Group 1
Welcome to the NEW FOUR WEEK INTENSIVE on tonebase!
This special FOUR-week workshop is a journey into the heart of piano composition, tailored for both beginners and seasoned pianists. Dr. Antonella Di Giulio will share her insights and techniques in creating structured piano compositions, drawing from her experience as a pianist, music theorist, and teacher.
Pianists of all levels are welcome.
More Detailed instructions coming soon!
- Sign-Up : January 12 - 15th
- Course Period: January 15th - February 11th
- Class Size: ALL are welcome!
- Optional check-In via Zoom: TBD
Assignment 1:
VIDEO:
https://youtu.be/uO_4ITnzrvo
"We will start this creative musical journey by exploring the cognitive processes of creativity and then we will dive into practical strategies you can use to start writing your own music. Creativity in music involves preparation, incubation, illumination, and verification.
Musical storytelling, theme and variation, collaborative composition, and constraint-based composing are powerful strategies to start creating music.
Improvisation is a key tool for developing musical intuition and creativity.
Tools to Begin Outlining Your Composition
- Manuscript Paper or Notation Software
- Piano or Keyboard
- Recording Device
- Reference Materials
- Creative Journal:
Breaking the Ice with Composition
For those who are new to composing or feel intimidated at the prospect of creating a full-fledged piece like a sonata, it's essential to start small and approach the process with a sense of exploration and fun. Here are some suggestions to ease into the composition process:
- Start with a Miniature Composition
- Improvise Freely
- Use a Familiar Piece as a reference
- Set a Time Limit
- Embrace the 'Sketch'
Assignments:
- Choose one of the strategies you might want to try out, maybe one you might feel more comfortable with and start experimenting with it.
For "Musical Storytelling:" write a short story with about 5 or more different scenes, create some sounds or ideas for each scene and write the notes down (symbols or sketches are ok!)
For "Theme and Variation": choose a short theme, start sketching what you could do with the theme (for instance, Var. 1/ in triplets, Var. 2/ in quadruplets, Var. 4/ in minor)
For "Collaborative Composition": find a partner or a group, start with a few notes, pass them along to your partner(s), let them complete the sentence, then continue what they have done and keep exchanging ideas.
For "Constraint-Based Composing": chose a constraint. For instance, you might want to work only with a certain rhythmic pattern, or only using certain pitches, or even transcribe an existing composition. Then start sketching your own piece on that base.
- Sketch a Short Piece: Using the chosen method, start outlining a short piece of music.
- Reflective Journal: Keep a musical journal of your process, noting your thoughts, challenges, and insights. It is easy to forget a short motive or a beautiful accompaniment if we do not write it down.
- Post your progress to receive suggestions and feedback.
Remember, it has to be fun!
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Assignment #2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RdHlCiIIMuY&feature=youtu.be
"In the second week of the workshop, we will explore the intricate world of musical structure. Because each one of you is working on very different projects, it would be meaningless to just analyze traditional types of structures and the overused traditional forms. Instead, I have chosen to focus on two general concepts that can help everybody.
I will introduce two essential structural concepts: paradigmatic and syntagmatic structures. Paradigmatic structure, likened to a musical palette, involves making choices from available musical elements such as melodies, harmonies, rhythms, dynamics, and articulations vertically, to create depth and meaning in a piece. Syntagmatic structures help craft a narrative and focus on the sequence of musical events over time and the logical flow within a composition.
Music composition is a dynamic interplay between structure and creativity. So... if you consider these two main structural concepts, you might feel free to move within a structure in whichever way you'd like.
Assignments for Week Two: "Unlocking the Secrets of Musical Structure"
Paradigmatic Exploration: Choose a section of your composition and experiment with different paradigmatic choices. Alter the harmony, rhythm, or articulation to evoke different emotions or moods. Reflect on how these changes impact the overall expression of your piece.
Syntagmatic Storytelling: Review the structure of your composition. Ensure it has a clear narrative arc – introduction, development, climax, and conclusion. Consider the transitions between sections and how they contribute to the flow of your music.
Balancing Act: Explore how you can seamlessly blend paradigmatic and syntagmatic elements in your composition. Identify moments where introducing new musical material enhances the overall impact of your piece."
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Assignment #3
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zg43G3uOOH0
"This workshop focuses on understanding music as a system of signs and codes, following Umberto Eco's theories. The session aims to expand participants' understanding of how musical elements convey meaning within a composition's structure.
Key Points:
Music as a System of Signs:
Emphasis on how music uses signs like notes, rhythms, dynamics to communicate. Discussion on the semiotics of music.
Eco's Theories:
Exploration of Umberto Eco's concepts of 'Structures That Move' and 'Structures Within Which We Move', applying them to music composition.
Musical Codes in Composition:
Importance of understanding and creatively using musical codes. Discussion on genre-specific codes and cross-genre exploration.
Crafting Music with Intention:
Focus on intentional use of musical codes to enrich narrative and emotional depth in compositions.
Practical Assignments:
Analyzing Musical Codes:
Choose a music piece, identify and analyze its musical codes, understanding their contribution to the piece's message and emotion.
Composing with 'Structures That Move'/ 'Structures Within Which We Move':
Apply this concept to your piece.
Examine how codes combine in music to express meaning. Add codes to unlock the meaning in your piece.
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Assignment #4 (Final!)
"As we consider finalizing our compositions with the rhizomatic concept in mind, it's important to embrace the idea that a composition might never be 'finished' in the traditional sense but can always remain open to new interpretations and developments. Your composition is complete not when every possibility has been explored but when it provides a coherent musical experience that feels resolved yet open to further exploration.
Assignments for the Final Week
Review with Rhizomatic Perspective: Revisit your composition, considering the interconnectedness and multiplicity of musical ideas. Reflect on how each segment offers paths to new explorations.
