Exercises from Composing Music: A New Approach/Chapter 1: The Cell, The Row, and Some Scales

Exercise 1
Result: I Hang Up My Harp

Exercise concept: Pitch limitation, using a restricted set of tones for a composition. This will be the basis for many exercises.

Rules:


 * 1) Compose a melody. Use only the tones E4, G4, A4, and B4.
 * 2) Use 5/4 meter and only the rhythm quarter, quarter, quarter, half.
 * 3) Choose measures to use more than once, either separated or adjacently. This will unify and shape the melody.
 * 4) Omit one or more tones in some measures. Study the melodic relationships between all the tones.

Title concept: Russo gives this exercise a backstory. Your captor, Edrevol, ruler of the Lorac, will let you live if you write a melody for the Imperial Flute that pleases him. The flute can only play the four tones of the exercise.

Observations:

Exercise 2
Result: Dance, Lydia!

Exercise concept: The cell, a limited set of pitches, available in every octave.

Rules:


 * 1) Compose a melody. Use only the tones F, A, B, and C, in any octave.
 * 2) Use 4/4 meter and only these rhythms: (a) four eights, two quarters; (b) two quarters, two eighths, quarter.
 * 3) Use some measures more than once.

Title concept:

Observations:

Exercise 3
Result: March of the Marmots

Exercise concept: The row, a strict sequence of a limited set of pitches, available in every octave. Each pitch may be repeated one or more times before the next pitch in the sequence.

Rules:


 * 1) Compose a melody of 6 to 10 measures. Use the sequence D, A, F, E, C, in any octave.
 * 2) Use 4/4 and only these rhythms: (a) quarter, two eighths, half; (b) quarter rest, three quarters.
 * 3) Near each note, write its number in the sequence.

Title concept:

Observations:

Exercise 4
Result:

Exercise concept:

Rules:

Title concept:

Observations:

Exercise 5
Result:

Exercise concept:

Rules:

Title concept:

Observations:

Exercise 6
Result:

Exercise concept:

Rules:

Title concept:

Observations:

Exercise 7
Result:

Exercise concept:

Rules:

Title concept:

Observations:

Exercise 8
Result:

Exercise concept:

Rules:

Title concept:

Observations: