When musicians talk about composition, they usually mean writing or creating music that sounds good. Technically speaking, this is not composing as there are two other components to it.

Most definitions of “compose” refer only to the process of writing down notes (or melodies, rhythms, etc.). These are called scalar coordinates because they describe a set number of values (notes, rhythms, etc.) within an interval (scale).

However, what many people call “composing” is organizing these scalar parts into something meaningful beyond just how well they sound. This is referred to as a thematic organization.

The thematic organization is when you connect individual pieces into an idea or concept. For example, your theme could be exploring different ways to organize a house. Your first topic would be using empty spaces in a home, then making a segment about incorporating nature into your space, and so forth.

When musicians use the term “compositional” they often have us look at their ideas through this lens. They may discuss concepts like harmonic rhythm, polyphony, parallel structure, contrast, balance, asymmetry, or any number of things related to the thematic organization.

Making sense of all of these terms can get tricky, but don’t worry! That’s why we’re here! In this article, I will try my best to simplify everything.

Elements of music

The element of music that seems to get left out most when talking about music composition is silence. Technically, there are two types of silences in music: empty spaces and very short gaps. An example of space would be one minute of music with no voice or instrument tone whatsoever. An example of a very short gap would be someone whispering a word for a few seconds.

When musicians use these kinds of silences in their compositions, they’re called compositional devices. Because they take up some time, they can add depth to the piece and emphasize certain parts more than others.

Duration of music

Another important part of music composition is duration- how long each element of the song is! The rhythm section, or bass, guitar, piano, and/or drum setups are all dependent upon another piece to continue playing.

Music notes (lyrics) are only as powerful as your word processor program can print them out. If you want people to listen to what you have to say, use a good font and size that is easy to see!

A great way to learn about music durations is by listening to songs. You will find it very difficult to skip over any parts if you know how much time something takes!

I recommend using your computer’s timer to measure the length of different sections of a song. For example, when the drums come in, wait for there to be a break before measuring the length of the rest of the verse.