Piano Lesson: It Is Easy To Compose Piano Sheet Music
Why is it easy to compose piano music?
Because you have to start from where you are. This should be
fairly easy; Otherwise you have not started from where you are.
A suggestion is to start writing piano pieces for beginners in a
progressive order. The idea is that as the pieces get more
complicated for the player they will also become more
complicated for you to notate and compose and you will
subsequently learn as you write.
How is composing beneficial for your piano playing?
1. Your compositional endeavours will make you more and more
aware of intrinsic musical subtleties in the music of other
composers. When you start to think and feel like a composer you
will also become a better performer as well. Performing is also
a creative process similar to composing.
2. When you compose you will become a better sight reader.
I remember an assignment I had many years ago when I wrote the
music to a musical. It made me aware of many notational problems
I had not taken the time to solve for myself before.
When I started to play my piano music again I was astonished
when realizing it was much easier for me to sight read
complicated piano sheet music. The reason for this I concluded
was my concentrated effort to notate my own piano music.
The process to play something with my fingers and and then try
to notate the music on manuscript paper was so to speak a
reversed sight reading exercise.
What about manuscript paper?
You can use a notation program or you can write on paper or use
both approaches. I suggest that you start writing on paper the
way that composers have done for centuries.
Composing piano sheet music by hand on manuscript paper is a
cheap and effective exercise to learn the various sheet music
symbols.
Very often I jot down musical ideas on ordinary white paper
after drawing five lines by hand. It works fine if you can't
find your manuscript paper. You can buy manuscript paper for
sheet music or print out your favorite format for free on the
site http://www.blanksheetmusic.net
In conclusion, composing piano sheet music can become a natural
part of your daily practice routine.
Spend half an hour a day composing your own piano sheet music
and you will increase your musical knowledge and become an even
better musician!
And remember; Composing piano sheet music is fun!