Subtle Refinements: Focus on detail-oriented tweaks that enhance the interconnected themes, ensuring each motif contributes to the overall rhizomatic structure.
Seek Feedback: Gather diverse perspectives on your composition's rhizomatic nature. Use this feedback to open new paths within your work.
Embrace Evolution: Allow your composition to develop organically, exploring alternative paths and creative experimentations.
Maintain Your Vision: Ensure your rhizomatic composition remains true to your original intent, even as it evolves and expands.
Final Presentation: Prepare to share your composition here on Tonebase on February 20th (watchparty)
As we conclude this workshop, remember that composing with a rhizomatic perspective enriches your creative process, offering endless possibilities for growth and exploration. Your compositions become living, breathing entities, constantly evolving and inviting new interpretations. Thank you for joining me on this unconventional journey!
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Here my Theme and two variations (for now...); there is still time
. I've learned to use, more or less, the Musescore program; and I can share the score too. Thank you so much for your insightful videos!-
Juan Carlos Olite Wow, Juan Carlos!! So beautiful! I hope you will share the score when the composition is finished . We will all want to play it!
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Antonella Di Giulio Thank you, Antonella, I'll try to do it!
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Andrea Buckland Thank you so much for your kind words, Andrea
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Juan Carlos Olite Beautiful! So many interesting parts even in just these 2 variations. I agree with Andrea that we will all want to play it!
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Juan Carlos Olite Hello Juan. I really enjoy your sense of melody and texture and how you give space to enjoy the harmonic colours. I also really enjoyed the shift to the the parallel major in your second variation. It is great hearing (and seeing) you play it. I followed along with your score and I thought I might mention that your theme and 1st variation both appear to be in Ab minor - a change of key signature would save you a lot of accidentals. You could even opt for G# minor which is a little easier to read and then enharmonically switch to Ab major at Variation 2 (This is a trick you may recognize from composers like Chopin and Schubert who enjoyed exploiting enharmonic key relationships). Anyway, it was just a thought I had about your notation. Again, I really liked your sounds. Thanks for sharing!
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Vidhya Bashyam Thank you very much, Vidhya, I'll try to do two more variations...
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Dustin Anderson Thank you so much for your kind words, Dustin! You're perfectly right about the key of the piece, I was aware of that. I did it thinking in the harmonic structure of the Schubert impromptu op 90 n4 and I'd like the idea of a journey (Abminor, Ab major, C"minor, Abminor, Abmajor or something like that...). But, now I'm thinking of a third variation in Fminor
, parallel minor of the second variation in Abmajor, anyway... In any case, thank you so much for your attention to the piece and your fine remarks.
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Hi everyone! This is my job of the week. https://youtu.be/ujP_ezDbWGA?si=mQ5IFh3iwBvDXJCd
Antonella Di Giulio
Given the level of technical difficulty reached by my boogie-woogie, which was born to become an ètude for agility, I changed the name to: "Pizza Slice: not a Piece of Cake", a joke that plays on the English expression to indicate that something is very easy. My piece is very difficult, so it is not a piece of cake.
I added some quotes from the ètudes: Liszt S139,1 and Chopin op.10,1 for C major and Liszt S141,1 for G minor/major. I rhythmically modulated the theme of the Neapolitan tarantella by quoting it as if it were a poignant romantic piece: recognizing a famous cheerful theme and hearing it performed in a very serious and committed way should create a certain sense of irony in listeners and provoke surprise and interest for the composition.
I need to work on execution. Ciao!
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Letizia Great job! Now try to connect it, and maybe you can slow it down a bit :)
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We are a group of 4 friends (Vidhya in VA, Harriet in MD, Andrea in Germany & Gail in FL) who live nowhere near each other...so we decided to write a Waltz sharing our files over WhatsApp!
Here's our first draft, including the PDF.
Enjoy!
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Gail Starr Beautiful playing! I love how you kind of pause for a second to roll up your sleeves before moving from the darker to the “sweeter” section.
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Vidhya Bashyam LOL! I nearly made a 2nd recording because my sleeves were too long…caught “red handed”.
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Gail Starr Bravo to the composers and the pianist! It's an invitation to dance
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Gail Starr So beautiful!
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Juan Carlos Olite Next time we can do a piece with you, also!
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Gail Starr I was playing a bit with this Waltz tonight: in m. 8- m. 14 - m. 19 and whenever the same patterns are repeated, it would be nice to stay in the dominant, as it creates tension. It is fun to play this piece though :)
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Antonella Di Giulio we can definitely do that! Plus, there are 2 more areas that we didn’t develop as much as we wanted. Thank you for your kind attention.
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Gail Starr As I was playing it, my left hand could not avoid going to the dominant :) Then I realized it was not what was on the score :) The middle part could expand a bit. And eventually I would try to find a way to integrate the second theme in the last section. But I am sure you guys can figure it out.
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Antonella Di Giulio we agree 100%! I get home on Tuesday and I can work with my friends then to fix these issues.
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Gail Starr great playing. It’s a fun piece so far! I look forward to hearing the latest and greatest version when it’s ready.
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Gail Starr very beautiful
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Marc M Antonella made some great suggestions, now I just have to find the time to implement them before 2/20, LOL!!
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This is where I have got to. I am still making small changes. I'll post a video in the next few days, when I finish it.
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Richard Littlewood It looks very good! You made quite a few improvements in the piece. And so, it ended up being in F major :) I like how the syncopations interject with the left hand and vice versa. Great job!
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Hi everyone! What a great intensive course, Antonella! I've enjoyed it very much because it made me remember my own student years (harmony and counterpoint), and that was more than forty years ago... I've had different ideas but I wanted that the piece would have certain unity. Anyway, thank you so much for these four weeks.
