Here’s one of my favorite methods for quickly blocking out entire sections of music and creating a complete piano composition.

First you need to draw out 8-bars on a piece of paper. I use 8-bars first because it’s a relatively small space to “fill up” quickly. You don’t have to use notation paper. Any paper will do. In fact, I use a spiral bound notebook with blank pages. I just write out 8-bars and voila, I’ve jotted down what will become a section of music.

Now, here’s the interesting part. Most composers start with the melody line first. Nothing wrong with this. But if you really want to zap out a section quickly, start with the chord changes. Why? Because you can block out bars of music faster. Here’s what I mean.

Say you want to create something in the Key of F Major. Great. Now we know that we have at least 6 chords to work with. By using just 3 chords, we can block out our 8-bars. How? Look… Say we have the F Major 7 chord for the first 4 bars, then comes B flat Major for 2-bars and C 7 for the last 2-bars. We have now created a chord progression and charted it out. You can do this in under a minute. I swear it! It’s that easy. Now all you have to do is decide upon the kind of arrangement you’ll create for these chords.

It might be arpeggios, block chords, open position chords… whatever. The point here is that by using chords, you can map out a harmonic territory. Now you can either create a melody using these chords, or keep it entirely textural. It’s up to you! Try it.

By: Edward Weiss

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Everyday we are bombarded with noise. From the roar of a jet overhead to car horns honking while we sit in a traffic jam, we live in a world of noise and stress. How crucial it is, then, to find an outlet to relax our bodies and minds. For some, this might mean listening to the delicate and dreamy sounds of an inlaid music box, enjoying the notes from a gorgeous musical jewelry box, or relaxing while a small twirling ballerina spins in a ballerina music box. For others, it might mean creating their own special music box. When it comes to making a music box, there are certain considerations that need to be thought through. These are choosing a title for the music box, assessing one’s creative ability, and choosing a musical movement.

Music Box Title

Choosing a title for a music box is simple. One can use the songs that were used for the musical movement or just choose a favorite song that will go along with the music box’s theme. There is no right or wrong way for this; just choose a title that you love.

Levels of Ability

Anyone can make a music box. There are music boxes that are very simple to make, some are more challenging, and others can be quite difficult. Just choose to make one whose instructions you can easily follow based on your ability.

Decorative Accessories

This is the fun part of music box making. Many accessories can be found at craft stores such as Michael’s, Ben Franklin’s, Joann Fabrics, or your local Wal-Mart or craft store. It really doesn’t matter where the accessories come from. Just have fun with it!

Musical Movements

Musical movements can be found at craft stores as well. At times, since musical movement accessories can be difficult to find, some ceramic shops can order the accessories for you. Another important thing to consider is that different manufacturers of musical movements and accessories make their own models for producing parts. So, make sure that all parts are in good working order before putting a music box together.

Musical boxes have a way of relaxing us and causing us to dream of days long past. Whether it’s an inlaid music box, musical jewelry box, or ballerina music box, they are the perfect escape. Creating one of your own is very special as well. Why not take take some time out and begin right now?

Copyright 2006 Monique Hawkins

By: Monique Hawkins

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