“Dear, Alain

“I am able to write short one-movement pieces (2-4 minutes). However, I find it difficult to write convincingly or interestingly for longer streches of time. How can I achieve coherence and thematic unity in larger musical structures?”

- Javier Canseco, student composer at HCC Holyoke, USA.

Hello Javier,

That is a very good question, and a big problem for all composers. I will avoid discussing standard forms but instead will give you a flexible guide to discovering your own path.

First you have to find what you want to achieve in long forms.

Ask yourself this: What pieces of long form do you enjoy listening to? Which ones do you feel do not overstay their welcome?

Everyone’s answer will be different for this, beauty is in the eye of the beholder and all that.

Then break down the form using timings, not measures. Music is experienced in the context of time, thus form (balance and symmetry…) is achieved on that basis.

Figure this out and you will have set some personal goals to shoot for in your own writing, then you can grow from there.

I would also suggest writing some Theme and Variations as exercises. Longer form generally require that you present your ideas in many different shades.

The Inventions and Sinfonias of Bach are also a good place to look for manipulation of material.

Another place to look, and this is a personal take on it, is at movie structure.

The entire film is broken down into short scenes of a few minutes in length. Each scene, ideally, has a logical self-contained structure (beginning, middle and end) while also serving the film’s material and overall form.

Since a scene in a movie will last only a few minutes, your current ability to write 2 to 4 minute pieces can be seen as the foundation for writing larger works.

Here is one way to go about it; think of the form of your larger piece, plan it out, then break it up into smaller sections – or “scenes “- of a few minutes each.

Each of those scenes must make sense on their own and together form a convincing dramatic arc.

Have fun writing,

Alain