Group 2
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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Thank you so much for these thoughtful suggestions. I do see that I added measures! I am working on cleaning that up.
I am sorry, I do not know what "2-2-4 subdivision of the measure" is. I am trying to find more information on this, but I cannot seem to figure it out. Is that two, two measure phrases and a four measure phrase? Thank you for explaining.
I will try to do something less clumsy with that M. 22. You are right, I was following the Petzold too closely!
Thank you so much for this thorough response. I can already hear an improvement having removed the m. 16-17.-
Matthew Giobbi Watch this video, maybe (1-2-3-4-5-6 :) ) 18th-Century Social Dance - Minuet (youtube.com)
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Antonella Di Giulio Thank you! I was unaware at just how formalized the "minuet" is. I am learning a lot here.
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Matthew Giobbi It is fascinating, isn't it?
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Antonella Di Giulio I did some extra research on the minuet form. This is what I came up with. I had no realization of just how formulaic the structures were in this time period! It makes sense having understood the dance better. Thank you for listening.
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@Matthew Giobbi Now try to combine both versions :)
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Matthew Giobbi Hi Matthew! I just heard the Minuet, very nice. I'm still in the plan to write the music, but listening to your Minuet has encouraged me. Well done!
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Mariela Thank you!
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Antonella Di Giulio I had no idea either!
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Here is what I have for the second week (I'm a tad behind, I know, haha).
Not gonna lie, I did not have a ton of time to spend for the week, and the little time I had, I was having a bit of writer's block. I tried to take from the lesson and implement Syntagmatic storytelling, trying to figure out the structure of my piece before just continuing to write, but it wasn't happening for me. This is something I plan on working on this coming week, as I feel like I used to be fairly good at figuring out the structure of my piece back in college, but it seems after graduating, I mostly just write from note to note, beginning to end.
I really wish I could be a little more thoughtful about it, instead of just playing what comes to mind, but that style has its benefits as well.
Anyway, here are a few more measures to what I had the first week. A kind of laughable amount more, but hey, I'll take what I can get, haha.
I imagine the rest of the piece will involve a lot of dreamy, quartal harmonies. We will see. :)
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Hai Beautiful and calming! Maybe it should be nice to add something in the higher register, to create that syntagmatic movement you mentioned.
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Hai So charming and relaxing!
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What a thoughtful and insightful application of Umberto Eco's work in semiotics to music. When I was a teenager, my parents gave me a copy of Leonard Bernstein's 1973, Harvard, Norton Lectures as a gift. That was the first encounter I had with understanding music through linguistics. This winter I have been working through Leonard Meyer's, Emotion and Meaning in Music. It is a difficult text, but I am finding it both interesting and useful. Do you have a reading suggestion for Eco's ideas applied to music? Thank you so much for this lesson, I found it remarkable.
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Matthew Giobbi I think you might find his Theory of Semiotics very interesting. He goes deeper into many of the concepts that he had used in other books. It is also fun to read :) (relatively speaking... if you have fun with system of signs)
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Matthew Giobbi and THANK YOU!
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Here is my week 2 project. My original melody started with a Am chord, so I started my variation with an A chord. I’m not a musician and have very little music theory, but the reference of using elements as a painter and a palette helped me a lot because I could relate to it. With this in mind, I started using the original chord progression with some changes, plus the altered starting melody in a major chord, and each measure pointed me to the next direction. I think I moved from the key of C to the key of E, then returning to the original key. Not sure I accomplished it but that was my intention.
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LeonorDemori Neisler It sounds so beautiful!! I think I am going to play this piece myself with your permission :)
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Thanks very much, and yes you have my permission
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Assignment 3
Here is my week three work. I am not sure if the Eco semiotics made its way into this work I did on the minuet, but it has certainly caught my attention. I focused on developing the minuet melodically, and I added some bass line motion to move it along. Thank you for listening and for the incredible lectures!
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Matthew Giobbi The first section sounds really good now! Maybe I would add something on m. 4. I was a bit confused about the beginning of the second section. I liked the second section of your previous version better. The F# seems coming out of nowhere :) You can try to expand a bit the second section and create a third section that recalls the beginning, maybe. Great job in navigating such a type of style!
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Antonella Di Giulio Many thanks for taking the time to listen & make suggestions.
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Antonella Di Giulio @thanks very much for sharing this knowledge with us.
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LeonorDemori Neisler entirely my pleasure :)
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