THERE ARE MANY WAYS composers get started on a composition. Some plan the whole work in a very rough sketch, because it is important to get the pace and balance of a work right.
It’s like telling a story. If the story is to have a good ending it must also have the right beginning for the end to be effective. Imagine telling a joke by starting with the punch-line – it would make no sense. And what happens when someone pips you to the post with the punch-line? The joke is ruined.
A composer writing a piece of music usually has something similar in mind. Where the music's different elements start and finish make a big difference to the impact they have.
That’s why many composers begin with an overall plan, and in some cases compose something in the middle first.
David Horne explains how he goes about composing a piece of music.
