Music Composition, Theory, and Analysis

How Can I Help You?

2012-08-14T18:51:00.000-05:00

Hey there! Welcome to the David Doty Music Blog. How can I help you?

My blog is for you, so let me know what you are interested in reading about. Are you looking for tips on how to write music? Or are you more interested in analysis of famous compositions? Let me know what you are looking for with your comments.

12 Ways to Fail as a Composer

2012-08-14T11:09:00.003-05:00

by David Doty

The following list provides twelve ways to utterly fail as a composer. There are certainly other ways, but this list should give you a good start.

1. Plan to write massive compositions for symphony orchestra and multiple choruses, dancers, cannons, electronics, pyrotechnics (who said "helicopters"?). Then never get around to writing it or anything else.

2. Always strive for complete originality in your composing.

3. Sell so much insurance that you have no energy left over to compose music.

Read more »

How to Apply for Music Studies in College

2012-08-13T23:01:00.008-05:00

by David Doty

So you want to study music in college and you need to know how to get in? Here are a few suggestions.

You have the desire to study music. Great. You will need much of it to sustain you through lonely hours in a practice room. Unless you enjoy being alone in small spaces. Aside from application requirements, it would also be helpful to have a few things.

What Are You Writing Now?

2012-08-11T21:00:00.003-05:00

You would think a composer is one who composes music all the time, right?

My experience at university, the place where composers go to teach because they want to write music but still have to make a living, taught me that this is not always the case. In fact, it seemed to me that most of my composition professors would have enjoyed having more time to compose. And less time having to check music theory homework for parallel fifths and octaves.

Unfortunately for those who would like to, it isn't easy or simple to make a living from one's composing these days. But if you're one of those folks doing so, please share your success story for others in the comments below! (You can also voice your anger if I offended you with the above paragraph, but hey, that was once my plan, too).

Over the past few years I have been preoccupied with matters other than composing. A few arrangements are all the these years have produced, which you could call Gebrauchsmusik and I wouldn't be offended. And the preoccupation is OK with me, for I am preparing for another line of work.

Still, the composing continues, albeit at a much slower pace than it might otherwise. And so, my update is that I am currently working on a several new choral anthems, about which I hope to share more with you, real soon.

Howard Hanson, A Brief Biography

2012-08-02T18:12:00.026-05:00

by David Doty

The Composer's Childhood

On 28 December 1896, Howard Hanson was born in Wahoo, Nebraska.[1] There he grew up without siblings.[2] His parents, Hans and Hilma, were Lutherans from Skåne, Sweden.[3] Allen Cohen, musicologist and assistant professor of music at Fairleigh Dickson University in New York,[4] noted in his Hanson biography: “As a boy Hanson considered a career in the Lutheran ministry. . . . Religious ideals and images are prominent in his writings and speeches, as well as in his compositions.”[5] Recalling his childhood, Hanson once said, “The music of the [Lutheran] chorales is pretty serious material, and this impressed me very greatly.”[6] As a child, Hanson was first taught to play the piano and cello by his mother and later played cello in the high school orchestra, which he occasionally conducted.[7] He later took lessons at Wahoo’s Luther College with A. O. Peterson who taught him music theory in addition to cello and piano performance.[8]

An Ambitious Student

A diligent student, Hanson once confessed, “I didn’t want to be second or third in the class—I wanted to be the first in the class, and I always was. I wanted to be the best pianist around [Luther College], not the next best. That was a kind of an ambition that probably helped me in professional life later on—that I was driving myself a little bit, probably, all my life.”[9] Hanson’s drive to perform better than his peers helped him to graduate at the top of his high school class.[10]

Olivier Messiaen's Quartet for the End of Time, Part 10

2012-03-27T11:23:00.003-05:00

by David Doty

We now turn our attention to the “Danse de la fureur, pour les sept trompettes.” This movement features the quartet playing in unison with tessituras (the range of pitch content) that fall mostly in the staff. The movement uses a binary formal structure. And the double barline at Reh. I indicates the division between the exposition and development sections.

Elastic Phrases and Additive Rhythms

Elastic phrase duration and rhythmic complexity characterize the opening theme of this movement. Phrases are “elastic” because Messiaen varies the number of rhythmic values in each phrase. These are known as “additive rhythms.” No meter given, so barlines are merely used to mark the end of phrases. Notice how the number of shorter rhythmic values leading up to a quarter note or half note differs from phrase to phrase in the example below.

Example: Theme of Movement VI at Rehearsal A. Brackets indicate rhythmic palindromes.

Olivier Messiaen's Quartet for the End of Time, Part 9

2012-01-13T22:25:00.003-06:00

by David Doty

Overview of the fifth movement

The fifth movement is the first of two movements written in the key of E. Reflecting the concept of eternity in its title, the duration of “Louange à l’Èternité de Jésus” is one of the longest movements in Quatuor resulting in part from a unchanging and very slow tempo. Irregular phrase durations also characterize the movement. This irregularity results from Messiaen’s un-balancing of phrases with the addition or subtraction of a sixteenth note that create rhythmically asymmetrical measures. The fifth movement is therefore dynamic in terms of phrase duration as well as melodic contour and gradual contrasts of expression.

