Composition Secrets

There are at least five ways to compose songs on the piano

1. Envisioning

Look at a picture and imagine creating a musical piece which fits with it. For example, you could stare at a beautiful picture of a reddish sunset over the ocean and try to make a song which fits with it. This technique is highly important when composing music for films or games.

2. Blank Slate

Compose a song by just playing around the piano, hoping to come across a good melody. Probably the most commonly used technique and although it might not be the most effective, you can still compose decent songs using it.

3. Imitation

Listen to a favorite song of yours and try to copy it, making your own song which sounds similar but yet different. This is a very useful technique, and, if you are feeling defeating while composing, a good one to start trying. 

4. Royal Decree

Someone tells you to make a song that has a certain style, quality, or feel to it and you follow their advice. This technique has the advantage of being unambiguous. You know what you are going for, you just have to get to it. However, getting to the goal is not always easy, and trying to reach that elusive quality which fits the demanded specifications is often very challenging.

5. Telescope

Choose a style of music and try to compose a song that sounds like it. By narrowing your focus to a particular style, you definitely don't waste as much time as trying to start with a blank slate. Also, if you have your own particular genre of music, you probably use this technique without even thinking about it.

That's all for now. Come back soon for more composition secrets.