OMTA Presentation

January 26, 2010

Sila Cevikce Shaman

GUIDING STUDENT COMPOSITIONS

For Beginners: Focus is on encouraging and suggesting ways of exploring the existing
simple ideas. Melodic, harmonic, rhythmic elements are all to be explored. Formal
coherence is of some importance but at this stage the student should be encouraged to
experiment with composing and not feel bound by structure or intimidated by harmonic
or melodic rules. Storytelling with music is a great way to start and most beginners’
compositions are very vivid in their imagery. Further the piece by furthering the story.
Correction and clarification of tempo and dynamics is helpful.

For Intermediate Students: With better piano technique many student composers tend
to increase the activity in their music without substance. Aim is on improving students’
control of melodic, harmonic and rhythmic content without losing focus of the general
structure of the piece. With more complex ideas present, form becomes integral to the
success of the piece. TENSION and RELEASE is essential to the impact of music.
Here are some points to consider when guiding students:
1- Strong Melodic Content: A succession of arpeggiated chords usually does not
make a good piece of music unless the intent is minimalistic and there is a larger
melodic idea that encompasses the piece. Encourage strong melodic content not
necessarily only on the top line but in all the voices. Obviously, melodic content
does not have any objective criteria but is important to bring up if the piece seems
to be a stringing of chords rather than an actual piece of music. Suggest
combining smaller and larger intervals in a melodic line if it is too arpeggiated or
too scalar. Shift of direction is also helpful if a melodic line seems to be not too
strong.
2- Use of Counterpoint: Partly due to the fact that homophonic pieces tend to
dominate a students pianist’s repertoire, many student compositions I encounter
are strict cases of melody and accompaniment in their texture. Use of
counterpoint even in small doses can open up a piece, create tension and release
and further the harmonic flow. Use of contrary and independent motion can be
encouraged.
3- Use of space: Silence can be just as important as sound. Ideas need breathing
space. Encourage the student to think of using space by adding rests or varying
the meter of certain measures, especially if the piece seems to go on relentlessly
or without any focus.
4- Fluent harmonic motion: Harmonic content could be purely tonal or partially
atonal; the key is to achieve effortless harmonic flow. This can take a lifetime to
master but lack of flow is easy to hear and should be pointed out. This flow is
achieved not by how the chords are moving but also melodic and rhythmic
motion.
5- Variation in Texture; The piece can be too dense or too stagnant with a repeating
texture throughout. Single lines can be just as effective as big chord cascades in
creating tension and energy. Suggest using various accompaniment techniques
within the piece. Reversal of role of each hand, once again using counterpuntal
lines instead of repetitive accompaniment techniques, changing the rhythmic and
chordal density of accompanying lines can be explored. Of course in some cases
keeping a texture throughout can be desired to maintain a certain feel (Think of
many Chopin pieces or Moonlight Sonata for example).
 many Chopin pieces or Moonlight Sonata for example).
6- Reiteration of Ideas and Sections for Formal Unity: It takes a composer many
many hours to write a piece but only a brief time for the listener to hear it. It is
easy to shortchange great ideas by not taking the time to develop them within the
piece. Repetition can be essential to establish the ideas clearly and to create a
formal structure. Many times a piece that is a succession of disparate ideas can be
reorganized by focusing on the main theme(s) and reworking the other materials
around this (these). A contrasting middle section is usually a very valid suggestion
to further a piece. A reiteration of the main theme(s) at the end of a piece usually
will help the unity and the flow of the piece.
7- Motivic Development: A good idea can go a long way. Suggest use of motivic
development tools such as mirroring, inversing, truncating, extending,
augmenting, contracting both melodic and rhythmic elements of the main
theme(s).
8- Clarification of Tempo, Dynamics and Phrasing: Remind your students that the
piece should be presented such that it could be played by someone else exactly as
intended by the composer with only the aid of what is on the score. In many cases
students don’t think about phrasing or dynamics while composing the piece but
reconsidering these elements will greatly improve the impact and the playability
of the piece.
9- Personal Style: Regardless of level, it is important to encourage individuality in
composition. Music should not have to fit into a single mold. Ask your student
about their musical influences and how these can be translated and integrated with
their own personality.

For Advanced Students: If the student has control over form, space, harmony, rhythm,
melody in a traditional (i.e. tonal and homophonic) style, it might be a good idea to
encourage him/her to explore less traditional compositional methods and styles further.
Most pieces I encounter that are more advanced seem to lack counterpoint. Encourage
use of non-traditional roles for right and left hand as well as writing in more than two
voices. Polyrhythms, polytonality, atonality, conceptual writing and extended piano
techniques (such as clusters) can be encouraged depending on the students’ interests.
Encouraging the student to pursue their OWN VOICE is the key. Suggesting composers
to listen to beyond the standard piano repertoire might be very helpful as well as
exploring orchestration techniques and composing for multiple instruments, chamber
pieces and eventually orchestral pieces.