# Step 1: Key, Instruments, and motif/motifs



## caters (Aug 2, 2018)

This is the first step to me composing a symphony. I have already decided on instrumentation and the key.

Here is the instrumentation from top to bottom:

Piccolo
2 flutes
2 oboes
2 Bb clarinets
2 bassoons
Contrabassoon
4 horns
2 C trumpets
2 tenor trombones
Bass trombone
Tympani
Harp
1st violins
2nd violins
Violas
Cellos
Basses

I decided on the key of Eb major. Now to the hard part, choosing a motif or a few motifs and developing it throughout the symphony. But I figured if I use just 1 motif(like how pretty much the entirety of Beethoven's 5th is based off of a single motif), it would be easier for me to develop it. 

2 motifs immediately came to mind, 1 of which I immediately crossed out and the other which I explored before I crossed out.

The one that I immediately crossed out is the BACH motif. Neither the A nor the H(which is B but in German notation) fit well within Eb major.

The one that I explored a little is the Fate motif. Turns out, it doesn't really work all that well in any flat major. It sounds too minor to work well in a flat major. If I were to use it without getting that "Quickly went from major to minor within the first few measures" feel, it would have to be in the range of C major to B major in the sharp direction. The worst key to use the Fate motif in though happens to be the key my symphony is in, Eb major. Not only does it sound minor but it sounds like C minor to be specific and like C minor is the true tonic despite starting in Eb major. Why is that the worst key? Well if it sounds like C minor is the true tonic, inevitably I would develop what is essentially a modified duplicate of Beethoven's 5th, even if the instrument entrances are different and the themes are different.

My Momma told me that even if I were to have it in for example A major, it would still sound too much like Beethoven's 5th to be a good symphony due to the motif because pretty much every one of 7 billion humans has heard Beethoven's 5th at least once. 

So now I'm back to square one for motifs. My momma told me to use a more obscure motif. Thing is, well 2 actually. For one, how is any motif obscure these days when there are tons of ways to listen to classical music and other genres of music and billions of people on the planet? And another is that except in special cases such as Beethoven's 5th, I don't hear 1 clear motif but rather a whole theme. I don't hear the motifs that make up the theme most of the time and I have to listen to analysis videos to know what the motifs are for those pieces. And sometimes I can't find even 1 analysis video of a particular piece(Bach and Mozart both come into mind here but for different reasons. Bach because there are simply so few of Bach's pieces that actually get analyzed compared to what is played and Mozart because there has probably been at least 1 analysis of all of Mozart's pieces but a lot aren't recorded).


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## Phil loves classical (Feb 8, 2017)

I think you're going about it with too much reverence. Some themes/motifs will sound better in certain keys, and on certain instruments for effect. Once you find a theme it will determine what key would work, and what instruments to play it with. The only way you can know if a motif will work is if you just try it out, and go as far as you can with it. You'll probably find you need to tweak it eventually or change it more drastically. You need to make a huge task of composing a symphony into a lot of small little tasks with just your musical sense. You basically need to rely on creativity. A motif like Beethoven's 5th sounds banal by itself, but he was able to hear possibilities or make it work. A motif is only good depending on what you do with it. Don't be afraid to get your hands dirty and grind it out. Ravel, as original and creative as he was, found composition hard work, and had to grind it out bit by bit.


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## E Cristobal Poveda (Jul 12, 2017)

From what I can gather, it seems as though you want to compose, but don't have any particularly original ideas as to what to write. Mayhaps arrangement be more to your style?


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## MarkMcD (Mar 31, 2014)

I'm not sure what you mean by "finding a motif", you don't need to analyse any other symphonies or concertos or any other work by any other composer, you just sit down at the piano and tinkle around until you hear something you like. Don't have a piano? Well just mess about on your notation software. Some time soon, a few notes will string together and give you the motif you're looking for. However, Beethoven's 5th only uses that iconic motif in the first movement more or less, not the entire symphony. Even he wouldn't make just 1 motif last the whole 25 mins or whatever. It would be very boring for the audience if he did. Having good motifs is only part of the battle. 

In the end, you can spend days planning your orchestra, and researching other works, but you just have to jump in and START the actual work. Maybe it will pan out, maybe it wont, but you will learn lots on the way and as long as you enjoy the process, then nothing is a waste of time.

There's no right or wrong way to go about these things, there are lots of rules and guidelines in music theory, but some of the best works came about by people breaking those rules. In the end, the ear is the absolute arbitrator. If it sounds good, use it, if it doesn't ditch it, but stop procrastinating and just jump in!

Regards
Mark


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