# Books on Piano Composition



## WatchfulRaven

I own a copy of Samuel Adler's Study of Orchestration, and I thought: "I wonder if there is a similar book for piano composition". There is a section in that book for piano, but being a book about orchestration it talks about how to integrate the piano into the orchestra which is not really what I'm currently looking for. I have looked for some books on piano composition, but much to my surprise, I came out empty-handed.

I have just begun composing so I'm not very good, and I thought a book on how to write for the piano would be very helpful to me, but I can't find any.

Dos anyone here have any ideas?


----------



## eugeneonagain

I remember years ago using a book called _Advanced Melody, Harmony and Composition _by a Paul.. somebody. It has sections for developing melody and phrases, understanding form and writing piano textures.

It's okay. Composition is not an easy thing to teach through a book.


----------



## WatchfulRaven

Hi, thanks for the response.

I have since found out that what I have been looking for is actually a book that teaches piano techniques which can then be applied to composition. Things like chords, arpeggios, pedalling, playing multiple voices, etc. that are pianistic. For that, _Piano Professional Series: The Foundations of Technique_ by Murray McLachlan looks like a good choice. I apologize for being confusing in my original post.

By the way, the full name of the author of _Advanced Melody, Harmony and Composition_ is Paul Sturman.


----------



## Steven Brown

You could probably learn a lot by listening to a lot of piano music while reading the score. I was impressed by a chord progression Chopin used in one of his preludes.


----------

