CT ABRSM

Written assignment 3

Teaching composition

 

Hilary Haworth

Introduction. 3

Can composition be taught?. 4

Developing shared metaphors. 6

Inspiration and perspiration. 7

Tools and technology. 9

Spiral of development 11

‘Imaging’ or technique development 13

Conclusion. 14

Bibliography. 15

 

Introduction

In common with many instrumental teachers I learned to privilege the practice of canonical music over the creation of new music.  My general music studies took me as far as pastiches, and brought opportunities to compose stage music and extemporize continuo parts, but my piano teachers showed little interest in composition work.

This practice runs deep: Bunting(2002;p.166) points out that no-one rubbishes young children’s mark-makings or story-telling by comparisons with Renoir or Dickens, but first efforts at composing are often treated that way.  The fact that Odam(1995) feels the need to recommend teachers notice, record and praise children’s spontaneous song-making, shows that such practices are generally not seen as important.

As a teacher I started composing again simply to go through the processes I was asking my students to try.  I began setting composition tasks because I noticed my daughter’s doodlings at the piano helped her to play more fluently and freely, while she could read only very simple music.  She also enjoyed exploring a range of sonorities and effects on the instrument beyond the two octaves her tutor books had shown her.   This essay investigates some benefits and possibilities for teaching composition to beginner/ intermediate pianists.

Can composition be taught?

The cultural understanding of composing in the Western, classical tradition is that is the preserve of the individual ‘genius’ – a product of intense, inborn feeling and emotion. ‘Great’ composing that is - less accessible works are seen as intellectual, resulting from years of specialist training.

But Daniel Barenboim in the 2006 Reith lecture series argued that all musical creativity, including performance, is the product of a uneasy balance between passion and discipline.  Musicologists see creativity as the product of both convergent and divergent thinking; composing builds on “the ability to generate a number of possible solutions and then arrive at the single best” (Webster,1988). 

The passion and feeling that inspires the composition therefore needs strong musical knowledge and understanding to work itself out.  It is this underpinning that can, and indeed should, be made part of instruction, because:

it is impossible to expect individuals to think creatively, if nothing is there with which to think creatively

Webster,1988

Mills (2002,p.175) discusses Paynter’s illustration of the difference between leading out (education) and building in (instruction).  Composition, well taught, will involve elements of both.  A student of mine, Christina, was briefed to create a short descriptive piece, ‘Spring’.  What she came up with showed a lot of experimentation with thirds, so I was able to ‘notice’ this and lead into a discussion of this interval and why it pleased her.  We built on this by breaking the thirds, playing them ascending and falling, and adding adjacent thirds until Christina thought it sounded ‘like rain’.  Doing this avoided the most obvious triad patterns and created some quite interesting harmonic movement.  Questioning was key:

By focusing on those decisions...we start them on the path of asking the questions that every composer must ask about every piece: ‘Where are these musical thoughts leading? What are the possibilities? Why should I choose that path rather then any other? How do I know when this piece is completed?

Paynter,2000

Odam discusses the technique of Frank Bridge as the teacher of Britten, playing his work back to him very slowly, from across the room, and asking him if the piece was “what he meant?”  This technique works with beginners too:

The word ‘composing’ means ‘positioning’ together, and when anyone has tried putting sounds together and is pleased with the results, enough to remember them, then the teacher can start to teach – mainly by asking questions about what is presented

(Paynter,2000)

It is important to focus on positive aspects of the composition, and notice any features that, even if not used with great originality, are key elements of music: repetition and variation; a feel of key; chord and scale patterns; phrase lengths; changes of tonality or time signature. 

Developing shared metaphors

This act of noticing from the teacher is a first step to developing a shared terminology for elements of music.  While most school-based composition at early secondary level takes place in small groups, the more teacher-led - building in - activities engaged in during individual piano lessons help establish a common language for talking about music.  It can also ensure that models of good practice are presented, not necessarily from genres the students would consider (Odam,1995,p.57).  To avoid this becoming too ‘atomistic’ in approach (see Savage and Challis,2006, for criticisms of the National Curriculum in this regard) the elements of music should be set into broader contexts.  A wall chart used with composition students by Savage asks the broad question “How can I put sounds together?”  The question is answered in general terms (By reducing, by adding, by combining) and elements such as timbre, texture, etc are introduced into this very big picture.  Thus a short, improvised phrase that pleases the student can be developed in a variety of ways using the chart.  I have started to create composition charts with my students, based on these ideas.

Fig 1: How can I put sounds together?

