LibGuides: Composition: Technique

Recommended Resources

Composition Books in the Allen Library (selections)

Berklee Contemporary Music Notation by Jonathan Feist
Call Number: MT35 F45 2017 [Allen shelves]
Explains standard rules and definitions, plus how to make appropriate choices to achieve clarity and consistency in your notation to best serve your music.
Contemporary Counterpoint by Beth Denisch
Call Number: MT55 D45 2017 [Allen shelves]
Learn "tricks of the trade" from the masters and apply them to contemporary styles.
How to Write for Percussion by Samuel Z. Solomon
Call Number: MT70 S65 H68 2016 [Allen shelves]
An examination of percussion and composition issues such as notation, concert production, and much more.
On the Track: A Guide to Contemporary Film Scoring by Fred Karlin and Rayburn Wright
Call Number: MT64 M65 K37 [Allen shelves]
Publication Date: 2004
Covers everything from the nuts-and-bolts of timing, cuing, and recording through balancing the composer's aesthetic vision with the needs of the film itself.
The Study of Orchestration by Samuel Adler
Call Number: MT70 A23 2016 [Allen shelves]
Explores the characteristics of orchestral instruments and shows students how a master composer approaches orchestration.

Discover More

Browse the catalog

Browse by subject in the catalog, for example:

Composition (music)
Harmony
Instrumentation and orchestration
Musical analysis
Musical form
Musical meter and rhythm
Musical notation
Tempo (music)

Browse the Shelves

Call numbers organize books by topic, so a great way to discover books is to browse the shelves by call number. Use these call numbers to find books on composition topics:

Call Number	Topic
MT35	Notation
MT40	Composition systems
MT42	Rhythm
MT45	Scales
MT50	Harmony
MT56	Electronic & computer music
MT58-MT64	Forms
MT70-MT71	Orchestra & orchestration

Suggest a Resource

Know of a resource you think should be added to this guide? Let us know!

Want to suggest we purchase something new? Contact Tracey Rudnick (rudnick@hartford.edu).