tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7298312567843426829.post4813582797471913531..comments2024-03-28T16:01:00.855-02:30Comments on → Music Composition Weblog ←: Writing for PianoClark Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13153382609775397798noreply@blogger.comBlogger29125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7298312567843426829.post-33194394006183116012024-02-28T20:49:36.994-03:302024-02-28T20:49:36.994-03:30I think many people assume you need to be able to ...I think many people assume you need to be able to play the instrument you are composing for. In reality you need basic knowledge of music theory, knowing what is playable and what isn't. I agree with you that it is very useful and helpful to know the bones of the instrument. Specifically piano when it comes to playing chords on the piano, it would be useful to know piano fingerings because some chords are awkward to play, like shown in the diagram posted on the blog. As a piano player, I know it's not fun when playing a piece where the chords are consistently far apart note-wise. It is better to keep chords on the simpler side in terms of space apart the notes, or if they are far apart, arpeggiate them. <br />I found it interesting that you use only 44% of notes on the piano. It makes sense because some notes on the piano, when played in the bass clef, the sound becomes unclear or muddy. Personally, I like writing in from C3 upwards, its easier for listeners, but it depends on the composer. I found the blog useful for my future compositions. Emma Meadehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03808141704433267984noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7298312567843426829.post-68526840008217614302023-03-25T14:20:48.391-02:302023-03-25T14:20:48.391-02:30I found this post very useful. Every composition I...I found this post very useful. Every composition I've done thus far - assignment or not - has involved the piano to some capacity, and, while I play a small bit of piano myself, I often have a hard time recognizing whether something is playable or not. One thing I like to do with respect to spacing is never writing a chord that spans over the interval of a ninth that cannot be arpeggiated. I rarely ever use chords with ninths to begin with since I can hardly play them without arpeggiating myself, but sometimes ninths are necessary to gain the desired effect (see my 014 project - even though I have to change those chords around since they can't really be arpeggiated).Abby Briffettnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7298312567843426829.post-31386494849393401822022-03-27T12:23:59.988-02:302022-03-27T12:23:59.988-02:30There are so many helpful tips in here that I thin...There are so many helpful tips in here that I think will be of great value for incorporating into my own compositions for piano. Like many, I had never really stopped to think about the gap between the thumb and the index finger, and how much wider it is in comparison to the rest of the little fingers. Writing passages for piano that are actually playable is something that I often struggle with, not realizing that what I’ve written isn’t physically possible until afterwards. Taking this knowledge of finger spacing and using it consciously while I am composing will almost certainly allow for more idiomatic and natural writing for piano.<br /><br />Another aspect of writing for piano that this post had me thinking about was the need for octave doubling. Sometimes, in an attempt to create a different texture, or heightened intensity perhaps, octave doubling seems like the easiest thing to do while composing. However, this blog post made me think back to my younger years of playing piano, and not once did I ever look at a score with octave doubling and breathe a sigh of relief. In fact it was the opposite. Every time I had to play a piece with octave doubling in one hand, I remember thinking of how stupidly-hard it was to play, and that the audience would likely barely know the difference from me playing in a single octave. And it's true, there are many more ways to create heightened intensity in a piece, other than octave doubling. It’s a trap I’ve fallen into when composing this term, but want to stay away from in the future. The pay-off honestly is never that good, and most of the time it just creates a headache for the performer. <br />Emma Hamiltonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7298312567843426829.post-31381615873176526922022-03-12T23:35:34.334-03:302022-03-12T23:35:34.334-03:30There are 88 keys on the piano, but only 39 of the...There are 88 keys on the piano, but only 39 of them are between the F at the bottom of the bass clef and the G♯ at the top of the treble clef; if you limit yourself to the notes found on the treble and bass clefs, you use only 44% of the available notes on the piano.