Musical composition facts for kids

Scherzo in A flat (Borodin)

A musical composition is like a story told with sounds! It's a piece of music that someone has created. Think of it as putting together different notes, rhythms, and melodies to make something new and exciting. When a composer writes a song, a symphony, or any piece of music, they are making a musical composition.

The word "composition" can also mean learning the skill of how to create music. It's like studying how to build something, but instead of buildings, you're building sounds!

What is a Musical Composition?

A musical composition can mean two main things:

• The piece of music itself: This is the finished song, symphony, or tune you hear. It's a complete work where all the notes and sounds have been carefully arranged. The word "composition" actually means "putting together," so a composition is something where musical sounds have been put together.
• The process of creating music: This is the act of writing or making a new piece of music. When a composer sits down to write a new song, they are involved in musical composition.

Learning to Compose Music

Many people want to learn how to write their own music. They might go to a music college or university to study composition. This is like a special class where you learn all the secrets of making great music.

How Composers Learn

Students of composition learn by looking at famous pieces of music. They study how great composers from the past wrote their masterpieces. This helps them understand different ways to put music together. They also learn about:

• Musical form: This is like the blueprint or structure of a piece of music. It helps composers organize their ideas.
• Harmony: This is about how different notes sound good when played together. It's what makes music sound rich and full.
• Orchestration: This is the art of choosing which instruments play which parts. A composer learns how to write for violins, flutes, drums, and all sorts of instruments so they sound amazing together.
• Counterpoint: This is a way of writing music where different melodies are played at the same time, but they all fit together nicely.

By studying these things, students learn how to write music that sounds good and expresses their ideas.

Images for kids

• 

  Scherzo in A flat by the Russian Romantic era composer Alexander Borodin (1833–1887)

• 

  People composing music using synthesizers in 2013.