# Anyone know a great beginner composer course? Thanks



## Shine

Wondering what yall know about a great beginner composer course. Ive got a good kit ready, and a little piano skill;
Looking for a kind of step by step way to dive in deeply. Or even more advanced things that I could at least learn
important clear concepts for building harmonic structures, etc. All those important elements I can intuit but dont even
know the names for all of them yet. Thanks


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## BenBotkin

Hey there! Are you looking to build a foundation of solid, traditional composition knowledge in a general sense, or composition with a particular end/angle in mind (Like film scoring, concert composition, songwriting, etc.)? 

There is a lot of great material out there.


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## Trash Panda

Evenant Cinematic Music Kickstarter (free): https://evenant.com/courses/cinematic-music-kickstarter/

Orchestration Recipes (not expensive): https://orchestrationrecipes.com/


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## boinzy

Definitely do a search here in this forum. This question is asked frequently.


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## Shine

BenBotkin said:


> Hey there! Are you looking to build a foundation of solid, traditional composition knowledge in a general sense, or composition with a particular end/angle in mind (Like film scoring, concert composition, songwriting, etc.)?
> 
> There is a lot of great material out there.


Hey, thanks for the response. Id say exactly Both of the lines you mentioned; more toward the
Film, concert, songwriting end - But Id like to have an understanding of the more traditional foundations - not necessarily as a deep study in itself, but more in the way that kind of knowledge would support the film, concert etc. work. Thanks


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## Patryk Scelina

Shine said:


> Wondering what yall know about a great beginner composer course. Ive got a good kit ready, and a little piano skill;
> Looking for a kind of step by step way to dive in deeply. Or even more advanced things that I could at least learn
> important clear concepts for building harmonic structures, etc. All those important elements I can intuit but dont even
> know the names for all of them yet. Thanks


Once You get familiar with some basics I recommend trying Mike Verta's Composition 1. This is not a step by step tutorial, rather open broad but very informative lesson.


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## Shine

Patryk Scelina said:


> Once You get familiar with some basics I recommend trying Mike Verta's Composition 1. This is not a step by step tutorial, rather open broad but very informative lesson.


Thank you very much.


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## JCarlsen

Music Matters, free on YouTube is one I frequently come back to. They also offer paid courses that are more structured. Unless I misunderstood you have a foundation of music theory you are looking to build on? 🙂


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## GNP

Just........BEGIN.


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## b_elliott

My two cents: If you are really a beginner that would feel uncomfortable starting a college level music theory class, I would suggest you hook up with a local church organist and set up weekly music theory lessons. That man/woman normally has years of college training under their belt that could advance you to the point where you could consume with benefit from the Mike Vertas or vi's Farkle on film scoring basics. 

By looking up and hiring a local, you'd be helping a music brother or sister. Just another option to consider. Cheers.


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## Shine

b_elliott said:


> My two cents: If you are really a beginner that would feel uncomfortable starting a college level music theory class, I would suggest you hook up with a local church organist and set up weekly music theory lessons. That man/woman normally has years of college training under their belt that could advance you to the point where you could consume with benefit from the Mike Vertas or vi's Farkle on film scoring basics.
> 
> By looking up and hiring a local, you'd be helping a music brother or sister. Just another option to consider. Cheers.


I like your thinking... woulda never thought of that angel. Thanks


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## Shine

GNP said:


> Just........BEGIN.


Great response! Thanks - Nothing like jumping in. That is how I got this far. Loving the journey. Just about have all my set up connected and ready for the swim!


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## Shine

JCarlsen said:


> Music Matters, free on YouTube is one I frequently come back to. They also offer paid courses that are more structured. Unless I misunderstood you have a foundation of music theory you are looking to build on? 🙂



Thanks a lot... Got it Bookmarked to explore.


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## Shine

BenBotkin said:


> Hey there! Are you looking to build a foundation of solid, traditional composition knowledge in a general sense, or composition with a particular end/angle in mind (Like film scoring, concert composition, songwriting, etc.)?
> 
> There is a lot of great material out there.


Both and all... very interested in all you mentioned


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## ed buller

Scoreclub. You can't go wrong...it's all there. Start with the "Essential Foundation"






THE COURSES - ScoreClub


More than just theory but actual composer training for the serious student aiming to reach golden-age level skill with a modern voice.




scoreclub.net





best

ed


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## Shine

3DC said:


> I started with Groove3 and AskVideo Music Theory Complete Training. Each website is only 15$ per month for complete library.


