technical aspects of composing. To my surprise, I found my self to be very prodigious and continued to improve the more I was composing. I got so involved that after five years I decided to learn how to play the piano. If you are interested in listening to my latest work see: paulcaracristi.bandcamp.com

January 24, 2020 at 6:23 am

I’m very new to composing (as in, I’m writing my first piece). I’m trying to write a slow air/ballad. I’ve realised I’ve accidentally switched from 3/4 to 4/4 when I pick up the tempo. Is this allowed? Or should I be changing it so that the time signature stays the same the whole way through?

Sorry for such a stupid question.

February 4, 2020 at 1:45 pm

You can change meter if it feels right. Sometimes you can also try to write it as both 3/4 and 4/4 and see which one works best.

January 23, 2020 at 9:42 pm

Thank you so much for creating this website. It’s been my dream to compose as a kid. I never had access to musical training, now that I have the resources and this website I’m able to work towards my music career and goals.

January 4, 2020 at 9:52 am

Thank you for great tips and providing straightforward and practical advice in musical composition. Well written article, and looking forward to reading more. Thanks again!

January 1, 2020 at 12:29 pm

Hi Jon, I’m from Guatemala, I start to compose music 4 years ago. First, I write instrumental music with a big focus on electric guitar. Actually, I’m trying to compose with vocals and experimental electronic audio effects. I graduated from University with a degree in electronic engineering. In my thesis, I create new audio effects, VST, based on nonlinear mathematical models. At this moment, I want to study my Master’s in something that joins both things. In my country, there are not too many possibilities so I’m thinking to go outside. I took so many composition advice from your web page and you are incredible. Do you know of a master ‘s degree, with the characteristics indicated before, or some keywords to tried to find it in Interner? My principal intention is to join my engineering studies with my true love music to express myself, in a better way, and find a place where I can develop working in this way, playing and sharing new sounds and compositions.

January 8, 2020 at 3:43 pm

I am not too familiar with programs like that. My recommendation would be to look for specific people to study with instead of just picking an institution by name. With music, your mentors are critical and someone who understands your goals and is able to help you guide your career choices will be very important.

September 17, 2019 at 6:55 am

I am a piano teacher and exclusively teach individuals with autism spectrum. Many of my students are musically gifted, but unfortunately with gifted students they seem to always want to play by ear instead of learning to read notes and integrating their aural and sight-reading skills. I have a 15 year old who knows his notes, keys, scales, modes,etc. He composes on the fly, but cannot notate what he plays. In your opinion, should I start with a beginning composition course for him, or listen with him and teach him how to notate what’s in his brain?

September 23, 2019 at 12:55 pm

I don’t know enough about autism to say what the best path forward would be. Generally, I recommend learning to read and notate for anyone learning to compose, as it gives you a very handy way to remember your music by sketching it. Writing by hand has also been shown to engage different parts of the brain than playing or using a keyboard and mouse, so there is benefit there as well.

You could possibly mix in the reading and writing aspect with playing. Like have them write a few notes, and then improvise a piece based on those notes. It’s more flexible than having to write complete finished compositions.

You could also introduce lead sheets, which are inherently improvisation based, as you have to add the supporting bass line and accompaniment.

September 12, 2019 at 11:13 pm

I don’t play an instrument. But I have a lot of catchy and sometimes beautiful chords in my head. Should I learn an instrument first?

September 13, 2019 at 5:51 am

I would learn a little piano.

It doesn’t require any special skills to make it sound right. You can hear harmony clearly, and as a beginner, playing a single line melody is relatively easy compared to say a string or woodwind (because its just harder to make a good sound.)

Ultimately, I recommend learning a instrument well, but it shouldn’t stop you from also learning to compose.

September 11, 2019 at 9:06 am

Hi Jon, I’ve been playing music for over 40 years now. I can play most instruments I lay my hand on. I’m a self taught musician throughout my life. I have always played other musician scores in different band I’ve played with. I find it a lot easier to write an instrumental piece, but I have a big problem with lyrics. I have these ideas all bugling in my brain but I just can’t start to writing it down. I understand a lot about musical theory and I even teach children how to read and play sheet music. I bought me a 32 channel tascam compact home studio with the idea of laying down some original tracks. What you said about trying to learn through YouTube is very true. I’m bogged down with confused information and it’s getting me no where. I set some limitations when it comes to trying to learn from those YouTube lessons, and the pressure just disappeared. Help me out here Jon. Give me some more specific instructions please. There is a river that runs in front of my house and it has been polluted by a mega company a few kilometers up stream. Something that neve happens before. I want to bring awareness to my government and people by composing a song that will resonate around the country and the world about protecting the environment. I have many harmonically ideas but like I said, lyrics is my big problem. See news5Belize.com for information about our river. Called The New River. Thanks for taking time out to read my message.

September 13, 2019 at 10:26 am

I am sorry to hear about the river. My recommendation is to go through my free course , read my articles , listen to the podcast , and watch the old symposiums .

At some point, you’ll know if you want to take the full Fundamentals Course , and then move further on to the Sonata Form course .

August 30, 2019 at 7:09 am

I want to write music. But I’s can’t play and an instrument or read music. Please let me kmow if it’s hopeless

Thank you for your time..

September 4, 2019 at 6:02 am

Not hopeless. I would start learning the basics of reading music, and a little piano though.

September 12, 2019 at 11:15 pm

Thank you for your quick reply.

August 28, 2019 at 8:26 pm

Hi Jon I live in Australia, years ago did my grades and have my Associate in Music (pianoforte) AMusA (AMEB), and have taught many students over the years. I love the old psalms and hymns and regularly play them in church. We have lots of organ music available, but limited variations around the psalms and hymns for piano. I enjoy making up variations etc at home, but prefer to play from music when in public. I’ve been wanting to write music, but don’t particularly want to sit down and ‘hand write’ it all. Do you have any suggestions as to what I need … eg programs (I’ve heard of Sibelius etc) … and do I need an electric keyboard to somehow input what I play into written music — if you know what I mean. I’m hoping that with all the technology around there is something that will allow me to play on a keyboard (though I much prefer my own piano :)) and then transfer what I’ve played into the program. If I’ve rambled, my apologies. I hope the above makes sense? Looking forward to your response. Kind regards, Rosanne

August 29, 2019 at 6:00 am

If you are interested in notation, you can start with Musescore which is free. I use Sibelius and Dorico.

You can also use a DAW but the concept is around recording audio more than notation.

Garageband is free on mac, and reaper as well. Windows has some other free ones. I use Digital Performer.

A midi controller is really necessary for inputting notes without wasting a ton of time, although Sibelius and Dorico do have fast notation entry from a regular typing keyboard.

August 8, 2019 at 4:58 am

Hi jon, i don’t really know how to start what i have in my mind. Its that i love music i have been going through ample of apps for so long that would really help me create music, no i don’t have any kind of access to any software. My very first question is about the chords, i have zero knowledge about them and i don’t really know where to start and learn then. I have ideas, i can play music in my mind, i have written few lines (say). Nothing is really helping yet. Wanna learn i can learn but i don’t know where to have a good pack of knowledge that would help me.

August 16, 2019 at 6:41 am

Start with my free course https://courses.artofcomposing.com/courses/the-vocabulary-of-composition .

August 8, 2019 at 12:44 am

Really Inspired…. Very practical and real.

July 17, 2019 at 3:42 pm

Despite your emphasis that music need not be learned / is not solely learned from college textbooks… I have a textbook question of sorts. Hopefully what I’m getting at here makes sense: What is a good “textbook curriculum” I can make for myself? Obviously (and I know full well that), not everything can be learned from just the textbooks, but let’s assume I’m already prepared to do all the work falling outside the textbooks. What is a good set of books to cover (and their proper reading order) basically everything book-related that a typical undergrad music program (along the lines of composition, I suppose) would cover? Theory, harmony, aural skills, counterpoint, orchestration, a music history sequence and a few other book/course titles pop up a lot, but are there any big ones I’m missing? Do any of those overlap? (e.g., it seems that many theory and harmony textbooks cover similar ground, so if I get a book entitled “Music Theory” and another entitled “Harmony,” am I just wasting my money to get the same info rehashed, or are they legitimately different fields/courses?) And what is the proper order to cover these courses (i.e., read these books)? For example, does orchestration build on counterpoint, or vice versa, or can I study them simultaneously? So if anyone who’s gone through an undergrad music composition program could leave me a list of courses they covered and the textbooks they used for each, I think you’d be giving me just what I need and I would be very, very thankful.

July 19, 2019 at 7:40 am

It’s hard to say what an ideal textbook curriculum would be. You can start by looking at some of the books that cover the topic overall in this way, like The Complete Musician . It integrates all of those subjects. Books like this can be tedious to go through on your own though.

I originally learned in college from Harmony and Voice Leading by Aldwell and Schacter . It’s a decent book on Harmony and Voice Leading and goes into the basics of Species counterpoint.

As far as history, I’ve heard a lot of good things about Richard Taruskins 5 volume series .

As a way of bringing things together though, I would recommend copying scores, reading scores, and transcribing music by ear. It can be any music in fact, but whatever your composition goals are will really dictate what you’re transcribing.

July 8, 2019 at 2:36 pm

I am also trying to learn the piano by following the course which was recommended to me by my husband this one. https://musicgny.com/piano-for-all-review/ I don’t know will I be able to learn it or not but I am really trying because I love the instrument. I will be really grateful if you share some piano learning tips for adults like me which can make piano learning easy.

July 15, 2019 at 7:09 am

Thanks Elena. I’ll look at writing some stuff about piano as well.

June 13, 2019 at 12:01 pm

To what degree should I be able to read music notation before I start the Vocabulary course?

June 18, 2019 at 6:14 am

It helps to be able to say the notes and rhythms in your mind, in both treble and bass clef, without having to reference a chart. You don’t need to be extremely fast, because you’ll practice your reading as you write, analyze, copy, and so on.

You can pause the videos, replay sections, and even slow down the player in the course.

Re-listening to the examples and then applying the concepts is critical to getting it.

Sometimes with denser passages, you need to work slowly at the keyboard, playing through the examples one note at a time until there is a clear understanding of the elements involved. This is actually a critical part of the process, at any stage.

I like to copy scores by hand, because the only way to do it correctly is note by note. Otherwise you tend to assume too much, and make a mistake. The benefit is that the whole time, you brain is still trying to fill in the gaps, on a note to note level. Combine this with listening to a recording (especially on something that slows it down like AnyTune ), and playing it on a keyboard while you write – well you’ve got yourself a musical genius stew right there.

June 5, 2019 at 3:47 pm

I don’t know if you’ve had occasion to check out PowerTracks Pro Audio, but they have what I would call a hybrid notation/piano roll function which allows you to enter notes as you would on the staff, but gives you control of duration and velocity and represents your choices by lines above the note (velocity) and to the right of the note (duration). I found this to be the easiest way to compose using midi. Unfortunately, it doesn’t support the Roland Integra-7 synthesizer.

Are you aware of any similar programs that would fit the bill?

June 7, 2019 at 6:46 am

There are many DAWs out there. I haven’t used Powertracks, but I have used Band in a Box, so I am familiar with the program. You can also look at Cubase, Logic, Digital Performer, Studio One, and Reaper. I use Digital Performer.

Studio one integrates with notion which has this capability.

Dorico has this capability as well.

February 28, 2020 at 11:53 am

Musescore, a free software for writing music, has the possibility of midi input as well. From my memory, you have to tell Musescore how it should interpret the input (e.g. note values (pitch) from a midikeyboard, duration from some other keys, for instance if the midikeyboard has a drumpad or from a computer keyboard). https://musescore.org/en/handbook/note-input#midi-keyboard

May 11, 2019 at 2:05 pm

Jon, it is 2019 and I am wondering what software or plugins I would need to: 1) Compose music and transcribe for other instruments, classical-style music, from medieval through present eras. Sibelius? Logic Pro? or? 2) have the playback to sound realistic. 3) allow the input format to be saved so that I will to be able to apply my work using “better” instruments as technology progresses. It should be versatile to use with more than one playback software/plugins, if possible.

I have the ideas and know theory well enough for what I am planning. I just want the software for input via note-by-note notation or to play it into the score with an instrument and best virtual instruments for playback. If it is VSL – that is probably out of my budget right now. Thank you.

May 12, 2019 at 5:30 am

The big difference in music composition software is between notation software and DAWs. Notation software is getting better at playback, and Dorico looks particularly promising for the future, as they are adding DAW capabilities, but you are still limited by their playback engine which writes most of the midi data.

A DAW is really performance software. DAWs allow you to perform in your music, and manipulate that midi data in many different ways. This allows you to craft the sound of your pieces. Think of MIDI as the language that all the sampled instruments and synthesizers to use to trigger the sounds.

DAWs usually have weaker notation capabilities and so score creation more difficult. I also personally prefer to work out my music in notation form, so I will usually write in notation, and then move to the DAW when I am ready to get a performance version of the piece.

As far as what makes it sound realistic – that is a mix of the quality of the sample libraries you use and your ability to perform with them. Each sample library has quirks, and you will get used to them as you go. I like the Spitfire libraries, the orchestral tools libraries, but there are many others.

There are a lot of sample libraries now. Here is a good place to learn more about libraries https://www.samplelibraryreview.com/ .

VSL is just another library, although VSL has something called VE Pro which allows you to use any libraries on multiple computers streaming the audio back to your main computer, saving a ton of CPU and RAM on that main computer.

My personal setup right now:

Notation – Sibelius and Dorico (I’ve been learning to use Dorico recently and really like it, but it is expensive. Sibelius has a cheaper renting option) DAW – Digital Performer

Digital Performer, Logic, Cubase, Studio One… they are all very good at this point, and it becomes about your own preferences.

