A rather frustrating question I am regularly asked is "What program do you use to write music?" I usually respond to this question by saying "my head". There is no computer program that I know of that can "write" good music for you. There is no light that goes from red to green depending on whether or not I've written quality. The truth is my computer is simply a tool. And this is not the only misconception about music composition. Are you ready to have your beliefs challenged? Are you ready to call me a heretic? I don't believe in "talent". Right, I know, it's extreme and I'm nuts for saying something so ignorant. Let me tell you something though. One of the most annoying compliments I have ever received is, "Wow, you are so talented!" I usually receive this compliment after I've worked on a project for an absurd amount of hours depriving myself of sleep and a couple of meals here and there. Don't deprive someone of the glory of hard work by brushing it off as simply "talent". Reportedly it took Leonardo Da Vinci 10+ years to paint the Mona Lisa. It took Beethoven 20+ years to write his 9th symphony. There are few examples of overnight excellence in masterpieces such as these. I have found that a desire for excellence coupled with hard work is the commonality in all successful or "talented" artists.
I've often wandered how professors of music teach composition. I believe if I were in that position I would require all of my students to write an essay explaining why they liked their favorite composition. This would not be a graded assignment but I would expect extreme levels of detail. Telling me that "The melody is catchy" isn't enough. I would want to know why the student thinks it's catchy. It is impossible to write good music without knowing what makes music good. I can tell you from personal study the reason why I like the music of my favorite composer. To me it's as if in his music he always shows you a better path than what you expected. Many composers will take their melodies in turns you wouldn't expect but in his music you always acknowledge his "deviations" as the better way. Also, there is no measure of music that he treats lightly as he rarely reuses accompaniment lines. It's as if he cares for every measure too much to copy and paste piano riffs. There are no right answers as to what makes music "good" but there are more specific answers that deepen our understanding. Don't waste your time reading someone else's commentary on a symphony. Chances are you'll be "learning" from someone who has never written a quality composition. Write your own commentary or at least analyze it enough so that you could. The purpose of the analysis is to better understand what makes music good so that you can implement these principles. All good composers are students of good music. And let me just add that if you don't listen to good music you're wasting your time with the analysis.
A friend of mine once told me that you shouldn't force a song. I have to say that while I'm incline to disagree, his counsel doesn't go without merit. I think one of the biggest reasons people write "bad" music or music that is not enjoyable is due to the fact that in their haste to get their one prize riff or melody line heard they rush through the composition process and settle for mediocrity everywhere else in the piece. There are so many times while listening to a song I couldn't help but think, "If only he spent a few more days he could've come up with something better". I would suspect though that the reason the artist didn't spend a few more days is because he/she doubted that's all it would take. The truth is, there are ways to get the music flowing.
Now I'm going to go discuss a trick I've learned over the years to help extract music from the universe. Chances are you'll find this idea rudimentary. Just know that this is a trick that I've used to compose rock songs as well as symphonies. The most important thing you can do is to create an environment conducive to creativity. This has nothing to do with finding the right room in your house. This is about traveling to a specific musical habitat and retrieving a new specimen. For me it is very difficult to just imagine melodies. Though I have done this on several occasions more often than not the melodies have come to me while listening to a progression of chords or arpeggios. A good place to start is to take a simple 4 chord progression and strum or arpeggiate them. Turn on a tape recorder and record your simple pattern a few times. Now use your instrument to play different notes in the key. In a matter of minutes you will likely find something you can work with. The type of musical line you come up with will be directly related to the chords you are playing and the meter at which you are playing them. If it takes more than a few minutes, keep at it. Don't give up and don't depend on "talent" to save you. Allow the music to write itself. You will cherish your finished product infinitely more after you have slaved over it than you would if it came to you instantly. In the end you may even modify or discard the chord progression but keep the melody. This is similar to how in the story of stone soup the stone wasn't actually necessary for the soup. It was simply a tool to get it started. And be original. If you think you've heard it before then try to create something you haven't.
The most important part of any composition is the melody. Something that I find very discouraging is that the fact that more and more film scores are moving away from having a theme to a score full of embellishments and accompaniment lines. I once asked my step mother to listen to something that I had written only for her to reply "That's great but now try humming it". Her criticism was harsh but very much warranted. In a lot of modern pop we aren't even graced with a hummable melody until the chorus of the song. Now this is just a matter of preference but I think a good composition has both an enjoyable and a memorable melody throughout the entire piece. Compared to creating a catchy riff, creating a memorable melody is difficult. My definition of a riff is a short melody that doesn't usually last for more than a measure or two. The "true melody" is more of a theme that takes up several measures. It can be short or long, fast or slow, legato or stacatto but your main goals should be enjoyable and memorable. In my opinion, John Williams is a master of crafting memorable melodies. Listen to the theme of Indiana Jones, Star Wars, Superman, Jurassic Park or E.T. All of these are almost instantly memorable and enjoyable. This is the effect all composers should shoot for and this is EXACTLY why I suggest frequent in depth analysis of good music.
The master chorale conductor Robert Shaw is reported to have said that you never sing two notes in sequence the same. Eventually your melody will repeat but that doesn't mean it goes without variance. After you have a melody line try to envision where you want the music to build. No matter what, don't allow your arrangement to stay the same, not in notation or in dynamics. You can get away with this if you're strumming a guitar but even then variety is still the spice of life. If you want to intensify a melody you can create chords with the strings by putting the cellos and basses on the root of the chord, the violas on the root an octave up, the 2nd violins on the 3rd and the 1st violins on the fifth. Play these in stacatto on every beat for an easy build. For a dramatic finish you can put the violins above the staff repeatedly descending a 4 note chord in 16th notes. Use the brass to get the biggest sound possible at the most dramatic moment. If you want the music to calm down try a woodwind on the melody with only a harp or strings section accompanying. If you're writing pop/rock the same principles apply only you will likely use different instrumentation. Allow your music to evolve. Add lead riffs, add strings, add a synthesizer, add harmony, add more cymbals to the drums, change the melody or vary the meter of the strum. If you can't come up with a lead riff to accompany the vocals then try playing the vocal melody on the lead guitar in unison with the vocals. Whatever happens, DON'T FORCE THE LISTENER TO SIT THROUGH THE SAME MONOTONOUS CHORD PROGRESSION.
The last thing that I want to address is one of my biggest pet peeves in recording other musicians. I call it "Inspired by God" syndrome. So many people think that their music can never be changed. Don't fall into that category. Leonardo Da Vinci once said "Art is never finished, it is only abandoned". You're not perfect and neither is your music, ever. Occasionally I will record someone who is too terrified to change their music. Apparently they seem to think that it was inspired and to change it would be blasphemy. This so ridiculous it's not even funny. Love your art enough to cut it back if need be. Don't be afraid of options.
Over the years I've known several artists who were very mediocre and you know why? It's because they don't erase and start over enough. They settle for mediocre lines instead of drawing and erasing until they get it just right. Consequently, they develop a knack for mediocrity. At this rate they will never develop habits of good drawing. Don't expect to get through a good composition without an eraser. I said at the beginning that hard work and a desire for excellence are commonalities in all successful or "talented" artists. This is true in drawing, painting, sculpting, dancing, writing, acting, photography and cinematography. Then why not music?
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