The ULTIMATE List of Composing Resources
As a composer, I'm always looking for the best resources to improve my craft. I've compiled a list of my favorite resources that help me do just that. This ULTIMATE list will certainly be added to, revised, and updated as I discover more and more resources.
General Resources
International Music Score Library Project (IMSLP) - The premier online resource with thousands of public domain music, scores, etc. A perfect resource for composers and musicians alike for freely accessing the classical repertoire.
The Mutopia Project - Another resource dedicated to free public domain and creative commons classical music. With a smaller library compared to IMSLP, there are little to no ads and (in my opinion), a more straight-forward downloading experience.
The Wind Repertory Project - An in-depth wiki focused on wind/concert band literature. Complete with composer biographies, composition details/backgrounds, program notes, instrumentation, errata, and prices of band sets.
Music Theory/Composition College Teaching Jobs - The holy resource.
forScore - The finest sheet music app for IOS devices. Best if you’re performing or perusing a score.
J.W. Pepper My Score Program - One of the finest self-publishing platforms for composers. Get your music displayed on one of the largest sheet music websites with all of the logistics covered.
PDF Music Binder - The easiest way to create score or part booklets.
Notation
Of Note - Nitty-gritty tips and tricks on notation software (Sibelius, Finale, etc.). Very helpful for getting around non-intuitive nuances of the software.
Behind Bars - A must-buy notation bible. Keep a hard cover version in your composition studio; has helped me a million times over when searching for answering any notation question; complete with examples of common practice, preferable conventions, and avoidable practices. Worth purchasing a hard-copy version for your studio.
Essential Dictionary of Music Notation - A quick and dirty resource. Good for bringing in your bag.
Notation Central - A fine resource for learning about the smallest idiosyncrasies of music notation in today’s music notation software. Complete with an amazing blog, templates, house styles, fonts, and resources for becoming a more professional music preparer/engraver!
Orchestration
The Orchestra: A User's Manual - Giant online resource for learning ranges, technique, and nuances of each instrument sorted by section; complete with audio/video examples.
Orchestration Online - Fascinating YouTube channel with consistent content on specific orchestration tips from standard orchestral repertoire. There is also a great mini-series called "Intro to Orchestration" that gives invaluable advice on making a career as a composer/orchestrator.
DeBreved - A great resource on relevant topics in the film scoring/orchestration world. You can find great information and tips straight from his experience in Hollywood recording studios.
The Idiomatic Orchestra - How to write, well, idiomatically. Very information-heavy, but worth gaining some great orchestration knowledge.
The Study of Orchestration - Samuel Adler's industry-standard orchestration guide for both academia and freelance composers. Worth purchasing a hard-copy version for your studio.
Essential Dictionary of Orchestration - A quick and dirty resource. Good for bringing in your bag.
Instrument Studies for Eyes and Ears - Free resource showing playing techniques of orchestral instruments with video demonstrations. Particularly helpful with string harmonics.
Trombone Glissando Chart - This one’s a bit random, but as a non-brass player, this trombone chart list the possible glissandi on trombone based on the slide positions and partials.
American Band College Music Grading Chart - An easy reference for those writing pedagogical wind band music.
Choir Grading Guidelines - An equivalent chart, but for pedagogical choral music. By yours truly.
Podcasts
Scoring Notes - My new favorite podcast from the folks over at NYC Music Services. They share really interesting conversations about the tools composers use, like music notation software and other workflow improvements.
Art of Composing - Great starting place when looking to become a composer. They have a few fantastic podcast episodes and several blog posts on all sorts of composition topics. Many of the sources listed here are from this site!
Everything Band Podcast - As a band nerd, this is one of my favorite podcasts on everything band! Complete with over 150 interviews of leading concert band composers, band directors and more.
The Composer’s Journal - Shameless plug, but I have my own podcast on the composing world, creativity, and productivity if you wish to see behind-the-scenes of my life as a composer.
For Scores - A new Disney-backed podcast that interviews the composers behind Disney's greatest scores. The interviews with these scoring giants is invaluable and extremely insightful.
Saad Haddad Show - Deep dive conversations with many contemporary classical composers.
The Portfolio Composer - Business advice and deep dives with working composers from a variety of mediums.
YouTube Education
Rick Beato - One of favorite channels on music theory, film scoring, the music/recording business, and more. Stay tuned to his enjoyable rants!
JJay Berthume - An enjoyable channel that shares invaluable insights and commentary with his score analysis, orchestration help, and more. He recently completed a crowdfunding project on 21st Century Part-Writing.
Adam Neely - The best resource for jazz harmony, gigging as a professional musician, and quirky music theory questions.
Cedarvillemusic - Channel led by piano professor, John Mortenson; mainly for piano students with advice on conquering stage fright, nailing your college audition, and tips on piano technique.
Keeping Score - A documentary series from the San Francisco Symphony YouTube channel. Hosted by maestro, Michael Tilson Thomas, this fascinating series explores the composing greats—Beethoven, Mahler, Tchaikovsky, Stravinsky, Shostakovich, etc.—with a specific landmark piece and its context, historical background, influences, etc. Following each episode is a full performance of the piece (usually a whole symphony).
Listening In - One of my favorite channels to watch as of late. Some of the best video essays on classical music repertoire at a digestible level for beginning listeners and just as interesting and refreshing for skilled musicians/composers to remember why we love classical music.
Nahre Sol - Fascinating and informative videos on piano, composition, and imitating composer styles. Very wide-ranging topics and always a treat!
David Bruce - One of the few channels that cover life as a real, professional composer. He shares many compositional techniques, ideas, and vlog-style videos. He also began a popular series called “5 composers…” in which he chooses some YouTube musicians/composers to write for a specific instrumentation or ensemble and they are absolutely fascinating.
Saad Hadaad - Practical tips for composers from a working, professional composer. Includes masterclasses and fascinating topics related to music composition, especially in academia.
Creativity and Pedagogy
Oblique Strategies - If you’re stuck on what to do next in your piece, these flashcards can provide a new way forward.
The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows - Very descriptive, made-up words that are evocative enough to make a piece from.
Improvisation
Improvising Fugue: A Method for Keyboard Artists - Composers and performers were all fluent in improvisation back in the times of yore. This lost art was studied at a young age and built fluency in the music of the time. If you’re interested in historical improvisation, this is your resource.
Want to suggest adding a source? Send me a message!
