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The Composer's Toolkit: All Instruments Book

$26.99 USD
$26.99 USD
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The Composer's Toolkit Cover Image
The Composer's Toolkit: All Instruments Book

The Composer's Toolkit: All Instruments Book

By Christopher Tarrant and Natalie Wild

Item: 12-0571543510
$26.99
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Description

What makes a melody memorable? Why do some pieces seem to unfold perfectly, as if by design?

The Composer's Toolkit uncovers the building blocks, or schemata, that shaped the music of Bach, Haydn, Mozart and their contemporaries and shows you how to use them in your own writing, in any musical style. Inside, you'll find practical tools for writing expressive melodies, strong bass lines and phrases with real momentum. Learn how to choose forms that work, develop your ideas with effective textures and add rhythmic and melodic decoration. Clear, annotated models, step-by-step explanations and a wide variety of audio examples guide you through the entire compositional process. Also included is a guide for writing music to a brief and a catalogue of schemata. Ideal for A-level and undergraduate students, this book is the ultimate companion for using classical techniques to create compelling, well-crafted compositions.

Christopher Tarrant is Lecturer in Music Analysis at Newcastle University. He received his PhD from Royal Holloway, University of London and now teaches and writes about concert music of the long nineteenth century with a special emphasis on theory of form and the Nordic symphony. Christopher is also a violinist and conductor.

Natalie Wild is Director of Research and Deputy Director of Music at the Music in Secondary Schools Trust (MiSST). Her research focuses on the role a classical music education can play in breaking down social barriers. Natalie has taught both GCSE and A-Level Music for many years as Head of Music invarious inner-city schools.

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Additional Details
Series: Faber Edition
Publisher: FABER MUSIC
ISBN10: 0-571-54351-0
ISBN13: 978-0-571-54351-9
UPC: 9780571543519
SKU: 12-0571543510

More about this title

About the Composer: Christopher Tarrant

Christopher Tarrant teaches music analysis at Newcastle University, where his research centers on nineteenth-century concert music with particular attention to formal structures and Nordic symphonic traditions. He holds a PhD from Royal Holloway, University of London, and brings dual expertise as both scholar and practicing musician through his work as a violinist and conductor.

Natalie Wild directs research initiatives at the Music in Secondary Schools Trust (MiSST) and serves as Deputy Director of Music there. Her scholarship examines how classical music education can dismantle social barriers to access, combining pedagogical insight with advocacy for inclusive music learning.

Why we love this

This book bridges the gap between analyzing what the masters did and actually doing it yourself. Rather than treating classical forms as historical artifacts, Tarrant and Wild show students how the underlying patterns, the schemata, work as generative tools for any style. Your students will stop asking 'why did Mozart write it this way?' and start asking 'how can I use this pattern in my piece?'

What to expect

Organized, purposeful, and deeply practical. This is a workbook with backbone, not a coffee-table survey. You move through concrete problems, then apply solutions to your own writing.

Who it's for

Advanced secondary students preparing for A-level music or undergraduates beginning serious compositional study will find this text essential. Anyone wanting to understand why classical forms work as they do, or who needs practical tools to compose with intention and structural clarity, will benefit from its direct, example-rich approach.

How to use it

This serves as the core text for composition modules in secondary or tertiary music curricula, especially where students need to analyze and then apply classical techniques to their own work. It pairs well with score study and ear training courses, and supports students tackling composition portfolios or examinations that require both analytical knowledge and creative application.

Skills your students will build

  • Recognizing and applying schemata from classical repertoire
  • Writing memorable, expressive melodies with purposeful phrasing
  • Constructing functional bass lines that support harmonic motion
  • Selecting and executing appropriate formal structures for compositional intent
  • Developing musical ideas through texture, orchestration, and variation
  • Adding rhythmic and melodic embellishment with structural awareness
  • Composing to a specified brief or constraint
  • Analyzing relationships between form and musical effect in existing works

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