Amateur composers worry about the wrong things 

Here are some of my favorite composition concepts that have helped me make music over the last couple decades: bit.ly/FREEcompositionguide

Please don’t ever underestimate the importance and utility of these topics and videos for those of us “out here” trying to develop our technique while grappling with these various concepts. Your generous contributions are very much appreciated. Cheers

You do one thing, then another one, then another one.... And at some point you ask yourself....how the fuck did i make all of that?

Your advice is consistently grounded and never flashy, which is what keeps me coming back. Thanks!

Learning an instrument is the key point here and good advice. Personally I found composing on guitar way more intuitive and easier than on Piano. But in the end it depends what kind of music one wants to compose.

comPOSER ❤

"how do I pick a time signature?" is an interesting one. Usually the music decides that - unless you're specifically looking to explore a particular time signature.

Question: How do I [insert compositional idea]? Answer: In whatever way sounds good for the music you are writing.

How is it possible that this channel did not go viral yet..? 😅

Couldn’t agree more on emotion and listening to favourite pieces , you can easily have it analyzed by ai today to get the chords and put them in a circle of fifths to analyze the movement

In stead of worrying about if your last piece was good enough, move forward.

This is a great and moving story. I go over some of these issues in chapter 3 of my new book “We’ve got Issues.” We’ll be right back

I drop in and out of so many similar videos, tutorials etc. and comment rarely. I want to say this though ... Thank you for all the information here, but also, thank you for carrying it with such a nice personality. It really comes across, and in these crazy times it is so refreshing to find resources which are enhanced by that refreshing balance of masculine sensitivity, and wisdom. So thank you 😉

It's helpful to write things down.

Great content as always. I think a lot of people jump to theory in the hopes that it lets them avoid doing work and making decisions.

Good one! Composing, sound design and playing are about discovery, experimenting and just go with what resonates! Music is all about frequencies and resonance. Beautiful what you mentioned about wanting to hear a specific part again. For me, that is all about the recognition of what is true for you. And not to forget, have a lot of fun! Keep up the great work, it is much needed!

Absolutely, definitely, completely if someone wants to make music they should learn how to play an instrument. I neglected that for the majority of my time trying to produce hip-hop and electronic music. Everything changed when I committed myself to becoming a jazz pianist. I ended up playing r&b and gospel 99% of the time but what I learned has been invaluable. I do have a hard time committing to compositions still, though.

Really needed this today

Leaving a comment to boost the channel, good quality content, thank you.

I think classical guitar might be a strong second for a composer. Thanks for the video! I’ve been an amateur composer for about 40 years, and I love peoples reactions to something new. I had the equivalent to four years of undergraduate theory, but I still like to crack open the books occasionally. 😅

Convincing. Obviously we can sometimes find an unboxing of good thoughts and precious experience on this platform too.

Great lessons, thoughts, and reminders. Helpful perspectives!

As always. Awesome

this is all really great info, thanks for making this video :)

Great content. Already took your course. Highly recommended!

Thank you for another inspiring and informative video, really enjoy the pacing and the style you've developed. Learning lots from these videos, they especially get me thinking about the creation of music in different ways.

What a beautiful composition example! 💯❤️🖖🏼🔥

Another one of a kind video that's informative and very helpful!!! You would be a Great teacher!

Crating with intention is one of the hardest things to learn. I'm hoping it eventually clicks.

Wonderful. Thanks for sharing. ❤

Just discovered your channel these days and I already subscribed. Very good quality content.

nice James, thank you.

Great, great video, sir! 👍👍 13:25 Forgive my ignorance, but when you refer to your proficiency on the keyboard, do you mean performance proficiency? Eg, traditional piano lessons/learning?

thank you for sharing 👌

Thank you.

Good advice and examples, IMO.

Great video! I think it must be mentioned that variations can be more interesting in a composition than the core idea. I believe some great masters could make a masterpiece out of any stupid short motif.

Just leaving a comment for the algorithm. Thank you for all the valuable lessons.

A common thread to many of these questions is the terror of the blank canvas, to which you have referred in previous videos. The answer lies through the process of doing. Make and refine is momentum. Ponder and don't make anything is self defeating. Your maxim " Now go away and make something!" Works for me every time. I work in many media, there's always something that needs doing because I get twitchy if I'm not making something. Often I resolve a sticking point with one project while plodding on with a different piece of work. I call it downtime processing. Innocence is a magical thing. If you've never been exposed to an orthodox approach to a technique it is much easier to fool around with it, there are ways, perhaps through meditation, to let go our experience and regain that freshness but the fierce control that training exerts over creativity is not easy to dispel. Competency is of great value, don't nget me wrong but working through competency back to fresh approaches can be a long road. This video illustrates something relatable: the vlogger creates something really exciting and then introduces a convention which destroys his uniquely personal statement 😢 Sorry about all the edits here. I'm a messy worker❤️

I totally do agree that some questions are stupid. However, what is more important is to acknowledge that the order in which these questions are being asked is what counts. If you don’t know the moods and the mood changes and developments over time that you want to communicate then questions about key, tempo, dynamics, instrument choice, form, etcetera have no meaning. The moment you have decided the basics these questions start to get musical strategic meaning. Furthermore, just doing what you ‘feel’ seems to be okay until you realize that ‘feeling’ also implies some musical choice or another, however without being conscious of these choices. Better becoming aware of the choices you are accustomed to make (unconsciously) so you will become aware of the limitations of this habit. Only then you can broaden your creative scope.

