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Musical Composition: Craft and Art
An invaluable introduction to the art and craft of musical composition from a distinguished teacher and composer
This essential introduction to the art and craft of musical composition is designed to familiarize beginning composers with principles and techniques applicable to a broad range of musical styles, from concert pieces to film scores and video game music. The first of its kind to utilize a style-neutral approach, in addition to presenting the commonly known classical forms, this book offers invaluable general guidance on developing and connecting musical ideas, building to a climax, and other fundamental formal principles. It is designed for both classroom use and independent study.
This essential introduction to the art and craft of musical composition is designed to familiarize beginning composers with principles and techniques applicable to a broad range of musical styles, from concert pieces to film scores and video game music. The first of its kind to utilize a style-neutral approach, in addition to presenting the commonly known classical forms, this book offers invaluable general guidance on developing and connecting musical ideas, building to a climax, and other fundamental formal principles. It is designed for both classroom use and independent study.
- GenresMusicNonfictionReference
252 pages, Paperback
First published June 19, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
April 1, 2020
Musical Composition: Craft and Art, by Alan Belkin, is a useful book for readers at the right level. It's aimed at relative beginners, but those who take the art of music composition seriously, have a foundation in music theory, and have already done a certain amount of composing, even if it's been totally by seat-of-the-pants intuition.
By way of background: Although I have not composed anything in a long time, I was a composer in my younger years. Today I still listen to a great deal of music and am particularly fond of doing so with a score in front of me, something I learned to do as a young child from my conductor father and have never lost the taste for. I'm endlessly fascinated by the connection between what I hear musicians playing and what I see that composers have written. I'm sure this interest is what drove me to start composing music around junior high school age and to become a composer. (It's what I studied in school.) In time, to make a living I learned the craft of music engraving, which I practiced for twenty years (before the days when notation software took over).
Belkin's book claims to be style independent. To a degree, this is true, but it draws on concepts, values, and techniques that have grown out of the standard classical repertoire since its earliest times. Therefore, he discusses such ideas as motives, phrases, themes, tonality, harmonic changes, variation and development of ideas, contrasts, textures, timbres, and formal structure based on repeated material, all of which is perfectly fine for most music, whether you are writing a three-chord folk song or a multi-movement work for chorus, soloists, and full orchestra. That there are exceptions to everything is more-or-less assumed to the extent that it's not necessary to do more than acknowledge it.
Anyone whose music steps beyond the bounds covered by Belkin's book is either someone who has no clue what he's doing and could probably make use of some basic guidelines in the craft of composition, or else he is a profoundly original artist with a personal vision, one who has little use for a book of this type. You must decide for yourself which type you are.
All I can recommend is that if you have aspirations to be a composer, Musical Composition will teach or remind you much about the craft of composition. The artistic part -- that's up to you to provide.
By way of background: Although I have not composed anything in a long time, I was a composer in my younger years. Today I still listen to a great deal of music and am particularly fond of doing so with a score in front of me, something I learned to do as a young child from my conductor father and have never lost the taste for. I'm endlessly fascinated by the connection between what I hear musicians playing and what I see that composers have written. I'm sure this interest is what drove me to start composing music around junior high school age and to become a composer. (It's what I studied in school.) In time, to make a living I learned the craft of music engraving, which I practiced for twenty years (before the days when notation software took over).
Belkin's book claims to be style independent. To a degree, this is true, but it draws on concepts, values, and techniques that have grown out of the standard classical repertoire since its earliest times. Therefore, he discusses such ideas as motives, phrases, themes, tonality, harmonic changes, variation and development of ideas, contrasts, textures, timbres, and formal structure based on repeated material, all of which is perfectly fine for most music, whether you are writing a three-chord folk song or a multi-movement work for chorus, soloists, and full orchestra. That there are exceptions to everything is more-or-less assumed to the extent that it's not necessary to do more than acknowledge it.
Anyone whose music steps beyond the bounds covered by Belkin's book is either someone who has no clue what he's doing and could probably make use of some basic guidelines in the craft of composition, or else he is a profoundly original artist with a personal vision, one who has little use for a book of this type. You must decide for yourself which type you are.
All I can recommend is that if you have aspirations to be a composer, Musical Composition will teach or remind you much about the craft of composition. The artistic part -- that's up to you to provide.
November 19, 2018
Excellent. I'm a professional composer and this book gave me insights and perspectives I hadn't considered before.
April 27, 2022
More technical and classical composition than informal or contemporary, but still a helpful read!
June 9, 2020
A great overview on compositional techniques! This textbook is nice because it can be applicable to all composers, no matter the genre they are wanting to compose in.
February 15, 2025
Excellent read for anyone interested in the art of music composition. The truth is this book isn't designed for beginners, as there is plenty of advanced jargon in terms of harmony, rhythm and form. Rather, it seems to be aimed at composers who already know the fundamentals of music but seek to hone their craft.
This material is also meant to be read carefully, listening to the numerous examples provided, as well as working on the exercises suggested by the author at the end of each chapter.
As a musician, this made me feel inspired to keep learning and exploring new possibilities. It also made me reflect on my past compositions.
This material is also meant to be read carefully, listening to the numerous examples provided, as well as working on the exercises suggested by the author at the end of each chapter.
As a musician, this made me feel inspired to keep learning and exploring new possibilities. It also made me reflect on my past compositions.
November 29, 2025
This book helped turn composition from "completely mysterious" into "that seems like something I could do." Much more actionable than most of the texts I've read on the topic, especially the appendix on sketching. Strongly recommended.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews