Music Composition For Dummies

Music Composition For Dummies
Author: Scott Jarrett
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
Total Pages: 363
Release: 2008-02-13
Genre: Music
ISBN: 9780470289938

Want to turn that haunting tune in your head into an awesome sound in your ear? You can! Music Composition For Dummies demystifies the process of composing music and writing songs. It guides you through every step of writing your own music, from choosing the right rhythm and tempo to creating melodies and chord progressions and working with instruments and voices. In this fun and practical guide, you’ll learn how to match keys and chords to the mood you want to convey, work a form without limiting your creativity, and hammer out a musical idea, even when your mind is drawing a blank. You’ll find out how to create popular songs, classically structured pieces, and even film, TV, and video game soundtracks. And, you’ll learn what you need to know about music composition software, including Finale, Sebelius, Pro Tools, and more. Discover how to: Preserve and organize your musical ideas Work with established chord progressions or create your own Develop great rhythms Select the right instruments Find melodies in your head, your instrument, and the world around you Use major and minor scales Work with modes and moods Build melodic motifs and phrases Use the circle of fifths to harmonize Write for multiple voices Make a demo recording Filled with creative exercises to build your composing skills, Music Composition for Dummies is the resource you need to get that melody out of your head and into the world.

Music Theory For Dummies

Music Theory For Dummies
Author: Michael Pilhofer
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
Total Pages: 343
Release: 2019-07-11
Genre: Music
ISBN: 1119575524

Tune in to how music really works Whether you’re a student, a performer, or simply a fan, this book makes music theory easy, providing you with a friendly guide to the concepts, artistry, and technical mastery that underlie the production of great music. You’ll quickly become fluent in the fundamentals of knocking out beats, reading scores, and anticipating where a piece should go, giving you a deeper perspective on the works of others — and bringing an extra dimension to your own. Tracking to a typical college-level course, Music Theory For Dummies breaks difficult concepts down to manageable chunks and takes into account every aspect of musical production and appreciation — from the fundamentals of notes and scales to the complexities of expression and instrument tone color. It also examines the latest teaching techniques — all the more important as the study of music, now shown to provide cognitive and learning benefits for both children and adults, becomes more prevalent at all levels. Master major and minor scales, intervals, pitches, and clefs Understand basic notation, time signals, tempo, dynamics, and navigation Employ melodies, chords, progressions, and phrases to form music Compose harmonies and accompanying melodies for voice and instruments Wherever you want to go musically — as a writer or performer, or just as someone who wants to enjoy music to its fullest — this approachable guide gives you everything you need to hear!

Composing Digital Music For Dummies

Composing Digital Music For Dummies
Author: Russell Dean Vines
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
Total Pages: 384
Release: 2011-05-04
Genre: Music
ISBN: 1118068351

Yes, you can turn those great melodies and smokin’ grooves in your head into stunning digital music! And you don’t have to be a musical genius or a computer geek to do it! Composing Digital Music For Dummies shows you everything you need to know to compose great tunes using the hottest digital tools. This friendly, plain-English guide explains all of the digital music basics, including how to work with the latest hardware and software, use templates from the companion CD-ROM to make a quick start, build your first tune, and save it in different formats. You’ll also find out how to add instruments to your score, set tempos and keys, create chord symbols and show fretboards, add lyrics to your tune, and much more. Discover how to: Write and arrange digital music Determine what — if any — equipment you need Create your own ringtones and mp3s Compose with a MIDI controller, or a mouse Work with notation software Use keyboard shortcuts Publish your creations on the Internet Build your own tune from scratch Extract parts from your score for each instrument The companion CD-Rom also includes a demo of Sebelius 5, the most popular music notation software, as well as audio files for all music examples in the book. With this step-by-step guide and your computer, you’ll have everything you need to start writing, arranging, and publishing your own digital music — immediately! Note: CD-ROM/DVD and other supplementary materials are not included as part of eBook file.

Musical Composition

Musical Composition
Author: Alan Belkin
Publisher: Yale University Press
Total Pages: 273
Release: 2018-06-19
Genre: Music
ISBN: 0300218990

An invaluable introduction to the art and craft of musical composition from a distinguished teacher and composer This essential introduction to the art and craft of musical composition is designed to familiarize beginning composers with principles and techniques applicable to a broad range of musical styles, from concert pieces to film scores and video game music. The first of its kind to utilize a style-neutral approach, in addition to presenting the commonly known classical forms, this book offers invaluable general guidance on developing and connecting musical ideas, building to a climax, and other fundamental formal principles. It is designed for both classroom use and independent study.

Teaching Music Through Composition

Teaching Music Through Composition
Author: Barbara Freedman
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Total Pages: 336
Release: 2013-04-11
Genre: Education
ISBN: 0199840628

This book is a full multimedia curriculum that contains over 60 Lesson Plans in 29 Units of Study, Student Assignments Sheets, Worksheets, Handouts, Audio and MIDI files to teach a wide array of musical topics, including: general/basic music theory, music appreciation and analysis, keyboarding, composing/arranging, even ear-training (aural theory) using technology.

Music Theory and Composition

Music Theory and Composition
Author: Stephen C. Stone
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
Total Pages: 547
Release: 2018-01-26
Genre: Music
ISBN: 1538101246

Music Theory and Composition: A Practical Approachpresents a pragmatic, accessible approach to music theory through an emphasis on melody and counterpoint. This focus explains the “why” of musical construction more clearly than the traditional approach of beginning with chords. By starting with a single melodic line and gradually adding voices in counterpoint, the book drills part-writing while simultaneously explaining functionality, first with scale degrees and then with harmony. The text has students learn musical techniques and progressively build on their functions and importance to create their own compositions. With short, digestible chapters, Music Theory and Composition clearly presents otherwise complicated ideas not as strict rules, but as artistic ideals, encouraging the interactive creation of new compositions as a tool for learning. The textbook is versatile and easily customizable, suiting Different skill levels with species counterpoint providing a framework for the beginner while providing an interesting challenge for more experienced students Different curricular schedules with complete exercises in two, three, and four voices, allowing for an optional skip from two voices to four Different pedagogical approaches with species exercises encouraging students to consider harmonic choices and figured bass ensuring functional progressions Instructor Resources: Instructor’s Manual: The Instructor’s Manual includes sample syllabi and student handouts Test Bank: The test bank includes sample tests and answer keys in MS Word format. Student Resources: Companion Website with Downloadable Workbook Sections: http://textbooks.rowman.com/stone Additional Features: complete curriculum for first-year theory courses over 500 musical examples drawn from Common Practice Era compositions as well as more contemporary and popular pieces focus on active composition throughout the text and workbook sections large pop music section to expand student’s application of theory conversational tone to encourage student engagement Designed for first-year college music theory courses, but accessible enough for the interested lay reader or high school student, the text offers a true balance of counterpoint and harmony.​

A Composer's Guide to Game Music

A Composer's Guide to Game Music
Author: Winifred Phillips
Publisher: MIT Press
Total Pages: 285
Release: 2017-08-11
Genre: Music
ISBN: 0262534495

A comprehensive, practical guide to composing video game music, from acquiring the necessary skills to finding work in the field. Music in video games is often a sophisticated, complex composition that serves to engage the player, set the pace of play, and aid interactivity. Composers of video game music must master an array of specialized skills not taught in the conservatory, including the creation of linear loops, music chunks for horizontal resequencing, and compositional fragments for use within a generative framework. In A Composer's Guide to Game Music, Winifred Phillips—herself an award-winning composer of video game music—provides a comprehensive, practical guide that leads an aspiring video game composer from acquiring the necessary creative skills to understanding the function of music in games to finding work in the field. Musicians and composers may be drawn to game music composition because the game industry is a multibillion-dollar, employment-generating economic powerhouse, but, Phillips writes, the most important qualification for a musician who wants to become a game music composer is a love of video games. Phillips offers detailed coverage of essential topics, including musicianship and composition experience; immersion; musical themes; music and game genres; workflow; working with a development team; linear music; interactive music, both rendered and generative; audio technology, from mixers and preamps to software; and running a business. A Composer's Guide to Game Music offers indispensable guidance for musicians and composers who want to deploy their creativity in a dynamic and growing industry, protect their musical identities while working in a highly technical field, and create great music within the constraints of a new medium.

Piano & Keyboard All-in-One For Dummies

Piano & Keyboard All-in-One For Dummies
Author: Holly Day
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
Total Pages: 647
Release: 2020-08-04
Genre: Music
ISBN: 1119700841

The comprehensive go-to guide for building keyboard skills Being able to play a tune on the piano can bring you a lifetime of sheer aesthetic pleasure—and put you in serious demand at parties! Whatever your motivation for tinkling the ivories, the latest edition of Piano & Keyboard All-In-One For Dummies gives you the essentials you need both to build your playing skills and expand your knowledge of music theory, from deciding what keyboard suits you best to musing on the science of what makes music so emotionally compelling. This indispensable resource combines the best of Piano For Dummies, Keyboard For Dummies, Music Theory For Dummies, and Piano Exercises For Dummies and includes practice strategies, as well as access to streaming and downloadable audio to help guide your progress. In addition to becoming acquainted with the latest in music theory, you'll learn to develop your sight-reading skills and performance techniques—until you can reproduce pieces flawlessly on request! Choose and care for your keyboard Practice until perfect Compose your own songs Hook up to speakers, computers, and more Learning to play the keys is a never-ending journey of new discoveries and joy, and there's no better companion on your voyage than this friendly, erudite, and comprehensive guide. P.S. If you think this book seems familiar, you're probably right. The Dummies team updated the cover and design to give the book a fresh feel, but the content is the same as the previous release of Piano and Keyboard AIO For Dummies (9781118837429). The book you see here shouldn't be considered a new or updated product. But if you're in the mood to learn something new, check out some of our other books. We're always writing about new topics!