May 13, 2019 at 12:12 pm

Thank you, Jon. This is encouraging. It is helpful to see your approach with both Notation software and the DAW, using each for what it is best suited. I was hoping for an all-in-one but I see how knowing both are important. So, if you write parts for cello, viola and two violins in Sibelius or Dorico, when you are ready to get a performance version in the DAW, you are “performing” them into it with a midi-based controller or through a microphone, direct in, etc.; then, use the sample libraries for the ultimate sound output. Is there a format you save in, whether in Sibelius or a DAW that allows you to use it with other notation software or other DAWS later, or is that not a concern? Thanks!

May 13, 2019 at 1:51 pm

Usually I use midi to go between them. From DAW to Notation I will quantize the midi so it’s easier to make sense of in the notation software. Also in general, I’ve found that light quantizing of the midi actually makes the performance a little better because the spitfire libraries have a little character to them.

I haven’t had great results exporting the midi from the notation software and then getting good playback in the DAW. I usually perform it in from the individual parts. The exception is drum parts, which for the most part are pretty straight forward. A little manipulating of the midi data brings a human touch, and you can always still re-perform it in.

The other thing that helps, is to perform small chunks at a time. A don’t be afraid to do a bunch of takes. You can get good at doing 2, 4 or 8 measure sections quickly.

May 16, 2019 at 8:22 am

Thanks so much for your advice by way of sharing your approach. Once I dive into it, hopefully this summer, I may get back to you. I have not started delving into your lessons, etc,., but from what I have seen they all look interesting; so, little by little!

May 16, 2019 at 3:10 pm

Glad you like it.

December 25, 2016 at 11:54 pm

Okay Jon, please give me some advice for this. I’m on lesson three and the video is simply overwhelming. I know how to read music, I’ve been playing for eight years, and I understand intervals, but the chords confuse me. I know we kind of went through how to build a chord, but now there are new ones we talk about that use sevenths and don’t follow the rules of thirds like they did before.

I guess what I’m asking for is some clarification. First, I know we went through inversions, but what do “1st” and “2nd inversion” mean. And the second lesson seemed to say that it inversion meant to move the notes up the octave, but in the third lesson a note that is in “1st inversion” only gets moved up a third (4:19 in that video). And was there ever an explanation of “dominant” and “tonic” and the differences between those? I’ll probably have more questions as the lessons go along, but maybe getting the answer to these can make me more informed for the future.

In no way am I trying to insult the program. While it does move rather fast and can be hard to follow just because music theory was never my thing, it is fairly informative. I just want to write some music for fun, but I want it to sound like I know what I’m doing too. Being able to play with more chords would give me more freedom while writing, but I need to know what those chords are. Thanks.

April 17, 2017 at 9:37 am

Inversions effectively mean the bass note changes to a different chord member.

Here is a post in my forum about 7th chord inversions. https://www.artofcomposing.com/question/why-v65-v43-v42

I do think I discuss in one of the early videos about tonic and dominant, but you can also check out my article on diatonic harmony. https://www.artofcomposing.com/08-diatonic-harmony

December 7, 2016 at 5:30 pm

If you just started wanting to compose but have always had a passion for music where do you start when writing music? I have been in band for almost 4 years now. I can kinda play the piano. I just don’t where to even start.

December 12, 2016 at 11:19 am

Alicia, I would start with a solid understanding of how composition works. The best place is at my Start Here page on the site.

From there, you can sign up for the free course which should take you through the process in a gentle way.

December 5, 2016 at 12:45 pm

Are there any books to learn music theory like fundamentals of scales,chords,chord progression etc?

December 12, 2016 at 11:18 am

My courses teach how scales, chords, progressions, melody, harmony, and form all work together so you can compose. If you need to learn to read music, I suggest starting by looking around youtube.

November 16, 2016 at 2:57 am

It is generally acknowledged that most, if not all, classical and other ‘serious’ music is the creation of one person – the composer, who presents his work on musical manuscript, whereupon skilled musicians and the conductor combine to interpret the score in their own inimitable way.

It seems to me, however, that beginning round January 1955 when Bill Haley’s Rock Around the Clock first hit the charts, the same could be said for vast numbers of popular and rock releases.

It is customary, or was until not too long ago, to think of the average rock band as 3 guitars and a drum, expertly manipulating 3 chords to create what on the surface sounded like standard outpourings of music that would quickly and easily be replaced with just another catchy tune.

Add to this the portrayal of the musicians as drug induced, womanising layabouts who just happen to be able to knock out a good tune, but underneath the façade of projecting themselves with carefully designed images, the actual creation of the recordings that have gone on sale to the general public are very serious, very businesslike and very skilfully composed and orchestrated works of art, and is why so many recordings have endured over the decades.

Take for example Adam Faith’s ‘What do you want?’ which was released back in the 60s, see

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CkODancaf6E

How about that? Faith has an orchestral accompaniment, a string orchestra no less which is reading from a score that has been composed and orchestrated.

Listen to the enormous output of the Beatles for example. Each recording is actually a work of art, and while Lennon and McCartney are undoubtedly hugely talented and creative, I think the real genius behind them was someone with the skills of a classical composer because so many of their recordings feature little bits of genius that only a real composer could deliver. I guess George Martin filled that role.

It seems to me that few if any bands or groups have ever hit the big time without having classical composers behind the scenes brushing up the scores, though it’s possible that singer/songwriters like Axl Rose of Guns and Roses for example possess that talent, and that underneath his, let’s say, outgoing stage persona, was a highly gifted and original composer and arranger. Perhaps all the members of the group were more than just instrumentalists.

November 25, 2016 at 10:38 am

True. George Martin with a genius and a big reason why the Beatles were successful.

November 5, 2016 at 6:53 pm

What is the importance of a song’s arrangement then, if totally unaddressed in this composition article. Is this regarding the notion that the original composition is structurally devoid of any flaws requiring arrangement (as in re-arrangement, remixing context)?

I apologize if that is a fundamentally basic question, but the context in which arrangement is used around me and by me in my life is not relating to remixing. I refer to arrangement when I speak of the song’s unique structural characteristics (instrumentally).

November 14, 2016 at 10:23 am

Arrangement is a term that is somewhat ambiguous. Arrangement can refer to the form, it can also refer to the orchestration, and it can also refer generally to what instrumentation is used, and not how they are used (orchestration). Obviously all of those are important, and they are addressed in other articles, and podcasts throughout the site. I recommend listening to the podcast episodes on orchestration, and form specifically.

September 10, 2016 at 9:54 am

July 16, 2016 at 10:16 am

When writing a pop tune, if you want an instrumental break do you write the accompianment or leave it to the performer to fill in and just fill in the melody with no words. I know if someone adds/changes more than 8 bars they can lay claim to writers credits (and copyrights?) But I also have no idea what instruments a performer will use, or even if (s)he will change the music style. You’ve heard ballads made uptempo and vice-versa.

July 21, 2016 at 12:16 pm

These are all very context specific questions. When I write a tune, I usually write a lead sheet. If I want to make an arrangement of that tune, I will go more in depth on parts, but depending on the band and players, it can be just chords, or it can be intricately written out.

Copyright is much more complicated than the number of bars. I recommend reading around the internet on trusted sources for the subject to get a better grasp.

June 19, 2016 at 6:34 am

Hello, I am interested in music and i can sing some movie songs……I wanted to compose song myself …I’m stuck where how to compose and produce it ..i need someone’s help plz trying helping me. Thank you.

June 20, 2016 at 11:03 pm

Bob, I recommend signing up for the free course . It should get you started in the right direction.

June 16, 2016 at 1:38 pm

that is a great thing therd…i am young boy of 18 year old and i want to be in music with all my life…

June 12, 2016 at 7:40 am

Thank you so much for this encouragement via the lesson. In fact, I have been shying away from composing because I thought it was pretty difficult. But now, I have carefully understood the basic and I’m sure it is worth venturing into. I have a request. getting a music software to score the idea could be pretty difficult. I am aware of Sibelius and Finale. it is possible sir to send a copy of Finale via my mail, at least the setup so I can try my hand on it? thanks

June 12, 2016 at 7:55 am

You can download the free finale notepad to try out the software. It works the same, but with limitations. https://www.finalemusic.com/products/finale-notepad/

You can also try musescore, which is the most popular free notation software.

https://musescore.org/

May 27, 2016 at 12:16 am

Hi, I am 25 years old and Right now I am very fond of Music though thats something late to know my interest, now I am learning Piano with a great zeal and love for it. My dream is to compose a song, how long does it take to reach there and I am very confused as whether its too late to enter into music field.

May 31, 2016 at 6:17 am

You can learn the basics relatively quickly. But it will take time to master. It is hard to say how long, but it is never too late to learn.

April 26, 2016 at 7:26 am

Hello! First of all, I am impressed with this page yours. In my native language, which is Spanish, there is nothing like it. I write because I am very depressed about my condition, a composer, who does not sing or play any instrument. I feel that I have, already arrived where I wanted. That is, I feel, because, I get songs like those, who always dreamed of composing. I can compose a song, every week. The fact is, that since, I have many and I want to give them away. I own MIDI, audio and RETURN LEAD. My fear is having some artistic value, such as Paul McCartney’s Yesterday. I was born with a rare genetic condition that can determine the exact pitch of the notes that make up a chord. Moreover, since I am a child, hear, all singers, detune. I does not happen with musical instruments but I find them a default tuning, that is, that with my whistle, there paddling. Then I was finding logic, cúales are those tunings, against which my whistle, produces paddling. It is interesting, that with tensions {1, 2, 4, 5, 9, 11} of the fundamental chord {I, II, IV, V}, my whistle, NOT PRODUCE PADDLING, which are the musical instruments . Anyway, I have no way to motivate me to release my songs. Perhaps it is because I am very lonely. I only know that because, I have 50 years and 15 years have elapsed since leaving me songs that give me the feeling, that are nice … very nice! I understand, which is my subjective judgment. Anyway, do you want them? Starting, I have prepared a 45. They sound like Yesterday, Paul McCartney. That is the style of melody and harmony. The tempo is extremely variable. I gave them finished with orchestration, rock all. Of course, they sound different textures. My email is [email protected] . I also possess the power, if that, I, I would propose, compose, for 15 days, 15 songs. I finish exhausted and must rest a month sleeping 12 hours a day. But I can do it … if somebody motivate me some words of encouragement. I know automotivar but not enough to release my songs and especially all my ALGORITHMS composition (something like artificial intelligence, to harmonize, develop melodies and tune in 12-edo, so that the “psychoacoustics, is the exact pitch not heated … that, that sounds in my head because of my rare genetic condition “). Regards!

April 26, 2016 at 7:49 am

I think the best thing for you would be to get yourself out there, and start getting your music performed. Try to find people that can sing or play an instrument that would be interested in having someone else write a song for them to play. I would also recommend, if not being able to play an instrument is making you feel bad, then learn to play an instrument. The process is not that daunting. I play several instruments myself (trumpet, piano, guitar, saxophone, a little clarinet). It just takes effort and patience.

April 14, 2016 at 10:29 am

Hi! Thanks for all your tips on music composition 🙂 I wondered if you could give some advice (all of us comment-leavers pleading for help 🙂 ). I am intermediate pianist, I only took 4 yrs. of lessons from a private teacher. I did not learn a lot about music “theory” at all. I live with my family of 9 so I don’t get any quiet, practice time on piano. Also I do NOT have an artistic, passionate personality…just music talent 🙂 So do you have any advice 1) as far as me composing music? 2) working in such a hectic environment? 🙂 Thanks– help would be appreciated!

April 15, 2016 at 7:41 am

To be honest, I am not exactly sure what you are asking. As far as composing advice, I have written many articles on this site about both the theoretical and practical side, and the mental aspects of composing. I would recommend taking a glance at the archives and just clicking through the blog a bit.

You can get some work done in a hectic environment, but I would recommend finding a quite place that you can go to get away when you compose. If you need an instrument to check pitch, then you could start real simple with a pitch pipe, or try to find a place like a school that will allow you to use a piano. There is also a lot of benefit in learning to compose without an instrument. Try writing down ideas, and then checking them later at a piano or using notation software. You will improve over time.

But it sounds like to me, that you don’t know what you want to do. You say you have talent, but you are not an artistic, passionate personality. You don’t have to be crazy and “artistic” in the romantic sense of the word in order to compose. But you do need the desire to compose. Sometimes composing is a lot of work… difficult work. If you don’t have the desire, it is all to tempting to just quit.

April 15, 2016 at 3:04 pm

Thanks for the reply! Yeah, I am a little undecided–guess that’s obvious! I do love music greatly, I’m just trying to figure out how I can work with it in the future. And even if I don’t compose something now, maybe later on! So thanks for your time 🙂

April 7, 2016 at 2:17 pm

Hello, I appreciate your efforts on making us learn more and more about composing music. I have also been playing piano for so long but i have been wondering how i could come up with some compositions and failing. This is so helpful!

April 7, 2016 at 5:01 pm

Glad to help.

March 23, 2016 at 2:40 pm

Thank you very much for your reply. I am a university grad, and I’m planning to go back to school for this. I’ve only recently decided to pursue this passion, as I’ve been too afraid in the past. Part of the reason was that I wasn’t brought up with an education in music, and wasn’t particularly musically inclined until my teens. I felt too old as an adult.

I can read music, but there is a lack of connection between the notes and the sounds. That is something I’m going to have to work on.

As far as the keyboard goes, is a 88 key keyboard necessary? Or a 61 should do?

I am quite serious about pursing an education, if not a career. It is something I’m going to live with if I end up not doing anything about it. I’ve had several ideas but have not written them down, but one of the most revealing clues I had in terms of where my passion lies was when I had dreams with music I believe I composed. After I finish the beginner’s course, I’ll look into the other packages. Do you recommend I brush up my piano skills before taking 101?

Thank you again for your answers!

March 29, 2016 at 9:27 am

I have a 49 key keyboard. I would make sure though, that it is a midi controller, with a modulation wheel. You can take the 101 course without brushing up on your keyboard skills, because most of the exercises are done on paper or in notation software.

March 23, 2016 at 3:11 am

First of all thank you for the information you have provided here. I have a few questions regarding an education in film scoring.