<br /><br />This statement was MIND BLOWING! When I write for piano, I often second guess any notes I write that do not fit onto the grand staff. Growing up playing high level piano, I feel like I rarely played too many leger lines or 15ma parts. But that is just so sad! 56% of these keys are neglected most of the time! Without thinking about it, you really don't think there are that many keys not on the staff. <br /><br />We have been talking a lot of trying to use as much of the piano as possible. Sometimes I shy away when I see too many lager lines or 8ve indications because I think it is unnecessary and too extreme when really, I'm just covering the piano! I think reading this post will really effect my writing as I go forward with the course and I won't second guess going outside the grand staff anymore. Anna Jameshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10613019921379231099noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7298312567843426829.post-73459196233539942502022-02-01T16:10:38.284-03:302022-02-01T16:10:38.284-03:30When you said “The ability to play an instrument c...When you said “The ability to play an instrument can be a great asset in learning to write idiomatically for that instrument, but it is not essential,” I found it so funny that a lot of people think that to be true. Like, do you think every orchestral composer could play every single instrument in the orchestra, from strings, to winds, to percussion, and whatever else they throw on stage? Funny.<br /><br />Also, I have learned a pro-tip over the course of my degree: rolling chords is a life saver! Besides being a lifehack, rolled chords add so much depth and movement to a piece that may otherwise be stagnant.Cassie Woolfreyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15027562502302857450noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7298312567843426829.post-31622587627253297912021-04-12T18:12:29.608-02:302021-04-12T18:12:29.608-02:30This post was very helpful! My piano skills are ve...This post was very helpful! My piano skills are very minimal to say the least, so reading this was great. My biggest take away is keeping mind of keeping the music idiomatic in terms playability and hand position. At the start of this semester I was not thinking at all of how wide I can make the chords. I consistently wrote 11th and 12ths which of course are not playable. Some pianists can't play octaves! And so learning to keep chord playability in mind has been a big learning curve. <br /><br />- Peter PerezPeter Perezhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04703757637262442917noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7298312567843426829.post-83150978520759095972021-04-12T00:29:35.261-02:302021-04-12T00:29:35.261-02:30This is such an informative, well-written blog pos...This is such an informative, well-written blog post! When I composed two pieces for the piano this semester, I begun to write my first one, the one where there was no confines as to how much or how little I could write, so I had gigantic chords, with tempo changes every like three bars or so. Turns out, that was an epic fail! It sounded good on the computer, though, so I will give it that. Anyways, I feel like the technique of composing a bit at the piano, or even sitting down at the piano, and just improvising, to see what comes out, can be immensely beneficial when composing for piano. I especially enjoyed the part where Ravel said that even he can't play his pieces that apparently go faster than the speed of light! Anyways, I digress. Another great way to see if your pieces are "playable" is to get some of your piano friends to try it out, and see how they like it, and what they would change. Frank O'Bnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7298312567843426829.post-23147270909799195822019-04-05T20:14:13.764-02:302019-04-05T20:14:13.764-02:30I've found this post to be very helpful and be...I've found this post to be very helpful and believe it has made a big improvement on piano parts in my compositions. Whenever I'm writing for piano, I often revisit this post because of how concise each of the points are on the many things to consider when writing for piano. One of the tips I've begun to use in my pieces over this past semester is exploring the extreme ranges of the piano, and getting away from primarily writing my piano parts in the confines of the grand staff. This is an idea I struggled to make use of at first, but after some practice, I found the colours obtained by using the extreme ranges added an extra dimension to my pieces. By spreading a musical idea across the entire range of the piano I've found I can often generate more material from a single idea, without it feeling overused or boring. <br />Another tip I've also become more considerate of since reading this post is to mind the positioning of each finger when writing chords, and to try avoiding unnecessary awkward fingerings. This is a frustration I’m able to relate to since many early composers often write incredibly difficult 4 mallet parts for percussion by not considering mallet placement when forming chords on the instrument ( a great tip a guest composer mentioned this semester was to write at the piano with only a pointer and ring finger on each hand to see if it is playable on the marimba, vibes, etc…). Taking time to check chords on these instruments is something that can be done pretty easily and since getting my hands on the piano more I’ve been able to quickly identify when I begin to write chords that are simply impossible to play.Josh Lnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7298312567843426829.post-85328791842017786202019-03-22T16:30:53.121-02:302019-03-22T16:30:53.121-02:30I