Composing with Constraints

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 ?tree; 1:1, 1:2, 1:3 and others combined Texture 74 - same chord, different color (orchestration) Texture 75 - the magic of the unison and timbral modulation Texture 76 - volume of orchestration Texture 77 - text painting, representing text with sounds Texture 78 - heterophony Texture 79 - using stratified layers alla Ives Texture 80 - sound masses Chapter V - Form (exercises 81 - 90) Form 81 - planning contrast Form 82 - composing with modules Form 83 - the one-way-trip composition, developing variations Form 84 - theme and variations Form 85 - spinning around A, rondo? Form 86 - form as process, minimalism Form 87 - palindromic structures Form 88 - available forms alla Brown Form 89 - monolithic structures Form 90 - game pieces Chapter VI - Pre-compositional strategies (exercises 91 - 100) Starting a new composition. Challenges and possible solutions. Strategies. Formal plans. Using matrices. Analysis and stylistic imitation. Improvisation. Soundscapes and nature. Using the computer as assistant. Pre-composition 91 - writing a compositional recipe Pre-composition 92 - using a matrix Pre-composition 93 - deconstructing and reconstructing I Pre-composition 94 - deconstructing and reconstructing II Pre-composition 95 - transcribing your own improvisations Pre-composition 96 - bringing ideas from other ?worlds? 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