Composition Guide #1

Ternary Form Piece

George Marshall
Any Old Music

Composition Workbook 1
 Introduction
The composition that this workbook guides is a relatively simple but
nuanced Ternary form composition. What this means is that we will create a
piece of music in three sections. The irst and last of these sections uses the
same material. The second section, in the middle, uses di erent contrasting
material. Creating an arrangement that could be de ined as ABA, with the
letters representing melodically similar musical ideas.
I suppose you could think of the structure of the composition we are
trying to create as being like a sandwich. The A-sections are the bread and
the B-section is whatever your favourite sandwich iller is.
The speci ic structure of the ternary form in this booklet is actually A-A1-
B-B1-A3 (Or, A-A1-B-B1-A-Codetta, depending on how you want to inish your
piece o .) This means we create variations of our melodies too, which act as
transitions between the larger sections. A1 and A3 are a variations of A; B1 is a
variation of B.
This workbook is designed like a recipe in cooking. It presumes some
knowledge and tries to guide you as succinctly as possible. Also, while I
impose things like melody lengths, these do not have to be followed. Like
adding or playing around with ingredients, the aim of the book is to get you
cooking up some compositions.

Equipment Required
1. Scoring materials (manuscript paper and pencils etc.) or software
(Sibelius, MuseScore etc.)
2. Creative energy.

Composition Workbook 2
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 Task 1
Compose one 8-bar melody
For the irst part of this recipe, you need to compose an 8-bar melody.
This melody will likely be your outer section melody of the Ternary form.
However, this does not have to be the case and could be used as our inner-
section/B-section melody.

Tips
1. Structure your melody into two 4-bar phrases. Period form is
particularly good, IMHO, for this structure.

Example
Here is the A and B melody I created for my demonstrative Ternary form
composition:

A - melody
b6 nœ œ ™ œ œ™
& b 8 #œ œ œ J œ œ œ œ™ œ™ #œ ™ œ œ œ
5
b œ œ bœ œ œ bœ ™ œ nœ nœ ####
&b œ™ œ œ
J J Ϫ Ϫ

1 B-melody
# # œ™ œ œ™
2
j
&## œ œ
œ œ™ œ œ ˙™
2

5
##
& # # œ™ ˙™ ˙™
2
œ œ œ œ
œ

As you can see both are forms of period form composition. However, I do
vary both my basic ideas.

Composition Workbook 3
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 Task 2
Sketch harmony
Once you have a melody sketched out, think about and note down what
chords you might apply to it.

Tips
1. I like to do this with chord symbols above the melody. And,
sometimes I will list multiple chords that I think could work, waiting to see
what might work best as the arrangement takes shape.

Example
I usually sketch ideas by hand and did so when creating my
demonstrative composition. Below I present a typeset/engraved version of
the sketch I created where I started to add harmonies to my A-melody
sketch:

A - melody with chord symbols

(A) D Gm D Aº A7 D
b6 nœ œ ™ œ œ™
& b 8 #œ œ œ J œ œ œ œ™ œ™ #œ ™ œ œ œ
Alternate idea that boasts similar progression to bar 3-4
E¨m Ao A(7)

bœ ™ #œ ™ œ œ ####
œ™ œ

Gm Dm B¨m E¨m Ao C
b bœ œ œ bœ ™ œ nœ nœ ####
&b œ™ œ œ
J
œ œ J œ™ œ™

Note how I simply add chord labels. I do this as I am sketching. Nothing

1 B-melody
#### Ϫand things
is set in&stone œ could ™
2
change. Why waste time
œ œvoicing
˙™ beautiful
œ j
œ œ œ œ™
chords yet, if I only have
2
to end up changing them later? This fact is best
5
demonstrated
# ## by my decision to add an alternate ending version on an ossia
œ™ ˙™ ˙™
2

&# œ
œ œ œ œ
bar near the end of my sketch.