I have no formal training, and have had very little writing experience. I am a mediocre pianist at best, and have no means of accessing the instrument right now. I do have a guitar at home, but have left it to rust. I barely know how to pluck a chord. Long story short – I’ve got a passion, but I lack the proficiency in an instrument and formal training in music theory. I would like to know how I could best prepare for an audition at an music college or university offering a degree in composition for film/TV. I know this is something I want to pursue, but I am simply overwhelmed by the daunting task of diving into the unknown (so far). I have the following questions for you:

1. Should I be a maestro at any instrument? Or is a certain level of profiency required at least (in my case piano)? 2. Is pursuing a degree productive if I want to pursue a career in film scoring? If so, does the institution matter? 3. Is originality or complexity more important when it comes to the compositions for the audition? Or is that more relevant to the style/genre?

Any practical advice would be most appreaciated! Thank you again!

March 23, 2016 at 9:49 am

I am not going to sugarcoat it, you have a long road ahead of you if you want to pursue film/TV composition. However, if you are in highschool, then you are still in a good position to pursue, but it will take time and patience.

My recommendation would be to learn piano/keyboard first. And not just chords, and pop songs. You need to learn to read music. While it is true that some film composers have been able to make a career without the ability to read music notation, they are the exception. You do not have to be an excellent pianist, but you will need the ability to play in your music into a digital audio workstation (DAW).

Once you can read music, you should also learn about the fundamentals of music theory and composition. That is what Music Composition 101 is all about – the fundamentals. But you need to be able to read both treble and bass clef first in order to understand the course.

Then it is a matter of practice. Compose as much as you can. Don’t worry about getting fancy sample libraries, or expensive software. You can do a lot with free resources on the internet.

As far as a degree is concerned, that is a very deep question, because a lot of factors come into play – money, time, where you go to school, who you study with there, what your goals are, how serious you are about film scoring as a career.

Finally, as far as originality, I wouldn’t worry about that until you have a lot of experience composing. I would first try to emulate your favorite composers, and listen to as much music as possible. Originality will come later.

Keep an eye out on the blog, because I am going to write an article about this.

January 29, 2016 at 10:58 am

Am having hard time in compose my music, expecially rythms pleas help me out…

January 31, 2016 at 8:27 am

I recommend going through the free course and the free articles on the site. https://www.artofcomposing.com/courses/free-beginners-composing-course

February 5, 2016 at 12:42 am

Try vigorously studying rhythmic dictations. (Listening to a rhythm and trying to write it down by ear.) once you have mastered this then you will be able to think in terms of rhythm. Musictheory.net Is a great place to start.

January 25, 2016 at 9:24 am

Thank you for sharing <3

January 25, 2016 at 7:17 pm

December 1, 2015 at 5:57 pm

I am focusing on composing music in Beethoven/Tchaikovsky style: loud, forced, and strong. The first piece I am starting on is the choral symphony “SYMPHONY OF THE LORD”, also known as the Symphony No. 1 in D major. I will be using text from the Bible as part of this piece. At this beginning point, I am very confused on what keys for the soloists to sing and as I am composing pieces for classical orchestra (not the large current orchestra), I am unsure on how many instruments would be suitable. If you composed any choral works in classical style, could you maybe give me some handy tips on how to compose a perfect choral symphony? Thanks.

December 2, 2015 at 9:42 am

Podcast 009: My Principles of Orchestration.

January 26, 2016 at 8:07 am

it s strong and loud espesially the quantus Tremor est futurus part. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcscOz8hDJc

January 26, 2016 at 8:12 am

if you want to compose in that style listen to this piece look after dies irae by jean baptiste lully

December 1, 2015 at 9:24 am

please I like your introduction to this topic on composition of music and I will like to follow you through.

December 2, 2015 at 9:36 am

Feel free to signup for the free beginner’s course and read through all the articles on the site. You can sign up for my free beginner’s composing course at https://www.artofcomposing.com/free .

October 22, 2015 at 8:45 pm

Greetings from Boston! I am a composer in my senior year of High School applying to and already attending conservatories in Bsoton and composition is a part of what I will do! For my senior project I am composing a piece for our HighSchool band which is small and contains no string instruments aside from a bass guitar. My style and love is classical so would you believe concert band instruments would work fine? Also, challenging music is what I love and how I compose as well, finishing Chopin Ballade no. 1 in fact, and that sort of sound is what I’m looking to achieve, what do you suggest I do to get amazing sound quality like in Rachmaninoff Concertos without string instruments and without writing difficult music as it’s my first time away from just piano? How should I approach this?

October 26, 2015 at 11:57 pm

I think it is great you have some composers that you are aspiring to sound like, but I would recommend starting simpler. Generally things such as Rachmaninoff Concertos and Chopin Ballades have very intense intricate writing, and they are written from the perspective of virtuoso pianists. My suggestion is to listen to good wind band music, and try to find something you like out of it. Here is a list to get you started http://www.naxos.com/series/wind_band_classics.htm .

If you can get your hands on any scores, to see how they are put together, that is also good. IMSLP is a great resource for scores, and here is the wind band category http://imslp.org/wiki/Category:Scores_featuring_wind_band .

Generally I would approach step by step. Start with creating a simple theme, and then expanding that theme into a longer piece, followed by orchestrating it. If you start with orchestration from the beginning without a plan, or without much experience, you can easily get lost in the details and find trouble finishing.

I recommend taking the free course, and reading more on the site, as well as listening to the podcast.

December 10, 2015 at 9:24 pm

Is there a way I can show you a sample? I have to submit two solo piano works to a college. One of which is done, I’d be great to have some feedback. Thanks.

October 20, 2015 at 4:16 am

I do play the keyboard and piano very well,do listen to and play some good classical songs….i’ve been composing a classical song with 1st progression I-I-IV-I….my movements have been good as told to me by choirmasters…but i’m stuck right now because i want to create a real masterpiece..it’s my 1st time of composing a classical song-comprises of both solo and choir..can u help?

i really need help

October 27, 2015 at 12:00 am

I recommend focusing on the fundamentals and creating smaller pieces that you understand. We do not really get to dictate what will or won’t be a masterpiece when we set out to compose. The best we can do is learn our craft, and create from a place of honesty.

As far as logging in, make sure you check your email for your login credentials. If you haven’t signed up, you can sign up here: artofcomposing.com/free

October 2, 2015 at 5:00 am

I am using a french online tool called flat.io to have all my classroom collaborate on the same music score to compose something. It is actually working and we got impressive results – how to start is explained here: http://sharetoclassroom.org/2015/10/02/flat-io/ Having all my students composing a new music altogether is really a positive experience and a source of many discussions. Maybe other tools exists to do the same but I really recommend teachers of any grade to try something similar with your students.

October 2, 2015 at 8:25 am

Looks cool, thanks.

September 29, 2015 at 2:28 pm

Being a piano teacher, I have always wanted to know how to get music published. I have asked people who have gotten music published successfully, and they look at me like I’m crazy. I started to compose my own method for my students, who seem to get excited when I write music for them! But how to get published is still a big mystery to me. Do I need an editor? Your course, looks really interesting, and something I might enjoy doing….. If you could send me an email on this topic, I would really appreciate it. Thanks for your time,

Sincerely, Holly Zendels.

I am not too familiar with the process of being published, but here is a good place to start. http://www.mpa.org/directory-of-music-publishers/ It is a link to the Music Publishers Association directory. I would probably say the best way is to call up several publishers and ask them. My focus has really been on film scoring, and less on concert music so I am not that familiar with the ins and outs of that world.

As a general point, I would say to get published your music must differentiate itself in some way. I would think modern publishers are looking for unique composers with interesting viewpoints on the world. So as with anything else, master your craft, and publishing will eventually come.

September 25, 2015 at 5:32 pm

Hey Jon- I’ve been enjoying your website for some time and have enjoyed doing the free composer workouts. I went back to try one today that has been particularly helpful and couldn’t access it- has that recently changed? Is there any way to access that still, if I’ve used it before? Thanks, Laura Harper

September 26, 2015 at 8:31 am

I haven’t changed any workouts from free to paid in a long time, so if it was free before, it should be. Make sure you are logged in. Let me know which lesson it was, and I’ll double check to see if it is still free.

September 14, 2015 at 2:14 pm

I have been a student of Indian Classical music as a kid & played on a harmonium for years. I tried but I have never been able to read or write music. I composed(?) several melodies with lyrics & had been appreciated as a teenager but eventually did not pursue. Melodies flow into my head & I sync it with lyrics – very few remembered & many forgotten. Lately I hum & record the melody. But I want to do better, I want to write and compose songs & today I found your site. Can you tell me what I should do? Thanks a lot

September 15, 2015 at 9:16 am

Moushumi, I would recommend signing up for my free beginner’s composing course at https://www.artofcomposing.com/free . This short course explains my philosophy towards composing. If you like the course, then you can sign up for the full paid academy. Beyond that, I have a lot of articles on the site that cover the craft of composition.

July 18, 2015 at 3:25 am

can u tell me what is chamber music?

July 20, 2015 at 9:09 am

Chamber music generally implies the music is of a smaller scale than orchestral music. So it could be anything from solo piano, string quartet, or even a chamber orchestra, which generally has one of each instrument (not absolute, but generally). Beyond that, you are getting into the realm of symphony orchestra which has much larger groups to work with.

June 16, 2015 at 1:42 am

Hi Jon, I’ve loved music my whole life. I learned to play piano at a young age even though I kind of fell off of it in high school. I can sit down and just play and enjoy it. I’ve always wanted to take the next step in composing, finding myself enthralled with countless great movie scores and compositions. I have a Mac with Logic Pro X. Any other tips that I might have not already heard to get the ball rolling farther? I’m sure there’s a lot of work to put in, I just want to get to the point where the work produces unique sound inspired by the many great score composers I’ve heard and possibly produce my own in the future.

June 17, 2015 at 8:20 am

For film scoring, the rabbit hole goes quite deep, because you are required not just to compose, but to deliver a well-mixed final product. However, I will start with composition:

It is important that you area able to compose quickly, and efficiently. Most film scores are tonal, so having a solid grasp of tonal composing in the late romantic style is the most useful. It also helps though to be familiar with as many styles and genres as possible because you will frequently be called upon to do many different styles.

Get good at transcribing. A big issue to constantly deal with is the temp track. You have to be able to listen to what you hear, digest it, and do something that sounds similar but unique. It’s tricky.

Learn to orchestrate. This takes a while, but start small. Learn just one instrument at a time. The range, characteristic styles of playing, and how to combine it with other instruments in it’s own family.

Read scores. Whatever composers you like, you can probably get their scores. Some are easier to find that others, just start by googling, or going to worldcat to find in a local library.

As far as sample libraries and software go, there are many choices out there. If you want to dabble, but don’t want to make a huge investment, Spitfire Albion 1 is a great sounding library. It is basically simple patches like high strings, low strings, high brass, low brass, etc. But you can still do a lot with that. From there, you could look at getting more libraries. You can also check out http://www.try-sound.com/index.asp/en , which is a little old at this point, but still allows you to try out some libraries, how they play and so on.

I don’t use logic, but I know many that do. It is adequate. The most important thing is learning to use it efficiently, so it is not a creative roadblock. The software should be an extension of you, not a thing that you have to always fuss with. It will end up hurting your creativity if you constantly have to refer to the manual to get things done.

Good luck. Film scoring is a lot of fun, but it is also a lot of work. So be prepared.

June 12, 2015 at 9:05 am

Hi Jon. I have a very nice singing voice and when I sing other people’s music,my listeners gets crazy but I can not be able to compose my own, when I happen two compose one it doesn’t sounds good two me,wat can I do two have my own music?

June 17, 2015 at 8:06 am

Humphrey, I would recommend going through the free beginner’s composing course, and then deciding from there. One of the best ways to get better is also transcribing music by ear, and then writing it down. You’ll get good at hearing something and then being able to reproduce.

June 5, 2015 at 10:53 am

Hi, how do I know that the melody that I composed doesn’t already exist somewhere?

June 7, 2015 at 1:13 pm

Rosy, that’s a tough one. There are some search engine’s like this one http://www.peachnote.com/ but they are a little tough to use, and I can’t imagine they have everything.

The best defense against this is to listen to a lot of different styles of music, that way, you end up blending them together, and avoiding copying one specific composer.

May 27, 2015 at 10:58 am

Hi Jon How can I apply for the one year membership. I went through ur website and could find only the monthly membership option.

May 27, 2015 at 11:32 am

You can purchase an annual subscription here: Purchase Annual subscription .

July 4, 2015 at 6:03 am

Is there also an option to purchase access to the course itself, as you have with the 101 class? Many thanks!

May 10, 2015 at 9:27 am

Thank you very much

May 11, 2015 at 9:00 am

My pleasure.

May 7, 2015 at 1:47 pm

how long should the beginners course take?

May 7, 2015 at 2:00 pm

If you are talking about the free beginner’s course, it is about an hours worth of video to watch. How long it takes to do the exercises is up to you, but you could easily spend a week on it, or more.

The Academy Music Composition 101 course usually takes a few months for people.

April 28, 2015 at 11:58 am

Thanks Jon for helping.

April 29, 2015 at 11:59 am

No problem.

March 21, 2015 at 8:24 am

Hi! I just started composing. I’m done with the lyrics & the melody, but the thing is I don’t know what chords is in my song. I really wanted to play it with my guitar. Is there any way to solve this? Please.

March 21, 2015 at 10:30 am

What you are really looking to do is harmonize your melody. Generally, if you start with basic I, IV, and V chords, you can generally get a decent harmonization, and then from there start to add additional functional chords. Depending on how “out there” you want to sound, you can get pretty crazy with harmonization. This is a very long topic through. I suggest reading my harmony articles, and taking my free course.

March 1, 2015 at 6:33 am

This has to be my 2nd favourite piece in the week, i can’t let you know the top, it might offend you!

January 2, 2015 at 6:48 pm

Hi Jon, I’ve recently began studying orchestral composition, especially film scoring. I’ve closely been studying the work of John Williams and Hans Zimmer. I don’t have much of a grasp on composing for orchestras, any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks.

