Music Composition For Dummies

Want to turn that haunting tune in your head into an awesome sound in your ear? You can! Music Composition For Dummies demystifies the process of composing music and writing songs. It guides you through every step of writing your own music, from choosing the right rhythm and tempo to creating melodies and chord progressions and working with instruments and voices.

In this fun and practical guide, you’ll learn how to match keys and chords to the mood you want to convey, work a form without limiting your creativity, and hammer out a musical idea, even when your mind is drawing a blank. You’ll find out how to create popular songs, classically structured pieces, and even film, TV, and video game soundtracks. And, you’ll learn what you need to know about music composition software, including Finale, Sebelius, Pro Tools, and more. Discover how to:

• Preserve and organize your musical ideas
• Work with established chord progressions or create your own
• Develop great rhythms
• Select the right instruments
• Find melodies in your head, your instrument, and the world around you
• Use major and minor scales
• Work with modes and moods
• Build melodic motifs and phrases
• Use the circle of fifths to harmonize
• Write for multiple voices
• Make a demo recording

Filled with creative exercises to build your composing skills, Music Composition for Dummies is the resource you need to get that melody out of your head and into the world.

Scott Jarrett is a producer and musician who currently runs Monkey House recording studio.

Holly Day is the co-author of Music Theory For Dummies; her articles have appeared in publications across the globe.