Thanks... really appreciate your response. Helps a lot getting these clues that people have such expeince with. Thank You I will ck it out!


ed buller said:


> Scoreclub. You can't go wrong...it's all there. Start with the "Essential Foundation"
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> THE COURSES - ScoreClub
> 
> 
> More than just theory but actual composer training for the serious student aiming to reach golden-age level skill with a modern voice.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> scoreclub.net
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> best
> 
> ed


Cool... Thank You... that sounds really good.


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## hauspe

Marc Jovani (https://cinematiccomposing.com/) just launched a new course called Essential Composing Foundation and it costs $7 (only)

https://imacomposer.com/efc-course-92398429


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## 18dBFS

You can never go wrong with the classes of Guy Michelmore from Thinkspace Education: https://thinkspaceeducation.com


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## Markrs

hauspe said:


> Marc Jovani (https://cinematiccomposing.com/) just launched a new course called Essential Composing Foundation and it costs $7 (only)
> 
> https://imacomposer.com/efc-course-92398429


Plus you might get sample library discounts with that one. 40% off Orchestral Tools etc. They give you a Certificate of Enrollment what you can send to the various Sample library companies.


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## Shine

18dBFS said:


> You can never go wrong with the classes of Guy Michelmore from Thinkspace Education: https://thinkspaceeducation.com


Thank You... I watched some of his Youtube Early on.. and reached out to Thinkspace.. they were
very friendly and helpful. I signed up for their 'Weekend Composer' into course.


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## Shine

Markrs said:


> Plus you might get sample library discounts with that one. 40% off Orchestral Tools etc. They give you a Certificate of Enrollment what you can send to the various Sample library companies.


Hey, Thanks. I had just signed up for the class a few hours ago. How do I get access to the 40% certificate? Thanks


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## Markrs

Shine said:


> Hey, Thanks. I had just signed up for the class a few hours ago. How do I get access to the 40% certificate? Thanks


They should add a downloadable certificate in My Certificates (if not email them). You then contact one of the companies and include the certificate as proof in the email.


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## erodred

Shine said:


> Hey, Thanks. I had just signed up for the class a few hours ago. How do I get access to the 40% certificate? Thanks


I just signed up for it as well. When you log in, they got a certificate tab on the left that you can download. It looks pretty straight forward. I hope to be able to use it with cinesamples later on.


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## davidson

erodred said:


> I just signed up for it as well. When you log in, they got a certificate tab on the left that you can download. It looks pretty straight forward. I hope to be able to use it with cinesamples later on.


Say what now? Could you upload a screenshot to show me where I should be looking, I can't see anything like that in my user area.


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## Blackster

The Music Interval Theory Academy offers a perfect entry into composition and orchestration based on the intervals rather than pure Diatonic concepts. You might want to check out some of the free articles and maybe even the "Composition From Scratch" workshop, which is still 'free' for subscribers to the email list.

https://musicintervaltheory.academy/learn-how-to-write-music/ 

Workshop: https://musicintervaltheory.academy/composition-from-scratch/ 

I hope that helps you further on your journey!


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## Markrs

Don't forget to access the chat sessions as all the previous tutorial videos that Marc does are in there.

With the sample library discounts and tutorial lessons often several a week (Marc is taking August off from doing lessons) it is amazing value for $7


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## Markrs

davidson said:


> Say what now? Could you upload a screenshot to show me where I should be looking, I can't see anything like that in my user area.


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## davidson

Markrs said:


>


Ahh, you weren't referring to thinkspace, I'm an idiot!


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## Trash Panda

Markrs said:


> Don't forget to access the chat sessions as all the previous tutorial videos that Marc does are in there.
> 
> With the sample library discounts and tutorial lessons often several a week (Marc is taking August off from doing lessons) it is amazing value for $7


Weird. I don't see the Composing Essentials course option. Anyone have a direct link?


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## Markrs

Below are the discounts you should be able to get


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## Markrs

Trash Panda said:


> Weird. I don't see the Composing Essentials course option. Anyone have a direct link?


https://imacomposer.com/efc-course-92398429?el=email


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## Markrs

How the discounts work


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## davidson

Markrs said:


> https://imacomposer.com/efc-course-92398429?el=email


That page says OT is 25%;






Can anyone confirm whether it's actually 40%? Also, is it only for first time customers at OT? I know a few devs that like to slip that little condition in there...


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## Markrs

There are 106 tutorial and assignment review videos in just under a year to access as well


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## Markrs

davidson said:


> That page says OT is 25%;
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Can anyone confirm whether it's actually 40%? Also, is it only for first time customers at OT? I know a few devs that like to slip that little condition in there...