certainly agree with many of the points you made...I certainly agree with many of the points you made in this post. It is very true that you do not need to be good at playing the piano to write for it. If you can understand the vast amount of possibilities that are available with the piano, including extended techniques, musical texture, or the use of the entire range of the piano, I believe you are set for composing. Of course, then comes making sure the piece is not extremely difficult for the performer, who may be the composer in some cases. I believe there could have been even more added to this blog, especially when it comes to prepared piano. I myself have begun to think about composing a piece featuring this technique although I have not quite started on it yet. The information you provide on pedalling is also of great use for anybody who might not be familiar with it. I also like your point on always practicing what you have written rather than just listening to it through a notation program. Being a pianist myself, I always have these sudden moments in which I want to write a piece for solo piano. I usually always start at the piano and record myself playing the piece rather than notating anything into Finale. The reason for this is because I would obviously rather hear it myself before listening to how a notation program may alter it. Also, in some cases notating something in Finale may make it sound “possible” to play, but then actually playing it may prove to be a difficult task. It is always good to make sure everything is possible for the performer by going through the piece first even if you might not be a pianist.Nadernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7298312567843426829.post-10867705881584139872019-02-22T06:41:26.784-03:302019-02-22T06:41:26.784-03:30I was surfin' the web looking for advice on pi...I was surfin' the web looking for advice on piano compositions, and what I saw was so beautifully written but so unprofitable... till I found this page. It was like finding a treasure, no joke. At last, an author that dives deep into the subject. Thank you very much for sharing your knowledgeJosé Salahttp://www.bajomximos.blogspot.com.es/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7298312567843426829.post-45759642962906076672018-03-22T22:56:05.052-02:302018-03-22T22:56:05.052-02:30I found this blogpost helpful, as Duncan mentioned...I found this blogpost helpful, as Duncan mentioned for our 014 project. Approaching writing the piano as a singer can be scary! Although we are used to having it as an accompaniment, our ears are often tuned to the one line text melody we are focusing on. A few things that you mentioned in your post I noticed in my own composing, especially your comment on the range of the piano and I had returned to my piece to change a few things when we discussed this in class as well. Using the full range of the piano, makes for an extremely colorful piece. It is easy to forget individual aspects that each instrument brings to the table when composing and piano brings much variety in texture in color as in a few things you had mentioned in the post (range, pedaling etc.) <br />Personally, I found my ability to play the piano extremely important in my ability to compose. Although I am primarily a singer, I also play the piano. Being able to see how the piece "fits" when you play it yourself really helps in creating a workable piece. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16393291001531573609noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7298312567843426829.post-58227386204597299372018-02-12T00:37:23.208-03:302018-02-12T00:37:23.208-03:30I found this blogpost extremely helpful for my cur...I found this blogpost extremely helpful for my current project. The explanations and examples of proper left handed accompaniment patterns and the difference between acceptable and difficult patterns really helped in my understanding of how to write for piano since I myself am not by any means an accomplished pianist myself. These basic patterns or more accepted patterns are not something I was completely aware of and I found that having visual examples of them was quite helpful in furthering my writing for piano. I have written quite a few piano pieces in the past and decided to either write extremely simple pieces or just sort of go on guess work for most of these projects. These tips will allow me to reassess those past works and see if things need to be changed or updated which is something I am constantly tying to do as I grow as a composer and begin to look at getting my pieces out there. Thank you for this insightful post. It was a truly good read.Duncan Stenhousenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7298312567843426829.post-74249300570798447102018-02-04T20:06:17.157-03:302018-02-04T20:06:17.157-03:30This was very helpful. I definitely agree that it ...This was very helpful. I definitely agree that it is possible to write for piano even if you don’t play piano, but there are a bunch of logistical things that you can run into when you don’t actually know the ins and outs of the instrument. I am a piano player (not primarily, but I do play), yet many of the “problems” or “tendencies” that you mentioned in this blog post were things that I found myself doing or