Composing Songs - Tips For the Composer

Bars 1–2 from Claude Debussy’s Sarabande from Pour le Piano. Typeset by Hyacinth (talk) 20:32, 4 February 2011 (UTC) using Sibelius 5. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The piano is an incredibly valuable instrument for composing music because it allows you to explore different chords while you compose. If you don’t like the sound of one chord, you can try a different one by pressing the various keys on the piano. If you play the piano How To Discover Piano - Sometimes in life, we regret not pursuing hobbies or interests we once enjoyed. I know I regret not continuing to play football and furthering my passion for reading music, especially the piano. Learning to play the piano can seem overwhelming, but when broken down into manageable pieces and with plenty of tuition and practice, it… and aspire to write music, you’re fortunate because the piano is a useful tool to assist you in composing music, whether it’s a song or a piece for piano or other instruments.

When you’re trying to develop the melody of a piece, you can experiment with different melodies by playing and exploring various chords and melodies. The great thing about the piano is that you can hear how a melody might sound in a higher octave or a lower octave. Sometimes melodies sound better in higher octaves, and you might even consider incorporating a counter melody in your piece to make it truly interesting.

Many young composers want to hear what their melody will sound like when combined with harmonizing chords. The wonderful thing about the piano is that you can use both hands to simultaneously play your chords and melody, allowing you to test them together. Being able to play the piano is akin to playing multiple instruments at once, as you can play up to ten different notes simultaneously.

Experimenting with pitches is also a crucial aspect of composing any musical composition. You should try out different pitches and determine which ones you like best. This is especially convenient to do on the piano because it’s easy to play different pitches—just press a key—and you can determine which pitch sounds the best! Alternatively, if you have a preliminary sketch of the new song or piece, you can have a singer perform some vocals.

Once you have finished composing a piece of music, it’s often a good idea to record it and listen to how it sounds. Sometimes you may think something sounds great, but when you listen to a recording of it, it doesn’t sound the way you envisioned. Recording yourself playing is also enjoyable because you can go back and make changes, then attempt to record it again!

Music notation involves writing down the notes on staff paper. Doing this is beneficial because if someone else wants to play the piece you have composed, they can do so without having to figure out the notes by ear! Notating music is relatively easy to learn and can turn you into a world-renowned composer one day!

Many composers have great musical minds but may not possess the ability to play the instruments present in their composition. If you are unable to play your piece, you should find someone to play or sing it for you so you can hear how it sounds. The most important thing to remember when starting to write is that with regular practice, you will improve over time, so keep working at it and don’t give up.

Manuel Marino

Manuel Marino is a seasoned Senior Producer, Music Composer, and Artist with over a decade of experience. He specializes in branded entertainment across various mediums, including video games, films, and advertising campaigns. With 20+ years as a game music composer, Manuel has worked on numerous platforms, creating diverse orchestral soundtracks. HIRE ME