OT recently increased the student discount to 40%. They even did a YouTube video about the increase. Also on my screen shot above you will see it says 40%


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## Markrs

davidson said:


> That page says OT is 25%;
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Can anyone confirm whether it's actually 40%? Also, is it only for first time customers at OT? I know a few devs that like to slip that little condition in there...








ORCHESTRAL TOOLS


Virtual instruments for your music productions - Recorded in the world's finest studios




www.orchestraltools.com


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## Shine

Blackster said:


> The Music Interval Theory Academy offers a perfect entry into composition and orchestration based on the intervals rather than pure Diatonic concepts. You might want to check out some of the free articles and maybe even the "Composition From Scratch" workshop, which is still 'free' for subscribers to the email list.
> 
> https://musicintervaltheory.academy/learn-how-to-write-music/
> 
> Workshop: https://musicintervaltheory.academy/composition-from-scratch/
> 
> I hope that helps you further on your journey!


Thank You I will be diving into this...


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## Komponisten

I have decided to join too - seems like great value for $7.


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## erodred

Markrs said:


> OT recently increased the student discount to 40%. They even did a YouTube video about the increase. Also on my screen shot above you will see it says 40%


Just sent an email to them, hopefully I hear back soon!


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## erodred

And it worked without an issue.

It seems Cinesamples wont go for it since they changed it to offering it only twice a year.

But there are other companies out there!


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## Shine

erodred said:


> Just sent an email to them, hopefully I hear back soon!


OK! Thanks... I will ck my mail again later today...


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## Markrs

The only problem with getting such great discounts is you are tempted to buy more libraries. Orchestral Tools is particularly good deal, because if the library is in their SINE player you can just buy parts of the library at 40% off.


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## erodred

Markrs said:


> The only problem with getting such great discounts is you are tempted to buy more libraries. Orchestral Tools is particularly good deal, because if the library is in their SINE player you can just buy parts of the library at 40% off.


That I did not know. That means I can buy sections of JXL Brass and possibly percussion without the entire bundle? Is there a list somewhere of the best instruments from each bundle?


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## Markrs

erodred said:


> That I did not know. That means I can buy sections of JXL Brass and possibly percussion without the entire bundle? Is there a list somewhere of the best instruments from each bundle?


Orchestral Tools libraries are great so all the instruments are going to be good. However for me it is the fact you can just buy Horns a12, which is not in most brass libraries, or JXL custom percussion.

At the moment I am thinking of getting female and male Ark 1 and Tallinn choirs.


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## erodred

Markrs said:


> Orchestral Tools libraries are great so all the instruments are going to be good. However for me it is the fact you can just buy Horns a12, which is not in most brass libraries, or JXL custom percussion.
> 
> At the moment I am thinking of getting female and male Ark 1 and Tallinn choirs.


Just found this thread.






Favourite instrument in JXL Brass?


This will be helpful to me, and others like me who wan't to try something from the library and/ or can only afford to buy a single instrument at a time. Thanks!




vi-control.net


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## dcoscina

ed buller said:


> Scoreclub. You can't go wrong...it's all there. Start with the "Essential Foundation"
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> THE COURSES - ScoreClub
> 
> 
> More than just theory but actual composer training for the serious student aiming to reach golden-age level skill with a modern voice.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> scoreclub.net
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> best
> 
> ed


Seconded.. or thirded.. I haven't checked if anyone else also agreed.


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## NoamL

GNP said:


> Just........BEGIN.


The only way to write good music is to write all your bad music early on!


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## robo3000

I just started with Music Composition 101 on https://www.artofcomposing.com/ which looks like a well structured course for beginners. Its normally USD 100, but I got it last year on BF with 50% of.
Note that being able to read sheet music is a requirement though.


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## davidnaroth

I would definitely suggest doing mockups of your favorite scores, or try transcribing stuff too


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## digimortal

hauspe said:


> Marc Jovani (https://cinematiccomposing.com/) just launched a new course called Essential Composing Foundation and it costs $7 (only)
> 
> https://imacomposer.com/efc-course-92398429


I'm looking at this one now and on the page the price is listed as $97, was the $7 an introduction price of some sort?


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## Markrs

digimortal said:


> I'm looking at this one now and on the page the price is listed as $97, was the $7 an introduction price of some sort?


It was on offer for $7 a couple of times. They might repeat it (they have regular offers, if you subscribe to the newsletter) so worth waiting.