lacking in. For example, making the chords “playable” may sound like an obvious thing to keep in mind when writing, but when you don’t play piano or you’re not capable of playing what you wrote due to the difficulty, the practicality of the music can easily be forgotten. This is definitely something I’ve been making an effort to keep in mind when writing. Even if I can’t play what I wrote, I will still sit down at the piano and make sure that the spacing is playable. <br />I also like the tips about using the entire piano/ register. Personally, I almost forget how large of a range the piano has. When writing for voice or wind instruments I am always very cautious that I don’t write in a range that the instrumentalist doesn’t have, but when I’m writing for piano I often forget how much of a range a pianistic DOES have. <br />Finally, I thought it was great that you mentioned the use of the pedal. This is another element of piano writing that I have found myself leaving out. Adding pedal can so drastically change the feel of the piece, so I agree that it is very important to indicate your intentions. <br />Many of these points are things that I feel I can almost use as a check list. As someone who doesn’t regularly play piano, I often simply forget how much I have to avail of, so this blog post was a great reminder of different techniques I can use to improve the quality of my piano writing.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13272619499065186739noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7298312567843426829.post-80595262530703163092017-04-10T23:03:52.430-02:302017-04-10T23:03:52.430-02:30Being able to play piano at least at an average le...Being able to play piano at least at an average level is very helpful for writing. I am able to test out most parts and see if they are idiomatic, and even if they are too difficult for me to play, since I play the instrument I am mostly aware of whether they are just difficult or actually impossible. It definitely makes everything a lot easier, but I find my problem in writing piano parts is that the instrument almost gives me too much freedom. Since the instrument is capable of so much, it is more difficult to decide what exactly to write. Often, having more limitations can actually help you think of ideas. The examples in this post are helpful, though, and they gave me some ideas. I also like the idea of studying scores, to see what kinds of patterns other composers have used.Kristin Willsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7298312567843426829.post-80652365438539807562015-12-03T00:03:52.319-03:302015-12-03T00:03:52.319-03:30A pianist myself, most of my compositional output ...A pianist myself, most of my compositional output has been for solo piano. I think playing a large variety of repertoire as well as listening to as much music as possible is a great start to getting a handle on writing for the genre.<br /><br />You may enjoy "Impromptu in B Minor" which is a solo piano piece I wrote, and which uses a mix of idiomatic piano structures/styles/patterns. In this way, it's quite accessible to a pianist, but with some good variation and some interesting harmonic stuff as well. You're more than welcome to share it on your blog!<br /><br /><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWhjtmaIy4Q" rel="nofollow">VIDEO: Impromptu in B Minor (for piano)</a>Lukehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05176028565021964869noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7298312567843426829.post-39667522668745258302015-04-03T19:04:48.302-02:302015-04-03T19:04:48.302-02:30Solo piano music is some of my favorite classical ...Solo piano music is some of my favorite classical music of all. I love the endless textures and possibilities you can get out of just one instrument. While I'm not an overly proficient piano player and I never had any training, I've done my fair share of sounding out and improvising pieces so I think I at least have a pretty good grasp on what is possible to play and how certain textures can work (ie. hand over hand, etc.). I always compose at the piano and I definitely agree that the best way to tell if something is playable is simply to try it yourself. All of these points are very helpful and I'll keep them in mind for further compositions.Robert Humbernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7298312567843426829.post-3608432630660658762015-02-22T11:15:02.961-03:302015-02-22T11:15:02.961-03:30Now that I've read this post I wish I had earl...Now that I've read this post I wish I had earlier in the semester as it would've been of much help with my earlier composition for cello and piano. Although I did study piano for quite a few years, its been so long since I've played seriously that a lot of the idiomatic subtleties have left my mind. One of the points that I found most useful concerned the range of piano and how little of it actually fits within the treble and bass clef. As a violinist, I am used to seeing a lot of ledger lines and 8ve indications, but I always forget how much more extreme the range of the piano is. Throughout this entire post the point that seems the most important is that to write most effectively for the piano, one must spend as much time working with one as possible. I usually do most of my writing at a keyboard which helps somewhat with idiomatic writing, but an electric keyboard is a vastly different instrument than a grand piano. Its hard to get a realistic concept of the real estate you're working with when you have to press "octave up, octave down" keys to play anything outside of the regular staff. <br /><br />I am hoping to eventually expand on my piece for cello and piano by writing two more movements. As I do this, this post will be of great assistance... and I now know that I need to spend more time with grand pianos!