I seem to have been doing a lot of composing but without making much progress, mainly because I’ve hit a stumbling block with T128 (which now has the working title The Chase). So I put it aside for a while, and as a result I am now swimming in ideas for new pieces! Which has meant the last few weeks have been about finding a focus and purpose.
Where to start?!
I put the first few bars of each idea into one document (and discovered I now have over 30 potential new pieces!!) and then prioritised them. The ones I like better, are more complete or which I think will be easier/quicker to do have higher priority.
I’ve added more potential pieces to the Hallowe’en suite, which will be a set of trios (probably), so I’m going to double down on getting some of these finished, since I have two pieces already well developed and they’re a lot of fun to write. And I may even be able to have something ready for Hallowe’en - always helps to have a deadline! I’ll let you know how I manage to get over the T128 stumbling block. Check out the Sketches page for some videos to hear how they’re shaping up so far.
Piece for double bass and guitars
Last November I joined the Milton Keynes Classical Guitar Society, which has around 20 members and meets once a month. They’re great players, and have a very varied repertoire. I’ve started writing a piece for double bass and guitar ensemble, which I’m hoping they will give a go. I’ve added a couple of videos on the Sketches page, to give you an idea. I’ll keep you updated!
Q&A: Where do you get your ideas from?
Most often from just playing around on the guitar, without any specific intention of writing anything. Sometimes I have a particular style or technique I want to try out; other times a playing mistake can lead to something that sounds interesting. I find the more I compose, the more I can hear in my head (one morning I woke up with a melody in my head!). There are some blackbirds in my garden which have all sorts of different little tunes, and I’d love to create something based on those.
Top tip
A piece isn’t finished once you’ve written it. By ‘playing it in’ you may uncover more characteristics, phrasing or passages where a particular emphasis would work well, and which go beyond what you originally intended. It will help to get your compositions beyond being just dots on a page, and turn them into a more cohesive and creative piece of music.
Spotlight: Fear Me, Foe
Fear Me, Foe is one of my favourite pieces to play and was published in Fancies and Follies. It was influenced by my interest in marching band music (Sousa in particular), so you’ll hear:
- Very clearly defined, contrasting themes and sections
- Long runs in the melody line (I was really pleased to achieve this without having to drop the E string to D!)
- Question-and-answer phrasing
- A bold swing rhythm
The title for this piece came after I’d written it. To me, it sounds like someone psyching themselves up to go and have a row with their next-door neighbour about something trivial.
Next time...
A composer spotlight, Q&A, top tip and composing games!
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