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## Cideboy

https://evenant.com/
These guys are a great start IMO. Once you complete the coursework you will have enough knowledge to define your own continued education. They don’t go much into theory and the goal is to get you writing CUEs and Trailers quickly. They even have some music business courses and a forum with active folks in the industry. You’ll likely want to follow up with some music theory and orchestration work and be sure to learn to read staff music so you can study the greats. Finally get good at the keyboard and you can “perform” nearly any instrument these days - which to me is the key to realistic programming.


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## isabellaiss001

I heared about Evenant Cinematic Music Kickstarter


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## guymiddleton

I can 100% preach for Evenant.
I've done basically all their courses and found them to be extremely valuable. Arn & Añze are both fantastic teachers Añze being a composer for Hans Zimmer's Bleeding Fingers collective.

https://evenant.com


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## aeliron

Trash Panda said:


> Evenant Cinematic Music Kickstarter (free): https://evenant.com/courses/cinematic-music-kickstarter/
> 
> Orchestration Recipes (not expensive): https://orchestrationrecipes.com/


Wow, Recipes ... this is lots of fun! Just starting with volume 2. Maybe will hit the next sale by the time I've finished!


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## Cideboy

Sale going on https://www.alexanderpublishing.com/Departments/ON-SALE.aspx


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## JimDiGritz

I've enrolled and started a few online courses and have the following _personal _feedback:

*Guy Michelmore/Thinkspace: Songwriting Course*- if you like his YouTube videos, his course very similar if just slightly more structured. Energetic and interesting. He's covering a huge topic in songwriting so he has to move at a fair pace.

*Groove3*. I'm on the free trial and will be cancelling. Not as much content as I thought, mostly old and out of date. Some niche technical content but I'm pretty sure I can find the same content on YouTube.

*Mike Verta: Composition 1. *Like sitting with a composer/lecturer, he has really detailed insight and good value for money since it's packed with deep insight. However it's more conceptual and definitely not a follow along tutorial. I'll probably pickup the other lectures, however I'd really like something right now with a bit more structure.

*How to make Epic Cinematic Music (Udemy)*. On obligatory $10 Udemy discount. Very simplistic, maybe worth the price of entry if you're brand new to this.

*Orchestration Recipes*: Not traditional training but immensely useful and I found it really easy to build knowledge through implementing the concepts. If you're interested in learning DAW orchestration just buy them!

*Yousician (Piano/Keyboard)*: Signed myself and my 9yr old up. Lot's of fun getting some structured keyboard exercises. I appreciate it has it's limitations as a genuine learning tool, but gets me playing and out of my comfort zone.

I'm considering:

*Christopher Siu's Course* - my only reservation is how much of it is tailored to aspiring pro composers - I'm not interested/talented enough to try and "make it" in the biz so might be a lot of redundant content...

*Marc Jovani's Composing Modern Orchestral Composing: *I'm on the fence, I like his YT approach but am left cold with the QVC "Wait, there's more!!!" marketing...

*Alex Pfeffer's Trailer course:* I like his YT content and he seems very good - just unsure whether the trailer music genre is too narrow since it's not something I'm 100% aiming for...

*Alex Heppelman's orchestration course:* His YT content is incredibly detailed... not sure why I haven't pulled the trigger yet!!

EDIT: *ScoreClub:* Looks like the best non-academic option there is, however I feel that I'm a long way away from the pre-requisites.


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## TomislavEP

I've recently stumbled upon a channel called Composing Academy:



https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCITNGBBwcz7Xn4t3_dBPWFQ



It is mostly geared toward cinematic music but also covers some music theory concepts. It's been a while since I've encountered an education channel that is so concise and well thought up.

For deeper insights, definitely check out Guy Michelmore's channel and also Evenant. Project SAM has a wonderful series showing the real-time process of composing in various styles.


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## waveheavy

I can attest to Evenant's cinematic course being a good start. But to get a more traditional music theory understanding, I recommend just ordering Peter Alexander's freshman year Harmony textbook, and teach yourself (Alexander was a composition grad from Berklee School of Music).

I studied the Orchestration For Film and TV course at Berklee, and it covered some composition methods used by famous composers, but didn't really teach you the backbone of harmony and theory. I wouldn't have gotten as much out of it if I hadn't studied Alexander's freshman and sophmore level Harmony textbooks.

Same thing with the Thinkspace course, not really a composition theory course, but more of a 'how to' for those who can already play piano. Both the Evenant and Thinkspace course give a simple teaching on melody and chords, but not to the depth of Alexander's Harmony textbooks or at an actual conservatory.

