Having trouble making a piece you are making sound like you want it to sound like? Here are a few quick tips to help you on your way.
Use computer music writing software, like Finale. Finale is a great tool for writing music – it’s easy, fun, and sounds fairly decent on playback. Some versions do cost money, but there is a free, starter version called Finale Notepad. You can download it for free at the Finale website.
When you are composing a piece and you make a melodic line that sounds good but just doesn’t fit into what you are making, write it down! This actually goes for all “tunes” that you make up. Write them down, because you can go back to them later and branch out from what the basic form is.
Keep your composition simple. I don’t mean keep it technically simple, but rather do not go through the same theme or melody 5 or 6 times in a piece – it gets tiring to the listener’s ear.
Having trouble thinking out where you need to go with your piece? There are two options – play random notes and see what sounds good (not an orthodox method, to be sure, but one that works suprisingly well), or pick a series of chord progressions and pick out a note or a few notes from each chord and play them in sequence. Either way, this often helps not only in letting you know where you are going with the piece, but also helps you get there as well.
