Dr Justin Wildridge

The idea that music and language are closely related is not a new one although Stravinsky is supposed to have claimed that “music by its … Read more

Are these two areas of music completely separate, or are they impossible to untangle? Is it possible to compose without any knowledge of music theory … Read more

Perhaps the greatest difference between contemporary composition and the world of the classical composer is technology. While the young Mozart honed his playing and performing … Read more

If you ask any enthusiast about the subject they adore, the likely response is going to be an effusive one. Whether this is a lifelong … Read more

The piano has been an established musical instrument in homes and concert halls around the world for decades. It is popular because of its accessibility … Read more

Perhaps I could begin by saying that there is no single, right way to compose your own music. Nothing other than your ambitions dictates how … Read more

In many respects, there are no hard and fast rules that dictate how you compose music. You certainly do not need to have formally studied … Read more

The word ‘diatonic’ can be used to describe both scales and harmony. Scales are considered to be a series of single notes moving either up … Read more

Musical Composition for Beginners Musical composition is a slightly odd area of musical study in as much as it usually requires a method of notation … Read more

It is not uncommon to see images of composers of the past sitting proudly beside their harpsichords, organs or pianos with manuscript paper littered around … Read more

In my experience, as a performing musician and especially as a composer, it is almost impossible not to draw some inspiration from the sounds of … Read more

The idea of many tonal pieces of music, or compositions that are written in a given ‘key’, is for the composer to ‘modulate’ during the … Read more

This question is one that could be asked of many instruments and the answer is almost always another question. To what standard? The piano, as … Read more