The Melody of the fifth movement

Messiaen places the cello melody, characterized by lyricism and gradual contrasts of expression, in a high tessitura that never strays below B3. As with the third and fourth movements, the melody of the fifth movement uses Messiaen’s Mode 2 for pitch content.

The Accompaniment

The piano accompaniment of the fifth movement initially appears to be rather simple: Three-voice chords, which gain a fourth voice after Reh. D, sustain harmonies by repeating the chords in sixteenth notes. The accompaniment is dynamic, however, in that it contains a harmonic progression that ascends into a higher register before returning to the register in which it began.

Olivier Messiaen's Quartet for the End of Time, Part 8

2012-01-13T22:11:00.004-06:00

by David Doty

Messiaen, Confusing Our Perception of Time

In “Intermède,” the fourth movement of Quatuor Pour La Fin Du Temps, Messiaen uses a conventional simple duple meter, barlines, and dynamic elements (things that change, not expression) to confuse the listener’s perception of time. The playful, clear rhythmic pulse disguises Messiaen’s technique, making the whole movement sound rather... conventional... or perhaps straight forward, yet it is not.

How Does He Do It? Stretching!

Messiaen achieves confusion of our accurate perception of time, despite using a clear rhythmic pulse throughout much of the movement, by progressively stretching musical phrases. The phrases of the A section, extending from Reh. A (“rehearsal marker A”) to Reh. B, begin with brief gestures one beat in duration that consist of two sixteenth notes followed by an eighth note (♬ + ♪). In the second measure, Messiaen extends phrase duration to fill the whole measure with six sixteenth notes preceding the eighth note marking the end of the phrase, which creates a moment of relative repose. Messiaen stretches this phrase to cover the next two measures, followed by an even greater phrase-stretch spanning four measures and coming to rest on the quarter note in the measure preceding Reh. B.

Quantifying Phrases by Beats

The stretched phrases may be quantified by the number of beats involved, resulting in the series: 1, 1, 2, 4, and 8. Thus, the dynamic nature of phrase durations eliminates the possibility of perceptible hypermeter (another cool, big word that should be added to the Jargon glossary), which depends on the regularity of hypermetric beat duration. (Note: Hypermeter is so much fun). Messiaen also momentarily suspends time at Reh. C with a quotation of birdsong in the clarinet lacking a clear rhythmic pulse, that spans two measures, shown in the example below.

Example: Birdsong in clarinet at Reh. C of Movement IV first used in Movement II at Reh A+1

Bridging Connections to Other Movements

Helping to connect this movement to other movements of Quatuor includes the use of Messiaen's "Mode 2" in the melody, quotations of birdsong, and the foreshadowing of the melody in Movement VI at Reh. F of Movement IV.

For the next post in this series, click here.

Olivier Messiaen's Quartet for the End of Time, Part 7

2011-11-19T23:11:00.002-06:00

In this post we again return to a discussion of how Messiaen creates the “end of time” by confusing our ability to clearly perceive the passage of time as we listen to his Quatuor pour la fin du Temps.

Using Barlines

In the third movement of Quatuor, Messiaen uses barlines to delimit segments and neutralize accidentals rather than indicate meter.[1] Sections of the clarinet solo, “Abime des oiseaux,” may be generalized as belonging to either the slow and melancholy or birdsong material.

The Suspension of Time

The formal structure of this movement may be described as a ternary form with codetta. Messiaen’s asymmetrical additive rhythms combined with an extremely slow tempo in the A sections help to create a sense of the suspension of time by eliminating the possibility of perceiving a clear rhythmic pulse by which we would gauge how much time has passed.

Structural Anchors

Yet despite this suspension of time, three instances of a sustained crescendo on the sounding pitch E5 serve as structural anchors. These occur at the beginning of the B section in measure 13, in the middle of the B section at measure 20, and initiating the codetta in measure 41. Each occurrence of this prolonged crescendo precedes a sudden tempo change to a significantly faster tempo and the return to birdsong material. Melodic pitch content may be classified as belonging to Messiaen's Mode 2.

To read the next post in this series, click here.

[1] Clara Huston Bell, Olivier Messiaen (Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1984), 27.

Olivier Messiaen's Quartet for the End of Time, Part 6

2011-08-09T23:13:00.003-05:00

by David Doty

Using Isorhythm to Treat Time

We discover Messiaen’s unique treatment of time in the homophonic section of the second movement of Quatuor pour la fin du Temps (1941). The isorhythmic piano accompaniment consists of a repeating series of eight descending chords in sixteenth notes at pianississimo (PPP). Initially four voices comprise these chords.

The repetitious and consistent nature of this isorhythmic accompaniment could be labeled “static” because it creates a clear rhythmic pulse through its rhythmic regularity. See (link: previous post) for a discussion of static versus dynamic elements.