December 31, 2014 at 1:38 pm

Hi Jon, I’m really interested in Film Scoring for large scale orchestras, like John Williams. I’m not sure where to start. Thanks.

January 4, 2015 at 10:23 am

Film scoring requires a firm grasp of the fundamentals of composition, regardless of the style you choose. But if you want to compose like John Williams, then I suggest really getting in depth on harmony, counterpoint, form, melody, and orchestration. John Williams is a master of all of these. Just listen to the Jaws score, in which he wrote a very impressive fugue.

December 20, 2014 at 7:11 pm

I have been composing songs using MIDI piano software. My problem is I don’t know how to arrange…all I have are the notes for the lyrics. Can’t play the real piano. Don’t have formal training in music, either. Took inspiration from the late Lionel Bart who could compose, but not arrange. I tried a musical arrangement software, but the staff diagrams looked too intimidating to understand.

December 23, 2014 at 2:43 pm

Arranging and orchestration are somewhat of a different skill set from composition. At the highest levels they merge, but for beginner’s it definitely helps to break them apart. Try mapping out your arrangement by describing it first, and then orchestrating to meet those descriptions. It could be vague descriptions first, and then you can refine them as you go. Something like “Ethereal with high strings” for a section, and then “big build up with full orchestra”. Once you have it mapped out, then orchestrating is a matter of finding good models to copy and copying them.

I am planning on adding orchestration and arranging courses to the academy in the future.

November 24, 2014 at 3:57 pm

Understanding and listening natural harmonic help, so I did a website to help me, it may help you with little effor : http://www.bachmonic.com

December 9, 2014 at 10:12 am

Very cool site. Thanks for sharing.

November 16, 2014 at 2:04 am

you said on the comment that people can get started once they know how to read music. do you mean by that like reading sheets and being able to play them? like i’m not really good at piano or guitar but at least i can read the sheets and know most of the symbols in it

November 17, 2014 at 11:08 am

Most of the examples and explanations I give require that you are able to read, at least on a basic level, traditional music notation. You do not have to be able to play piano, although as a composer, piano is an extremely useful instrument. You just need to be able to look at a note, and understand what it means.

October 29, 2014 at 4:59 pm

I want to be a music composer,but what can i do?

October 30, 2014 at 9:18 am

Saidu, there are many things you can do. I recommend at a basic level, learn to read music and play an instrument. In particular, if you can read music, you’ll be ready to take my free course. You can sign up, on this page.

September 28, 2014 at 7:51 pm

I have a project for my music composition class. I have to create a song using the B flat scale using Logic Pro. I just don’t know where to start. Can you help me?

September 29, 2014 at 3:49 pm

Ari, I recommend going through the free course.

September 8, 2014 at 7:54 am

I am the very beginner in music but i listening from 13 year how wana learn how to make music compose music and from were to begin

regards alikhan

September 8, 2014 at 11:37 am

Well you’ve come to the right place.

August 16, 2014 at 4:10 am

What about if I would like to learn something more towards jazz (but not in its pure form, which I don’t like) to then incorporate this knowledge to writing full tracks of a more contemporary nature. Would you give me an advice?

August 16, 2014 at 8:20 am

Learning the fundamentals of music composition will apply to any style you want. Straight ahead jazz tends to work within the guidelines of traditional tonal music, with some obvious freedoms taken. Modern modal jazz is a little different, but improving your process of composing will carry over no matter what genre you write in.

August 16, 2014 at 4:47 pm

Hey, thanks for you answer. Do you think I could start from your sonata book? I’m not sure how advanced it is. I don’t enjoy classical music too much but I sooo don’t understand the logic behind planning a composition and building on top of an idea (motive?), but it seems this book could help, possibly.

I’ve learned scales and modes, I can play through some of them (just up and down). I know how to build most not very complex chords; although, can’t really improvise with them, that’d be just too quick for me to be able to orient myself. So I know just the basics. Also, reading notes is quite a slow process for me.

What do you think? I’m not very interested in super complex stuff, which music conservatory books will offer and it seems like nowadays you can get away without it anyways, unless you’re a very traditional musician.

August 12, 2014 at 11:50 am

Thanks very much and i want to receive more Lessons from you

August 6, 2014 at 10:36 pm

Hey! Your music is awesome! What program do you use to write/record/produce your music personally? I would it if you would give me your email I also have other questions regarding how you write your music. I love composing as well but am having a hard time starting out as I don’t know anyone who composes, let me know any tips you have in regards to a beginner 🙂 Thanks

August 7, 2014 at 11:10 am

My process is usually like this. I get my initial ideas by composing on paper with a pencil, usually at the piano, although I am trying more and more to compose away from instruments.

Depending on what I plan on doing with the idea I will then move to either Sibelius (when I plan on having sheet music and trying to get it played by real people) or Digital Performer (when I am going to create an elaborate mockup on my own).

I recommend you go through my beginner’s course, and read through my articles. They will probably answer a lot of questions (and hopefully raise new ones). You can email me through the contact form .

August 2, 2014 at 7:27 pm

Hey, im spanish. Does your program help people in ALL genres? (Like salsa or merengue etc). Im extremely intrested.

August 2, 2014 at 11:05 pm

Cesar, the course is based in the fundamentals of music composition, so it will apply. The specifics are geared towards classical composition, but understanding how the phrasing, harmonic movement, and form of larger classical pieces work will spill over to other styles. None the less, I recommend signing up for the free course and checking it out.

January 4, 2014 at 8:23 pm

So, I’ve started a song on my electric piano but I don’t know where to go from there; it’s a minor and dramatic one person duet kinda thing. I can play long intricate tunes when someone else has written it down but I can’t seem to make my own. So I pretty much just have an intro to a song that could very well never get finished. How do you turn something into a complete piece of music? I’m using the chords g with g# and a#, and c with d# and e with a recorded tune. ALL MINOR

January 7, 2014 at 9:02 am

I recommend going though the free beginner’s course, and following a specific form, like small ternary form. It will allow you to develop the piece in a logical way. Once you get good at following the form, the process of developing a piece will become ingrained in you and you can start to create your own forms.

March 4, 2014 at 8:29 pm

You could try writing a fugue with the tune.

November 30, 2013 at 12:41 pm

I have found your website, Jon, and hope to learn much from you and fellow-composers therein, as well as making useful contributions, myself

November 29, 2013 at 10:29 pm

I’ve just finished studying your lesson one in “Composition 101” I had long in mind,composing a piece based on the acronym FACE, which of course, is meant to help one remember where the notes are in the treble clef.I tried out various combinations, and the one that pleased me most was the melody C-A-F-E.

I had every intention of carrying out your advice to write a second bar, inverting the opening 4-note theme; that theme,however, although I liked it as far as it went, sounded incomplete to me, so I addled a couple of twiddly -bits, namely two A sharps in succession. . I then started the inversion motif, but found, to make it sound right to my ear, I had to depart from the original theme, “returning” as it were with Bflat-A-Aflat-A-F-C . I like what i have so far, and, already, I can hear in my head, somewhat of a natural progression, which I will follow up apart from the 101 course, which I look forward to continuing

I doubt that you will be much miffed by my departing from my ‘homework assignment’, indeed, I hope that you will feel gratified at providing the base for launching an opus that I I am excited at creating, using your methods of inversion; retrograde; and inverted retrograde.

All sorts of ideas spring from your writings, Sir,and I look forward to sharing musical ideas and experiences with fellow composers, when your website is ready, meanwhile, perhaps I can join in the discussions within your blog, if you will kindly direct me to it?

Best wishes,

George Garrett.

October 19, 2013 at 4:46 am

Could you please comment to the new music composition software AthTek DigiBand? http://www.athtek.com/digiband.html

December 3, 2013 at 9:49 pm

Click on this link which promotes the app, and which includes an “independent” (?) review. I, personally, am not impressed by the description of this program which actually boasts that “It does the dirty work (of composing) for you”. To me, that’s like saying, if you want to bark, then get a dog {:-D

Musescore looks much more to my taste.

September 22, 2013 at 4:13 pm

Hi Jon’

please help me find the worksheet that You mentioned in the video posted on youtube.

September 23, 2013 at 6:26 am

Just below the main article on this page, there is a red box with a sign up form. Put in your email, and then click the sign up button. After that, you will receive an email asking to confirm your registration. After that one, you’ll receive your email with the link to the course hub page.

October 5, 2014 at 12:29 am

Earlier in September I completed the sign-up form for the free beginners composition course and confirmed with the email that followed. I have received nothing since except the announcements of the Academy’s opening. Please review and let me know what has happened, or if there is something else I am to do. Thank you /Danny W

October 7, 2014 at 7:00 pm

Danny i’ll look into it.

September 13, 2013 at 12:12 pm

would you pls tell me how to subscribe for videos aftr lesson 8 on youtube?

September 13, 2013 at 12:36 pm

Just below the main article on this page, there is a red sign up box. Just enter your information, and you’ll receive and email for the course. As of right now, there are only 7 videos, but I am working on an updated series soon.

August 25, 2013 at 9:02 am

Hello, I have an extensive background in music. Sometimes, i get “stuck”- where do i go next? Do you address this? Thanks

September 5, 2013 at 7:03 am

Hey Roland. Sorry about the delay in getting back to you. I’ve been working construction on an island the last few weeks and have not had a lot of time. Getting stuck is a problem we all face. These are the best ways I’ve found around it.

• Understanding exactly where you are form-wise in your piece. This doesn’t necessarily have to be any type of classical form, but all pieces have some kind of form or shape. Step back, and look at what you want the music to do overall in the point your stuck. Do you want it to increase intensity? Maintain intensity? Does it need to repeat? Develop the original ideas? Add new ideas? Close out old ideas? These are all different formal functions and just learning those gets you a long way.
• Try taking your original ideas, break them down as small as possible and then modify them separate from the rest of the composition. This allows you to basically chop up and destroy small chunks and not have the internal pressure of having to “develop” your piece. Your just playing with an idea. This normally generates new ideas. Try changing the rhythm, or the harmony or flip things around or over.
• Go on a run or exercise. This is the #1 thing. This always rejuvenates me, and I recommend it for everyone. If you can’t exercise for some reason, meditate. Just clear your mind. Listen to some good classical music.

Hope this helps.

September 13, 2013 at 12:13 pm

would you pls help out to find how to sign up for the courses??

August 1, 2013 at 7:05 pm

I just wanted to “Thank you” , and “Thank you again” for your hard work, time, and effort . I’ve have been struggle for years as a beginning piano player, and trying to figure out what works, what doesn’t work, and what sounds good. I know ultimately that decision lies with me, but this SO helpful and I am extremely grateful.

May 9, 2013 at 8:30 pm

Hello. So I was wondering if you could put something out like, step by step for composing something. I mean like if you want to compose then do this and this and then this. Thank you!

May 10, 2013 at 8:16 am

Kathleen, funny enough, I already have two things similar to that. I highly recommend signing up for my free beginners composing course. The sign up form is just above the comment section on this page, and at the bottom of each article on the site.

After you go through that, if you want to compose a longer piece in sonata form, I have an ebook called, “Composing Music in Sonata Form” which takes you through step by step from basic idea to completed piece. You can find a link to that book in the menu bar under “Sonata Form Book” or just go to http://www.sonataform.net .

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Yale Center for Teaching and Learning

The yale ctl partners with faculty members, postdoctoral scholars, graduate and professional students to advance teaching excellence at yale, and provide teaching- and learning-related programming, services and events..

Active Listening: Teaching with Music

by Christy Thomas

Sherlock Holmes’ famous words to Dr. Watson can be rephrased to reference the ear rather than the eye as the sensory organ of observation: You hear, but you do not listen . In these parallel statements, the implication is that “seeing” and “hearing” are passive, while “observing” and “listening” are active, requiring a heightened level of engagement from the observer or listener but also resulting in a greater acquisition of knowledge.

Music surrounds us everyday—it is on our playlists, the radio, commercials, soundtracks for movies or television shows, our neighbors’ stereo—yet we seem to have mastered the art of hearing without listening. Nevertheless, music has the power to enrich student engagement in the college classroom if they learn the art of active listening and how to connect what they hear with a broader conceptual network. To practice active listening, we must—like Dr. Watson—learn to observe with our ears.

While the importance of teaching with a variety of artifacts or objects is generally recognized, music may not always be the first port of call outside of music classes. But music is not just for musicians and music courses. By expanding the notion of a “text” to include any object that can communicate meaning—as in the literary theory sense of the word—then music can also be treated as an important object of study from a variety of vantage points. [2]

Musical examples can be usefully deployed in a wide variety of disciplines. For example, an American History course on the 1960s could feature iconic protest songs of the anti-war movement or a comparison of Aretha Franklin’s Respect from 1967 with Otis Redding’s original 1965 recording in order to highlight prevalent issues of class and gender in the United States at that time. An English course might examine how particular texts have been set to music, or how canonical theatrical works have been adapted for the operatic stage. A class on Shakespeare’s Othello , for example, might feature a musical excerpt from Giuseppe Verdi’s 1887 operatic setting of the play. An Art History course on Impressionism might examine various musical compositions in conjunction with visual works of art of the same period, comparing Debussy’s Reflets dans l’eau with Claude Monet’s Water Lilies to better understand the principles and markers of the impressionist movement as expressed in various media.

Many university libraries are purchasing subscriptions to online streaming databases and supporting initiatives to catalogue and archive their multimedia collections, thus providing access to a rapidly diversifying treasure-trove of newly available resources for use in undergraduate courses. In order to make effective use of the music made available via these resources, we must train our students how to engage with it. Even the best-prepared activities can miss the mark, however, unless students are prepared to listen and not just to hear. However, while active learning is a frequent topic of discussion in pedagogical circles today, the notion of active listening is rarely addressed—if at all. [3]

So what is “active listening” and how can we encourage and facilitate it when using musical examples in undergraduate courses?

