I want to make some orchestral inspired tracks but I dont really know how to make proper orchestral music. I just want a guide on how to pick the write instruments, how to structure the whole track, how to transition between different sections of the track, how to layer all the instruments, how to use each instrument properly, etc..

Any help or tips will help!

Thanks!

Any recommendations of books or other resources for learning to compose long form music? (symphonic poem, etc)

More so in the context of classical music, how fo you write melodies to free verse poetry? With “normal” poetry it’s way easier - the direction of the piece, form, harmony sort of speaks for itself and makes composing the melody, if not easy, then way easier.

With free verse, it seems impossible to do (myself). I can find a rhythm but the text of the poetry itself is too long and dense usually to find any melody. But what I mean by myself, is that composers such as Whitacre and Esenvalds turned free verse texts similar to what I have previously described into amazing pieces of music.

Is this just a thing of practicing writing melodies with shorter, more “normal” poems over and over again, until you have built up enough experience to approach bigger works, or is there any trick to it?

I am applying to college soon and I want to work on a piano composition soon. I finished reading sposobin and I am interested to learn more beyond that. I have three books in consideration , schoenberg theory of harmony, one about neo Riemann theory and one about french harmony. Id like to know whats the difference between those and what would be a good place to start

Basically the title, but essentially I am trying to migrate my scores to a different program after using Musescore for years. I had always stuck with Musescore out of familiarity and the fact that it's free, but I've sort of out grown it and I'm ready to switch. I am switching for the following reasons:

1. I do not want to continue to use Musescore due to their involvement with Cantai and their generally questionable business practices.

2. I want to improve the engraving of my scores now that I am more consistently getting work. Fighting Musescore while trying to make my sheet music look good is tedious and infuriating.

3. I need more consistent and higher quality playback. Musescore is giving me a lot of playback issues, especially from the brass sections of my larger ensemble pieces. I am starting to write more frequently for orchestras and I'm tired of Musescore's brass sounds and their bizarre timbre changes at different dynamics, not to mention the fact that instruments will randomly stop and start their playback if there are a lot of them.

Truth be told I am super unfamiliar with the world of notation software outside of Musescore and knowing names like Finale and Sibelius but never having used them. I've been composing and arranging for over a decade now and I feel ready to upgrade my software but I have no idea where to begin. I have dabbled in Logic Pro but have found it much more suited to recording/producing than notating a score. What do you think of your software? Any tips on something to look into?

TLDR, I'm unfamiliar with much of the world of notation software and I'm looking for something as AI-free as possible that provides professional engraving and consistent, quality playback. Any tips?

Hello, I am finishing my last year of school for Composition (in the U.S) and I am trying to figure out what to do next. My dream job my whole life has been to write music for media. I have very little experience in actually writing for films or scoring to video and working in DAW’s. I have a ton of experience writing in music notation softwares and writing for real musicians.

I’m an intermediate composer and definitely have a lot to learn which is why I want to pursue a further education. My idea while looking into programs was just to go get a doctorate and teach at the college level while composing on the side just so I had a steady job. But I also realized that it may be smart to try and achieve my dream. So now I’m having to decide as I want to go straight from under grad to graduate.

So one of my questions is what steps would I take if I wanted to go the video game or movie composer route? What type of graduate programs would I want to do in order to learn and gain experience for that.

Now if I wanted to teach at the college level, is it better to just get a masters first? Or just do the full doctorate from the start?

Wrote a short programmatic piece based off a poem from Emily Bronte of the same name

Hope you enjoy [it's a score video so no need to append a score, but i'll give a link to my IMSLP anyways]

Score)

"Spellbound" for guitar

Looking for feedback on a piece i recently finished that's a part of a larger suite about chess pieces. Sometimes I can have a hard time gauging how difficult a piece I write is-being that it's usually beyond my level. I'm pretty sure this one is ok but there are some parts where i'm not too sure if its far more difficult than I'm aware of.
https://youtu.be/r4GHn20pc3o
Sheet: https://musescore.com/user/28069499/scores/35731757?share=copy_link

Im trying to compose music for a scene where a ship is (in this order) sailing through a large storm whilst trying to fend off a kraken, but then encountering [insert scary name here] which is a whirlpool/maelstrom that sits somewhere around 3km wide (1.85 miles) and having to try to sail around it. the song needs an extremely fast violin tune (the genre is a form symphonic metal)

Im looking for tunes, chords, melodies, or just anything in general that is associated with and/or used for scenes centred around these things.

if any of you know some, itd be an absolute lifesaver

Hi everyone,

I’m looking for an experienced composer who is available to start right away to create the original score for my independent psychological horror feature film, Daniel, the Goodboy.