Cycle, Interrupted

Messiaen uses interruptions of this cycle, however, to confuse the listener’s perception of time (see example below). Each initiation of the eight descending chords in sixteenth notes functions as a kind of hypermetric beat (!) that creates, in the context of triple simple meter, a sense of hemiola. By interrupting the cycle at irregular intervals with new harmonic material, thus delaying the next repetition of the eight primary descending chords, Messiaen distorts the regularity of hypermetric beat duration and thereby destroys the perception of a clear hypermeter (which we use, whether consciously or subconsciously, to mark the passing of time). Can you perceive it? Give it a listen and tell me what you think! (Buy an MP3 of the second movement here!)

Maintaining a Clear Rhythmic Pulse

Messiaen maintains unity and a clear rhythmic pulse in the piano, however, by continuing the sixteenth note isorhythm in descending progressions of chords with as many as eight voices (glad I don’t have to play that!). The B section concludes with the cessation of descending motion and the beginning of sustaining harmonies through the repetition of chords in sixteenth notes. This conclusion foreshadows the piano accompaniment of the fifth movement.

Excerpt of the eight descending chords in sixteenth notes, indicated by the brackets, which primarily comprise the piano accompaniment beginning at Reh. D of the second movement. This excerpt is taken from the piano in Movement VII at Reh. C+4, which borrows extensively from the second movement.

To read the next post in this series, click here.

How to Compose a Choral Anthem for Church

2011-07-30T23:18:00.001-05:00

by David Doty

This post seeks to present a preliminary discourse on how to compose a choral anthem suitable for “church,” not meaning a church building, of course, but rather for a worship service. In “traditional” Protestant liturgy (to use a significant generalization) this anthem would probably serve for special music or music during the offertory and may or may not include congregational singing.

Before saying anything terribly specific about how to approach the composition of the anthem, we must first consider the worship style of the church. We must ask a question using a regrettable dichotomy: Is the “worship” (a common misnomer for music) contemporary (meaning but not limited to, the use of electric guitars and drums, rock ‘n roll beats, and faster tempos) or traditional (perhaps we ought to think “classical,” with pipe organ or piano and possibly an orchestra)? Or, you may encounter a church with a blended worship style. It reminds one of the varieties of pasta sauce available in the supermarket.

Worship could also refer to the liturgy, or program, of the worship service. This might also be considered contemporary or traditional or, yes, blended. Congregations might be offended by anything departing too severely from worship-as-usual (e.g. the electric guitar played in a church accustomed only to pipe organ, or Keith Getty hymns in a church accustomed to Hillsong United and the David Crowder Band). While some may have theological or other reasons for offending their congregations with dramatic stylistic contrasts, such discussion is beyond the scope of this post. Let’s say for now that we want to keep our job as the church music director or the commissioned composer and not overly offend the church leadership or congregation.

Supposing that our choral anthem is for use in a church worship service of some kind, it is likely that we shall have to find lyrics to set to music, either existing lyrics or of our own invention. After all, Western classical music developed from the music of the church, beginning with chanting text. A choral anthem need not have lyrics, but for the purposes of this discourse, let’s say we need some lyrics. Depending on the church, there may be more or less concern for the content of the lyrics. This, again, has a lot to do with a church’s theology and matters that we won’t explore at this time.

It is prudent, however, to think about the life of the work beyond the walls of the particular church for which we compose the choral anthem. Some publishers will not bother with anthems containing copyrighted lyrics. While you might be able to obtain permission to use the copyrighted lyrics of someone else, a publisher might still turn down your work simply because it uses copyrighted material. To avoid this, use existing lyrics that are in the “public domain,” or write your own. Writing original lyrics may be preferable to existing lyrics as you craft them to fit your particular church (read context). If using lyrics in the public domain, be sure to give credit to the original author of the lyrics / poem.

Just what constitutes “public domain” involves more than one might expect. Rather than elaborating here, please consult M. William Krasilovsky and Sidney Shemel’s book, This Business of Music 9^th ed. (New York: Billboard Books, 2003), pages 118-122. Check it out from your local music library or Click Here to purchase the book from Amazon.com. (I greatly appreciate all of your support when you purchase materials through links on this blog or my Amazon Affiliate store [link]).

Writing original lyrics brings us into the realm of poetry, and in this matter (and others) I am no expert. Poetry, as I understand it, aims to use exactly the right words to convey an idea, an image, or series of ideas and / or images. It may be helpful if the ideas of the lyrics, however many and varied, revolve around a central idea. Choir directors may be more likely to remember your composition and use it – read: purchase copies for their choir - if it contains a central idea or a memorable key phrase.

In our post-modern times, however, lyrics need not be comprehensible, i.e. “make sense,” when considered together. The lyrics may be loosely organized if not completely unrelated. Such juxtaposition allows the audience or congregation to construct his or her own meaning out of the text. However, in my understanding, such lyrics would constitute an element of “contemporary” church music given the “contemporary” nature of postmodernism, and may not, therefore, be suitable in a more “traditional” church environment. This, yet again, goes back to the theology of the church. Need I say more on the value of consultation, not only with performers but also with those who commission us?

There is so much more that could be said on this topic and related topics, but I fear this post is already getting long. Please continue the discussion with your comments below.

Olivier Messiaen's Quartet for the End of Time, Part 5

2011-07-14T15:03:00.003-05:00

by David Doty

What is a Palindrome?

