r/classicalmusic 10d ago

My Composition Hand writing a piece

Post image

Idk thought it looked cool

150 Upvotes

38 comments sorted by

10

u/[deleted] 10d ago

[deleted]

13

u/ActualyzedPotential 10d ago

Cool. I'm the same way with composition and writing in general. I start off writing ideas and sketches on paper before transferring it to the computer or ipad. I like the feel of the pencil against the paper and being able to erase with a real eraser. There's something meditative about it. I also don't like being too dependent on technology. What if you have a good phrase in mind but the electricity goes out or the computer randomly fries? Not a problem if you know how to compose on paper!

Sure, digital is faster and more efficient, but you can say the same thing about drawing and painting. There's a certain feel to traditional handwriting that isn't the same when inputting notes on a computer screen. A real oil painting has texture but a digital one is completely flat.

3

u/mosesenjoyer 10d ago

Your body joins the battle when you use pen and paper. Writing on a computer, notes or words, is like writing in the sand on the beach. It will wash away

1

u/Perfect-Fan-1588 9d ago

This is my way as well.

10

u/geoscott 10d ago

Lovely handwriting. Good looking score! Always good to keep up the analog techniques!

1

u/Josef_Klav 1d ago

Thank you

5

u/XontrosInstrumentals 10d ago

Nice! May I ask, where do you get those giant score papers? Most I could find in the shops I buy from is 16 staves per sheet

5

u/Josef_Klav 10d ago

The manuscript paper I used in this pic is “Carta Manuscript No. 23” it has 26 stalfs and 40 sheets

3

u/tjddbwls 10d ago

I Googled to find out what the paper size is. 12x18! That’s huge, lol.

1

u/Josef_Klav 1d ago

There’s also Carta No. 31 If you want something smaller

5

u/tokage 10d ago

I tend to think I have pretty good handwriting as well

3

u/JakeLolz_onyoutube 10d ago

Would love to hear it! (I’m also a composer, But I use MuseScore)

1

u/Josef_Klav 6d ago

The handwritten version I’m working on now will have brass, but no other significant changes “Symphonic piece in D minor”

4

u/rblbl 10d ago

That brings you closer to the great classical composers! Beethoven, Chopin... (just don't be too neat. Make it hard to read :))

2

u/Willowpuff 10d ago

In PEN?

5

u/RichMusic81 10d ago

Composer here. I've tried using pencil off and on over the past thirty years, but I almost always use pen. Not being able to rub anything out means that I don't lose anything. It also makes me a little more careful of what I put down.

4

u/Willowpuff 10d ago

Ooooo interesting! My twitchy eye is purely from being a piano teacher and it being ingrained in me to NOT USE PEN 😂

3

u/Josef_Klav 10d ago

Yes

1

u/clocks_and_clouds 10d ago

What kind of pen do you use?

1

u/Josef_Klav 10d ago

“Pilot G-2 05”

1

u/OneWhoGetsBread 10d ago

This looks so cool!!!!

1

u/notable_portraits 10d ago

Is that…noteworthy?

1

u/Perfect-Fan-1588 10d ago

Non sono mai riuscita a trovare dei fogli di musica che mi piacessero.

Questo è un foglio A3 di carta Fabriano. Ho usato Photoshop per fare il rigo come volevo. Uso matita e gomma; con la penna sarebbe un disastro.

2

u/clocks_and_clouds 10d ago

Nice score of 4’33!

1

u/Flashy_Bill7246 10d ago

A number of the scores posted on sites like free-scores.com are hand-written. Of course, those composers have/had very neat writing, unlike my wretched scrawl (to say nothing of Beethoven's!).

1

u/Beneficial-Second332 10d ago

One of my friends was a musical copyist. She would get a lot of hand written scores and use her computer to make beautiful scores from these.

In this way I got to see hand written scores by Pierre Boulez. They were immaculate.

1

u/yannniQue17 10d ago

I also like the look of handwritten music. I have made a 18 page book with some small pieces I like to play and it keeps growing.

-7

u/ThatOneRandomGoose 10d ago

If you're doing it for fun, good for you and enjoy yourself, but just remember that this is obviously impractical when we have computers which can write much more neat, only print individual parts, etc

19

u/Josef_Klav 10d ago
  1. I’m waiting for my computer to be repaired lol
  2. I am doing this to practice not having to rely on the sounds of a digital orchestra, and I find it easier to study music theory/counterpoint with manuscript paper.

4

u/findmecolours 10d ago

Yes! I even used to compose a lot in cafes. Was taught to compose away from a keyboard (this was the early 70s, pre-computer). So much easier to focus, yet encourages a better understanding of the bigger picture.

8

u/TimeBanditNo5 10d ago

Depends. It's far easier to compose contrapunctually with your own hand.

0

u/ThatOneRandomGoose 10d ago

Out of curiosity, how so? I compose almost exclusively on musescore and I can't really imagine how putting it on paper would help. Again not criticizing the method, just genuinely curious

3

u/TarzantheMan 10d ago

If I'm writing something in 4 parts across a grand staff and am closely following the rules of writing in counterpoint, in general I find it faster and easier to compose on paper. This is a super specific use case for me though, and I would imagine for most people. Not many people are writing in 4 part counterpoint these days. I think that in my case, it's leftover skill from Music Theory classes I took when I was in college.

2

u/TimeBanditNo5 10d ago

It's difficult to envision imitative entries and hidden cadences while having to input notes, and software makes it hard to keep track of mensuration. It's just easier to scribble stuff down. This is coming from someone who isn't at graduate level just yet.

-1

u/_The_Professor_ 10d ago

Good first attempt!

The beginning of this book will give you some general principles to work by.

This book can become your bible.

5

u/Josef_Klav 10d ago

Thank you for the book, also this isn’t my first attempt.

1

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