Composition Workbook 4
 Task 3
Creating melody A1: Transitions & Modulations
Now that you have your melodies and have considered some harmony
options, it is time to create a variation of your A melody. This will be your A1
melody.
Your A1 melody should be similar and, ideally, the same in places to your
original A melody (see Tip #1).
Ideally, you want the varied version of your melody to be leading
somewhere di erent. A good way of doing this is to have it modulate.
Therefore, use part or all of the varied melody to modulate to a new tonal or
modal area (see Tips #2 and #3).

Tips
1. I try to keep the irst part (antecedent) of my melody the same. I then
adapt the second part (consequent) to it a harmonic path that takes me
to a new tonality.
2. sometimes it can be easier to let the harmony take you to a key, rather
than imposing a modulatory chord progression onto the melody.
(However, both are legitimate approaches. Feel free to apply a modulatory
chord progression into the piece and then reconstruct the melody over it.)
3. depending on your harmonic language and skills, I would aim for
chord V or V7 of a key that you want to go too.

Example
Again, below (next page) is a typeset version of my A sketch.

Composition Workbook 5
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 A melody sketch
(A) D Gm D Aº A7 D
b6 nœ œ ™ œ œ™
& b 8 #œ œ œ J œ œ œ œ™ œ™ #œ ™ œ œ œ
Alternate idea that boasts similar progression to bar 3-4
E¨m Ao A(7)

bœ ™ #œ ™ œ œ ####
œ™ œ
Gm Dm B¨m E¨m Ao C
b bœ œ œ bœ ™ œ nœ nœ ####
&b œ™ œ œ œ œ œ™ œ™

{
J J
A1 melody sketch - varied consequent
b œ œ œ nœ ™ œ™ œ™ œ <b>œ ####
&b œ™ œ nœ nœ
J œ J J

Note
1
howB-melody
I try to vary only the second half of the melody by simply
# # œ™ œ œ™
2
j
&##
writing variations on a staœ below.
œ
œ œ™ œ œ ˙™
2

5
##
& # # œ™ ˙™ ˙™
2
œ œ œ
œ œ

Composition Workbook 6
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 Task 4
Start to arrange A & A1: pin down the harmony
Now is the time to start ixing your melody and its variation in place. To
do this, decide on the harmony and where it is heading too. This is important
as your second “B” melody will want to carry on where “A1” leaves o .

Tips
1. If you are struggling to get your modulation to work in A1, the problem
might not be the modulation itself. Instead, it could be the rigidity of your
harmony earlier. What I mean by this is that you might want to have some
chromatic or substituted harmony in the original A melody. This will
introduce a di erent colour early, meaning its not such a shock in the A1
melody.

Example
The example below is the same as in task 4. However, I have added more
chord symbols, to outline how I might harmonise my melody and modulate.

A melody sketch
(A) D Gm D Aº A7 D
b6 nœ œ ™ œ œ™
& b 8 #œ œ œ
J
œ œ œ œ™ œ™ #œ ™ œ œ œ
Alternate idea that boasts similar progression to bar 3-4
E¨m Ao A(7)

bœ ™ #œ ™ œ œ ####
œ™ œ
Gm Dm B¨m E¨m Ao C
b bœ œ œ bœ ™ œ nœ nœ ####
&b œ™ œ œ œ œ œ™ œ™

{
J J
A1 melody sketch - varied consequent
C B7sus4/A(?) Bm D G B¨ F7
b œ œ œ nœ ™ œ™ œ™ œ <b>œ ####
&b œ™ œ nœJ nœ œ J J

Note how I try to use a lot of chromatic and substitute/borrowed chords

1 B-melody
in my A-melody.
# ## œ™ Thisœis neither right nor
œ wrong. I simply
2
j wanted to write more
&# œ œ™ œ œ™ œ œ ˙™
2

5
Composition
# #Workbook 7
& # # œ™ ˙™ ˙™
2
œ œ œ œ
œ
ff
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chromatically. All I will say is that if you are using more tonal harmony, its
often better to be consistent, at least within sections.
Note how in my chromatic A melody, the second version pushes us
towards the tonality of the B-melody. I didn’t set out E-major as my target. I
just ended up with an end point that I felt could work with a modulation to E-
major and then composed my B-melody in E-major.
In my A1 theme, I use a parallel modulation from a weak G-minor to G-
major. In that G-major section I then tried a novel approach of reaching E-
major by substituting B (V of E) for F (tritone substitution).