What is a palindrome, you ask? Something political, perhaps (i.e. Palin+drome) ?

A palindrome is a favorite compositional device of Olivier Messiaen, of course! When we look closely at Messiaen’s Quatuor pour la fin du Temps (1941) we can find palindromes all over the place. For example, consider part of the second movement.

First, a little context. Messiaen composes the B section of the second movement beginning at Reh. D using simple triple meter and syncopation. In this section, the cello doubles the melody two octaves below the violin using Messiaen’s “Mode 7” for pitch material. The melody climaxes at Reh. F with a crescendo into its highest register.

In Example 1 below, brackets indicate several instances of rhythmic palindromes formed by the melody of the B section at Reh. D.

Example 1. Theme from Movement II in the violin at Reh. D. Brackets indicate rhythmic palindromes.

So, what is a palindrome? A rhythmic palindrome is simply a series or pattern of rhythmic values that reads the same forwards or backwards. A melodic palindrome would be a series of pitches that likewise reads the same forwards or backwards. Messiaen adds complexity by nesting rhythmic palindromes in one another, or, in other words, by starting a new one before the preceding palindrome has finished. This, by the way, is a really (really? yes really) fun way to compose complex rhythms. But you don't have to take my word for it.

To read the next post in this series, click here.

Olivier Messiaen's Quartet for the End of Time, Part 4

2011-07-14T14:12:00.004-05:00

by David Doty

Dynamic Or Static?

In this post we return to Olivier Messiaen’s Quator pour le fin du Temps (1941) and consider some of the dynamic and static elements of the second movement.

The Second Movement

The second movement, “Vocalise, pour l’Ange qui annonce la fin du Temps,” consists of a ternary (three part) formal structure comprised of A, B, and A-prime sections. The contrast of styles between the A and B sections suggests that the formal structure in this movement acts as a dynamic element (by providing appreciable change over time relative to the first movement’s single section through-composed formal structure). The fragmentary A and A-prime sections of the second movement, functioning as introduction and coda, share a number of similarities including the use of sudden tempo changes and great contrasts of expression.

A Note on the Formal Structure

Neither the duration of the A nor A-prime section is very long relative to the middle B section, although the introduction contains more measures and material than the coda. The A section spans from Reh. A to Reh. D, while Reh. D to Reh. H (rehearsal markers in the score) to the comprise the B section, and the coda or A-prime section follows at Reh. H to the conclusion of the movement.

Proof of Dynamism

Among the similarities of the A and A-prime sections are segments with inverted melodic contours. Corresponding melodic identities in the A and A-prime sections are identified by comparing rhythm, contour, and instrumentation. The variety of melodic identities in these sections suggests that they should be considered dynamic in nature. This is evidenced at Reh. C of the A section in which the violin and cello ascend in unison sixteenth notes for two measures before a sudden tempo change brings sustained trills in the violin, clarinet, and cello with staggered entrances. This scalar ascent mirrors two measures of descending sixteenth notes in the violin and cello at Reh. H of the A-prime section that also precedes sustained trills with staggered entrances. In both the A and A-prime sections, these trills are joined by thirty-second notes in the piano. The ascending thirty-second notes layered over the trills of the A section are mirrored by descending thirty-second notes in the piano at Reh. H+4 of the A-prime section.

A Concluding Thought

The final two measures of the A and A-prime sections likewise contain similar gestures in the piano: four descending chords at fortississimo (wow, so loud!) in the A section are echoed by four ascending chords at fortississimo in the A-prime section. What could be called a “tag” or “button,” such as those commonly found at the end of marches, follows each of these. In the context of this movement, the button consists of a forceful piano chord coinciding with a thirty-second note triplet in the clarinet. Considering the B section solely as a structural unit for the time being, enclosed by the A and A-prime sections that are unified by corresponding gestures of inverted contours, these sections create a structural and melodic palindrome similar to the non-retrogradable rhythms that Messiaen scatters throughout Quatuor.

For the next post in this series, click here.

Morten Lauridsen’s O Magnum Mysterium

2011-06-18T11:38:00.003-05:00

We were exhausted.

But did we get a break? Or a nap? Of course not. We had come to sing.

This particular concert came during our second week of jet-lag as my college choir and I toured eastern Europe. We sang in a Roman Catholic cathedral in Moscow. I do not now remember our entire program, but I will never forget the magic we felt that night singing Morten Lauridsen’s O Magnum Mysterium.

Listen to the recording (not my college choir) and follow the score below:

Though his choral work sounds somewhat medieval (Latin text, a cappella) Lauridsen is actually a contemporary composer living and teaching at the University of Southern California (at time of writing). You can read more about Lauridsen and his music on his website by clicking here or visiting the Links page of this blog.

O Magnum Mysterium reflects on the incarnation of Christ the Lord, celebrated at Christmas. The text (in English) reads: “O great mystery and wonderful sacrament, that animals should see the new-born Lord lying in a manager. Blessed is the Virgin whose womb was worthy to bear Christ the Lord. Allelujah!”[1]

Lauridsen’s setting of the text takes on a four part structure with sections A, A-prime (1:46) B (3:13), and A-double prime (4:05-end).

