SOUND PATTERNS

In the beginning was the Word

Having a text is an excellent way to begin composing. Not only will it give you a place to begin, in terms of rhythms and length of the piece, but they can also fill your head with musical ideas. A few things to consider:

• Choose a text which is meaningful to you...and preferably to others as well.
• Choose a text with "colorful" language, one that paints a picture in your mind.
• Choose a text of a reasonable length. A poem of 4 to 12 lines is a good place to begin. If you want, you can use part of a longer text
• Choose a text in the public domain...that is, one that isn't still collecting royalties for the author. This will ensure that when you have it performed, you won't have to worry about legalities.
• The text doesn't necessarily have to have to rhyme. The music you add can take care of that unity.
• Play with the text...for instance, you can choose to repeat some of the more important words or lines to give them emphasis.

HOW TO SCAN A TEXT FOR RHYTHM AND INFLECTION

Analyze the text for inherent rhythms (long notes and short notes) and for rising and falling inflections. Know which words to "punch" (either by stressing with a strong beat or by elongation) and which words to avoid stressing.

For the purpose of this guided tour of composition, a poem by Paul Laurence Dunbar will be used throughout for illustration:

Adown the west a golden glow
Sinks burning in the sea,
And all the dreams of long ago
Come flooding back to me.
The past has writ a story strange
Upon my aching heart,
But time has wrought a subtle change,
My wounds have ceased to smart.

No more the quick delight of youth,
No more the sudden pain,
I look no more for trust or truth
Where greed may compass gain.
What, was it I who bared my heart
Through unrelenting years,
And knew the sting of misery's dart,
The tang of sorrow's tears?

'Tis better now, I do not weep,
I do not laugh nor care;
My soul and spirit half asleep
Drift aimless everywhere.
We float upon a sluggish stream,
We ride no rapids mad,
While life is all a tempered dream
And every joy half sad.

More correctly, only the first two lines will be used, for the purpose of economy. These two lines are full of imagery: colors, places, temperature, and mood to name some. First thing: analyze the text for rhythm (syllables in caps denote LONG values, the others short values):

A- DOWN the WEST a golden GLOW SINKS BURN-ing in the SEA.

The long values, naturally, are the most important words in the excerpt.

Second thing: analyze the text for inflection (the natural up and down motion of the voice):

gold-

A-

a

en

DOWN

GLOW

BURN-

SEA,

the

ing

the

WEST

SINKS

in

Of course, rhythms and inflections vary from one person to another, depending on how the passage is read. Other variables would be personal experience and country of origin. It doesn't matter...the more variety, the better. Remember, there is no right or wrong in composition.