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Composing with Constraints Summary

Composing with Constraints: 100 Practical Exercises in Music Composition by Jorge Variego (Lecturer in Music Theory, Lecturer in Music Theory, University of Tennessee - Knoxville)

Composing with Constraints: 100 Practical Exercises in Music Composition provides an innovative approach to the instruction of the craft of music composition based on tailored exercises to help students develop their creativity. When composition is condensed to a series of logical steps, it can then be taught and learned more efficiently. With this approach in mind, Jorge Variego offers a variety of practical exercises to help student composers and instructors to create tangible work plans with high expectations and successful outcomes. Each chapter starts with a brief note on terminology and general recommendations for the instructor. The first five chapters offer a variety of exercises that range from analysis and style imitation to the use of probabilities. The chapter about pre-compositional approaches offers original techniques that a student composer can implement in order to start a new work. Based on lateral thinking, the last section of the book fosters creative connections with other disciplines such as math, visual arts, and architectural acoustics. The one hundred exercises contain a unique set of guidelines and constraints that place students in a specific compositional framework. These compositional boundaries encourage students to produce creative work within a given structure. Using the methodologies in this book, students will be able to create their own outlines for their compositions, making intelligent and educated compositional choices that balance reasoning with intuition.

Composing with Constraints Reviews

Composing with Constraints is a serious primer for composers- an invaluable tool that can help them navigate their journey of personal musical development. In establishing artistic constraints through intriguing and imaginative exercises, Jorge Variego nurtures the seeds of creativity, enabling composers to sharpen and refine the focus that they need to succeed as artists. * JoAnn Falletta, Music Director, Buffalo Philharmonic *
Composing with Constraints is a great book for composers and theorists and I highly recommend it for both composition courses at undergraduate and graduate courses as well as individual studies. What a joy to read! * David Cope, University of California, Santa Cruz *

About Jorge Variego (Lecturer in Music Theory, Lecturer in Music Theory, University of Tennessee - Knoxville)

Jorge Variego was born in Rosario, Argentina. He is a former Fulbright Scholar and is currently Lecturer in Music Theory at the University of Tennessee - Knoxville, where is also the Founding Director of the UT Electroacoustic Ensemble.

Table of Contents

Introduction How to use the book Recommendations for the instructor Chapter I - Melody (exercises 1 - 20) Preliminary notes Melody 1 - focal point Melody 2 - using your own scale Melody 3 - using your own scale and a subset Melody 4 - using your own scale with a substitute pitch Melody 5 - a scale in a given order Melody 6 - a scale in a given order with ordered rhythm Melody 7 - concatenating triads Melody 8 - concatenating triads of any type Melody 9 - segments of equal duration Melody 10 - segments of unequal duration Melody 11 - the melody of an image Melody 12 - integer notation Melody 13 - integer notation collections and subsets Melody 14 - integer notation collections and transition subsets Melody 15 - simple probabilities Melody 16 - a twelve-tone row Melody 17 - a twelve-tone row in palindrome Melody 18 - intervallic content Melody 19 - leitmotifs Melody 20 - eliminations Chapter II - Harmony (exercises 21 - 40) Preliminary notes Harmony 21 - composing transitions Harmony 22 - using segments, melody becomes harmony Harmony 23 - axis of symmetry Harmony 24 - using the harmonic series Harmony 25 - using the harmonic series with a pedal tone Harmony 26 - just triads Harmony 27 - using integer notation Harmony 28 - diatonic? Harmony 29 - a twelve-tone row Harmony 30 - alla circle progression Harmony 31 - triads that move in thirds Harmony 32 - triads that move in thirds and progressions within a progression Harmony 33 - polychords, triads over triads Harmony 34 - polytonality Harmony 35 - pedal tones Harmony 36 - ideas using parallel modes Harmony 37 - clusters Harmony 38 - sequences and patterns Harmony 39 - implied harmonies Harmony 40 - contrafacts Chapter III - Rhythm (exercises 41 - 60) Preliminary notes Rhythm 41 - transformations using simple math Rhythm 42 - using segments Rhythm 43 - using segments per measure Rhythm 44 - non-retrogradable rhythms Rhythm 45 - patterns within patterns Rhythm 46 - extracting the rhythm of a text Rhythm 47 - why meter? Rhythm 48 - short, long, long, short - using Morse code Rhythm 49 - ostinato Rhythm 50 - playing with hemiolas Rhythm 51 - hemiolas and melodic construction Rhythm 52 - polymeter Rhythm 53 - metric modulations Rhythm 54 - using rhythmic motifs Rhythm 55 - motivic displacement Rhythm 56 - isorhythmic motets, talea and color Rhythm 57 - repeat signs, loops and internal spiraling Rhythm 58 - composing with unequal rests and pauses Rhythm 59 - eliminations, everything coming from the same tune Rhythm 60 - perceivable and non-perceivable pulse Chapter IV - Texture (exercises 61 - 80) Preliminary notes Texture 61 - analyzing Chopin Texture 62 - homorrythmic Texture 63 - leitmotifs Texture 64 - all the same but different Texture 65 - phasing Texture 66 - analyzing Debussy, plaining Texture 67 - Liszt, simple harmonies, complex texture Texture 68 - ostinatos Texture 69 - letting the performer make decisions Texture 70 - aleatoric counterpoint Texture 71 - micropoliphony Texture 72 - counterpoint, appropriating from Fux's species Texture 73 - counterpoint " to your music Pre-composition 97 - quotations as triggers Pre-composition 98 - drawing sketches Pre-composition 99 - oblique strategies by Brian Eno and Peter Schmidt Pre-composition 100 - the computer as assistant Appendix A) Grading rubric B) Sample curriculums for group composition classes or individual lessons C) Select anthology of scales and musical examples D) Table of instrument ranges and transpositions

Additional information

NGR9780190057244
9780190057244
0190057246
Composing with Constraints: 100 Practical Exercises in Music Composition by Jorge Variego (Lecturer in Music Theory, Lecturer in Music Theory, University of Tennessee - Knoxville)
New
Paperback
Oxford University Press Inc
2021-11-30
144
N/A
Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.
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