Besides the text, the piece features a few distinctive elements including close harmonies, suspensions and their resolutions, and polyphony. (To learn about polyphony, homophony, et al, click here).

Close harmonies, specifically seconds, appear all over the place, even in first measure of the tenors (T). Particular chord voicings also create Lauridsen’s unique sound in this piece.

Listen again to “Beata Virgo” (beginning around 3:13) for a stellar example of tension, created by dissonance, resolving to consonance. In “Virgo” Lauridsen moves from the chord G(add 2), the sub-dominant, to tonicize F-sharp minor (the mediant) via a G-sharp in the altos (3:23). Beautiful!

Lauridsen’s work shows us that in setting text to music, we do not have to use text exactly as written. What do I mean? Lauridsen’s piece might have been brief had he set the original text with its original structure. But instead, Lauridsen edits the text and repeats phrases (e.g. “O magnum mysterium”) and even single words (e.g. sacramentum).

Ever since that concert in Moscow, Lauridsen’s O Magnum Mysterium has continued to be one of my favorite choral works. It is a composition of lyrical melody, gorgeous harmonies and... great mystery.

What are your favorite choral works? Share something about them and/or your thought’s on Lauridsen’s O Magnum Mysterium with a comment below.

[1] Click here to go to the article “O Magnum Mysterium," Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O_Magnum_Mysterium.

Yi People, Continued

2011-06-17T22:49:00.000-05:00

If you were intrigued by the video in the previous post, here's another YouTube video featuring the Yi that might also interest you. This video looks at the Yi people in their homeland with some comment on their music around 6:50. Enjoy!

Huayao ("Flowery Waist")

2011-06-16T23:26:00.000-05:00

by David Doty

Turn down the volume on your speakers for this one and get ready for the song and dance of the Yi people of China.

The Yi are one of China’s many ethnic people groups. Their home is in southwest China in what is today Yunnan Province. The Yi girls are known for their distinctive style of singing called Haicai (pronounced “high-tsigh,” oh, never mind) meaning “sea grass.”[1] Its timbre (tone color) is similar to the forward singing of Bulgarian song featured in Le Mystere des voix Bulgares.[2] The Bulgarian singing differs from the Yi in a number of ways, however, language being one of them certainly, but also in terms of texture and harmonization.

Some listeners, at least those accustomed to Western classical music, may find the vocal quality, register, disjunctive melodies, and driving rhythms of the Yi song jarring or hard on the ears, especially in the faster sections. If this is you, try to listen to this with an open mind. It’s also pretty loud throughout, hence the speaker volume warning.

The recording (which you can watch below) begins with a monophonic introduction. The tempo is free and lacks a consistent pulse. The next section begins with offstage/recorded accompaniment and a slow, lyrical duet characterized by glissandi (sliding up or down into pitches, like a siren). The ornamentation here reminds one of Scottish highland bagpipe ornaments. The structure of this section functions as call and response and involves some polyphony as the duet continues to sing over the chorus of the other girls.

This soon gives way to an energetic, driving section with a clear rhythmic pulse, frequent repetition of melodic and rhythmic ideas, and a homophonic texture. Oh, and some really cool choreography, too.

It can be a mistake to (attempt to) directly import the techniques of another people group’s music into one’s own composition, especially if members of the particular people group are not available for the performance. For example, asking for Tibetan throat singing from untrained Western vocalists will not be terribly effective. Trust me. This said, many elements of the song of the Yi girls could easily inspire new compositions in a Western musical context. How would a section of violins sound imitating the lyrical ornamentation of the duet? Could an ensemble or soloist incorporate the extremes of register and disjuntive nature of the Yi melodies? There are many possibilities.

Watch the recording of the Yi song and dance, then share your thoughts in the comments below.

[1] You can read more about the Yi girls' song and dance at Dynamic Yunnan’s website by clicking here.

[2] Watch a performance of Le Mystere des voix Bulgares on Youtube by clicking here.

How to Write Music, Part 3

2011-06-15T13:44:00.000-05:00

by David Doty

How do composers write music for instruments they don’t play?

Paper is cheap. Ink is cheap. Couldn’t composers just sprinkle droplets of ink on a piece of paper, hand it to a performer, and presto! (or andante, adagio, whatever), the piece gets performed?

Try this and a couple of things could happen:

The piece gets performed. It might not sound anything like what you had imagined or desired, but it gets performed nevertheless. Mission accomplished.

The piece receives no performance. Congratulations, you have another composition for the shelf.

Or worse yet, whether the piece gets performed or not, the performer(s) refuse(s) to work with you ever again. Not good!

Composers face multiple challenges when writing music, for performance at least, for instruments they cannot play and vocal parts they cannot sing. Assuming the composer wishes to continue receiving performances, if not also commissions, what should he or she do? The answer:

Consultation.

Composers don’t consult with performers for a variety of poor reasons. Perhaps they’re arrogant, lazy, or downright insensitive, bordering on the sadistic. Sometimes composers think they are too busy or too shy. But consultation with performers is key (no pun intended) to learning how to write for unfamiliar instruments and vocal parts. How should composers do consultation? I recommend the following:

Do Your Homework First. It will help to consult books on orchestration, musical scores, and recordings before meeting with performers. Time spent consulting is time away from practicing or teaching, so respect performers’ time. They will be glad if you do.