If active learning is generally understood as any pedagogical approach that engages students in the learning process and requires students to do meaningful learning activities and think about what they are doing in the context of the classroom, then active listening similarly requires students to engage with and think about what they hear. [4] In other words, active listening is listening with a purpose.

Whether employed in music courses or in non-music courses, active listening does not require advanced musical training or the ability to read music, yet it can still be used with students who can read music. Even students with years of performance training may struggle when it comes to talking about music or making salient observations about what they hear. Students may be familiar with a piece, and may even know it well, but have they thought about it? Active listening, therefore, is a useful tool in both music courses and non-music courses, and can have the democratizing effect of leveling the playing field.

In order to address how active listening can be cultivated through teaching with music, I outline three types of listening that might be mapped onto different listening goals, followed by four practical techniques that can be used during any of these three types of listening.

Three Types of Listening:

In teaching music history, music theory, and music appreciation courses, I often think of three types or tiers of listening: 1) affective listening, 2) structural listening, and 3) dialogic listening. [5] Although these categories have been particularly effective in teaching musical examples with a level of detail appropriate for music majors, they can also be usefully applied for using musical examples in non-music courses more broadly.

Affective Listening

This type of listening is perhaps the most basic. It paints a picture for the ear in broad strokes, and gives students a general sense for the affect of a piece—its emotion, its color, its stylistic or generic characteristics, its je ne sais quoi . It could also be thought of as a “sampler strategy,” a method for moving quickly through a piece or through a number of pieces in order to set the stage for more focused listening. This type of listening can be enhanced by adding a layer of commentary while the music plays to direct students’ attention to particular details before asking them to make observations on their own, as will be discussed later. Useful questions for this type of listening typically prompt students to voice their observations on a basic level: What instruments do you hear? What genre of music is this? What emotions does this evoke? How fast or slow is it? (For those with musical training, this might also include more targeted questions to draw out observations about tempo, meter, rhythm, range, etc.)

Structural Listening

This type of listening approaches a musical example almost like a sculpture or a painting, in which you point students toward particular moments and see the ways in which those moments are the culmination of particular trajectories. As such, structural listening often means comparing different moments from within a particular piece. Questions might include: How does the artist or composer move from one idea to another? Why? What underlying questions does the piece pose and how does it answer these questions, if at all? How does the text relate to the sounds?

Dialogic Listening

This type of listening is perhaps the most complex and time-consuming, yet also the most fruitful and potentially rewarding. As the name implies, this type of listening places a musical example in dialogue with external elements—generic conventions, other musical pieces, artwork, texts, objects, etc. Teaching with music does not preclude using texts or visuals as well. If your piece has lyrics, include them (and if those lyrics are not in your students’ native language, provide a translation as well). It often helps to complement listening with other ways of engaging with musical examples by using other types of media. Questions that promote dialogic listening might, for example, entail comparing a piece of music to another piece by the same artist or composer, to a later reworking or different recording of that piece, to a painting or sculpture engaging with similar concepts or coming from a similar period, or to a newspaper article or review from the same era; it could even involve tracing the piece’s reception over time.

Four Practical Techniques:

Teaching with music can be challenging—especially because we as a society have developed the habit of hearing without listening. In playing a musical example in class, the risk is often one of losing control of student attention. Too often, the moment the music starts playing, eyes begin to glaze. These techniques are designed to help students engage productively with what they hear, to engender active rather than passive listening.

Model good listening

Your students look to you as the model for how to listen well. Body language is important. If you use this time to shuffle through notes, you appear disengaged. If you look like you’re just waiting for the example to be done before you can start speaking again, you appear disengaged. Try closing your eyes. Smile. Frown. Laugh. Be expressive. Show that the music affects you.

Repeat, repeat, repeat

Sometimes it takes multiple hearings to grasp a musical selection. When reading written texts or analyzing visual objects, students can move back and forth between different elements and can look back and refresh their memory on a point or a detail that has already been covered. But you can’t “listen back” in the same way as you can look back. When listening to music, you can only hear one moment at a time, moving sequentially from moment to moment without the ability to jump backward and forward. Playing examples multiple times allows students to better absorb the music and to make more informed assessments and observations of what they have heard.

Highlight salient points

Talk over the musical example to point out important features that you want your students to notice. This can be especially helpful when your students are less confident about their own ability to listen effectively, and to demonstrate your expectations in terms of what to listen for. The last thing you want is for students to tune out and lose focus during a musical example. The point is to engage students, not to use this time for other unrelated activities (Facebook, email, Twitter, homework for other classes, etc.). Providing an on-going commentary essentially provides students with a road-map for listening, helping them not only to understand the relevance of what they hear in a given moment but how that moment relates to other moments in the piece.

Give listening directives

Students should always know what to listen for. Because everyday musical engagement often does not involve critical thinking, it is helpful to point students in the right direction. Ask a question before playing the musical example. Tell them a particular aspect of the piece to focus on. Clarify your expectations for what you would like your students to do, listen for, or understand as a result of listening to a particular musical example.

Active Listening: Beyond Music

The principles behind active listening can be extended and applied to more than just using music or multimedia in the classroom. The practice of active listening cultivates transferrable skills for how to listen carefully and critically in other situations both inside and outside the classroom—listening to lectures, to political speeches, to TED talks, and even to one another. For example, in her recent op-ed for The New York Times , “Lecture Me. Really.” , Molly Worthen argues about the validity of the lecture course in the midst of today’s debates about active learning. [6] All too often, such pedagogical debates condense lecturing and active learning into an oppositional binary, with the implication that lecturing only results in passive learning, if it engenders learning at all. Yet I would argue that the underlying principles of active listening—critical engagement with aurally received information—challenge the foundational assumptions for such a binary. Although Worthen does not specifically use the phrase “active listening,” her argument is essentially built upon the notion that lectures require—or should require—students to listen rather than just hear . As Worthen points out, in 1869 former president of Harvard University Charles Eliot cautioned that “the lecturer pumps laboriously into sieves. The water may be wholesome, but it runs through. A mind must work to grow.” [7] However, for Worthen—as well as for myself—an alternative to abolishing the lecture is to teach students how to listen, to hone the sieve instead of turning off the water. Thus, whether applied to teaching with music or to other situations, active listening is a useful pedagogical strategy for teaching the principles of critical inquiry.

Do not be satisfied with simply hearing and seeing . Strive instead to listen and observe .

————————————————————————

Yale Library Resources

Yale’s links to audio streaming databases: http://web.library.yale.edu/music/audio-databases

Yale’s links to video streaming databases: http://web.library.yale.edu/music/video-databases

Yale Music Library: http://web.library.yale.edu/music

CDs and other recorded formats are searchable through Orbis

[1] Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, “A Scandal in Bohemia,” in The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. (London: George Newnes, Ltd., 1892).

[2] For more on using multimedia in classrooms, see, for example: Janice Marcuccilli Strop and Jennifer Carlson, Multimedia Text Sets: Changing the Shape of Engagement and Learning. Winnipeg: Portage & Main Press, 2010.

[3] Although there is a considerable amount of literature on the use of music in elementary education classrooms (often in the vein of using music as a memory tool or a means of drawing students together, or even “how playing classical music in the background helps children focus”), as well as a number of pedagogical resources for teaching music history and music theory (perhaps most notably the Journal of Music History Pedagogy and the Journal of Music Theory Pedagogy), there are fewer resources on effective practices for employing musical examples when teaching broader concepts in undergraduate classrooms more generally.

[4] For more on active learning, see, for example: Michael Prince, “Does Active Learning Work? A Review of the Research” Journal of Engineering Education, Vol. 93 No. 3, 2004: 223-231.

[5] I am indebted to James Hepokoski for these particular terms and ways of thinking about different types of listening.

[6] Molly Worthen. “Lecture Me. Really.” The New York Times, 17 October 2015. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/18/opinion/sunday/lecture-me-really.html?_r=0

[7] Charles William Eliot, Addresses at the Inauguration of Charles William Eliot as President of Harvard College, October 19, 1869. Server & Francis, 1869: 42.

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How to Transcribe Music: The Ultimate Guide

A step-by-step tutorial on how to transcribe music.

Table of Contents

What you’ll have by the end of this post:

• The best music transcription software and tools
• A step-by-step guide to notating music by ear
• Techniques for analysis from Gordy Haab and 8-bit Music Theory
• A handy checklist for transcribing music

In this blog post, we’ll go over some of the most efficient ways to transcribe and analyze music taken straight from experts like 8-bit Music Theory and Gordy Haab (composer of the Battlefront I and II games).

I’ll then show you how to apply those techniques through a step-by-step transcription and analysis of the Map Theme from Yoshi’s Island .

What does transcribe mean?

Music transcription is the practice of notating, replicating, or otherwise committing to memory existing pieces of music. Transcription in music can apply to melodies, chords, basslines, full orchestral arrangements, and more.

There are certain “tiers” of transcription, such as notating a chord chart, a lead sheet, or a full score.

We’ll get into a number of these in this post.

How do you transcribe music?

Before the internet, the only way musicians could transcribe was with pen, paper, an instrument, and a CD player (or record player!).

The musician would play back a piece or portion of a piece and then attempt to recreate it on their instrument.

Then, those notes would be committed to paper: either onto a formal staff paper or simply the back of a napkin.

Nowadays, there are tons of tools and software available to make transcription easy.

Specifically:

• Notation software – which makes editing and formatting sheet music fast and easy
• Slow-down software – which slows down music while maintaining pitch, making it easier to discern musical elements
• Automatic transcription software – which attempts to analyze audio data to automatically detect pitches. Note that most serious transcribers find this method significantly inaccurate and prefer to transcribe manually

Transcription Software And Tools

Paper & pen.

If you don’t have a computer (or want to channel your inner Mozart), you could go old-school and do the paper and pen method.

I don’t recommend this for absolute beginners, but everyone should at some point in their composing experience learn the skill of writing music by hand – at least according to Bioshock composer Garry Schyman .

If you’d like to go this route, I recommend this very reasonably-priced notebook of manuscript paper . Or you can just print some here .

Beyond just feeling really sophisticated, there are deep ear training benefits to composing game music by hand without the aid of an instrument.

This practice forces you to rely on your mind’s ear. That is to say, when you have a notation software that plays back to you what you’ve transcribed, you’re using “trial-and-error instead of craft,” as Gordy Haab eloquently put it in our interview .

There’s nothing inherently wrong with auditory feedback. As a beginner, I desperately needed it, and probably still need it.

But there are incredible benefits to hearing the music in your head and putting it on paper without the use of an instrument.

If you can master that skill, it will increase your ability to compose “on-the-fly” and do the heavy lifting of arrangement in your mind before sitting down at a piano or DAW.

Music Notation Software

As rewarding as it is to handwrite scores, notation software has lots of advantages over the old-school method.

For one, you can play back your notation to check your work. To the above point, that’s not always a great thing, but for me just starting out, it was crucial.

I learned music by ear and had zero experience reading notation, so for my first few transcriptions, this constant feedback was essential and surely prevented many errors.

Transcription software keeps things very neat and tidy, and you can easily delete, replace, copy, paste, shorten or otherwise manipulate note data.

These alterations take lots of erasing and rewriting in the old-school method but can be done with a few clicks in most programs.

Also, most programs won’t let you exceed your allotted number of beats per measure, adding an extra layer of tutelage as you learn beat values and rhythms.

MuseScore is a free, open-source notation program. If you don’t have it, download it right now . It’s amazing.

The industry standard for professional-grade, concert-ready sheet music is probably Sibelius , followed closely by Finale , but both have a hefty price tag for hobbyists and those starting out on their transcription journey.

Note: Avid recently put out a “lite” version of Sibelius that only allows 4 staves at once. I have not explored this yet, but I’m planning to soon.

If you’re interested, download it for free here and let me know how you like it.

For what it’s worth, I haven’t come across a single transcription task that MuseScore couldn’t handle with ease. There are some… odd design quirks that take some getting used to, but it is free after all.

They’ve also got a thriving online community and a development team that really listens in order to make the software better.

As with most open-source programs, the forums are brimming with passionate MuseScore users. The community is quick to answer tech support questions and take feedback.

I recently discovered a browser-based notation app called Flat.io . The technological landscape is rapidly moving to a cloud- and browser-based philosophy, so this is definitely the future.

I haven’t been able to vet out this particular tool, but it looks pretty rad, especially the ability to collaborate on a score online.

Whatever software you choose is ultimately inconsequential, as they all do the same things with different workflows.

An Instrument

As noted above, transcribing without the aid of an instrument is great ear training practice, but it’s not easy and might discourage you if you’re new at transcription.

For this reason, I recommend using an instrument like a guitar or piano for your first dozen or so transcriptions. At least, until you feel comfortable notating things by ear.

Sometimes, when I actually see how the song plays out on a piano or guitar, this also helps me in the chord-naming and analysis portion.

MuseScore allows input from a MIDI keyboard, which makes things even faster if you have one. I usually notate everything using my MIDI keyboard, but doing it with a computer keyboard is quite user-friendly as well.

Just about any song can be found for free on YouTube. The real benefit comes from some handy features that let you manipulate playback for transcription.

Click the Settings icon on any YouTube video to adjust the speed of the video. This can be helpful when trying to pick out notes in a blazingly fast solo or discerning tricky intervals.

You can also use keys like the spacebar to pause and play and the arrow keys to skip back and forth. The speed adjustment keyboard shortcut is Shift + < for slower playback and Shift + > for faster playback.

Technically, with YouTube on one side of your screen and notation program on the other, you’d be all set to handle just about any transcription task thrown your way.

In fact, in his transcription live stream of the Dolphin Shoals sax solo , that’s all 8-bit uses.

TuneTranscriber

Taking this concept to the next level is TuneTranscriber, one of the most helpful tools I’ve ever discovered.

It’s a free web app that allows you to upload a song from an MP3 file, or even more conveniently, a YouTube video.

Once uploaded, there are tons of ways to manipulate the audio to make it easier to transcribe.

In addition to slowing it down or speeding it up without changing pitch, you can also set specific loop points and cycle them with breaks of silence in between each playthrough.