I am not a composer, I just write music I like. Almost every piece I write starts with some idea, whether another song inspired it or I am playing with an idea from music theory. I play around with the idea and get other parts, very simple parts, then I pervert them and change them and vary them. Many ideas don’t work, move on to other ideas. Don’t commit to anything as much as continually develop and play with the idea It is not uncommon for me to end up with variations of the song. Often times I need to throw things out to make the idea more concise. Many times the parts I throw out become other songs. Very rarely does raw motivations like “when do I change key”, instead I hear that something wants to change and I try stuff, often times I have to figure out what I did later to refine the idea

Good morning, What is your favorite orchestral plugin/s?? From romplers to DSP? Perhaps you could make a video on the subject?? That’d 🤟 thanks

Thanks

I would not call myself a composer, but I sometimes wish that I was (as in: I admire the results of veteran composers who are power-users of instruments/orchestral libraries). Composition is a lot of decision making that is technical. Modulation is merely one of many tools in the composer's toolbox to accomplish various goals. Doing everything (mastering several styles, maintain virtuosity, perform, compose, make a living) is probably not possible even if someone was granted immortality. If we are not limited by mortality, we are then limited by locality, limited experience, relational connection, the tides of history, and the very finite hours of daylight. 100% agreement with getting *proficient* at a physical instrument. A keyboard, a guitar, a woodwind instrument -- any of said choices will also add an organic element to your craft that will become much more needed in a world oversaturated in what is ...[cough]... artificial. Yes, there are success stories where someone became a brilliant producer/composer without taking up an instrument. However, the only reason I still pursue any interest in music today is because I took a break from a DAW to learn a physical instrument -- that new instrument returned the wind to my sails. Therefore, I can personally attest to this advice being very meaningful.

Sometimes I wish I would just love painting more than making music if it comes down to the philosophical discussion about things...

I just use chromatic and tied 128th notes for everything so I can watch more TV.

by the way, i HAVE to know what piano you use. the one we hear during 4:15 and 8:50 and whatnot. that sound is AMAZING

My mind with a second beard!

9:20 Please tell me I can listen to this piece somewhere.. it's so good!!

Wow, this is great! Thanks for this video. I agree with how being proficient in the keyboard is a great asset. I started as a guitar player, only went through the moves, played quite alright but never understanding what I was doing. Much later I took up the piano on my own and, yes, even though I play more difficult things on guitar I feel at such ease improvising on the piano because I'm understanding -very little, but still-what I'm doing. However I become clinically paralyzed when trying to compose; I simply can't (but I know I ACTUALLY can). Can someone provide some pointers? Maybe there are some workshops where the responsibility of doing something every week/month pushes you out of this stasis? Some step-by-step program to kick you out of that rut? Any help is appreciated :)

I never understood the “but I don’t want to copy someone else, I want to be original” bit. Do you make music using anything that has any form of digital components to it? Do you use software or upload your music to any digital platform? Do you start by working through the science of Von Neumann? No. Of course you don’t. Because there is no need to start from literal scratch. The science of Von Neumann is essential to every modern element of music. Yet most people don’t even know who he is, let alone his contributions. Because building off those who come before is a good thing. Reinventing the wheel every time is outrageously dumb

Have you heard "Pleiades Dances" by Yoshimatsu? Your piano piece at 9:00 reminds me of that. I bet you'd like it.

I would buy sheet music books of artists that I would sample. Especially anything Motown and various Pink Floyd sounds Learned the bass lines and melodies. So when I flipped the sample I would know the music behind it and make it my own.

How do I manage my files

I feel like intuition and time noodling has taken me very far, except key modulation. That's where I wish I had some theory. Also - without formal know-how, that distilling thing you discuss can be difficult. - build something complex. Try again. Oh wait, there's something cool here. Now, how do I break this down into it's core parts without destroying what makes it cool? With theory I feel like that game of jenga goes a little smoother. Anyways. I always appreciate your content. Hope all is well. cheers.

Something I'm learning is that beginner composers need to improve their listening skills. "What distinguishes Chopin as a composer?" "I don't know... tinkly soft piano?" They need to learn how to listen on multiple levels. (Preaching to myself)

didn't get my ebook when i entered my email address, something special i need to do? thanks (not in my spam folder either)

I was like this. What key should my music been in? Then you realize this is stupid.

Maurice Ravel, Gabriel Fauré, Francis Poulenc and Sergei Prokofiev. did I miss any?

4:30 tf is that whole thing. I thought you are a composer lol