Write Some Sketches. Come to a consultation appointment with sketches in hand. You want to learn how the instrument / vocalist sounds in various registers, playing various rhythms, articulations and dynamics, and what your particular performer(s) are capable of playing. It will help your performer(s) give you useful feedback if you share something of what you have in mind.

Ask Them to Play Something. Many performers will also be happy to play selections of their repertoire for you, giving you further opportunity to discern their skill level and to imagine new possibilities.

By consulting with performers you not only show them respect, but you also receive the opportunity to learn important information leading to better compositions, more performances, and more enjoyment of the gift of music. It assures that you won’t write anything too easy or too challenging for your performers, and it may also provide you with inspiration, an invaluable tool for overcoming dreaded writer’s block.

Your Takeaway. What experiences have you had consulting about new compositions, whether as a composer or performer? Or, even if you’ve never consulted, what value do you think such consultation adds? Share your thoughts with a comment.

How to Compose Music: What is a Hook Anyway?

2011-06-13T09:32:00.001-05:00

by David Doty

In previous posts I’ve used the term “hook” without defining it. You may be wondering, what is a hook anyway? OK, I’ll tell you.

Have you ever gone fishing?

A hook is a melodic device, or at least that’s how I typically think of it, usually a short musical phrase that catches the ear (Ouch! Well, not really). It helps make the song or piece “catchy” or memorable and helps gives the piece or song its distinctive character.

As a rule, or general guideline of composition if you prefer, a hook should be used at least twice in a piece or song to be effective. Used only once leaves the listener wondering “What was that? And why was it included?”

But perhaps the best way to explain a hook is with an example.

According to Wikipedia, Plain White T’s 2010 hit song Rhythm of Love has sold over a million copies. Perhaps this has something to do with its hook. This soft, folksy song opens with a whimsical hook that is excellent for our purposes of demonstration. The hook, noted on staff paper, looks something like this:

Underlying the song is a triplet sixteenth division of the beat, hence the brackets over the staff with “3” in the middle (the first two sixteenth notes of the triplet are contained in the eighth note rest). This example contains the first three instances of the hook used in the song's introduction, each all of four notes with a subtle change in the third instance.

It’s really best to listen to music and not only read about it if you want to learn more.

You can download Plain White T’s Rhythm of Love here.

Or give it a listen on YouTube here.

String Loops Old and New

2011-06-12T20:49:00.001-05:00

by David Doty

In a previous post we looked at Coldplay’s 2008 hit, Viva La Vida. The opening riff/loop of the strings both characterizes the song and provides momentum throughout. (Can you imagine what the song would sound like without it?) If you haven’t heard the song, give it a listen on YouTube by clicking here, or download the MP3 here.

The rhythmic pattern of this loop/riff could be represented by the following series of rhythmic values:

And yet, the concept of using such a riff or loop in the strings is not new. Take the following series of rhythmic values (with articulations) for example. Can you guess which piece relies heavily upon this rhythmic pattern? Here’s a clue: the piece, or rather the movement in which this rhythmic pattern is taken, is featured in a recently released motion picture:

Dost thou protest, “Why, that could be anything!”? I’ll admit, the rhythmic pattern: long, short, short, long, long, is pretty generic.

The motion picture? The King’s Speech starring Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush. The piece?

[This space is intentionally left blank]

Answer:

Symphony #7 in A, Op. 92 – 2 Allegretto by Ludwig Von Beethoven. If you’re not familiar with this movement, you can download the MP3 here.

This movement has been used as background music in other motion pictures, such as Mr. Holland’s Opus. Can you think of any others? Feel free to leave a comment.

Viva La Vida by Coldplay (2008)

2011-06-09T16:05:00.012-05:00

by David Doty

Coldplay‘s pop hit, Viva La Vida (2008), may have reason to be considered almost (ok, somewhat?) classical. I’ll spare you the recording and chart performance details (you can read about them on Wikipedia here). I am far more interested in what’s going on musically.

Somewhat Classical

What makes this pop song at least somewhat classical? For me it’s the refreshing use of strings (strings? Yes, strings!), a synth patch that sounds like a hammered dulcimer, combined with the use of timpani, a bell, bass drum, and suspended cymbal in place of a typical drum/trap set.

The song is in common (4/4) meter throughout and begins with eight measures of introduction featuring the song-characterizing riff-loop of the strings. This riff-loop is pretty consistent throughout. The chord progression IV, V, I, vi is also used throughout as well as the bass drum pulse on every beat beginning with the entrance of lyrics in the first verse. The combination of the strings’ rhythmic activity and the bass drum’s consistent pulse provide momentum and propel the song forward.

Tension and Resolution

The song builds to the first chorus when all of the tension created by the strings, drum, and melody (generally higher frequencies, except drum) is finally released with the entrance of the bass guitar filling out the texture. This moment is suitably accompanied by a crescendo created by the timpani and suspended cymbal.