Composition Workbook 8
 Task 5
Repeat task 1 - 4, to create your B-melody
Now repeat tasks 1 - 4, writing a second melody for your piece. The
melody wants to be contrasting with your other melody, but also wants to
pick up from where it left o .
When you reach task 4, you may want to have your B-melody lead back
to your A-melody as this will be repeated after your B-melody. Though, as we
will discuss, you can lead somewhere else and have the returning A-theme
transposed into a new key. (You’re the composer!)

Tips
1. It can be nice to add a counter-melody to the B-melody, as this will
provide extra variation and break any potential textural monotony. If you
like the idea of that, do that while (or just after) you have sketched your B-
melody.

Example
Here is the sketch of my B and B1 melody.
2
B-melody

1 E B7 2 E B7 E B7 A^
# # œ™ œ œ™ œ
2
j
&## ‰ œ œ œœ œ
œœ œœ ™™ œœ™ œ ˙™
Ϫ
J ‰ J œ œ™
2 2 2
2

G©m C©m B7 E G©m B(7)

2
#œ
œ™ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙

{
œ œ
G©m C©m B7 E B7 G©m B(7)
##
& # # œ™ ˙™
2
œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙ #œ
œ œ
B1 melody sketch - varied consequent

Bm C©m A D C©m G (lead back into A)

# ##
& # Ϫ
2
œ
2
œ
œ™ œ
œ œ nœ #œ œ nœ nœ ™ nœ

Composition Workbook 9
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 Note how I add a counter-melody to the irst part of my B-section
melody. Depending on what we eventually arrange this sketch for, it can be
helpful to add another “voice” for variety.
Also, like with sketch 1 I have a potential alternate version that I want to
save for later, incase I think its better!

Composition Workbook 10
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 Task 5
Arranging the irst and middle section
It’s good to take stock of a composition at various points in its creation.
To do this, arrange your ideas out as A and A1 for your irst section, followed
by B and B1 as your middle section.
How do they low? Do they work together?
If you feel the ideas low together ok melodically and harmonically, feel
free to move on.
If not, then now is a good time to tweak things. Identifying why ideas are
not gelling is not always easy. Therefore, I often save multiple versions of
arrangements. In one version I might tweak the melodic material. In another I
might tweak the harmonies. In a third, I might play around with both. (See tip
#2 and #3)

Tips
1. Just because something is not perfectly smooth, it does not make it
inherently bad. However, jagged edges in your arrangements usually have
to be earned.
2. My dad, who is de initely not a composer, often says “things are rarely
as bad as they seem; things are rarely as good as they seem.” What I mean
by raising this is: just as a piece can be diminished by the changing of a
single note, so too can a piece be improved by the changing of a single
note. Where that note lies, is the exciting mystery a composer has to
solve.
3. (Linked to tip 2) The problem is not always where you think it is.

Example
Below (next page) is my composition laid out, with the melodies
arranged linearly as I would like them in my composition. I still only have

Composition Workbook 11
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chord symbols and will write the details of the harmony in a way that I hope
will add to the smoothness of the transition.

