The ability to write scores is an invaluable skill if you want to write down the complexities of beautiful music playing in your head, or fix the notes on an instrument and then give the scores to someone else to play. Fortunately, now computer technology has greatly facilitated us in making scores, so that we can change the pitch directly on the stave. But if you want to learn to do it the old fashioned way, you can start from the basics and work your way up to more complex compositions. See Step 1 to find out more.
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Part 1 of 3: Choosing a Composition Method
Step 1. Download and print the notation sheet for free
Scores are written on striped notation sheets, which feature blank staves on which you can write notes, silence marks, dynamics marks, and other notes to guide musicians as they play.
- If you want to write scores by hand, like the old way Mozart or Beethoven used, don't bother drawing staves on blank paper using a ruler. Instead, look for free, blank staves on the internet that you can quickly print out to write down your compositions. But if you're really serious, you better visit a music store and buy a staves there. This paper isn't as free as what you'll find online, but it will make your work look more professional.
- On many websites, you can pre-set the key and add a key signature without having to write it down yourself. Set the stave to your liking, download the file, and print it on your computer.
- Print out lots of sheets to practice on and write your compositions in pencil. Trying to put your complex ideas down on a piece of paper can be messy, so it helps if you can delete and tweak a bit without having to rewrite the whole notation.
Step 2. Download software to compose music
If you want to compose on a computer, you can use the software to drag and drop notes, make changes and revisions quickly, providing easy access and quick storage. Composing music using a computer is an increasingly popular method among contemporary composers, as it can save time and effort in making music.
- MuseScore is a popular and easy to use software with freestyle composition as well as using MIDI. You can record directly on the stave or work on your work by entering notes one by one. Most music composing software also features MIDI playback, so you can hear what you just wrote in digital form right away.
- GarageBand is a standard feature on most newer Mac computers, and can also be used to write scores by selecting the "Songwriting" project. You can record live sound or input sound from a live musical instrument to copy into musical notation, then click on the scissors icon in the lower left corner to view the notes.
- Noteflight is a great online site to use if you don't want to spend money on software, as you'll get the facility of writing the first ten scores for free if you create an account there.
- Download the software and start working on a new project to save your work. If you connect your MIDI keyboard to your computer using a USB cable, you can play melodies directly on the keyboard, then the software will place your musical notes on the stave. This is as easy as it looks. You can even create multi-layered parts, by arranging them on different instruments, to start creating your symphony.
Step 3. Sign up for free online resources containing compositions
There is also an online community of composers and score readers who compose and gather to discuss their music. As with compose software, you can also compose your music online and save your work, then publish it and receive feedback from other composers, or have it privately stored to access your compositions from any location.
Noteflight is one of the free communities listed above, and is an excellent resource for learning to read, write, and browse other people's compositions as well as upload your own
Step 4. Choose a musical instrument or group of musical instruments to make the composition
Do you want to write the notation for the horn part of an R&B song, or write the string part for your ballad? It's common to work on one phrase or one instrument part at a time, and you can think about the harmonies and accompaniments after the first part is done. Placement of notation, in general can include:
- Horn section for trumpet (on Bb), saxophone (on Eb), and trombone (on Bb).
- String quartet for two violins, viola and cello
- Piano notation as accompaniment
- Vocal sheet
Part 2 of 3: Starting from the Basics
Step 1. Write the key signature on the stave
A score page consists of notes and silence marks printed on five parallel lines and spaces between them, called staves. The lines and spaces are counted from bottom to top. This means that the note with a higher pitch is on a higher pitch. The stave can be in the bass or treble clef, which will be marked on the far left of each stave line. Key marks will indicate which line corresponds to a chord:
- On the treble key sign, which is also known as the "G key sign", you'll see a sign somewhat similar to the “and” (&) symbol printed on the left side of each stave. This is the most common key signature on sheet music. Guitars, trumpets, saxophones and most musical instruments with a higher pitch will be in the treble clef. The notes, counting from the bottom line to the top line are the notes E, G, B, D, and F. The notes that lie in the space between the lines, starting from the space between the first and second lines are notes F, A, C, and E.