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13425551755219224919noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7298312567843426829.post-17770838718038505722014-01-19T19:44:22.715-03:302014-01-19T19:44:22.715-03:30This blog is great for any musician with an intere...This blog is great for any musician with an interest of composing. Being a pianist myself, I feel that my kinesthetic connection with the piano is relatively strong in comparison to the average non-pianist. However, this blog informs very specific details to consider when composing for the piano. It is of great value to both pianists and non-pianists. The Bach and Mozart music examples used to explain a few of the types of patterns were, in my opinion, very fitting. I personally liked how the blog touches on several different aspects such as; register, texture, patterns, experience with an instrument, and pedaling.Andrewnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7298312567843426829.post-17444659544918994732014-01-14T18:51:08.510-03:302014-01-14T18:51:08.510-03:30After looking at my first assignment for today'...After looking at my first assignment for today's class, I can definitely say that this article is very helpful. The fact that the gap is wider between the thumb and the index finger than the remaining fingers helped me to understand how to write different chords and what fingering should be used for those chords. Also, after listening to Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 20, I can definitely say that the second point is very helpful as well. It is very good to use as many keys on the piano as you can, because, if you do, then you get all of these different sonorities, and it helps to create different moods.<br />Also, after reading some of the comments here on the blog, I have to comment on how people view the piano as they view their own instruments. Because piano is already an instrument that I am very comfortable with, I can look at it from the point of view of a pianist. However, looking at it from a Double Bass point of view is something that I'll have to do down the road this semester. This will be an experience that will be very interesting; the double bass and the piano are two very different instruments, and yet, there are similarities to both instruments.<br />Overall, I found this post very helpful, and I will keep these things in mind when I next compose a piano piece.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10331674751143911192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7298312567843426829.post-23227295496560950162013-06-11T02:56:06.003-02:302013-06-11T02:56:06.003-02:30I have composed a ballet/opera and was so thrilled...I have composed a ballet/opera and was so thrilled to have come across your article of how to write compositions. I thought I was a miracle or an odd sole composing for 5 other instruments I do not play. What makes me excited is how my story line and later developed inserts filled in this special gift God gave me. I don't know how else I could have gotten it. Thank you so much for your wisdom and excited to read what you have written and for your knowledge has answered a lot of questions for me. Would love to be able to talk to you. My composition is titled " La Creation de La Mour" <br />(The Birth of Love) 1-702-813-0020<br />-Piano lessons in School 3rd thru 8th 1 yr. in High SchoolAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14042361062265094869noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7298312567843426829.post-75287996730791432742013-04-12T22:19:07.320-02:302013-04-12T22:19:07.320-02:30This blog has some great ideas which could even he...This blog has some great ideas which could even help with a lack of inspiration. In my compositions using piano, I have learned to exploit the diverse range and colors the piano can achieve. <br /><br />One technique I noticed that you failed to mention in this post is prepared piano. I have dabbled in composing for prepared piano so I would have been interested as to your thoughts on the subject. When I composed for prepared piano, I was working with a pianist and we only needed to perform the work, not submit a formal score, so the sounds we achieved were largely due to experimentation and were perhaps not as precise as a score might dictate.<br /><br />Another technique that I enjoy which was also omitted was the use of an instrument playing into a grand piano's open lid as a means to generate reverberation. The use of the sustain pedal greatly adds to this effect.