Word Painting

The chorus, containing the lyrics “I hear Jerusalem bells a ringing,” is nicely augmented by a bell struck on the off-beats (beats 2 and 4). This gives the chorus a brighter color (timbre) with the additional high frequencies.

Poignancy

A number of elements contribute to the poignancy of this song. The melody of the vocalist and the countermelody of the strings create and resolve many suspensions, thereby adding to the richness of the harmonic context. The particular chord progression used extensively throughout may add to the sense of poignancy. Additionally, the lively tempo (137 BPM according to someone on Wikipedia-Oh where is my metronome when I need one?) and upbeat feel of the rhythmic content contrasts sharply with the dismal lyrics of the song’s protagonist.

Final Thoughts

The constant rhythmic pulse of the bass drum in this song is nearly a sure-fire way to make listeners happy. The psychology behind this phenomena, however, is beyond the scope of this post. Yet this pulse is only one of the many elements that I appreciate about this song. I welcome the use of classical instruments. The repetition of the same four chords is not unusual but nevertheless an enjoyable progression. And the lyrics are interesting…

…But I will refrain from speculating on their meaning in this post.

To watch the official Coldplay Viva la Vida MV on YouTube, click here.

To buy the Coldplay Viva La Vida album or MP3 download, click here.

Epikos Under Construction

2011-06-08T23:22:00.000-05:00

A picture is worth a thousand words... or notes?

This is a photograph of sketches for a piece that I wrote called "Epikos" after the Greek word for "epic" or "journey" (Who said "Epic fail" !?!). The piece was performed by the NOISE quartet at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. This piece dealt with non-linear processes, but I'll save more on that for another time.

The Basics of Music Theory... for Free!

2011-06-08T22:41:00.000-05:00

by David Doty

I like free stuff, don’t you?

If you want to learn basic music theory, there’s a blog you should check out. It’s called Learning and Loving Music Theory by Robert (Bob) Reno. The blog offers basic instruction on Western Tonal music theory and most of its resources are free.

On the right side of the webpage beneath the search box is a box that reads, “Everything you need to know about music theory is here.” This is, of course, a link to the Reno‘s PDF music theory textbook. Downloading the textbook will set you back about $40 (at the time of writing). Since I’m not familiar with the book, I can’t say much more about it, but in a way the whole blog is geared toward selling the book. (For other music theory books, click here).

The Lessons Tab

The Lessons tab takes you to posts on the elements of music, notation, major and minor scales, key signatures, intervals, rhythm and meter, and harmony. Clicking the tab “Lessons” will take you to a page listing these options, or you can select the category from a drop down menu.

The Notes Tab

The Notes page shows that Reno writes well. I especially appreciate his thoughts in this section, which he describes as “a collection of articles on various topics related to music theory but aren’t necessarily a part of a normal music theory curriculum.”

The Resources Tab

Under the Resource tab you’ll find the previously mentioned music theory textbook PDF for sale/download and some free PDFs of chord progressions.

Other Considerations

Most of the website was pretty straightforward and easy to navigate. I got a little frustrated with one of the drop down menus that kept disappearing before I could click on it, and I didn’t like advertisements appearing in the middle of posts. Overall, though, the blog had a nice appearance and was well planned.

Final Thoughts

Reno’s Learning and Loving Music Theory blog offers a good entry point for learning Western tonal music theory. It would take someone up to and perhaps into the first year of music theory training in university, at least in the United States. It could be useful also to the college freshman needing to do quick review before a music theory entrance or placement exam. To see the blog for yourself, click here.

Olivier Messiaen's Quartet for the End of Time, Part 3

2011-06-06T22:44:00.010-05:00

by David Doty

Distorting Time With Birdsong

In this post we will continue looking at the first movement of Messiaen’s Quatuor pour la fin du Temps (1941). Now that we’ve looked at some of the dynamic and static elements of the first movement, in this post we’ll look at examples of birdsong motives that Messiaen uses to distort our perception of time. So not only is the piece about the end of time in the sense of Christian eschatology (Messiaen was a Roman Catholic), but the compositional techniques used also bring about the end time in the sense of our ability to perceive the passage of time.

Frustration Is the Goal

First, the syncopation created by the polyrhythm of the first movement hinders our ability to perceive the passage of time. The variety of rhythmic values in the cello and piano help frustrate our ability to perceive a clear rhythmic pulse that is necessary for accurately perceiving the passage of time. Musicologist Clara Huston Bell suggests that Messiaen fully intended “to abolish the equal and divisive durational time of traditional [Western] music” and thereby suspend or bring about the end of perceptible time in music.[i]

The Nature and Use of Birdsong

The use of birdsong motives in the first movement also interferes with the listener’s perception of time through the syncopation created by their juxtaposition against concurrent rhythms. These motives are used extensively in the first movement and recur in subsequent movements with less prominence. Their inclusion in the first movement, especially in the clarinet, help maintain the interest of the listener who becomes bored by the relatively static processes of the piano and cello. (This is not to say, of course, that all audiences would be bored by a static texture. Take the avid fans of minimalists, for example). The birdsong examples do not represent constant change, however, as they are frequently repeated. Similarities among birdsong examples include the interval of the tritone, an interval that Messiaen uses extensively in his music.[ii]

Introducing the Avian Violin

The violin birdsong of the first movement is written primarily in Messiaen’s Mode 3.[iii] While many of the birdsong examples are repeated verbatim, the violin and clarinet also feature variation in birdsong and the inclusion of non-birdsong transition material, thus producing change over time and qualifying the violin and clarinet as dynamic elements of the first movement.

