Make Real Progress
And Become a Well-Rounded Composer
Learning the technical side of composing is tricky. It's not so hard to pick up a bunch of random things, like cool chords, or exotic scales.
What you're missing is the way they all connect.
This course is designed to get you from confusion to clarity, and along the way, you'll compose a complete piece of classical music.
This is the follow on to the free course The Vocabulary of Composition.
Reviews
-
Fundamentals of Musical Composition
Chris Carter
I'm really enjoying the Art Of Composing online courses! My composing is has improved so much since I started a month ago. All the lessons are presented cl...
Read MoreI'm really enjoying the Art Of Composing online courses! My composing is has improved so much since I started a month ago. All the lessons are presented clearly with nice musical examples! I can't wait to dive into another lesson today! Thanks Jon!
Read Less -
The Fundamentals of Musical Composition
Jeremy Penalosa
The whole course is very informative. I personally enjoyed it and learned something new.
The whole course is very informative. I personally enjoyed it and learned something new.
Read Less
Course curriculum
-
1
Week 1: Create a Basic Melody
-
2
Week 1: Make More of Your Melody
-
3
Week 2: Master the Essentials of Harmony
-
4
Week 3: How Harmony Works
-
5
Week 4: Understanding Form
-
6
Week 4: Compose a Sentence
-
7
Week 5: Chord Progressions, Minor Keys, and Simple Modulation
-
8
Week 6: Master Melodic Composition
-
9
Week 7: Understand Voice Leading and Harmonization
-
10
Week 8: Compose a Period
-
11
Week 9: Embellish Your Melody
-
12
Week 10: Composing a Beginning, Middle, and End - Small Ternary Form
-
13
Week 11: Add Accompaniment
-
14
Week 12: Capstone Project: A Few Bagatelles
-
What Makes a Decent Melody? Fundamental Concepts How We Got To Tonality The Major-Minor System Composing a Basic Melody Download the Course Workbook Worksheets: Simple Chord Tone Melody Guided Exercise 1-2-1: Simple Chord Tone Melody 1 Guided Exercise 1-2-2: Simple Chord Tone Melody 2 Q&A on Creating Basic Melodies -
Limitations and Creativity Connecting the Chord Tones Worksheets: Connecting Chord Tones Exercise 1-3-1: Adding Non-Chord Tones 1 Exercise 1-3-2: Adding Non-Chord Tones 2 Q&A on Connecting the Chord Tones -
Intervals Exercise 2-2-1: Interval Workout Triads and Inversions Seventh Chords FREE TRIAL Basic Chord Progression No. 1 FREE TRIAL Q&A on the Essentials of Harmony FREE TRIAL -
Intro to Harmonic Functions FREE TRIAL Tonic Function Dominant Function Pre-Dominant Function Intro to Harmonic Progressions Prolongation Progressions Cadential Progressions Sequential Progressions Q&A on Functional Harmony -
Introduction: An Overview of Classical Form FREE TRIAL Discuss Understanding Form -
The Sentence and the Basic Idea Ex. 3-2-1: Composing the Basic Idea Repetition of the Basic Idea Ex. 3-3-1: Repetition The Continuation Phrase AOC Podcast Interview with William Caplin, author of Classical Form Ex. 3-4-1: The Continuation Phrase Q&A on Composing a Sentence FREE TRIAL -
Functional Harmony Continued Ex. 4-1-1: Functional Harmony Minor Harmony Ex. 4-2-1: Minor Functional Harmony Simple Modulation Ex. 4-3-1: Simple Modulation Q&A on Creating Chord Progressions -
Introduction to Melodic Techniques FREE TRIAL Melodic Traps The Ingredients of a Melody and Scale Lines Chord Line Melodies Rhythm Q&A on Melodic Composition -
Intro to Voice Leading Range Doubling Completeness Spacing Melodic Motion How to Harmonize a Melody Q&A on Voice Leading -
The Period Q&A on The Period -
Intro to Embellishment Start with a Simple Melody Identify Your Essential Tones Add Neighbor Tones Add Suspensions and Anticipations Add Turns and Use Rubato Transpose and Add Appoggiaturas Q&A on Melodic Embellishment -
Intro to Small Ternary Form Exposition Contrasting Middle Recapitulation Creating Contrast Compose Your Contrasting Middle and Recapitulation Q&A on Small Ternary Form -
Accompaniment 1: Principles of Clarity Accompaniment 2: Patterns for Composing Q&A on Accompaniment -
Bagatelle No. 1 Bagatelle No. 2 Q&A on the Capstone Projects
Membership
Want to pay monthly instead?
Instructor
Film Composer
-
Creator of Art of Composing
Jon Brantingham
I've composed for over twenty years, and I am passionate about teaching and learning composition. I am currently a working composer living in Los Angeles, CA.
FAQ
-
Do I need prior composition experience?
No. You must be able to read music notation in treble and bass clef. Everything else is explained in the course.
-
Are the lessons downloadable?
No.
-
Will it work for my style of music?
Yes. These techniques work for classical as well as popular styles. I've had songwriters, dance music producers, film composers, and everyone in between take the course.
-
Does it work on mobile?
Yes.
-
Is there a certificate at the end?
Yes.