The film is 1 hour and 26 minutes long and blends surrealism, magical realism and modern-day fantasy. It isn’t strictly a horror film, but it carries a dark, unsettling atmosphere.

I’m looking for music that feels timeless—something that doesn’t clearly belong to a particular decade or era. The score should work as a subtle but powerful layer beneath the film, flowing through the subconscious of the audience rather than constantly demanding their attention.

I have used ambient music as temp music because it captured the timeless quality I’m looking for, but the final score does not necessarily need to be ambient.

To explain the film, its musical direction and exactly what I’m looking for from a composer, I’ve created an instructional breakdown video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t51hP2UklPc

Absolutely no AI-generated music. Please do not apply if you use AI to create music. I cannot associate this project with AI-generated music.

I’m looking for someone who:

• Has experience composing music.
• Has a strong understanding of atmosphere and restraint.
• Can create music that feels timeless rather than noticeably contemporary.
• Communicates well and is open to working collaboratively.
• Can take feedback while also bringing their own artistic instincts to the film.
• Is available to begin working on the project soon.

Payment: After watching the breakdown video and understanding the scope of the project, please provide a quote for what you believe would be fair.

Timeline: I’m looking for someone who can start right away, but the overall timeline is flexible. I would like the score completed by January 1, 2027. Quality and finding the right person are more important to me than speed.

If you’re interested, please email me at [mrbearsproductions@gmail.com](mailto:mrbearsproductions@gmail.com) with:

• Examples of your previous work, if available.
• Your quote after watching the video.
• A little about your creative process and experience composing music.
• Your current availability.

Thanks!

Alex Ibarra
Writer and director of Daniel, the Goodboy

Hi all :)

This is my latest composition - Waltz No. 2 in C minor and I'm quite proud of it, although it's obviously not perfect.

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/16guZDBcd02l6Ue4vtePh1KR4a2WHeOXh?usp=sharing

In the drive should be a PDF file containing the score and a video file which has the audio play along to the score.

The main critique for my last post was the lack of a consistent rhythm creating ambiguity. I've returned to the waltz form to practice more with a consistent, simple and otherwise traditional rhythmic structure.

The waltz is in rondo form. It was a form I'd never attempted before, but I decided the piece was still too short once I'd finished the original ternary, and so I edited the ending and added another section before returning to the original melody and ending.

I'm still a beginner so any feedback is appreciated.

Hope you enjoy :)

if no why, if yes why... i started this when i was a begginer, and finished it recently, i dont know what to think about it, it can feel really random, maybe even too long, here is the free full score: https://musescore.com/user/98567428/scores/37152512?share=copy_link

I am not English native speaker, please forgive my grammar mistake.

I study math on college and not a music student,compose piano for fun in 1 year, using Cubase.

Here's problem.

1. How to engage new material smoothly? when I use new material, often feel not good and sound strange.

2. How to write Polyphony validly on two hand? For example: chord, melody1, melody2, how to write so that two hands can play?

3.What is a reasonable and musically pleasing tempo for a piece that is both enjoyable and playable? For example, is 130 bpm, in 4/4 time, with four consecutive bars of sixteenth notes, a feasible and pleasing option? What about 180 bpm?

I will appreciate it if you can give me advice, and reply every valuable comment

Hello! I’m planning to apply to college in 2027 to study film scoring or music composition, and I’ve recently started working on my applications. I’m currently trying to figure out how I should approach my top choices and would really appreciate some advice from people familiar with these programs or the industry. My three top schools right now are Berklee College of Music, NYU, and USC. I’m definitely open to other schools but these are the three that have stood out to me the most so far.

My main dilemma is between NYU and USC. NYU offers Early Decision, and I’m considering applying ED because I would genuinely be very happy attending NYU. However, since ED is binding, I’m worried about committing to NYU and potentially giving up the chance to attend USC. From what I’ve read online, a lot of people seem to recommend USC for film scoring because of its location in LA, connections to the film industry, and potential networking/job opportunities. USC is probably the school I’m most excited about for those reasons, but I also feel like my chances of getting accepted there may be lower.

So I’m stuck between applying ED to NYU, which I would still be very excited to attend, or not applying ED anywhere and taking my chances with USC, NYU, and Berklee during the regular application process. For anyone studying film scoring/composition or working in the industry: how significant is the difference between USC, NYU, and Berklee? Is USC’s location in LA actually a major advantage for someone who wants to score films? (Price is fortunately not a problem for me.)

