In Episode 13of the Art of Composing Podcast, I talk to William Caplin, author of two of my favorite books on form and music theory in general. This is a great interview where we go into all sorts of What is in this episode: * What is form? * How did great composers like Beethoven actually think about form? * How can you apply it to your own compositions? Support the Podcast! Click Here to go to Jon's Patreon page, and support the podcast! http://patreon.com/artofcomposing About William Caplin William Caplin is the James McGill Professor of Music Theory at the Schulich School of Music at McGill University in Montreal, Canada. He is author of two of my favorite books, Classical Form: A Theory of Formal Functions for the Instrumental Music of Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven, which won the Wallace Berry Award from the Society for Music Theory, and the more recently published, Analyzing Classical Form: An Approach For the Classroom. Dr. Caplin studied Music Composition at the University of...
In Episode 12of the Art of Composing Podcast, I talk to Samuel Adler, author of one of the most popular books on orchestration, The Study of Orchestration. There is an issue with my itunes feed right now. I am working with apple to get it fixed, but it will probably be a day or two before it's corrected. What is in this episode: * The most beneficial activities for composers learning orchestration. * Samuel Adler’s thoughts on getting published when you’re young. * Golden nuggets from some of the greatest teachers and composers of the twentieth century. * Why you should copy great composers like Bach and Hindemith. * Why the composition teacher is like a midwife. Support the Podcast! Click Here to go to Jon's Patreon page, and support the podcast! http://patreon.com/artofcomposing Tips from Samuel Adler * Composers should play an instrument. * Learn to sing. * Start as early as possible. This includes the study of harmony, counterpoint, and analysis, as well as your instrument. * ...
Episode 11of the Art of Composing Podcast.We interview Robert Gjerdingen, author of the book "Music in the Galant Style". We talk about Partimenti, the tool used to train the greatest composers from Mozart to Debussy and Stravinsky, as well as his new research into how music fits really well into constructionist linguistic theory. What is in this episode: * What Partimenti are and why you should care. * How composers like Mozart would have actually learned to composed. * How composition is very similar to speaking a language. Support the Podcast! Click Here to go to Jon's Patreon page, and support the podcast! http://patreon.com/artofcomposing Resources and Links Mentioned in this Episode: Joint Improvisation by Alma Deutscher and Tobias Cramm https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nubC3dktQ24 Four Improvisations for Piano by Arensky, Rachmaninov, Glazunov & Taneyev https://youtu.be/PlFPOWuwBHI?t=2s Robert Gjerdingen's Book Music in the Galant Style *This is an affiliate link to amazon Sch...
Episode 10of the Art of Composing Podcast.In this episode, you'll get a good grasp of what harmony is and why harmony works the way it does. If you've ever wanted to know how to create a chord progression from scratch, this is the episode for you. What is in this episode: * The basis for our harmony - the overtone series * How functional chord progressions work * How to add chromatic harmony to your chord progressions Support the Podcast! Click Here to go to Jon's Patreon page, and support the podcast! http://patreon.com/artofcomposing Resources and Links Mentioned in this Episode: Here are the charts mentioned in the episode. If you're interested more in using these charts, you can check out my article on diatonic harmony. Major Minor
Episode 9of the Art of Composing Podcast. In this episode,you'll learn some valuable questions to ask yourself before orchestrating anything, and then my technique to efficiently learn the art of orchestration. What is in this episode: * Why you shouldn't orchestrate... yet. * Valuable questions to find out if you are ready for orchestrating your own music. * My technique for orchestrating your own pieces quickly, efficiently, and without getting overwhelmed. Listen to the Final Orchestration of Sketchy Business From the Podcast Download the Score and Sketch Sheet Here is an example of a descriptive sketch. Notice, just the melody, the chords, and a description of what I want to do. That is followed with actually sketching ideas. Here is Section1. Section2. Section3. I then turn it into a full score, which you can hear and see below. Sketchy Business - Score and parts Sketchy Business - Sketch Support the Podcast! Click Here to go to Jon's Patreon page, and support the podcast! http...