- On the bass key sign, you can see a mark that looks a little like the curved number "7" on the left on each stave. The bass chord is used for instruments with lower pitches such as the trombone, bass guitar, and tuba. Starting at the bottom, or the first line, the notes are G, B, D, F, and A. In the spaces between them are the notes A, C, E, and G, counting from bottom to top.
- Tenor key sign used for works containing chorus. It looks like a treble clef but has a small 8 at the bottom, and reads exactly like a treble clef but sounds an octave lower.
Step 2. Write down the time bar
Time signatures refer to the number of notes and beats on each stave. On staves, the bars are separated by periodic vertical lines, which separate the staves into a series of notes. Just to the left of the key mark will be two numbers, one number above the other, like a fraction. The top number shows the number of beats for each measure on the stave, while the bottom number shows the number of beats each beat on the bar.
In western music, the most common time signature is 4/4, which means there are 4 beats per measure, and the note is worth one beat. You may also see an uppercase C instead of 4/4. It has the same meaning. The letter "C" means "common time". The 6/8 time is a time signature that is also used frequently and means that there are 6 beats on each measure and the 8th note is worth one beat
Step 3. Set the start signal
More details should be entered to the left of each stave including the sharp (#) or mole (b) sign which will define the starting mark you will follow throughout the song. Kres raises the note half a note, while the mole lowers it half a note. The symbol can appear suddenly in a work for one-time use, or it can appear at the beginning of the work to be followed throughout the song.
If you see a sharp mark on the first space in the treble clef, you'll know that each note that appears in that space must be played half a note higher. So is the mole
Step 4. Learn the different notes you will use
On the stave will be written the different types of notes and silences. The note style refers to the length of a note, and the placement of the note on the stave refers to the pitch of the note. The note consists of a note head, which is in the form of a dot or circle, and a rod, which extends from the head of the note to the top or bottom of the stave, depending on the placement of the note.
- Full notes looks like an oval shape, and counts as 4/4 notes.
- Half note looks like a full note, but has a straight stem. This note counts as half of the full note length. In 4/4 time, that means 2 half notes for one measure.
- Quarter notes It has a solid black head and a straight trunk. In 4/4 time, there are 4 quarter notes in a bar.
- Not one-eighth looks like a quarter note with a small flag mark at the end of the stem. In most cases, eighth notes will be grouped into a single section for each beat, with rows connecting all the notes to indicate the beat and make musical notation easier to read.
- Silent sign follow similar rules. Each full stop looks like a black line in the center of the stave, while a quarter still looks like a "K" in italics, forming into bars and flags as it splits into the next section with each beat.
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A dotted note or note means that you have to add half the value of the note. For example, a half-dotted note would be 3 beats and a quarter-dotted note would be 1 beats.
Write Sheet Music Step 9 Step 5. Take the time to learn from other musical notations
Western musical notation is a fairly complex language of symbols that you need to understand before it can be read. Just as you can't write a novel without first understanding how to read words and sentences, you can't write scores if you can't read notes and silences. Before writing scores, develop your knowledge of:
- Various notes and silences
- Lines and spaces on sheet music
- Time sign
- dynamic sign
- start sign
Write Sheet Music Step 10 Step 6. Choose a musical instrument for your composition
Some composers compose using pencil and paper, some compose using guitar or piano, and some compose using french horn. There's no right or wrong way to write scores, but it helps if you can play an instrument to practice small phrases of the music you're working on while hearing the sounds.
