Writting your own sheet music??

[mercy0001]

I'm a good piano player and I've already done some arrangements of video game songs, but I'm still struggling with writing my own sheet music. Even if it's small, I can't write it because I don't know in which time signature I need to write it... Could someone give me some tips for writing your own sheet music and the determination of time signatures??

[rutea7]

http://www.teoria.com/exercises/measure.htm

maybe those exercises will help. good luck

[Rosencrantz]

I don't believe there's a surefire way other than having a good ear. Then you can determine the time signature by finding which beat is emphasized (count that as "ONE") and proceed to break down the song based on that emphasized beat.

[Whiplash]

^Having an ear for it undoubtedly helps, but this is something that can be improved upon by practise (e.g., trying to identify the time signatures of any song you happen to hear, not just the ones you want to know).


Assuming that can already read sheet music and are therefore familiar with most, common time signatures, Mercy, with a bit of practise it shouldn't cause you any real difficulty. You just need to find the beat and work out which time signature fits, by a process of elimination if nothing else.

[Whiplash]

^Having an ear for it undoubtedly helps, but this is something that can be improved upon by practise (e.g., trying to identify the time signatures of any song you happen to hear, not just the ones you want to know).


Assuming that can already read sheet music and are therefore familiar with most, common time signatures, Mercy, with a bit of practise it shouldn't cause you any real difficulty. You just need to find the beat and work out which time signature fits, by a process of elimination if nothing else.

[mercy0001]

Thank You !!
My avatar changed but still it's me.^_^

[Tempus Frangit]

Practice writing short licks in different time signatures. It will help you figure out their little nuances.

[StrangeCat]

I'm a good piano player and I've already done some arrangements of video game songs, but I'm still struggling with writing my own sheet music. Even if it's small, I can't write it because I don't know in which time signature I need to write it... Could someone give me some tips for writing your own sheet music and the determination of time signatures??


what is it that you are trying to compose?

[namyrb]

When I was a jazz major we had to play some real funky ass shit with some weird time signatures. What I usually do is trial and error. I always start with 4/4 and listen to the phrasing. If you're counting within 4/4 and the notes sort of resolve in that time frame it should be in 4/4.... hell in almost every type of western music (FF music is western music) 99% of the time it's gonna be in 4/4.

If you want to get a feel for something that's not in 4/4 i suggest you get the song "Take Five" by the Dave Brubeck Quartet. Also get "The Ocean" by Led Zeppelin. Listen to those songs and try and count in 4/4. It's going to feel really weird as the resolve of the melodies and the rhythms played are not in 4/4.

I'll bet that your compositions are most probably in 4/4 (not a bad thing, we walk with 2 legs), but if it feels funny to count in 4/4 like it does with those 2 songs then try and feel where the beats and the notes resolve. Or if you have any way of recording (doesn't matter the quality) just post it and I'm sure someone can figure it out.

EDIT...

Here's Take Five

Click...


And here's The Ocean

Click...

And here's just awesomeness... Moby Dick

Click... (http://www.dizzler.com/music/Led_Zeppelin/Moby_Dick)


I also want to mention that (since this is a FF forum) Nobuo Uematsu, whether it was intentional or not, was influenced by many types of music... including Bob Marley... don't know if this is relevant or not I'm just throwing it out there...

[StrangeCat]

being a composer you have to compose music in every style for every instrument and do production and orchestration and electronic music and and and....yea fun huh?
OH and your influenced by all music^_-

[Teggles]

Writing your music in Sibelius would help, cos you can play back what you've written. Just pirate it. Legally, of course, because piracy is completely legal.

[mercy0001]

I've got a program from Finale (Printmusic) It's very good. Thanks everyone for your help.

(this week I'm going to post something special ...)

[StrangeCat]

Writing your music in Sibelius would help, cos you can play back what you've written. Just pirate it. Legally, of course, because piracy is completely legal.

that's not Cool!