I'm also open to other recommendations. Thank you!

Aristocrat is hiring a sound designer in Reno at $70,000–$130,000, and the composition requirement is the part worth reading twice: Chinese, Japanese, Caribbean, Mariachi, Middle Eastern, African, Indian, Native American, European folk, epic fantasy and vintage American 50s-60s. The bar is five years on a professional DAW and proficiency on an instrument. The role also carries mandatory background screening, with fingerprinting and gaming-regulator licences possible depending on jurisdiction.

Also in this issue:

• Aristocrat hiring for the same discipline in Gurugram, at five or more years of music composition experience, with no rate stated
• $150 for roughly ninety seconds of trailer score, briefed as 90s tracker music
• A light horror multiplayer game after around seven tracks and cues, including dynamic music that builds when a player is chased
• A fifteen-minute action comedy that wants action scoring and comedic timing in the same reel
• A fantasy short about late-stage dementia, drawn from personal experience, whose director is replacing a composer they could not agree with on tone

Eleven CastingCall.club listings named a rate this week, from $10 to $500, and not one made the issue: four were audio roles with no music in them, four were rates that did not survive the scope attached to them, and three were gone before I could publish them.

https://composerwire.substack.com/p/013-6-opportunities-this-week-including

Free to subscribe at the link above.

I would appreciate feedback on my String Quartet No. 4. Links below. Scores are displayed in the MP4 files.

Thank you for your time and feedback.

String Quartet No. 4 - Movement 1 - "The Music Box"

String Quartet No. 4 - Mvmt 2 - "The Photo Album"

String Quartet No. 4 - Mvmt 3 - "Memory Lane"

String Quartet No. 4 - Mvmt 4 - "Ticket Stubs"

Hey everyone!

I’m a musician and arranger, and I’ve recently started wanting to move more seriously from arranging existing music to composing my own original music.

A little bit about my background: I’ve been a musician for several years, and for roughly the past three years I’ve been focusing quite heavily on arranging video game and film music. I’ve worked on arrangements ranging from small chamber ensembles to much larger combinations of orchestra, choir and electric instruments — my most recent project, for example, was an arrangement of The Electro Suite by Hans Zimmer.

So while I’m still relatively young as a composer/arranger, I’m not completely new to music theory, notation, orchestration or working with ensembles. What I’m struggling with now is translating that experience into actual original composition.

And one soundtrack I’d really love to learn from is The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.

What fascinates me isn’t simply the instrumentation or the overall sound. It’s the compositional approach.

I’m particularly interested in things like:

• Sparse piano writing and isolated notes
• The use of silence and space as musical elements
• Very short motifs rather than conventional long melodies
• Repetition and subtle variation
• Relatively simple harmonic material
• Careful use of register, dynamics and timbre
• Creating a strong sense of atmosphere without constantly filling the musical space
• The way the music can feel like part of the environment rather than something constantly happening in the foreground

I’d like to learn how to compose with these principles, rather than simply trying to imitate the surface-level sound of BOTW.

For those of you who compose game/film music, or have studied this kind of writing:

How would you recommend approaching this?

Are there particular composers, pieces, books, techniques or exercises I should study? Would you approach this through minimalism, ambient music, impressionism, contemporary classical music, or something else?

I’d especially love recommendations for practical exercises that could teach me how to write something convincing using very little musical material.

I’m not trying to make a copy of the BOTW soundtrack. I’d like to understand why this kind of music works, and hopefully incorporate some of those ideas into my own musical language.

Any advice, resources or criticism would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

I had to compose for a funeral, is it good? What can I improve? Would it work in an horror rpg environment potentially?

I already made the daw, so don't mind the quality of the sound in the video

This is the link to the song, I'm gonna play it with my church organ:

https://musescore.com/user/73545853/scores/37145879

This is the piano version:

https://musescore.com/user/73545853/scores/37113059

This is my channel if you want to support me:

https://youtube.com/@corola\\_yt?sub\\_confirmation=1

I am not an English native speaker, so please forgive my grammatical errors. I would greatly appreciate it if you could provide specific feedback on the melody, harmony, or other aspects of musical composition.

video:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ngBYt8etAtSeImvqDmNUSgNT5yo4xer7/view?usp=sharing

score:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1fHVOMwq5-Rbcug5aFhccs1xO8E8zTzwe/view?usp=sharing

video old version (is it better or worse?):

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1b1XLcbA8pWR7KwH9PB7GkJx4j5FqKO70/view?usp=sharing

PS:

I'm new to Reddit, English, and music, but I'll reply to every valuable comment. Thanks!