These guys really thought of everything.

This is just scratching the surface on everything TuneTranscriber can do, and although there’s a paid version, the free version is packed full of everything you might need for transcription.

For really difficult songs where YouTube skipping won’t cut it, look no further.

Cirrus Retro

There are lots of platforms that let you listen to video game music online, but Cirrus Retro has a game-changing (heh) feature: the ability to mute and solo system channels.

Ever wonder how Angel Island Zone from Sonic 3 was so intricately layered?

This tool allows you to solo each instrument for precise transcription and analysis. This goes for any game on any retro system: the Super Nintendo, Gameboy, Gameboy Advance, Sega Genesis, NES, even the Dreamcast.

Some may call it cheating, but the ultimate goal isn’t to be the best transcriber but to have an accurate transcription (and to try to have a little fun).

If there’s a particular tool you use to transcribe (I know there are a ton out there), please let me know in the comments below.

If you followed my suggested action items in the last blog post , you should have picked out a piece that you’ve listened to several times and are chomping at the bit to transcribe.

Download your transcription software of choice, load it up, and let’s get started!

Let’s transcribe Yoshi’s Island! A step-by-step guide

If transcription is an arduous hike, analyzing that transcription is the breathtaking view at the top of the mountain.

There’s nothing better than transcribing a piece and diving inside the mind of the composer, plumbing the depths of what makes it great.

It feels like digging for buried treasure and is almost as enjoyable as playing the music on an instrument.

Here’s the step-by-step process we’ll be going over as we transcribe and analyze a piece together:

Stating your goals and hypothesis

• Preparing your transcription

Transcribing a lead sheet

• Reducing a lead sheet (optional)
• Naming the chords

Analyzing your finished transcription

• Remaking the piece (optional)

I’ve found that going into a transcription session with a distinct goal in mind is the best way to get the most out of the entire process. What do I mean by “goal”?

Well, as I alluded to in the action items of the last post, it’s important to ask yourself why you want to transcribe the piece you’ve chosen. Obviously, there are objective reasons other than “it sounds cool.”

I’ll tell you why I want to transcribe the Yoshi’s Island Map Theme. Well, for one, it’s short and serves as a succinct case study for transcription.

But if I were to dive deeper, I’d say my goal is to figure out how the underlying harmony of the piece (the chord changes, really) support the aesthetic of Yoshi’s Island. The game is hand-drawn, childlike, and upbeat.

Yet, it still retains that signature Koji Kondo groove that’s present in all the previous Mario titles.

My hypothesis is that this has something to do with the playful instrumentation. Remember the scientific method from elementary school?

Like any good scientist, our goal is to conduct experiments that either prove or disprove our hypothesis.

As you listen to your piece a few times, jot down these thoughts on a piece of paper or empty text document. With our goal and hypothesis recorded, we’re ready to prepare our transcription!

Preparing Your Transcription

Before you dive into your notation program of choice, there are a few things you can do to make your life easier as a transcriber. I recommend figuring out three key pieces of musical data before transcribing:

Time signature

It’s important to understand your time signature before you start transcribing, especially when dealing with odd meters like 3/4 or 6/8 (or even weirder stuff than that).

Most video game music is in 4/4 time, but it’s important to listen to the song, count the beats in each measure and make a mental note of this going into your transcription process.

What I like to do is tap out what I believe the time signature is with my foot (in the Map Theme it’s 4/4), and then tap out the melody with my hand on my desk.

This takes a bit of practice, but I’ve successfully confirmed the song to be in 4/4 time. As a side note, this tapping exercise has also revealed that the melody is heavily syncopated (emphases are placed on the weak beats or in between beats).

I’ll keep this in mind for the analysis phase.

Key signature

If you can figure out what key your song is in before you start transcribing, it will save you a ton of grief and potentially spare you from dealing with unnecessary accidentals (sharps and flats).

Finding the tonic (key center) takes a little bit of ear training, but most often, it’s the first chord in the form. Playing along with the song on a piano or guitar is the best way to figure out this out.

I wish I could help more here, but the best I can offer is when you play or sing a note that feels like “home,” that is likely the tonic and therefore the key center.

If you’re having trouble, there are a few other ways to figure out the tonic, as illustrated by talented saxophonist and YouTuber Jeff Schneider in this video .

Tempo and form

If you’re using software, you obviously want the tempo of your transcription project to be as similar as possible to the tempo of the song.

I love this Tap Tempo tool , which not only allows me to tap in tempos but also keeps track of my beats (this will come in handy soon).

The first thing I usually do is pull up my song of choice in a separate window on YouTube or TuneTranscriber.

This next part requires a bit of keyboard and mouse finesse. Put your mouse cursor into the tap tempo text box on the BPM counter tool, then click on the YouTube video to begin playback.

Quickly click back to the BPM counter and wait for the form to loop (most YouTube videos have looping versions of these songs).

As the song loops back to the beginning, I begin tapping my spacebar to the beat, until the song reaches completion or the loop point once again.

If you miss a few beat taps here or there, it’s not a big deal. As long as you get the estimated amount of beat taps, you’ll be set to start outlining the form in your notation software.

Here are my results from the Yoshi’s Island Map Theme:

Using this method, I tapped out 18 beats in the form, with an average tempo of 121 BPM (as seen in the screen capture).

Now, if you followed the above steps, you should know your time signature, which in the case of this piece, is 4/4.

Logically, if there are four beats in a measure, we can divide our total number of beats by 4 and the result will be how many measures we need to create for the form. In this case, 18/4 = 4.5.

That .5 measure likely accounts for one measure of 2/4 that acts as a turnaround for the loop.

So now, when MuseScore or Sibelius prompts us to give some rudimentary information about our score, we’re set up for success knowing:

• The time signature is 4/4
• The key center is G (one sharp)
• The BPM is 121
• There are 4 measures of 4/4 and one measure of 2/4 at the end

It drastically speeds up your workflow to have a clear blueprint of the song from start to finish. This saves your creative energy for the hard work of transcription and just feels great.

A lead sheet is essentially a piece of music reduced to its core musical elements.

This means it contains only the most basic rhythmic, harmonic, and melodic content needed to communicate the “essence” of the piece.

This is a perfect place to start for transcribers, and Gordy Haab mentioned this is how he started transcribing the Star Wars score for his work on the Battlefront games.

It’s easy to get lost in the weeds transcribing arpeggios and inner voices. What we want is the core musical data of the piece, and then we can decide if we want to go further from there.

During our interview, Gordy outlined a very helpful process for creating a lead sheet.

Let’s follow his process together as I transcribe the Map Theme from Yoshi’s Island.

Check out the Transcription and Analysis Cheat Sheet for a quick reference you can have by your side every time you transcribe.

First, transcribe the melody

9 times out of 10, the most obvious thing you’ll hear in a piece is the melody. Transcribing the melody first is a great way to warm up your ears for the more challenging inner voices.

Use TuneTranscriber or YouTube to play the song (utilizing the slow-down function, if need be), and transcribe the melody.

Starting out, I recommend taking it beat-by-beat, not measure-by-measure. Slow down the piece until you can count out “one – ee – and – ah -” at a comfortable pace.

“One” marks the beginning of the beat, “and” marks the middle point of the beat (eighth note), and the “ee” and “ah” mark the 16th note subdivisions of the beat.

I’m going to use this practice to count out the first beat of the Yoshi’s Island theme. First, I’ll slow it down, and then count it out. I notice when I count it out that there are notes on the “one – ee – and” but not the final 16th note “ah.”

“Boppa Ba Ba!”

I’d notate that like this:

The second measure, counting nice and slow, hits the melody on these beats:

“ Two – ee – and – ah”

This straight eighth note pair provides a nice contrast from the syncopation in both the previous and subsequent measure.

I’d notate it like this:

If you need a refresher on how to write musical notation properly, I recommend this helpful video by 12tone.

Going beat-by-beat, slowly but surely, I end up with this transcribed melody:

Second, transcribe the harmony

The next step in Gordy’s process is to transcribe the chords.

For old systems like the SNES, NES, or Genesis, chords can often be voiced in unusual or especially funky ways due to the limitations of the hardware.

Because of this, it’s often a good idea to transcribe each voice separately, starting with the bass note.

This kind of goes beyond the bounds of a lead sheet, but if you’re not sure what the chords are, it can be helpful to get everything down “on paper” and analyze the harmony later.

Here’s the Map Theme with the bass transcribed. Note how there are no chords labels yet because many of the inner voices inform what chords we’ll be naming.

Third, transcribe the inner voices

The last step would be transcribing some of those hard-to-hear inner voices, which should be a bit easier now that you have the top boundary (the melody) and the bottom boundary (the bassline) transcribed.

It’s especially helpful to use an instrument as you figure out these pitches, and don’t be afraid to reference Game Music Appreciation (for retro tunes) to isolate the channels to double-check your accuracy.

This is the part of transcription that will really train your inner ear and push you to your musical limits. It’s hard work!

Here’s the full Map Theme with the inner voices transcribed. Full disclosure, I referenced Game Music Appreciation to double-check my work. No shame!

Sidenote: Reducing to a Lead Sheet

It’s important to note here that if you’re transcribing an orchestral piece for the purpose of musical analysis, there’s an extra step between the transcription and analysis phases called reduction.

Let’s say you want to transcribe the Main Title Theme from Bioshock. You meticulously listen to each section of the orchestra and transcribe as you go.

The next thing you know, you have 16+ staves with more notes than your brain can comprehend at once.

(This also applies to VGM pieces that include lots of complex parts, voices, or otherwise convoluted arrangement choices.)

How in the world can you analyze something like this? Answer: reduce it.

I’m pulling this straight from Wikipedia:

“In music, a reduction is an arrangement or transcription of an existing score or composition in which complexity is lessened to make analysis, performance, or practice easier or clearer; the number of parts may be reduced or rhythm may be simplified, such as through the use of block chords.”

When Gordy Haab was charged to write music for the new Star Wars Battlefront series, he knew he needed to dive deep into the mind of John Williams through diligent transcription and reduction.

What he already knew, and what you’ll find if you practice this craft, is that many sections of an orchestra are playing the same thing. Sometimes in octaves, sometimes in unison.

“[Reduction] is like stripping a house down to its blueprint,” he said. “It’s the best way to truly understand how an orchestral piece functions.”

Trying to analyze a full orchestral score, especially when dealing with instruments like the trumpet and french horn that are transposed into other keys, can be a real headache without reduction.

Plus, there’s no better way to hone your orchestral arrangement chops than by reducing orchestral pieces and studying how they work.

Here’s Gordy’s process for reduction, taken straight from our interview:

• Start by combining all the winds (the first section in typical score order)
• Reduce each section sequentially (percussion is mostly just for color, but take note of which parts percussion is accenting)
• Continue until you reduce the score down to one piano grand staff, maybe two at the most
• Sometimes ornamentations like woodwind runs will disappear. That’s okay, you’re trying to capture the essential harmonic and melodic information of the piece

“I had assignments in university where I had to reduce scores down to the piano. You learn a ton about orchestration that way,” Gordy said. “For example, I learned in John Williams’ music that the 4th trumpet would often double french horns playing in unison. This subtle shift in timbre is part of what makes Williams’ music great. I would’ve never noticed that if I hadn’t reduced it down to the simple ingredients of what’s being played regardless of the instruments playing them.”

He also recommended a clever exercise for composers looking to build take their arrangement skills to the next level.

“One thing I’ll do is actually break it back out to full orchestra after I’ve reduced it. This time, I’m orchestrating it my way without regard for the original. Then, I compare the two. It’s just a great exercise to hone your craft.”

Okay, back to our Map Theme!

Identifying and Naming Chord Tones

Now that we’ve got our raw musical data on paper, it’s time to name some chords. Why bother naming chords, you ask?

Without chords, it’s a challenge to discern harmonic patterns.

Some chord names are obvious, but I found myself majorly tripped up by this step when I first started transcribing.

Which pitches make up the chord and which are just part of the melody? How do I know if a bar needs one chord, two chords, or more? How can I “feel” the changes and notate them accordingly?

8-bit Music Theory analyzes video game music for a living. As such, he’s developed a solid chord-naming process.

You’ll soon develop your own process as you transcribe more and more, but for now, let’s follow Mr. Theory as a starting point (remember how much I love copying?).

Which pitches make up the harmony of the bar?

One of the biggest challenges in the harmonic analysis of transcription is deciphering which notes in a composition make up the underlying harmony, and which notes are melodic embellishments.

One of the helpful ways to crack this code is to organize notes in “stacks of thirds,” or logical groupings that help better illuminate their function.

For a brief refresher, a third is an interval (two notes) three letter names apart. For example, A to C is a minor 3rd, F# to A# is a major 3rd, and D♭ to F is a major 3rd.

The reason I know each of these are either minor or major is a mixture of scale knowledge (what makes up the A, F#, and D♭ minor and major scales), but also how minor and major thirds are formed.

The formula for major thirds is whole step – whole step. Meaning you move one whole step from D to E♭, then one more whole step from E♭ to F. That’s why D♭ to F is a major 3rd.

Likewise, the formula for minor 3rds is whole step – half step. Which is why in the case of A to C, we move one whole step from A to B, then one half step from B to C. There’s our minor 3rd!

Sidenote: If all of these sounds completely foreign to you, I’d recommend brushing up on at least the basics of chord construction here

8-bit graciously opened the kimono on his process for deciding how to prioritize certain notes as chord tones. Here’s what he told me:

• Look at a measure and see if a chord jumps out at you (sometimes it’s obvious)
• If it’s not obvious, take all of the notes in the bar and see if you can arrange them in a way that makes either a scale or chord. Sometimes it can be helpful to write out the bass note as “1,” and the subsequent notes as scale degrees relating back to that note. ( C, F#, G, D would be written as 1, #4, 5, 9 .)
• After rearranging these notes, look for key intervals that define chord quality like 3rds or 7ths. If you can’t find any of those, try another pitch as the bass note.
• Still no luck? Take only the notes that are emphasized (usually found on the beat, but not always) and repeat steps 2 and 3 with just these notes
• If this still doesn’t work, isolate just the notes found on beats 1 and 3 (strong beats) and repeat step 2 and 1 with just these notes
• If this somehow still doesn’t work, then you probably need two chord symbols per bar

Following this process will help you logically group together pitches. Some pieces demand one chord symbol per bar, others demand two.