<br /><br />Furthermore, a simple change which is rarely dictated by the composer is which stick should be used (if at all) to prop open the lid of the piano. This drastically changes the dynamic and resonance of the piano. It could be useful to notate which stick to use especially if there is dense piano scoring combined with a quiet instrument (or an instrument not in their ideal range).Siobhanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01990498228933778563noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7298312567843426829.post-91779475102543841032012-07-23T21:01:50.441-02:302012-07-23T21:01:50.441-02:30This is helpful. Composing on the piano can be ver...This is helpful. Composing on the piano can be very challenging for some people, such that they don't even try. I've heard many comments over the years from people who've never composed piano songs. One of the most common one I hear is, "All the good melodies have already been taken". This statement implies that any composer will be unable to compose a unique song that is good without making it copy off of an already existing song. <br /><br />To a certain extent this may be true, yet the wide array of melodies which can be composed on the piano makes this an invalid excuse. By even changing something as simple as one note, by either making it a different note or by extending or decreasing its rhythm, the whole section will sound different. This is the power of music.dfiechterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15883225822905305424noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7298312567843426829.post-68079544564022031532010-04-19T01:09:38.390-02:302010-04-19T01:09:38.390-02:30I found it a HUGE challenge to write for solo pian...I found it a HUGE challenge to write for solo piano. It was almost intimidating writing for it, there seems to be an unspoken "thing" about piano music, and how "good music" we usually talk about or hear about classical music has to do in some way with the piano. I dunno, maybe I'm crazy. <br /><br />For me, I composed directly at the piano, so if I could play it....me.... the trombone guy, then a piano performer with proper training shouldn't have a problem. The hard part for me was that I would have all of these playable sections, but sewing them together made them WAY more difficult to play/pull of well. There were many instances where there would be awkward or impossible gaps between sections or measure, and that was my biggest obstacle with writing for the piano.<br />I tried to use pedals appropriately and sparingly whenever I could. There's something about me that just really loves the soft pedal on the piano...I dunno what's up with that... but I had to watch myself with it.<br /><br />Something else that I really find difficult is writing music that would be challenging for an actual piano major/professional. For me, I generally write while I play. But me, an amateur on the bench, can't physically play or tap into personal knowledge of challenging piano rep or technique, because I've never done that before. I guess I need to maybe step away from the piano, and do some more imaginative or mental conducting at the computer or manuscript.Aiden Harteryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18014418352999339820noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7298312567843426829.post-53438137053890385972010-01-26T23:40:13.255-03:302010-01-26T23:40:13.255-03:30Like most other people, my instrument ( well, the ...Like most other people, my instrument ( well, the marimba) definitly influences my piano writting. The marimba is obviously able to sound more then one note at a time. Often in marimba music we see a lot of octaves in both hands; this defintily transfers over in my piano music. Every time I have written for piano I always have octaves, it is almost like a default setting. I defintily need to learn to rely on other intervals or other things to enhance piano parts. <br />Like others sometimes I do forget that pianos lend themselves to thicker chord writting and harder writting. If I compare a piano to a marimba, I can only get 4 sounds at once on a marimba, only using 4 mallets. A piano player has ten fingers to make huge chords and also it seems that a lot of piano players are able to cross the length of the keyboard in seconds, but a marimba could be 5 or 6 feet long. <br />I am sure that after more writting these problems will go away and that writting idiomatically for the piano will become easier and much more natural.A. Rideouthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15339290311179408307noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7298312567843426829.post-88149997542764294112010-01-24T18:21:34.677-03:302010-01-24T18:21:34.677-03:30I find it really hard to write idiomatically for p...I find it really hard to write idiomatically for piano, and I'm glad I'm not the only one!<br /><br />I'm afraid of writing too many notes in chords, or awkward intervals, so I'm always worried about what I've written. Trying to play it myself is helpful, but I also like showing it to piano players to get their opinion on things.<br /><br />I'm lucky that I've got two keyboard-playing roommates to help me along the way. I can also compose from my bedroom and then go play it on keyboards upstairs and find out right away if I've written something silly and unplayable.<br /><br />Happy composing, everyone!Kate Bevan-Bakerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00015672804281752911noreply@blogger.com