Playing notes on the piano is usually useful for composers to know what they sound like, because the piano is the most visual of musical instruments-all the notes are there, spread out in front of you
Part 3 of 3: Composing Music
Write Sheet Music Step 11 Step 1. Start with the melody
Most compositions begin with a melody, or a guiding musical phrase that follows and progresses throughout the composition. This is the part that is hummed in every song. When you're writing single notes for an instrument or starting your first symphony, melody is the place to start when you write scores. The standard melody is usually 4 or 8 bars long. This is because the melody is the surest and most pleasant rhythm to hear, because it is rather easy to guess how it ends.
- When you start composing a song, accept the good coincidences when they happen. There is no work that is immediately fully formed and perfect. If you're looking elsewhere for a melody, play around on the piano or whatever instrument you like and follow where the inspiration leads you.
- If you feel like experimenting, explore the world of aleatory composition. Pioneered by acclaimed composers such as John Cage, aleatory compositions introduce an element of possibility into the writing process, guessing to determine the next note on a 12-note scale, or finding the answer with I Ching predictions to build notes. In most cases, this composition will sound out of place, and is not always the best way to start and end a melody. But it can give you a unique feel that makes your music stand out.
Write Sheet Music Step 12 Step 2. Write in phrases, then put your phrases together to make the music "talk"
Once you start writing the melody, how do you continue the music? Where should the music go? How do a series of notes build into a composition? While there's no easy answer to solving Mozart's secret, it's a good idea to start composing with small pieces called phrases and slowly build them up into a full musical statement. No work is immediately perfect.
Try grouping phrases according to the emotion they evoke. Guitar composer John Fahey, a self-taught composer and musician, writes music by combining small parts based on "emotions". Even if the phrases don't share the same chord or sound together, if the different phrases feel weird, sad, or sad, he'll combine them to form a song
Write Sheet Music Step 13 Step 3. Backdrop the melody with a harmonious accompaniment
If you're writing for an instrument that has chords-instruments that can be played on more than one note simultaneously-or you're writing for more than one instrument, you'll also need to compose harmonious background music to give your melody context and depth. Harmony is the way a melody goes, providing the opportunity for a sense of tension and resolution. But don't underestimate its value just as a melody. Often when people start composing a song, there are too many chords in the melody and it's hard to tell where the melody is exactly.
Write Sheet Music Step 14 Step 4. Emphasize the music with dynamic contrast
A good composition should rise and fall, emphasizing extreme emotions and melodic peaks with a louder dynamic.
- You can mark the changing dynamics of the score with Italian words that show the basic description of loud and slow. The term "Piano" means you have to play it slowly, and it's usually written at the bottom of the stave when the music needs to be played slowly. The term "Forte" means tight, and is also written as such.
- Gradations can be indicated by drawing an elongated "" at the bottom of the stave, the part where the music should sound crescendo (get louder) or disappear, depending on the music.
Write Sheet Music Step 15 Step 5. Keep it simple
Depending on your ambitions for the piece, you may want to have lots of intricate parts and rhythms, or a simple piano melody with no accompaniment. Don't be afraid of simplicity. Some of the most memorable and iconic verses are the simplest and most elegant.
- Erik Satie's song "Gymnopedie No. 1" is a classic example of the pinnacle of simplicity. The song has been used many times in commercials and movies, but there is something beautiful about its simple notes and lazy rhythm.
- Study Mozart's variations on the song "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" as an example of turning the most common children's melodies into complex exercises in variations and decorations.
Tips
- Looking for inspiration from other people's music is fine but don't try to imitate others.
- Have fun and experiment with different possibilities.
- Don't be afraid to delete some of your original ideas. Don't feel too attached to a particular set of notes. If it's not good, it means it's not good. Maybe you can use that set of notes for another song.
- Don't force anything. Writing when you're stuck can sometimes lead to very interesting work, but be aware when you're having a less creative day. It's okay to push yourself to come up with ideas, but if you keep doing this, it might be time to rethink your work.
- Use standard musical notation if you want to give your compositions for someone else to play, or make sure they understand yours.
Warning
- Make sure to use a pencil first. Composing music is a messy thing.
- Your notation may not be understood by others unless you tell them how your music is played.