The Music Interval Theory Academy composition course I'm taking now, and I highly recommend learning traditional harmony first, and how to read the SATB music staff for orchestration.


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## Blackster

waveheavy said:


> The Music Interval Theory Academy composition course I'm taking now, and I highly recommend learning traditional harmony first, and how to read the SATB music staff for orchestration.


Many thanks for helping me get the word out. Very true, we don't teach the fundamentals of music theory but go directly into composition techniques using interval theory.

Great for everybody who wants to level up his writing skills with best practices but is not suited for beginners.


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## Arbee

I'm tempted to give M.I.T.A. a try for a while, though searching threads on this forum I get a sense not everyone is a fan (and even a smattering of derision here and there that I don't understand the background to). I've enjoyed numerous traditional texts and online courses (e.g. Scoreclub, Figuring Out Melody, Udemy courses) as I attempt to reacquaint myself with music composition again in recent years.

I was raised on a mixture of Beethoven, Beatles and Led Zeppelin so I guess my perspective is a little confused, but I'm surprised that more composition courses/methodologies don't lean more heavily on melodic rhythm as a core foundation skill (though some songwriting courses do). While some compelling and iconic compositions do rely more on pitch and harmony, most, to my ears anyway, have such a strong melodic rhythm that the pitch and harmony seemed to almost write themselves when you tap the piece on the table. I know that's over simplifying it because several elements happen concurrently, but you get what I mean.


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## robo3000

I grabbed this course https://www.udemy.com/course/piano-keyboard-music-composition/
on udemy this BF and it is an amazing course for starting composing (and I have tried quite a few) especially if you don't have a musical background.
I provides a hands-on approach to start writing your compositions while learning music theory doing it.
It covers a lot of practical stuff (scales, chord extensions, modulation etc).
The course is very well structured and Jack Vaughan is very good at clearly explaining and showing the course material.


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## Wensleydale

robo3000 said:


> I grabbed this course https://www.udemy.com/course/piano-keyboard-music-composition/
> on udemy this BF and it is an amazing course for starting composing (and I have tried quite a few) especially if you don't have a musical background.


How did you find the Art of Composing course (currently 50% off), which I see is one of those you’ve tried? The Udemy course appears to be more basic.


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## robo3000

To be honest, the content of Art of Composing looks good but it requires notereading (which I am not fluent at) and is a bit more theoretical. So I while I plan to finish this course in the future I have put it a bit on the back burner.


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## Wensleydale

Has anyone here actually used the Art of Composing course? The reviews on the website are all glowing but I’ve never seen a review anywhere else.


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## Markrs

Wensleydale said:


> Has anyone here actually used the Art of Composing course? The reviews on the website are all glowing but I’ve never seen a review anywhere else.


I have gone through the first course. Personally for me it is very classical focused and feels more towards those learning classical piano composition. There is no orchestration and no film music is referenced. However if that is of interest then it is very good at that for the cost.


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## Wensleydale

Thanks, Markrs, that's very helpful. I’m actually more interested in the classical side, at least for the present. I do want to write for orchestra, but there‘s plenty of material on orchestration out there — classical composition, not so much. At half price I think it’s worth a try.


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## JSteel

Hahaha, this Video made my Day.


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## Chi

Shine said:


> Wondering what yall know about a great beginner composer course. Ive got a good kit ready, and a little piano skill;
> Looking for a kind of step by step way to dive in deeply. Or even more advanced things that I could at least learn
> important clear concepts for building harmonic structures, etc. All those important elements I can intuit but dont even
> know the names for all of them yet. Thanks


YouTube and patience.


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## Sean

Oh man just saw this thread and looks like that $7 deal for the Essential Composing Foundation course is no longer available.


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## fiddleinparis

Wensleydale said:


> How did you find the Art of Composing course (currently 50% off), which I see is one of those you’ve tried? The Udemy course appears to be more basic.


I think it's great but I didn't have the discipline to keep doing the exercises. If you commit to the exercises then I think it's great. I'm just lazy.


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## ka00

Sean said:


> Oh man just saw this thread and looks like that $7 deal for the Essential Composing Foundation course is no longer available.


Yeah, currently $490 more than their $7 deal. Only a 71x increase in price. What a weird industry.


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## inthevoid

GNP said:


> Just........BEGIN.


Can’t agree with this more!

To add to this, listen to music as much and as widely as possible. The wider you listen (and also to things that take you out of your usual listening comfort zone), the more input your brain has to draw from when it’s coming up with stuff on the fly.


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