Category: Techniques
Truth in fiction
Trust me: this blog post really IS about music composition…eventually, so hopefully you’ll read to the end of the post! This is another post after returning to posting my thoughts for aspiring composers after mostly switching to posts generated as part of my job… Continue Reading “Truth in fiction”
Tailgate trombone
Feeling the urge to return to writing the occasional composition-teacher post! Some time ago I made a list of titles for posts I had ideas to write. Here’s one… “Tailgate trombone” is a term that applies to a typical trombone part in “Dixieland” jazz… Continue Reading “Tailgate trombone”
No magic brush
This is the most important truth I still have to learn for every piece. It’s like I completely forget how to write music after every piece. At one point in my life, I kept the first scraps of paper from pieces so I could… Continue Reading “No magic brush”
Tabletop drummer
This post is a further exploration of one of the tricks mentioned in a grain of sand: coming up with a rhythmic idea devoid of any pitch content. There is a legend, quite possibly not apocryphal, because the game of billiards was indeed one of… Continue Reading “Tabletop drummer”
A grain of sand…
Sometimes you get an idea for a piece and then you begin to write with absolutely no problems. You’re on fire and the music flows from you like images from the end of Walt Disney’s animated paint brush. Sometimes the ideas may be there,… Continue Reading “A grain of sand…”