The Map Theme actually feels best with four chord changes, as we’ll explore soon. A lot of this comes with experience, practice, and “feeling” the changes.

Sidenote: for those of you who play guitar or piano, I often think to myself as I’m transcribing, “if I were performing this song live, where would it feel appropriate to change chords?”

It’s kind of a subjective method, but this has gotten me out of many tricky chord-naming situations.

Want a handy guide as you transcribe and analyze your pieces? I made this Transcription, Reduction, and Analysis Cheat Sheet so you can have a step-by-step checklist the next time you transcribe!

Chord Naming Process

Once you understand how you might group your pitches together, it’s time to name the chords themselves.

The priority for naming chords is usually as follows (extrapolated from this site ):

• Start with the root of the chord
• If the third degree is minor, write m next to it , otherwise, write nothing
• If the seventh degree is minor, put 7. If it is major put maj7 . Otherwise, write nothing
• If there is no 3rd degree, look for a 2 or a 4, and write sus4 or sus2 after the 7
• If the fifth degree is perfect, write nothing. If it is diminished, write ♭5 , if it is augmented write ♯5 . Sometimes a chord may have both ♭5 and ♯5 .
• Next, the ninth degree . If it is perfect, erase the 7 and write a 9 in its plac e. If it is minor, write ♭9 . If no 7 is included, write add9 .
• Next, the eleventh degree. If it is perfect, erase the 7 or 9 and write an 11 in its place . If it is augmented, put ♯11 . If no 7 is included, write add11 .
• Next, the thirteenth degree . If it is perfect, erase the 7, 9, 0r 11 and write a 13 in its place. If it is minor, put ♭13 . If no 7 is included, write add13 .

Using this method, we have successfully identified and named this chord as Am7! Nice!

However, not all chords are going to be this simple. For example, take the chord in this bar.

Let’s follow 8-bit’s process and see what we find.

When we spell out the pitches, here’s what we get (along with their corresponding scale degrees):

1, 2, 7, 13

Now let’s look for 3rds, and then 7ths. Hmm, so there aren’t any 3rds, and there’s a 7th in there, so our initial impulse might be to label this as a D7 chord.

But upon further examination, we also see that B in there, making it a D13. But then there’s also no 3rd in there, so we need to make sure that’s reflected in the chord.

3rds are super important because they define the quality (either major or minor) of a chord. Right now, this chord could technically be either, though it’s most likely major.

So we might end up with something like D13sus2, which is a very uncommon chord and likely won’t help us much in our analysis phase.

Sometimes it’s good to back up and not necessarily start at the bass note, but split up the “right and left hands” so to speak, and use slash chords.

If a chord is built on top of a bass note clearly distinct in quality from the rest of the chord, you may choose to write a slash chord.

In the case of the above chord, the right hand is playing 2/3 of a Cmaj7 chord (the bold pitches), and the bass is hitting a D. Let’s take another look:

D, (E, C, B)

A Cmaj7 chord is made up of C, E, G , and B .

All of those pitch requirements are met in this chord (aside from the implied 5th, G, which we don’t really need).

Because of this, my preference is to write this chord as Cmaj7/D.

This also simplifies things in a live musical setting where a musician or group of musicians can separate the bass from the other voices of the chord. It makes at-a-glance analysis a lot easier, as well.

Helpful chord identifying tools

I recommend that before you turn to any online tools, you put on your thinking cap and give the above process a college try.

But like I said earlier, the goal is to have an accurate transcription. So if you’re absolutely stumped or just want to check your work (I recommend it), punch your pitches into this Chord Identifier tool .

When it spits out your answer, don’t just enter it into your transcription. Click on the chord and study why that chord is named that way, and what went wrong with your initial assessment. It’s the best way to grow as a music theorist and chord namer!

Some chords are open to interpretation

Don’t let anybody tell you there’s only one way to name chords. This is where the process of musical analysis gets grey and subjective.

I’ll give you an example.

The other day I was transcribing the Muda Kingdom theme from Super Mario Land (great tune). The first chord change sees the bass shifting from the I (A) to the IV (D), with the melody hitting the B, C# and A.

On first blush, these pitches lined up (D, B, C#, A) might tempt me to label the chord as an Dmaj13.

But when I played the cluster chord on the keyboard while singing the melody (a helpful exercise), I felt like it sounded more natural as a Dmaj7. I resigned that B the melody hits to a melodic embellishment, not part of the chord itself.

This is very much a “lead sheet” philosophy. If there are no altered tones (♭9, #11, etc.), that fundamentally change the tonal color of the chord, it’s often best to name the chord a major 7 or dominant 7. This leaves the embellishments up to the discretion of the player or the melody.

What do you think? You may disagree, as I imagine some people love to label exactly what the pitches are implying (including embellishments). I tend to have a looser view of this, especially because I’ve played with lots of bands and like to leave room for surprises. 🙂

Roman Numeral Analysis

My favorite part of analyzing music is conducting a Roman Numeral Analysis. If transcription is the arduous hike up the mountain, analysis the view from the mountaintop, Roman Numeral Analysis is the selfie you take to make all your friends jealous.

After I’m confident my chord symbols are as accurate as they’ll ever be, I print out my sheet music and start marking things up with a pen.

Whatever key the song is in, I notate as a “one” chord. Except I don’t write “one,” I write “I” or “i,” depending on if the song is in a major or minor key (uppercase for major, lowercase for minor).

From there, every scale degree relates back to that I chord in some way. For example, if I’m back in the key of C major, I’d label all Dm chords “ii,” all G7 chords “V7,” and all F major chords “IV.”

Each Roman numeral relates back to how these chords function in relation to the tonic chord.

Musictheory.net has a thorough, concise tutorial on Roman Numeral Analysis here . I highly recommend you check it out!

The reason why this is important is that I’m not so much concerned with the actual chords, but their function. This is what Roman Numeral Analysis helps me discover.

A ii – V – I cadence has the same function in every key, and if you want to get at the underlying skeleton of a song, this is the best way to do it.

I can’t overstate how important this is in learning genre-specific cliches and how they’re used in real compositions, as well as the theory behind how tonal music works.

Using the circle of fifths

The circle of fifths and I have gone through a rocky relationship. From slight interest to mild indifference to angry contention, to true love.

The Circle really does contain everything you need to know about harmonic analysis and more. It’s like the golden ratio or yin-yang of music.

Everything in perfect balance. Everything in harmony and symmetry.

I could write a whole blog post about how to use it for analysis (and I will), but for now, here are a few basic things to know as you reference this amazing tool in your analysis process:

• The circle moves clockwise in fifths, and counter-clockwise in fourths (each chord resolves to the chord in the counterclockwise direction)
• The relative minor of each key is three steps to the right of a given chord (Am is three steps from C)
• Drawing a line straight across the circle produces a tritone (C to F#)
• The chromatic mediant chord (often used in film scores) is three steps to the left of a given chord (C to Eb)
• Starting five steps to the right of a chord and sequentially moving counterclockwise back to the key center will produce the very popular and effective viio – iii – vi – ii – V7 – I chord progression (Bo, Em, Am, Dm, G7, C)
• Drawing an equilateral triangle starting at the key center produces a Coltrane Matrix (chromatic third relations), a super spicy jazz progression popularized by John Coltrane himself

I could go on and on about how great of a tool this is for writing, how many creative blocks this thing has rescued me from, and how I discover new things about it every day.

I’ll restrain myself and save that for another post.

I encourage you to start viewing the music you analyze through the lens of the Circle of Fifths.

I often reference it as I’m doing a Roman Numeral Analysis to make sure I’m accurate.

After the analysis, I’ll look through the circle of fifths to see what patterns the song follows.

For example, when I analyzed the Menu Themes from the NES and SNES Classic, I made a video about how they traversed the circle of fifths in super unique ways (and even composed a piece in the same style).

Music Transcription Tips

In addition to studying the piece’s harmonic language and chord progression, there are many other ways to analyze a transcribed piece of music.

After naming the chords, I usually follow this process:

• Study the “line” of each voice (this is usually called voice leading) for patterns
• Try to find motifs that recur in the music and figure out how they function (I usually look for similar rhythms first, then similar pitches)
• Study the rhythms of the piece and what makes them work. The best video game composers often utilize syncopation (placing emphasis on the weak beats) to drive a song forward

So now that our piece is transcribed, our chords are named, and our Roman Numeral Analysis is complete, it’s time to test our hypothesis against our findings.

If you’ll recall from many paragraphs back, my goal for this piece was to understand how it supported the childlike aesthetic of Yoshi’s Island while still retaining that jazzy, catchy Mario sound.

My hypothesis is that it was because of the instrumentation (percussive, plucky sounds).

When I examine the bassline of the piece, there is a feeling of rising up the scale, then falling down the scale, then rising up again and falling down again with a little twist (I’ll get to that in a second).

Many nursery rhymes have elements (either melodic or harmonic) that ascend the scale in simple, small steps. This makes it easier for children to sing. This is why combined with my theory on instrumentation, I believe it has a child-like sound.

But about that signature Mario catchiness? Remember how I said when I tapped out the tempo and melody, I noticed the tune was extremely syncopated? This is a Koji Kondo staple, and accenting rhythms in between beats or on weak beats is an effective way to drive a piece forward.

It also has the benefit of making melodies really catchy. Is it just me, or when you play this adorable tune, are you tempted to bob your head and tap your foot? That’s the syncopation working its magic.

If we were to straighten out these notes, the song would sound dry, boring, and not near as catchy. The straight, even bass notes act as the “straight man” against the wildly syncopated melody in the right hand.

Koji doesn’t stop there, though. To put a little more stank on this tune, he borrows a B♭from the parallel key of G minor, substituting it for the B natural we’ve grown accustomed to. The result is a slightly-bluesy, delightfully unexpected shot of funkiness.

When I was processing this piece with 8-bit, he made the comment, “It’s a funky melody with a baby-like nursery rhyme in the bass. Perfect for Baby Mario riding on Yoshi’s back.”

Boom. Analyzed.

Going the extra mile – remaking the finished piece

If you want to go above and beyond, Sam Matla from EDMProd recommends actually recreating the song you’ve transcribed, instruments and all.

This is hands-down the best way to intentionally practice and perfect your craft. It touches on all aspects of the music production cycle. Not only the theory, arrangement, and composition, but also the sound design, mixing, and mastering.

Warning : this is not for the faint of heart. It’s time-consuming and extremely challenging trying to match up your work with that of a distinct piece of music.

However, if you’re looking for a way to accelerate your growth as a music theorist, composer, arranger, and producer, there truly is no better way.

If you’re not down for something this labor intensive, I recommend creating a song with a similar style, tempo, and form as the one you’re analyzing.

I do this very thing in the aforementioned video on recreating NES and SNES Classic Menu Themes.

Your objectives:

• Download MuseScore or similar notation software
• Transcribe one of your favorite video game songs using the transcription workflow cheat sheet
• Name the chords to the best of your ability
• Analyze the piece with a goal or hypothesis in mind: “this piece sounds scary because of the spooky theremin and minor key dissonances.”
• Do a Roman Numeral Analysis using the circle of fifths as reference
• Write down at least three things you learn about how this piece functions, evokes a certain mood or supports gameplay
• Confirm or deny your hypothesis and write down your findings. “This piece is scary because of the theremin and excessive use of diminished chords, as well as low brass.”

As you can tell, I’m passionate about transcription. I’ve not only heard it touted as invaluable by every composer I’ve spoken to on my podcast, but I’ve also experienced its benefits firsthand.

My hope is that we don’t eschew the traditions, cliches, and composers in favor of the futile quest for “originality,” but humbly seek to emulate them through imitation.

I hope this blog post has inspired you to see transcription in a new light and to realize its creative benefits.

Music and Me: Visual Representations of Lyrics to Popular Music

• Resources & Preparation
• Instructional Plan
• Related Resources

You can get your students to practice critical literacy without resorting to book interpretation. Instead, using texts such as song lyrics can engage students, while related images can be used as interpretive tools. In this lesson, students choose a song that they like. Then, they interpret the meaning of the lyrics by making personal connections, critically analyzing their interpretations, and planning how to represent them with images. After collecting digital images, they use Windows Movie Maker to create a photomontage movie. Then, students share their movies and reflect on both their own and their peers' work.

Featured Resources

Music and Me Idea Map : This tool allows students to visually organize details about their song’s lyrics, as well develop a sequence of ideas for their photomontage movie.

From Theory to Practice

• Students working with visual "texts" need to understand the technical skills to manipulate text, image, and color-but they also need to understand how these elements work together to create meaning.
• It is important for teachers to model how to talk about visual texts by looking at them with students and pointing out how these different elements have been used to create meaning. Explicit articulation of these ideas helps students assess their own work more thoughtfully and completely.
• Being visually literate means that a student can produce and "read" visual texts.
• To be visually literate, a student should actively engage in asking questions and seeking a variety of answers and interpretations of a visual project.

Common Core Standards

This resource has been aligned to the Common Core State Standards for states in which they have been adopted. If a state does not appear in the drop-down, CCSS alignments are forthcoming.

State Standards

This lesson has been aligned to standards in the following states. If a state does not appear in the drop-down, standard alignments are not currently available for that state.

