Ch 9: Techniques for Composing Music
About This Chapter
Techniques for Composing Music - Chapter Summary
Feel confident in your knowledge of various techniques for composing music by exploring this chapter's bite-sized lessons. Concepts covered in this chapter include transposition in music, thematic transformation and musical improvisation. Once you've finished this chapter, you will be able to do the following:
- List and discuss the rules for writing four-part music
- Define and describe transposition in music
- Outline methods and examples of motivic transformation
- Share the definition and methods of thematic transformation
- Describe the structure of phrase in music
- Explain how to arrange instrumental and vocal music
- Discuss rules and techniques for improvisation in music
Accompanying each lesson in this chapter is a multiple-choice quiz you can take when you're ready to check your comprehension of concepts covered. If you develop questions during your study sessions, feel free to send them to our experts via the Dashboard. Our practice exam makes it easy to find out how well you understand all concepts covered in this chapter. These study tools are accessible 24 hours a day via your computer or mobile device of choice.

1. The Rules for Writing Four-Part Music
Four-part writing can be difficult, but you don't have to reinvent the wheel. In this lesson, we'll look over some common rules to make four-part writing a little easier.

2. Transposition in Music: Definition & Music Theory
In this lesson, you will learn what transposition is and how to recognize it in a musical context. The lesson will also explain how the method of transposing works within the framework of music theory and how one might use it in creative applications.

3. Motivic Transformation: Definition, Methods & Examples
How can you keep a musical theme integrally tied to a composition without making it boring or redundant? Let's take a look at motivic transformations and see how they can be used to do just this.

4. Thematic Transformation: Definition & Methods
As a composer, themes can be a big part of your music. In this lesson, we'll see how subtly changing those themes can change the impact of your composition.

5. Phrase in Music: Definition & Structure
Could you read a book that had no punctuation? Could you play music that had no phrases? Learn all about phrases and why they're important, including the meaning of key terms such as cadence, period, antecedent, consequent, and phrase mark.

6. How to Arrange Vocal & Instrumental Music
Have you ever thought of how a musician goes about arranging a piece of music for voice and/or musical instruments to give it character and a personal voice? This lesson provides a brief overview of some of the main points of arranging music.

7. Improvisation in Music: Definition, Rules & Techniques
A quintessential component of many contemporary musical genres, this lesson will examine the rules and techniques for improvisation in music. Afterward, test your knowledge with a short quiz.
Earning College Credit
Did you know… We have over 200 college courses that prepare you to earn credit by exam that is accepted by over 1,500 colleges and universities. You can test out of the first two years of college and save thousands off your degree. Anyone can earn credit-by-exam regardless of age or education level.
To learn more, visit our Earning Credit Page
Transferring credit to the school of your choice
Not sure what college you want to attend yet? Study.com has thousands of articles about every imaginable degree, area of study and career path that can help you find the school that's right for you.
Other Chapters
Other chapters within the ILTS Music (143): Test Practice and Study Guide course
- Introduction to Musical Elements
- Meter & Rhythm
- Music Notation
- Elements of Melody
- Elements of Harmony in Music
- Elements of Chord Progression
- Nonharmonic Tones
- Musical Forms
- Techniques for Performing & Rehearsing Music
- Opera and Orchestral Music
- Medieval Music
- Music of the Renaissance
- The Baroque Period in Music
- The Classical Period in Music
- The Romantic Period in Music
- Modern Era Music
- Jazz Music
- Musical Theater and Popular Music
- Music of the United States
- Music of the World
- Technology in Music
- Music Teaching Strategies
- Principles of Music Education
- ILTS Music Flashcards