Episode 8 of the Art of Composing Podcast. In this episode, find out why you need to learn about musical form, and what exactly makes musical form so powerful. We also analyze the 1st Movement to Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 1. What is in this episode: * Learn about the different levels of musical form, and how they work together to create a feeling of temporality. * We go over each section of the 1st movement to Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 1, talking about the techniques that are being used in each section. * Learn how the Lord of the Rings is a great analogy for remembering Sonata Form. Support the Podcast! Click Here to go to Jon's Patreon page, and support the podcast! http://patreon.com/artofcomposing Resources and Links Mentioned in this Episode: * The Lord of the Rings: The Motion Picture Trilogy Add any other supporting show notes. Transcript Welcome Welcome to another episode of the art of composing podcast. Art of Composing is dedicated to unraveling the mysteries of musi...
Episode 7 of the Art of Composing Podcast. In this episode, we look atcreativity - what it is, how to find it, and how to explore your creative boundaries. What is in this episode: * What is creativity? * The two kinds of artist and what it means for your creative endeavors. * A six step process of creativity. Support the Podcast! Click Here to go to Jon's Patreon page, and support the podcast! http://patreon.com/artofcomposing Resources and Links Mentioned in this Episode: * Musical Creativity: Strategies and Tools in Composition and Improvisation (Computational Music Science) Identify Your Artistic Type * Do you plan your compositions before hand, or do you just start writing or playing on your instrument? Do you make sketches? * When do you make your most important compositional decisions? * Do you have clear compositional goals when you sit down to compose? * Do you have a clear idea of what the finished composition will be like? * When do you stop composing, or decide a work is...
Episode 6 of the Art of Composing Podcast. In this episode, we look at what it takes to find a mentor and how to get the most out of the experience. What is in this episode: * Finding the ideal mentor. * Four strategies for receiving the ideal mentorship. * Cultivating your social intelligence. Support the Podcast! Click Here to go to Jon's Patreon page, and support the podcast! http://patreon.com/artofcomposing Resources and Links Mentioned in this Episode: * Mastery by Robert Greene Episode 6 Take Aways * Anyone wishing to master a field must go through years of deliberate practice. This practice can be maximized by having a wise mentor guiding the process. * Finding a mentor can be a little difficult though, so you need to make sure you are actively seeking one, and not just hoping for it to happen. * Make sure you bring something to the table as well. Most people are happy to pass on their knowledge and expertise, but realize that they are more than likely busier than you, and s...
Episode 5 of the Art of Composing Podcast. In this episode, I cover the next stage of your pathway to mastery, the apprenticeship. Find out about why an apprenticeship is so important, the different phases of an apprenticeship, and how to take the most advantage of your composer apprenticeship. What is in this episode: * What is an apprenticeship, and how long will it take? * The three phases of an apprenticeship. * The 8 Strategies for getting the most out of your apprenticeship. Resources and Links Mentioned in this Episode: * Mastery by Robert Greene Episode 5 Take Aways * The goal of an apprenticeship is not money, a good position, a title, or a diploma, but rather the transformation of your mind and character. * There are three phases or three modes to the ideal apprenticeship. * They are Deep observation or the passive mode, where you observe and absorb as much as possible about the world you are trying to master. * Skills acquisition or the practice mode, where you break down...
Episode 4 of the Art of Composing Podcast. This episode is all about starting on the pathway to mastery. What is mastery? Well, it is the state that you achieve, where you have almost magical powers of control over your chosen field. How do you achieve master? You'll just have to listen and find out. I also talk about how I started composing, how I got off the path towards my life's task, and what it took to get back on the pathway. What is in this episode: * What is mastery, and how do you achieve it. * Jon - An Autobiography (kind of) * How to identify your life's task using the 5 strategies from Mastery by Robert Greene. Resources and Links Mentioned in this Episode: * Mastery by Robert Greene * War of Art by Steven Pressfield Episode 4 Take Aways Mastery is really about a state you can achieve, in which you have a power over reality that most people do not have. This power comes from fully absorbing all aspects of you life's task. * Your life's task is the thing that you feel de...