Songwriting, Theory & Composition

“I haven’t understood a bar of music in my life, but I have felt it.”
- Igor Stravinsky

All great performers and composers use the same twelve notes and the rules of composition to ignite the passions and interest in the listener. We can enjoy music we cannot comprehend, but it took some effort and ability to bring that sound to life. Through sensitive application of the rules, technical skill, and a creative mind, all future musical inventions are possible.

The components may be assembled or recorded by one or many artists across many times and lands. Essentially, we combine melody, rhythm, stylistic performance, and harmony in meaningful relation to create a composition. The overall sound or mood of the creation is not conceived in a vacuum, but is deeply influenced by all the music we've been exposed to in our lifetime.

The Structural Approach to Songwriting & Composing

Throughout history, musicians have used the rules of Music Theory to write and create their greatest works. So, Music Theory and Composition are mutually dependent in the songwriting process. Lessons combine playing and listening with a technical approach to explaining why composers make educated choices when writing music.

This allows students to examine the broader structural, cultural, and historical influences on music. What makes one song last as others fade from popularity? Get acquainted with classical, jazz, gospel, and contemporary artists and music history's dynamic and constant evolution. Understand how Bach influenced Sting or Blues shaped Rock’n Roll music in America. These lessons are designed around the music you love and the extent of technical detail you wish to explore.

“Music is at once the product of feeling and knowledge, for it requires from its disciples, composers and performers alike, not only talent and enthusiasm, but also that knowledge and perception which are the result of protracted study and reflection."
- Alban Berg

Why Music Theory Matters

Topics in Theory & Composition

Aspects of Melody: Phrasing, Cadences, Conjunct or Disjunct motion, Melodic Contour, Major and Minor scales, Modes, Tonic, Dominant, Relative Minor, Intervals, Dimension, Progression, Direction, and Register.

Melodic Forms: Binary, Ternary, Sectional, Strophic, Medley, Rondo, Variations, Sonata-Allegro, Iterative, Cyclic, Reverting, and common patterns found in Western music.

Advanced Techniques: Counterpoint, Fugues, Inversions, Motifs, Klangfarbenmelodie, Echappée, Fragmentation, Diminution, Augmentation, Retrograde, Pedal-point, Sequences, Ostinato, the Grundgestalt, and Tintinnabuli.

“Without craftsmanship, inspiration is a mere reed shaken in the wind.” Johannes Brahms