Learning to compose music is a journey. Like any journey you have to start with a first step. Some people say that you cannot “learn” to compose. The main reason they say this is because they have difficulty describing what it is to compose. They say you can learn technique, and you can learn music theory. But its the other stuff… the creativity and inspiration that you can’t learn.

Everyone starts from scratch in this world. Even Beethoven was a baby when he was born. And the best part is that not one person has been born, and then immediately written a symphony. They all started somewhere. They all wrote some bad pieces. But the important thing is that they learned to compose at some point.

Many people get training on music theory and some on how to compose. But most never reach the point of true mastery. This then leads to people saying that composition cannot be taught. They say those people just didn’t have the creative spark, or they weren’t inspired, or they just didn’t have the talent.

Where most of these people have failed is not at the base assumption that music can’t be taught. Instead, they have failed in their own dedication to becoming great composers. Its not that they don’t enjoy composing, or they are not putting in enough hours. Its more that they don’t know what is required to truly master a subject. This dedication cannot be misdirected.

Most of the stuff peeople spend time composing, while it may be fun and a release, won’t necessarily improve their composition skills. You have to focus on things like four part harmony, and counterpoint – things that aren’t inherently fun, and you need to do them enough to get them down.

Composing a lot is a starting point. But composing with purpose using directed compositional exercises is what you really need to do. If you are focused and approach most of your composing, not as the performance of your skills, but rather as the practice of your skills you will improve.

Not sure where to start, then start here!Learn how to compose music. Read this article on diatonic hamony and find out the right way to learn how to compose.

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