NCTE/IRA National Standards for the English Language Arts

• 1. Students read a wide range of print and nonprint texts to build an understanding of texts, of themselves, and of the cultures of the United States and the world; to acquire new information; to respond to the needs and demands of society and the workplace; and for personal fulfillment. Among these texts are fiction and nonfiction, classic and contemporary works.
• 3. Students apply a wide range of strategies to comprehend, interpret, evaluate, and appreciate texts. They draw on their prior experience, their interactions with other readers and writers, their knowledge of word meaning and of other texts, their word identification strategies, and their understanding of textual features (e.g., sound-letter correspondence, sentence structure, context, graphics).
• 6. Students apply knowledge of language structure, language conventions (e.g., spelling and punctuation), media techniques, figurative language, and genre to create, critique, and discuss print and nonprint texts.
• 8. Students use a variety of technological and information resources (e.g., libraries, databases, computer networks, video) to gather and synthesize information and to create and communicate knowledge.
• 12. Students use spoken, written, and visual language to accomplish their own purposes (e.g., for learning, enjoyment, persuasion, and the exchange of information).

Materials and Technology

• Computers with Internet access
• Windows Movie Maker
• Overhead projector
• Digital or disposable cameras
• Scanner (optional)
• LCD projector (optional)
• Headphones (optional)
• Using Movie Maker to Create Photomontage Movies
• Music and Me Idea Map
• Music and Me Project Instructions
• Rubric for Photomontage Movie
• Self-Reflection on the Music and Me Project
• Music and My Friends: Evaluating Classmate’s Work

Preparation

Student objectives.

Students will

• Make text-to-self connections by examining the lyrics to a song they have chosen and describing how they relate to the words and music
• Express and organize their thoughts by using graphic organizers
• Practice interpretation by reading song lyrics both with and without music and by choosing images that represent the text-to-self connections they have made
• Increase their technical skills by learning how to acquire images digitally and how to use Windows Movie Maker
• Apply what they have learned by creating a photomontage movie
• Analyze their own work as well as the work of their peers by looking at the movies and filling out evaluation forms

Note: Prior to this session, students should choose their song and listen to it.

Homework (due at the beginning of Session 2): Students should bring a copy of the lyrics they have chosen to class.

Homework (due at the beginning of Session 3): Students should bring in a recorded version of the song they have chosen as well as their filled-in Idea Maps.

Homework: Students can prepare for the moviemaking sessions at home by gathering images to use in their movies. The questions they have answered and their Idea Maps should serve as guidelines for the type of images they want to use. Students can assemble images in a variety of ways, such as by:

• Taking photos using either a digital or conventional camera (if they use the former, they should make a photo CD; if they use the latter, they should make a CD or scan the images).
• Collecting images from magazines or books (again, these will need to be scanned).
• Searching the Internet for images. Please note that you should consult your school’s guidelines regarding safe Internet usage before allowing students to conduct an open search. In addition, your students should access and follow Copyright and Fair Use Guidelines for School Projects .

If students have difficulty accessing equipment, provide a few disposable cameras for them to use. You might also want to refer students to the training information on Tech-Ease: Images Q & A for Mac and PC so that students can practice using the software if they choose. You should provide at least a week for students to collect their images.

Sessions 4 through 6

Note: During these sessions, students will import the images into Windows Movie Maker and make a photomontage movie to play along with the music to their song. They should bring all of the images they have collected for homework. If you have not already done so, distribute Using Movie Maker to Create Photomontage Movies to students.

• You can find many other ideas for the use of a digital camera in the classroom on Using Digital Cameras in the Classroom . Although the lessons are mainly for elementary students, they can be modified to high school standards.
• Technology: Movie Maker Projects lists a number of additional projects you can complete with your students using Movie Maker.
• See Using Technology to Analyze and Illustrate Symbolism in Night for more ideas about using digital images.

Student Assessment / Reflections

• Have students turn in their Music and Me Project Instructions sheets and the two completed Music and Me Idea Maps . Check to see how well students were able to:

Make text-to-self connections by examining the lyrics to a song they chose Express and organize their thoughts by using graphic organizers Interpret the song lyrics both with and without music

• Use the Rubric for Photomontage Movie to assess students’ videos. You should also look at the Self-Reflection on the Music and Me Project sheets to see how well students achieved their goals in creating the movies.
• Students practice assessing both their own and their peers’ work using the self-reflection sheet and the Music and My Friends: Evaluating Classmate’s Work ; you may choose to collect these and look at how well students are able to offer suggestions and insight. You can also observe informally while students are working with their partners during class sessions.
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• Kindergarten K

Essay on Music for Students and Children

500+ words essay on music.

Music is a vital part of different moments of human life. It spreads happiness and joy in a person’s life. Music is the soul of life and gives immense peace to us. In the words of William Shakespeare, “If music is the food of love, play on, Give me excess of it; that surfeiting, The appetite may sicken, and so die.” Thus, Music helps us in connecting with our souls or real self.

What is Music?

Music is a pleasant sound which is a combination of melodies and harmony and which soothes you. Music may also refer to the art of composing such pleasant sounds with the help of the various musical instruments. A person who knows music is a Musician.

The music consists of Sargam, Ragas, Taals, etc. Music is not only what is composed of men but also which exists in nature. Have you ever heard the sound of a waterfall or a flowing river ? Could you hear music there? Thus, everything in harmony has music. Here, I would like to quote a line by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, one of the greatest musicians, “The music is not in the notes, but in the silence between.”

Importance of Music:

Music has great qualities of healing a person emotionally and mentally. Music is a form of meditation. While composing or listening music ones tends to forget all his worries, sorrows and pains. But, in order to appreciate good music, we need to cultivate our musical taste. It can be cited that in the Dwapar Yug, the Gopis would get mesmerized with the music that flowed from Lord Krishna’s flute. They would surrender themselves to Him. Also, the research has proved that the plants which hear the Music grow at a faster rate in comparison to the others.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

Magical Powers of Music:

It has the power to cure diseases such as anxiety, depression, insomnia, etc. The power of Music can be testified by the legends about Tansen of his bringing the rains by singing Raag Megh Malhar and lighting lamps by Raga Deepak. It also helps in improving the concentration and is thus of great help to the students.

Conclusion:

Music is the essence of life. Everything that has rhythm has music. Our breathing also has a rhythm. Thus, we can say that there is music in every human being or a living creature. Music has the ability to convey all sorts of emotions to people. Music is also a very powerful means to connect with God. We can conclude that Music is the purest form of worship of God and to connect with our soul.

FAQs on Essay on Music:

Q.1. Why is Music known as the Universal Language?

Ans.1. Music is known as the Universal language because it knows no boundaries. It flows freely beyond the barriers of language, religion, country, etc. Anybody can enjoy music irrespective of his age.

Q.2. What are the various styles of Music in India?

Ans.2. India is a country of diversities. Thus, it has numerous styles of music. Some of them are Classical, Pop, Ghazals, Bhajans, Carnatic, Folk, Khyal, Thumri, Qawwali, Bhangra, Drupad, Dadra, Dhamar, Bandish, Baithak Gana, Sufi, Indo Jazz, Odissi, Tarana, Sugama Sangeet, Bhavageet, etc.

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Random Assignment in Psychology: Definition & Examples

Julia Simkus

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BA (Hons) Psychology, Princeton University

Julia Simkus is a graduate of Princeton University with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. She is currently studying for a Master's Degree in Counseling for Mental Health and Wellness in September 2023. Julia's research has been published in peer reviewed journals.

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Saul Mcleod, PhD

Editor-in-Chief for Simply Psychology

BSc (Hons) Psychology, MRes, PhD, University of Manchester

Saul Mcleod, PhD., is a qualified psychology teacher with over 18 years of experience in further and higher education. He has been published in peer-reviewed journals, including the Journal of Clinical Psychology.

Olivia Guy-Evans, MSc

Associate Editor for Simply Psychology

BSc (Hons) Psychology, MSc Psychology of Education

Olivia Guy-Evans is a writer and associate editor for Simply Psychology. She has previously worked in healthcare and educational sectors.

In psychology, random assignment refers to the practice of allocating participants to different experimental groups in a study in a completely unbiased way, ensuring each participant has an equal chance of being assigned to any group.

In experimental research, random assignment, or random placement, organizes participants from your sample into different groups using randomization. 

Random assignment uses chance procedures to ensure that each participant has an equal opportunity of being assigned to either a control or experimental group.

The control group does not receive the treatment in question, whereas the experimental group does receive the treatment.

When using random assignment, neither the researcher nor the participant can choose the group to which the participant is assigned. This ensures that any differences between and within the groups are not systematic at the onset of the study. 

In a study to test the success of a weight-loss program, investigators randomly assigned a pool of participants to one of two groups.

Group A participants participated in the weight-loss program for 10 weeks and took a class where they learned about the benefits of healthy eating and exercise.

Group B participants read a 200-page book that explains the benefits of weight loss. The investigator randomly assigned participants to one of the two groups.

The researchers found that those who participated in the program and took the class were more likely to lose weight than those in the other group that received only the book.

Importance 

Random assignment ensures that each group in the experiment is identical before applying the independent variable.

In experiments , researchers will manipulate an independent variable to assess its effect on a dependent variable, while controlling for other variables. Random assignment increases the likelihood that the treatment groups are the same at the onset of a study.

Thus, any changes that result from the independent variable can be assumed to be a result of the treatment of interest. This is particularly important for eliminating sources of bias and strengthening the internal validity of an experiment.

Random assignment is the best method for inferring a causal relationship between a treatment and an outcome.

Random Selection vs. Random Assignment 

Random selection (also called probability sampling or random sampling) is a way of randomly selecting members of a population to be included in your study.

On the other hand, random assignment is a way of sorting the sample participants into control and treatment groups. 

Random selection ensures that everyone in the population has an equal chance of being selected for the study. Once the pool of participants has been chosen, experimenters use random assignment to assign participants into groups. 

Random assignment is only used in between-subjects experimental designs, while random selection can be used in a variety of study designs.

Random Assignment vs Random Sampling

Random sampling refers to selecting participants from a population so that each individual has an equal chance of being chosen. This method enhances the representativeness of the sample.

Random assignment, on the other hand, is used in experimental designs once participants are selected. It involves allocating these participants to different experimental groups or conditions randomly.

This helps ensure that any differences in results across groups are due to manipulating the independent variable, not preexisting differences among participants.

When to Use Random Assignment

Random assignment is used in experiments with a between-groups or independent measures design.

In these research designs, researchers will manipulate an independent variable to assess its effect on a dependent variable, while controlling for other variables.

There is usually a control group and one or more experimental groups. Random assignment helps ensure that the groups are comparable at the onset of the study.

How to Use Random Assignment

There are a variety of ways to assign participants into study groups randomly. Here are a handful of popular methods: 

• Random Number Generator : Give each member of the sample a unique number; use a computer program to randomly generate a number from the list for each group.
• Lottery : Give each member of the sample a unique number. Place all numbers in a hat or bucket and draw numbers at random for each group.
• Flipping a Coin : Flip a coin for each participant to decide if they will be in the control group or experimental group (this method can only be used when you have just two groups) 
• Roll a Die : For each number on the list, roll a dice to decide which of the groups they will be in. For example, assume that rolling 1, 2, or 3 places them in a control group and rolling 3, 4, 5 lands them in an experimental group.

When is Random Assignment not used?

• When it is not ethically permissible: Randomization is only ethical if the researcher has no evidence that one treatment is superior to the other or that one treatment might have harmful side effects. 
• When answering non-causal questions : If the researcher is just interested in predicting the probability of an event, the causal relationship between the variables is not important and observational designs would be more suitable than random assignment. 
• When studying the effect of variables that cannot be manipulated: Some risk factors cannot be manipulated and so it would not make any sense to study them in a randomized trial. For example, we cannot randomly assign participants into categories based on age, gender, or genetic factors.

Drawbacks of Random Assignment

While randomization assures an unbiased assignment of participants to groups, it does not guarantee the equality of these groups. There could still be extraneous variables that differ between groups or group differences that arise from chance. Additionally, there is still an element of luck with random assignments.

Thus, researchers can not produce perfectly equal groups for each specific study. Differences between the treatment group and control group might still exist, and the results of a randomized trial may sometimes be wrong, but this is absolutely okay.

Scientific evidence is a long and continuous process, and the groups will tend to be equal in the long run when data is aggregated in a meta-analysis.

Additionally, external validity (i.e., the extent to which the researcher can use the results of the study to generalize to the larger population) is compromised with random assignment.

Random assignment is challenging to implement outside of controlled laboratory conditions and might not represent what would happen in the real world at the population level. 

Random assignment can also be more costly than simple observational studies, where an investigator is just observing events without intervening with the population.

Randomization also can be time-consuming and challenging, especially when participants refuse to receive the assigned treatment or do not adhere to recommendations. 

What is the difference between random sampling and random assignment?

Random sampling refers to randomly selecting a sample of participants from a population. Random assignment refers to randomly assigning participants to treatment groups from the selected sample.

Does random assignment increase internal validity?

Yes, random assignment ensures that there are no systematic differences between the participants in each group, enhancing the study’s internal validity .

Does random assignment reduce sampling error?

Yes, with random assignment, participants have an equal chance of being assigned to either a control group or an experimental group, resulting in a sample that is, in theory, representative of the population.

Random assignment does not completely eliminate sampling error because a sample only approximates the population from which it is drawn. However, random sampling is a way to minimize sampling errors. 

When is random assignment not possible?

Random assignment is not possible when the experimenters cannot control the treatment or independent variable.

For example, if you want to compare how men and women perform on a test, you cannot randomly assign subjects to these groups.

Participants are not randomly assigned to different groups in this study, but instead assigned based on their characteristics.

Does random assignment eliminate confounding variables?

Yes, random assignment eliminates the influence of any confounding variables on the treatment because it distributes them at random among the study groups. Randomization invalidates any relationship between a confounding variable and the treatment.

Why is random assignment of participants to treatment conditions in an experiment used?

Random assignment is used to ensure that all groups are comparable at the start of a study. This allows researchers to conclude that the outcomes of the study can be attributed to the intervention at hand and to rule out alternative explanations for study results.

Further Reading

• Bogomolnaia, A., & Moulin, H. (2001). A new solution to the random assignment problem .  Journal of Economic theory ,  100 (2), 295-328.
• Krause, M. S., & Howard, K. I. (2003). What random assignment does and does not do .  Journal of Clinical Psychology ,  59 (7), 751-766.

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