Composition Framework
Part II
The first thing that we want to look at when we begin a composition is the framework. You need to decide how many bars of music will frame your musical ideas.After that, you need to make a decision on how the bars will be divided and how will the sections be determined. In other words, how many bars for the A- section B-section, C-section or will there be sections? or will it just be one through composed piece of music. This would be a good time to think about the climax of the work which occurs generally between 62%to 95% of the way through an arrangement or composition. For example if we have a 215 bar composition or arrangement, the climax would occur around bar 183 which is about 85% of the way through the arrangement. Let your tastes be your guide.
After deciding the framework, you need to look at the resources or palette of materials that you would like to use in order to create your musical masterpiece. Begin by making a list of the scales, possible chords, sonorities or progressions, keys and any other material that you would like to use, such as mutes textures and dynamics that you're interested in using for your masterpiece. By defining such things as instrumentation, scales, chords and melodic, harmonic and rhythmic approaches in advance, you can make each composition a masterpiece where each work has a distinctive personality of its own.
Below is an example of details I used to define my tune Seventh Journey.
It's a work for a 22 instrument Jazz Order Today
Orchestra with two double basses and extra african percussion. the list of scales chords and resources that I used are listed below. Much of this work was developed using a system of scales and harmony that I developed using Diminished and Augmented scales. The framework of the arrangement and where sections will occur were also predetermined by a formulaic process that will be outlined in Part III
Seventh Journey Details:
Composed by Ashby Anderson
* Use mathematical proportions to determine framework and sections of Compositions the numbers 9, 5, 7, 13, 5, 7, 9, 34) are proportion for the bars and sections of the composition
* Section A:9 bars, section B: 5 bars, section C: 7 bars. Section D 13 bars, section E: 5 bars, section F: 7 bars section G: 9 bars, section H: 34 bars
* Develop melodic material from Diminished Augmented System of Harmony and Scales
* Develop harmony from the Diminished Augmented System of Harmony and Scales.
* 7/4 time will be the time signature* Explore Universal Method for Tonal Navigation.
* Use Phrygian/Susb9 tonalities* Use D HW Diminished for melodic framework
Hope you enjoyed Part II,
Ashby Anderson
