Bon Journal

Composing the Suite Bussum

"Make sure you compose some wrong notes," said my teacher.

Wrong notes? I am so apprehensive about writing wrong notes that I play a passage over and over again until it sounds right.

Why does he want me to compose wrong notes?

What is a wrong note anyway?

I mentioned that the way I compose right now is accidental. It's like cooking without following a recipe. If the outcome tastes good, it's a good accident. If it's a disaster, it's a bad accident. Without proper training or experience, I am only experimenting.

How much more I could do if I knew the fundamentals of composition! How much faster I could work if I knew the formulae. All I know now is that parallel fifths are bad but not why.

From the three dozen initial melodies I wrote in January and February, I selected just six to work on. The styles, key signatures, time signatures, and accompaniments are widely different and deliberately so.

First thing in the morning, while my mind is fresh from a good night's sleep, I get on the piano and start composing. I will finish this suite of six short pieces in time for the composer's concert next week in Utrecht.

The joy of composing has returned.

4 March 2004 Thursday

free sheet music

All the time in the world to compose

Starting from scratch

Food for the soul