Piano Lesson: Compose And Become A Better Pianist

Everyone can compose sheet music! You have to start where you are and anyone can do that. You can create your own compositions for piano! Let's see why you should!

Where can you start?

Maybe you find it difficult to notate sheet music. Well, you don't have to notate your music. You can record the things you do with a digital recording equipment, maybe your computer or a tape recorder.

But if you want to use sheet music? What can you do?

Let me suggest that you start by writing for piano beginners. Sheet music for piano beginners have to be very simple. Few notes and very easy rhythms. This is the place where you fit in!

If you start to write piano sheet music for beginners in progressive order you will also learn to write sheet music in progressive order. Smart idea, isn't it!

But..., what benefits are there in writing and composing piano sheet music for your own piano playing?

Here are some of my own thoughts:

1. You own endeavors to create piano compositions will make you more aware of other composers music. Questions will arise in your mind on how to notate the things in your mind and how to arrange and so on. These questions will be in your mind and make you more aware of how other composers have written and notated their music.

You will probably look at other composers musical notation with fresh eyes trying to learn how professional composers write.

2. As you compose you will become more and more sensitive to intrinsic musical subtleties in your own music as well as in other composers music.

3. Gradually you will start to think and feel more like a composer. This will help you become a better performer as well. You will respect other composers music more, trying to convey their hearts intent to your public.

4. As you train your creative muscles by composing they will also help you as you perform piano music. Both performing and composing are creative processes requiring your heart.

5. You will become a better sight reader by composing piano sheet music. Many years ago I had an assignment to write sheet music to a musical. I encountered not a few notational problems. Problems I had not as yet solved for myself.

Afterwards I started to play piano sheet music again. To my astonishment I realized I had developed as a sight reader.

My own conclusion was that my concentrated efforts to notate my piano compositions also was a course in sight reading.

I realized I had experienced a reversed sight reading exercise by composing music with my fingers on the piano keyboard and then trying to notate the music on manuscript paper.

Do you have to buy manuscript paper?

Well, no! To notate sheet music does not need to be expensive. You can use an ordinary pencil and ordinary white paper. Sometimes I use this equipment when I have nothing else at hand. I write five lines, one bar at a time, as I compose. It works!

The musical ideas I jot down this way I can easily work more with in my notational software program on my computer later on.

To compose and write piano sheet music can be a part of your daily piano practice. Spending half an hour with piano composing, making your own piano exercices and more can increase your awareness of music and help you become a better pianist and musician.