I'm making an instructional series on /r/Counterpoint to help get people started on species counterpoint and hopefully demystify some of the process. Counterpoint is one of best ways to hone your compositional skills and to learn how to use melody.

To that end, I present to you a thread I put together discussing what a cantus firmus is and how to write one. Many counterpoint resources start you off straight away with writing two-voice textures, but learning to write for a single voice is a great way to work on handling melodic dissonance and balancing phrasing. I hope you find it useful, and feel free to drop your attempts in the comments. I'll try to evaluate them for you.

Hi I've posted my first midi mockup onto YouTube please like and comment any feedback
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZoGiNRa8Ag

Hey everyone! With Black Friday discounts kicking off, I'm looking to invest in my first orchestral library. I’ve narrowed it down to BBC Core (currently €314) and Nucleus (around €225). I’d really appreciate your advice because my budget is tight, and I can only afford one library for now.

Here’s a bit about my setup and style:

I use a MacBook Air with a 500GB hard drive, so storage space is limited (I ruled out Spitfire Symphony Orchestra for this reason).

My music leans more towards rock/darkwave orchestral, but I also compose string quartets or strings + solo pieces with a classical vibe.

Why I’m torn:

Nucleus:

Includes both solos and ensembles, which is great for my needs.

However, I don’t compose much epic cinematic music, so I’m unsure if its sound fits my style.

BBC Core:

The sound is clean and classical, which I like.

It’s more expensive than Nucleus (a bit more than my budget) and lacks string solos, so I might need to invest in another library later.

Based on my needs and preferences, which one do you think would be a better fit? Would I regret going with Nucleus, or is BBC Core worth stretching my budget?

Thanks in advance for your insights! 😊

I'm writing something using an octatonic scale (C C# D# E F# G A Bb) and there are some cases where, for example, I'm not sure whether it's best to put down the note a half step above F as F# or as Gb. If it's coming right after a G natural I'll probably call it F#, but it's not always this easy in an eight-note scale. Can anyone recommend any guidelines for this?

I searched online for composition competitions. Of what I could find, most of them require an entry free. Are there any free composition competitions that are currently open for submissions? It's one way to gauge my skills.

Hi,

Im trying to compose some of the late 70's style song. Like this one.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXzuQH_I7WM&ab_channel=KateBush-Topic

Only piano no arrangement yet here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iPVA7_mXKsQ&ab_channel=ABCLibrarySales

I'm trying to compose for a project that's really close to my heart. We're talking about the late 70's and early 80's, and Kate Bush's work in particular.

I've linked two videos of the same title. I can't figure out how it was composed.

Was the first step the melody or the chords?

What does it mean for the rest of my composition to start with one or the other?

What's the relationship between the intervals of the verses and those of the chorus?

How could I manage (with a lot of work, I admit) to compose something so deep and touching in this style (or any Kate styles song??

Are there any identifiable compositional techniques I could learn from this?

I really want to learn to compose in this sense.

If Anyone can help me with that i would grateful forever!

Hi, everyone. I am looking for notation software to meet some specific needs. I am trying to notate music. The biggest problem I run into is the fact that most easily accessible software presupposes the need of a time signature and automatically places bar ends accordingly. However, the style of chant that I am notating does not use a time signature. Is there musical notation software that allows me to ignore time signatures and fully customize the placement of bar ends? Thanks for your help!

Hello, folks-

A high school student is asking me for some guidance on finding an undergrad composition program in the US. I've been out of the University system for nearly 20 years, so my info is for sure a bit outdated and I could use your thoughts on which programs are worth looking into these days. Plus, I feel like this could be a very useful post for people seeking out such information.

Much appreciated!

I’m going to invest in a good string library for use in my music. Any recommendations? I was checking out Cremona Quartet, very expensive, but I thought demos sounded great. Everyone seems to not rate it though. I also checked out Spitfire Appassionata strings but they sound more orchestral/cinematic from the demos I heard.

Hello fellow musicians and music lovers,

I am an 16 years old composer and I’ve recently finished writing a Sonata in C# minor, dedicated to Rachmaninoff, and I’d love to get some ears on it! If anyone is up for giving it a listen and sharing their thoughts or feedback, I’d really appreciate it. Anything from the composition itself to ideas on performance would be super helpful.

And if someone feels inspired to perform it, that would be amazing! I’m open to chatting about that as well, and we could definitely figure something out if it resonates with you.

Feel free to reach out if you’re interested, or if you know someone who might be. Can’t wait to hear what you think!

I Wrote a Sonata for Rach (Sonata Quasi Una Fantasia in cis moll) - CelvinPiano https://youtu.be/jE4mzqkKmK0

Best, Celvin

Shadow Fight Rescore

Hey everyone I would love your thoughts, tips and analysis on this rescore I did for shadow fight's trailer. I did the music, sound design and mxing with sfx for this one. I want to know where I can improve, what are my strengths and whether I am able to give justice to the scenes or not and if not then how can I approach it better. I am excited to hear from you guys! Also if this is good should I create a tutorial video of this work, is it good enough?