Analysed: I’m Sticking With You
Takes a look at Lou Reed's 1970 song with the Velvet Underground. Sounds so simple yet somehow it charms us. Why is that?
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Woodwinds do it for themselves
So what does it take to compose a piece of music for a woodwind ensemble? I took a song with the feel of a traditional show tune and arranged it for flute, oboe, clarinet and bassoon. It was a lot of fun.
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Getting down to brass tracks
What does it take to write a piece for a brass ensemble? And what sort of music works best? We take the first steps to finding out.
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Amanecer – a Phrygian dawn
This duet for violin and cello evokes a new dawn. It also has quite a Spanish feel. So why is that?
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Tentative steps towards atonality
Atonal music has no key and does not conform to Western musical traditions. For most composers, to create atonal music is like starting again. This post shares my first baby steps.
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Showing my romantic side
Call me a Philistine, but I find the music of the baroque and classical periods a little too formulaic and, frankly, boring. For a rationalist, I'm a romantic when it comes to music, so I'm hoping my second piece for string quartet reflects that.
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Is there a baroque musician hidden inside you?
Describes my journey from rock to baroque as I put aside the guitars and drums to try my hand at composing for a string quartet.
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From little acorns
Sometimes all it takes to trigger a new composition is a single chord, something I experienced myself this week.
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Playing with time
In the 2020s you hardly ever hear a piece of music that does not have four beats in the bar. But varying the time signature can put all sorts of ideas into play.
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Sometimes you just need a riff
If you come up with a great riff, you're well on the way to creating a great song. Riffs had their heyday in the 60s and 70s but they're certainly relevant today.
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