Worry About Structure
Nov. 13, 2022
I’ve found a theme, I’ve found a good photo, and when the first phrase comes up, it’s the most exciting time. “OK, I can make a song.”
However, it is not always possible to make it all the way to the end. In most cases, I have to stop once. Escape from there is when the structure of the song has fixed.
In elementary school music class, I learned that songs have structure – for example, A-A-B-B or A-B-A. When I was taught this, it didn’t matter to me. Because, whatever the structure was, I sang as written in the score. Also, I didn’t think like “Oh this song is nice because it’s A-A-B-B.”
But when I started composing, I realized that I had to decide the structure myself. And I found that I couldn’t keep making phrases unless the song structure was fixed. Let’s take A-A-B-B and A-B-A as examples.
In the case of A-A-B-B, the score is as bellow. The first phrase twice, and the second twice.
The next is A-B-A. This seems to be simpler than A-A-B-B, but it is more difficult structure for composing a song.
The number of phrases to create is 2 for both structures. Why is A-B-A more difficult than A-A-B-B? This is because not only must the phrases A-B connect well, but the order B-A must also connect well. And also A has to be good for ending.
Now imagine that I just have made up the phrase A, and now I’m going to create phrase B. If the structure is A-A-B-B, the phrase B has to be suitable for ending. If A-B-A, I want B to make the phrase A sound impressive when the song goes back to A. So I cannot decide what’s the good phrase for B unless the structure is fixed.
You might think, why not just decide one structure or the other? The trouble is that it is not so easy to do so. If the phrases came out from my hands like as water running out from fountain, I can decide the structure first and create the phrases that fits the structure. But I don’t have such a talent. Thus, I play the phrase B which comes out in the flow from phrase A, and ask myself. “Now, would it be cool to go back to A? or more fitting for end with B?” The answer is often “Both aren’t good.” or “It looks like better this structure, but is it really good?”
So I have to create a number of Bs while wondering how the structure must be, and when the structure is finally fixed is when the whole song is almost fixed. In the process, I try many ideas such as different A or more development to another phrase C.
The effort like this is the fun of composing. When I can’t find a good theme or first phrase, I have to spend days in frustration. But I can really be absorbed in this kind of trial and error.
While trying various attempts, it often becomes a structure like the one below, for example. This is a structure of A-B-A’ made by changing the last measures of the second A.
This structure is easier to compose because it allows A to be suitable for connection to B and A’ to be suitable for ending.
In the case of Dark Window, I made it in the structure of A-A-B-B’-A-B” after many trial and error. You might think B and B’ of this song are not so much differnt, but it’s the result of many trial.
⇒Dark Window: Stuff Notation ↗️
Sometimes I give thematic meaning to the structure. In Shopping Street Seaside, I depicted the souvenir street lined various shops, by connecting very different melodies next to next. It almost doesn’t have a structure, but if I had to write it down, it is A-B-C-D-A.
⇒Shopping Street Seaside: Stuff Notation ↗️
In Waltz of La Seine, I made it in very simple structure. This is the repetition of almost the same phrases, A-A’-A”-A”’. I wanted to express the big city that seems to change everyday but never changes, by continuing the phrases changing nuances little by little.
⇒Waltz of La Seine: Stuff Notation ↗️
However, if there is no special meaning, why should we care about the structure? If the melodies and harmonies are good, isn’t it OK? Yes, I think composition should be free. I don’t want to compose for structure. But why do I consider the structure? That’s because there were hints in the structure that led me to compose better. I will write about it in the next article.
← Start With Photos / Have Own Structures →
Photo by Issay Tsumeki on Upsplash