Inspiration and perspiration

Say it ‘til a song comes…

Davies,1986

Much ink has been spilt about the relationship between improvisation and composition.  Historically, the two were indeed very closely linked.  For clarity here, I see improvisation as a necessary first step in the process, but I will ask my students to repeat the piece or certain sections of it in order to start the decision-making processes of revision and refinement that are core to composition (also helping to develop musical ‘memory muscles’).  I make this activity easier for all of us with audio recordings at key stages.

Fig. 1: Composition process

There are a number of other start points for when inspiration falters.  Natural rhythms of spoken words are good, especially as this reduces the need to record rhythm in notation since it will be remembered by itself: as in plain chant, pitches are all that need writing down.  Rhythms that children can copy and play with ease are often extremely difficult for them to write down accurately, especially the dotted or swing rhythms of English speech.  Odam(1995) discusses the work of Satis N. Coleman in the 1900s on young children’s compositions – invariably in the form of songs - but older children enjoy this too.  Not just a useful stimulus, a song has form and structure, encourages repeated or answering melodic shapes and rhythmic patterns, and helps children extend their ideas in a sustained way over time.

Mills’ discussion of using reggae bass lines to start off a composition (2002,p.171) interested me since I use recordings of duet secondo parts as a basis for composing tasks.  Chord progressions are also useful, as in a jazz improvisation, and Charles Beale or Tim Bell provide excellent resources for this type of work.

Other devices include descriptive titles, composing a short study for a technical point arising in the lesson, working out a simple ostinato or ground bass and asking the child for their own melody,  or taking short sections of the piece being studied but completing phrases differently.

Odam (1995;p.44) is rather disparaging about using rhythm flash cards to kick off compositions but I am interested to see whether a student will move outside this rather ‘closed’ activity and then  discuss why it felt too limiting.

It is important point to vary start points and balance theory and practice, closed and open activities – and here the question of the technologies to use becomes important. 

Tools and technology

The first technology to make a decision about is notation; issues around software are secondary.  Children are so drilled to write things down that one new student of mine (Nico,9) when given his first composition assignment simply wrote some notes down on his laboriously drawn stave and played them to me in the lesson.  Odam(1995) refers to this as the cognitive approach.  He argues that it is actually a logical extension ad absurdum of the reification of notation and the parallel construction of the Western classical composer as one who writes but never performs music (p.43):

By the end of the nineteenth century, notation was dominant in the composition process, and improvisation had largely become a lost art…

Odam,1995

I introduce notation gradually, after making audio recordings of the piece.  I start with questions about key and time signature, an indication of tempo and some performance instructions.  Then, possibly looking only at pitches first and relying on memory for the rhythm, we will put down some notes for landmark points in the music.  (Rather like working on memorizing, it helps to have a skeletal ‘map’ of the piece first.)  I spend only a short time on this each lesson, as it is quite hard cognitive work for some children, but all enjoy seeing their work ‘in print’, particularly when grubby manuscript becomes a Finale document with their name on the top as the composer[1].

We use only the piano: students are more likely to explore the possibilities of the instrument productively than if they could simply press SFX buttons on a sequencer.

Spiral of development

Tillman and Swanwick (1986) developed a helix model to describe and measure musical development.  In this model children progress ‘upwards’ from a sensory, manipulative relationship with musical materials, to a symbolic, systematic one.  I do not give a full critique of this model here, and find it rather prescriptive.  However, it has some usefulness in devising appropriate composing activities for particular age groups. 

The model consists of four principal levels or ‘turns’. Each turn corresponds to an age range: 0-4 year olds are concerned with materials, 4-9 year olds with expression, 10-15s with form and older children with value.  At each level are two zones: the left zone is concerned with sensory experience and personal symbolism; the right zone with ‘social sharing’. Developmental progression is represented by movement from left to right:

Fig 2: Swanwick/ Tillman spiral

My reflection of these ideas in teaching practice has been to set more expressive/descriptive composition tasks to younger age groups, perhaps questioning older students more on form and  genre.  However, I feel if children are not enthusiastic about experimenting, manipulating the instrument in new ways, throughout this process whatever their age, the benefits of composing activities for them will be seriously limited.

‘Imaging’ or technique development

Odam(1995) criticizes the comment from one composition teacher that ’imaging’ of musical effects, rather than technically adequate playing of them, is enough for the composer.  If we agree that composing activities for young pianists should reflect a balance between performance and writing things down, between passion and discipline, between left- and right-brain activity, then there is a clear need for a certain level of technical ability, and for technical development to continue, through the practice of others’ music and/or the copying of others’ technique.  Jordan, 13, came to me as a music GCSE student interested in preparing for Grade IV - but with a technique entirely inadequate for that level.  He enjoyed ‘improvising’ but practiced this by playing from lyric and chord sheets, always in rock ballad style, built on repeated, occasionally arpeggiated chords (think Elton John).  I saw that his ability to play in this way and by ear had led him to sidestep learning to read standard notation, but that this meant he could play only very technically limited material. Therefore in our work on composition we concentrate on taking apart and taking away (reducing in Savage’s terms):

      producing melodic questions and answers with a limited number of notes;

      working on small sections at a time;

      putting down a few well chosen notes from the chord rather than playing endless triads and first inversions;

      building bass lines that have shape and interest in themselves. 

We also listen to jazz standards; Jordan has been better motivated to master the technical difficulties of ‘head’ sections from the Jazz Exam material than he was the classical repertoire.  Starting to talk about structure first – discussing how to distribute ideas across the piece, whether everything would happen in the same key, planning ‘pivot’ chords for modulations, whether we needed to use bridges or a coda to tell the story – has also helped Jordan produce a ‘map’ of his piece rather than simply pitching into styles he is most comfortable with.

Reflecting on these experiences and those with other students, I am concluding that, while the pianist composing at the keyboard is unlikely to stumble on new techniques, they may well uncover motivations to achieve new effects and enlist help in developing techniques to execute them.  In addition, some technical studies can easily be devised by students themselves, an idea Fanny Waterman was apparently using long before me!

Conclusion

I have found composition can be used to develop technique as well as self-expression, and to provide motivation for learning about theory as well as for practicing.  The pride young pianists take in seeing their own work printed out gives them confidence to take leading roles in school composing activities, and the fact that composing is an activity that is often done in collaboration with others (Wright,2002), offers opportunities for work in company for the often solitary young pianist.  However, I fear that group-based composing activities are unlikely to uncover a technical training need and ill-equipped to meet it. 

Composing one:one as an integral part of instrumental training has other advantages too.  Social dynamics, and the fact that members of the group may be developing very differently as musicians, will effect the ways individuals can realize their objectives in school.  Individual instrumental lessons can focus on where the child is on the spiral for a given genre.  Later in their careers it will be individual achievement that is measured; early experience of ownership, self-criticism, and having no group members to hide behind, coat-tail or blame could be invaluable.

To summarise, it is the noticing of musical elements, the establishing of a broad compositional context, and questioning the students on all their decisions, that are key to teaching composition positively.

 

Bibliography

Barenboim, D (2006) In the beginning was sound, Reith lectures 2006, transcript available on-line at http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/reith2006/lecture1.shtml  (accessed 23/04/06)

Barnes, J. (2001) ‘Creativity and Composition in Music’, in C. Philpott and C. Plummeridge (eds) Issues in Music Teaching London: Routledge

Barnes, J. (2001) ‘Composition and Creativity’ Lecture notes, available on-line at http://www.ucan.tv/  (accessed 23/04/06).

Bunting, T. (2002) ‘The place of composing in the music curriculum’, in Gary Spruce (ed.) Teaching Music in Secondary Schools, London: Routledge Farmer with the Open University

Davies, C. (1986).  Say it 'til a song comes (reflections on songs invented by children 3-13).  British Journal of Music Education, 3(3), 279-293

Hallam, Susan (1998) Instrumental teaching: A practical guide to better teaching and learning, Oxford: Heinemann

Mills, J. (2002) ‘Musical development in the primary years’, in Gary Spruce (ed.) Teaching Music in Secondary Schools, London: Routledge Farmer with the Open University

Odam, G. (1995) The Sounding Symbol: Music education in Action Cheltenham: Nelson Thornes

Lamont, A. (2002) ‘Musical psychology and the secondary music teacher’ in Gary Spruce (ed.) Teaching Music in Secondary Schools, London: Routledge Farmer with the Open University

Savage, J. (2000) ‘Approaches to composition with Music Technology in the Key stage 3 and 4 curriculum’, on-line at http://www.music-journal.com/english/htm/musunt/approach/text.pdf (accessed 29/04/06)

Savage, J. and Challis, M. (2006) A Digital Arts Curriculum? Practical ways forward, on-line at http://www.ucan.tv/ (accessed 23/04/06)

Swanwick, K. (2002) ‘Instrumental Teaching as Music Teaching’, in Gary Spruce (ed.) Teaching Music in Secondary Schools, London: Routledge Farmer with the Open University

Swanwick, K. and Tillman, J. (1986) ‘The sequence of musical development: a study of children’s composition’, British Journal of Music Education, 3(3)

Walker, R. (2002) ‘In search of children’s musical imagination’ in Gary Spruce (ed.) Teaching Music in Secondary Schools, London: Routledge Farmer with the Open University

Webster, P. (1998) ‘Creative thinking and music education’, Design for Arts in Education 89(5)

Wright, P. ‘ICT and the music curriculum’ in Gary Spruce (ed.) Teaching Music in Secondary Schools, London: Routledge Farmer with the Open University