Hello, does anyone using linux (debian) for composing music?

right now i am using debian but i heard vst like kontakt does not works on linux. i am thinking of installing windows 10 because it is much lighter than windows 11 and just works...

my tools i am using reaper / fl studio

ik multimedia tools waves random vst

kontakt 5.6 spitfire bbc orchestra orchestra tools

what do you think?

thanks

howdy!!!!!

okay, some quick background here: i moved up to college some paces ago, and am coming down to see my friends in a couple weeks. i picked up the piano in college, and have been loving it! my friends dont know, so i thought id surprise one of them with a rendition of one of their favorite songs: minds, from the album sinister minds by churgney gurgney. unfortunately, there are two problems here.

1. there is no online sheet music for minds

2. i am still a beginner, so im not great at just figuring it out

obviously it would be nice if the piece was done in a week, but i figure that composition takes a while (idk much about the process), so i can save the surprise for winter break. regardless, i really want to play him this song, and need some sheet music to achieve that. please dm me if you have an offer! i am willing to pay upfront, and will tip nicely. just please, make it beginner friendly 😭

Hey everyone! I’m currently developing an original historical-fiction musical called Aaron Burr: A Careful Man, centered around the life and psychological collapse of Aaron Burr.

The musical follows Burr’s life, political rise, relationship and rivalry with Hamilton, the duel, and the aftermath. I don’t want to portray Burr simply as a hero or villain; I want to explore his psychology and let the audience form their own interpretation of him.

The main themes are restraint, ambition, reputation, legacy, repression, and how the carefulness Burr believes will protect his legacy ultimately contributes to his downfall.

Musically, I’m imagining a darker combination of hip-hop/rap, large orchestral writing, and dense ensemble/choral sections, with the music becoming increasingly chaotic as Burr’s mental and emotional state deteriorates.

I’m currently in the concept and research stage, and I’m looking for help. I am currently developing the core vision, characters, story, and structure, but I’m not an instrumentalist and haven’t started writing the actual songs yet. I’m hoping to find people who can help me develop the musical side of the project, give feedback on the story/structure, and potentially collaborate with me as it develops.

If anyone is interested in helping out or just wants to hear more about the project, please feel free to DM me! It would largely be unpaid.

I have played the violin since I was 4 years old, and I am now 21. After spending 7 years studying at the primary conservatory in my country, my relationship with the instrument became difficult, and I decided to take a sabbatical. During that time, I shifted my focus toward composition. I have always been drawn to symphonic music and avant-garde techniques, so I began teaching myself, experimenting, and eventually completing a few pieces that I was proud of.

In 2025, I enrolled in a university program for Music Composition. Now that I am almost halfway through my undergraduate degree, I feel stuck and uncertain about my path.

While I try to make my university assignments genuinely enjoyable and musical, I constantly feel constrained by my own mind thinking that I cannot even write my ideas well. Most tasks are limited to short miniatures for solo instruments using specific techniques, and I frequently run into a wall where I feel unable to properly translate the ideas in my head onto the page.

At the same time, I feel considerable pressure regarding the financial realities of writing contemporary music and being able to live doing this. I have tried writing more "commercial" styles or genres to broaden my options and do something perhaps more systematic, but it does not feel intuitive at all, and the results always feel plain and empty to me.

Working exclusively with virtual instruments, I feel like I cannot get a real feel for what I'm writing and don't know how to make them sound good. VSTs do not handle extended techniques well, which prevents contemporary works from sounding convincing, while my commercial experiments end up sounding flat without any real life to them since my program doesn't teach me anything about production and what I've learned off YouTube doesn't seem to make it any better.

I worry that I am spending a significant amount of time on something I may not be suited for, or that I simply have not developed enough competence yet to execute my ideas properly or build a clear direction.

Have any of you navigated a similar phase during your studies or composition work? How did you bridge the gap between internal musical ideas, technical execution, and finding your direction as a composer?

TL;DR: 21-year-old violinist and composition student halfway through undergrad. Struggling with restrictive university assignments, difficulty executing musical ideas, poor VST playback, and anxiety about future career viability. Seeking advice and shared experiences from other composers.

edit: I used AI to help with my redaction of this post.