A melody
(A) D Gm D Aº A7 D
6
& 8 #œ œ
œ œ™ bœ bœ ™ œ œ™ œ™
œ J œ œ #œ ™ œ œ œ

5 Gm Dm B¨m E¨m Ao C

& œ™ œ bœ bœ œ
bœ œ œ
J bœ ™ œ™ œ™ œ nœ œ
J

A A1 melody
9 D Gm D Aº A7 D
™ bœ ™
& œ œ bœ
J œ œ
œ œ™ œ™ #œ ™ œ œ œ

13 C B7sus4/A(?) Bm D G B¨ F7

& œ™ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ™ œ™ œ™ œ <b>œ
J œ J J

B B melody
17 E B7 2 E B7 E B7 A^
nœ ™
2
#œ œ ™ #œ #œ j #˙ ™
& ‰ #œJ #œ œœ
‰ J #œ #œœ #œœ ™™ #œœ ™ œ #œ ™ œ™
2 2 2
2

21 G©m C©m B7 E G©m B(7)

2
#œ ™ œ œ #œ ˙ #œ
#œ

{
#œ #œ œ œ
G©m C©m B7 E B7 G©m B(7)

& œ™ ˙™
2
#œ œ #œ #œ #œ ˙ #œ
œ œ œ

C B1 melody
25 E B7 2 E B7 E B7 A^
Ϫ
2
#œ
œœ œ ™ #œ #œ
#œœ ™™
j #˙ ™
& ‰ #œJ #œ ‰ J #œ #œœ #œœ ™ œ #œ ™ œ™
2 2 2
2

29 Bm C©m A D C©m G (lead back into A)

& Ϫ
2
#œ œ™
2
œ œ
œ œ œ #œ œ œ nœ ™ nœ

Composition Workbook 12
 Task 6
The inal section: A2 ending or melody A & codetta
Depending on where your B-section ends o , you may need to transpose
your original A melody into a new key.

For this inal section you have three options:

1. You can simply copy and paste your original A-melody onto the end,
unchanged, and then add a codetta.
2. You can add a third version of your A-melody that completes the
piece itself.
3. A mixture of one and two.

Option 1: the codetta

The aim of the codetta is to bring the piece to a close by adding a few
extra bars after the repeat of your A melody.

Option 2: the third A2 melody variation

Similar to Task 3, you now want to adapt your A-melody so that it comes
to an end.

Option 3: see option 1 & 2 and mix.

Tips
1. A good way to round a piece o is through the use of a perfect
cadence. Alternatively, the steady rocking between a pair of chords,
before resting on the tonic, can also be e ective.

Composition Workbook 13
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 Example
For my composition I felt option 3 (if you can call the extension of my
melody a codetta) would be best. For example, I felt using the same melody
but resetting it more irmly in G-major would be a nice way to round the
composition o . However, I also felt the inal cadence needed a little more
inality to it, and a little breathing space: gradually bringing us to a close.
Therefore, I added a few extra bars.
Below is my A-melody, with A1 variation and then my A2 variation
sketched below, with chord symbols. (I did actually hint at to some speci ic
voicings in my symbols here too. E.g. A/C# etc.)

A melody sketch
(A) D Gm D Aº A7 D
b6 nœ œ ™ œ œ™
& b 8 #œ œ œ œ œ œ œ™ œ™ #œ ™ œ œ œ

{
J
A2 melody sketch
D G F©º Em D
œ œ™
œ nœJ nœ ™
b6
&b 8 ‰ œ œ œ œ œ™ œ™ #œ ™ œ œ nœ

Alternate idea that boasts similar progression to bar 3-4

E¨m Ao A(7)

bœ ™ œ™ #œ ™ œ œ œ

Gm Dm B¨m E¨m Ao C
b
&b œ™ œ œ œ œ bœ œ œ bœ ™ œ™ œ™ œ nœ nœ
J

{
J
A1 melody sketch - varied consequent
C B7sus4/A(?) Bm D G B¨ F7
b œ œ œ nœ ™ œ™ œ™ œ <b>œ
&b œ™ œ nœJ nœ œ J J
A2 melody sketch continued
A/C© G/B F/A E D Em
b
& b œ™ nœ œ œ œ œ œ œ nœ ™ œ œ
j
Ϫ
j
œ œ
J J

A2 melody sketch continued

9 C G D G
b j j
&b œ™ œ œ œ™ œ œ ˙™ ˙™

Composition Workbook 14
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 Task 7
Repeat Task 5 for the whole piece
Similar to task 5, now you want to check the whole arrangement is
lowing and working. Again, similar to task 5 (see tips), you may need to
tweak your melodies or harmonies. Sometimes, in composition/arranging,
things work in isolation, but not in a wider context.