For the next post in this series, click here.

[i] Carla Huston Bell, Olivier Messiaen (Boston: Twayne, 1984): 70.

[ii] Ibid., 27.

[iii] Ibid., 73.

Olivier Messiaen's Quartet for the End of Time, Part 2

2011-06-06T12:14:00.009-05:00

by David Doty

Continued Dynamic vs. Static Elements

In the previous post on Messiaen’s Quatuor pour la fin du Temps we began by looking at the static and dynamic elements of the piece. This post continues where we left off in the first movement. In the piano, Messiaen used a series of seventeen rhythmic values and twenty-nine chords to produce a seemingly endless series of combinations, thus constituting a dynamic element (change). Yet, allowed to continue indefinitely, we would eventually end up where we began, perhaps causing us to reconsider this element as static.

From here we turn our attention to the cello of the first movement.

Palindromic Rhythms

The timbre of the cello’s constant glissandi between harmonics throughout the first movement adds a unique color to the texture. The bracket in Example 2 below indicates the first statement of the isorhythm used by the cello throughout the first movement. This series of rhythmic values produces palindromes, also known as non-retrogradable rhythms, upon repetition.

Example 2. Excerpt of the cello’s rhythmic values in perceived durations from the first movement. The bracket indicates the first statement of the pattern. Note the rhythmic palindrome formed by the addition of three rhythmic values from the first repetition and the rhythmic palindrome formed by the entire example.

While the cello process also creates combinations of rhythmic values and pitch material, the results of this process are far more limited than that of the piano and begin repeating at Rehearsal B+1. Therefore, because the cello process is more repetitious over the course of the first movement, it may be considered static relative to the process of the piano.

Defining "Dynamic"

This conclusion gives occasion to further define “dynamic” and “static” by qualifying what constitutes “significant” or “appreciable” change over time. Appreciable change is relative to the context in which it is found. While change over time is inherent to a process, neither the cello nor the piano ever depart from their respective processes over the entirety of the first movement. Thus, both processes demonstrate consistency in this respect rather than change, implying a static nature. That which constitutes appreciable change over time, therefore, depends greatly on the context and the level of analysis.

For the next post in this series, click here.

Olivier Messiaen's Quartet for the End of Time, Part 1

2011-06-03T11:49:00.014-05:00

by David Doty

Dynamic Instrumentation

In a previous post we looked at the difference between dynamic and static elements in music. Quatuor pour la fin du Temps (1941), written in eight movements, is dynamic in terms of instrumentation. The first, sixth, and seventh movements are written for the full quartet consisting of violin, clarinet in B-flat, cello, and piano. In contrast, the second movement begins and ends with sections written for the full quartet while containing a middle section written for violin and cello with piano accompaniment. The third movement of Quatuor is written for unaccompanied clarinet while the fifth movement is a cello solo with piano accompaniment and the eighth movement is a violin solo with piano accompaniment. Thus, instrumentation is a dynamic element in that it experiences some variation over the course of Quatuor.

The First Movement - Panisorhythm

An analysis of each movement illuminates the variety of elements within Quatuor that compose a dynamic yet unified whole. The first movement, “Liturgie de cristal,” begins in simple-triple meter. Musicologists have labeled the presence of isorhythm in multiple instruments of this polyphonic movement as “panisorhythm.”1 One example of isorhythm may be found in the piano, a repeating pattern of seventeen rhythmic values shown here: 2

Series of seventeen repeating rhythmic values in the piano part of Movement I

To this series of repeating rhythmic values, Messiaen applies a repeating series of twenty-nine chords.

In a similar manner, the cello of the first movement combines isorhythm with a repeating series of five ordered pitches in a high register, taken from a whole-tone scale.3 This process generates new amalgamations (cool big word) of harmonies and rhythmic values over time and therefore constitutes a dynamic element. However, the unchanging, mechanistic nature of this process may be perceived by the listener as a static element. If permitted to continue indefinitely, this process would eventually return to the initial combination of chords and rhythmic values and thus cease to create new material. Therefore, with the cessation of continuing change given sufficient time, this process could be considered a static element. or Mode 1 of Messiaen’s modes of limited transposition.4

CLICK HERE for the next post in the Olivier Messiaen's Quartet for the End of Time series.

Endnotes

1 Carla Huston Bell, Olivier Messiaen (Boston: Twayne, 1984): 13.
2 Olivier Messiaen, “Prèface,” Quartuor pour la fin du Temps (Paris: Duran, 1942): IV.

3 Allen Forte, “Messiaen’s Chords,” Olivier Messiaen: Music, Art and Literature, Christopher Dingle and Nigel Simeone, eds. (Burlington: Ashgate, 2007): 99.
4 Clara Huston Bell, Olivier Messiaen, 75.