Example (see next page)

I still do not realise/write out my chords. Instead, I simply lay out the full
arrangement as a sketch including melody, counter-melody (B-section) and
chord symbols. I take this approach personally, as I want the opportunity to
go over the composition again while arranging and orchestrating it. My inal
version could well choose di erent harmonies or alter the melodies and
counter-melody, depending on how I start to voice things etc.

Composition Workbook 15
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 A melody
(A) D Gm D Aº A7 D
6
& 8 #œ œ
œ œ™ bœ bœ ™ œ œ™ œ™
œ J œ œ #œ ™ œ œ œ

5 Gm Dm B¨m E¨m Ao C

& œ™ œ bœ bœ œ
bœ œ œ bœ ™ œ™ œ™ œ nœ œ
J J

A A1 melody
9 D Gm D Aº A7 D
™ bœ ™
& œ œ bœ
J
œ
œ
œ œ™ œ™ #œ ™ œ œ
œ

13 C B7sus4/A(?) Bm D G B¨ F7
œ œ œ™ œ™ œ™ œ <b>œ
& œ™ œ œ
J
œ
œ
œ
J J

B B melody
17 E B7 2 E B7 E B7 A^
nœ ™
2
#œ œ ™ #œ #œ j #˙ ™
& ‰ #œJ #œ œœ
‰ J #œ #œœ #œœ ™™ #œ ™ œ
œ #œ ™ œ™
2 2 2
2

21 G©m C©m B7 E G©m B(7)

2
#œ ™ œ œ #œ ˙ #œ
#œ

{
#œ #œ œ œ
G©m C©m B7 E B7 G©m B(7)

& œ™ ˙™
2
#œ œ #œ #œ #œ ˙ #œ
œ œ œ

C B1 melody
25 E B7 2 E B7 E B7 A^
Ϫ
2
#œ
œœ œ ™ #œ #œ #œœ ™™
j #˙ ™
& ‰ #œJ #œ ‰ J #œ #œœ #œœ ™ œ #œ ™ œ™
2 2 2
2

29 Bm C©m A D C©m G (lead back into A)

& Ϫ
2 2
œ
œ
#œ œ™ œ œ œ œ nœ ™ nœ œ
#œ
2

D A2
33 D G F©º Em D
™ œ™
& œ œ œ
J
œ
œ
œ œ™ œ™ #œ ™ œ œ
œ

37 A/C© G/B F/A E D Em

& œ™ œ œ
J
œ œ œ œ œ
J œ™ œ œ
j
Ϫ
j
œ œ

E Codetta
41 C G D G
j j
& œ™ œ œ œ™ œ œ ˙™ ˙™

Composition Workbook 16
 Task 8
Finalise: orchestrate/engrave
Up until now we have been writing for a piano. The composition could
simply be for a piano or it could be arranged/orchestrated for a di erent,
larger ensemble.
If you are going to keep the piece as a piano composition, now is the
time to write out (or inalise, if you have already) the harmonic
accompaniment. If you have chord symbols, you need to realise these by
adding an accompanying texture such as block or broken chords.
If you are going to arrange the piece for a di erent ensemble, you irst
need to decide what that ensemble will be. Then you need to plan out what
instruments will take the melodies and counter-melodies where. Then, what
instruments will provide the harmony, and how will that harmony take shape?
Will the instruments play held notes, or something with more movement?

Composition Workbook 17
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 I’ll be sharing some completed versions of my
composition soon. At which point I will edit new
versions of this booklet. However, if you get the
booklet before then and would like to see the
completed versions of my demonstration
composition, please stay tuned to the Any Old
Music mailing list, where I will send updates.

Composition Workbook 18