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KINROSS HIGH SCHOOL
MUSIC DEPARTMENT
Minimalist Composition
Composition
Outcome 1
1
Create original music by:
1.1 Understanding how a range of compositional methods and music concepts
are used by composers and the influences on their work
1.2 Experimenting and using music concepts and compositional methods in
creative ways to develop refine and create original music
1.3 Developing musical ideas that make musical sense and realise their creative
intentions
1.4 Self-reflecting on their music and their creative choices and decisions
Minimalist Music
Minimalist Music was born in the late 1960’s and can be associated with a group of
American composers classified as “minimalists”. However, the origins of Minimalist
music can be traced to the ‘total serialism’ music of Webern whose music was
based on the mathematical control of the musical elements.
Minimalist music consists of cells which are ‘looped’ at shifting time intervals. This
creates a hypnotic quality to the music as the cells shift in and out of ‘phase’ with
each other. One way of thinking about Minimalist Music is as the musical
comparison of ‘Splitting the Atom’ or analysing a DNA chain. Minimalist music
could almost be described a ‘molecular music’.
Biological and Musical Analogies:




Cells –Repeated Musical Phrases
Molecules – Very short musical phrases
Atoms – Single Notes
Altered DNA – A phrase which has been changed by fragmentation,
augmentation or diminution etc.
Key features:

Minimalist Music usually has a strong sense of pulse, this gives the music its
energy and feels like an ‘engine’. Often the pulse is repeated crotchets or
quavers.

The instrumentation is often unusual as Minimalist composers will break
‘orchestral’ conventions and utilise conflicting instruments in order to create a
colourful timbre. For example, the line-up of the Michael Band is typically:
o String Quartet (2 Violins, Viola and a ‘Cello)
o Bass Guitar
o Alto, Tenor and Baritone Saxophones (sometimes doubling
o Soprano or Bass)
o Trumpet
o French Horn
o Bass Trombone (doubling euphonium or tuba)
o Piano
o (Note all these instruments are amplified)

Often a percussion ensemble may be used. This is either all untuned percussion
(e.g. Drumming) or all tuned percussion.

The Marimba is a popular instrument in the music of Reich and Glass.

Melodic ideas are simple and repeated as ‘loops’ or ostinatos.

Minimalist Music is usually ‘Tonal’ and tends not to be Dissonant.

The texture of the music is ‘polyphonic’ and often layers up in steps.
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There may be changes of time signature involving irregular time signatures e.g.
5/8 or 7/8, which help throw the music out of phase.

The music can become monotonous if there are not frequent changes in
timbre or rhythm.

The tempo tends to stay the same even if there are changes of time signature.

The music has a Hypnotic quality.

Electronic effects may be added to instruments (e.g. reverb, chorus or delay)
and there may be live instruments playing over a pre-recorded tape, e.g.
‘Different Trains’.
Assessment Standard 1.1
Understanding how a range of compositional methods and music concepts are
used by composers and the influences on their work.
1. Listen to ‘The Heart Asks Pleasure First’ from The Piano by Michael Nyman.
Identify key compositional features in the music.
Melody/
Harmony
Rhythm/
Tempo
Texture/Structure/
Form
Literacy
Timbre/
Dynamics
2. Annotate the score to highlight key features of the music.
3. Find out about the music of Michael Nyman, the compositional techniques that
he uses and what has influenced him as a composer
Assessment Standard 1.2/1.3
Aims:
The aim of this project is to compose a minimalist piece of music for instruments
each using a different loop, a keyboard instrument can also be used to support
the harmony by playing drones.
The loops are based on chord notes and arpeggio patterns. Irregular time
signatures are also used.
The techniques studied so far can be applied to writing for orchestral instruments –
try writing for string quartet or even the Nyman Band line up.
Selecting Instruments:
Select four instruments and add a keyboard instrument e.g.:
SAXOPHONE
VIOLIN
XYLOPHONE
MARIMBA
HARPSICHORD
Rhythm:
Create a different rhythm for each instrument e.g.
You might like to use devices such as three against two to create interesting
rhythmic effects e.g.
You can develop the rhythm by using irregular meters and time changes e.g.
Chords:
The composition will be based on two chords; each uses a different time signature.
These chords can be totally unrelated.
Select two chords (e.g. C Major and Eb Minor), you can extend the chord by
adding the 7th or 9th to make it more colourful. For example:
These chords are the foundation of your composition. Play them and become
familiar with the notes of each chord.
HINT – The right hand of the chords can be played as repeated quavers over the
bass drone. This helps give the music a rhythmic ‘drive’.
Melodies:
For each chord create melodic patterns made up of the arpeggio notes or using
passing notes using the rhythms selected above: e.g.
Your melodies should: move around notes from the chord; leap octaves or move
by step.
The off-beat notes can be: a note from the chord; a passing note or a neighbour
note. These have been circled in your rhythm bank.
Passing note: a note that moves by step between two notes of a chord e.g. C D E
Neighbour note: when you move to the note next door and then go back home
E.g. C D C
NOTE – If you are using Sibelius and the notes turn red this means you are writing
beyond the range of the instrument and it is not possible to play! You can change
the notes and still keep the rhythmic pattern.
You now have a number of ‘cells’ (bars of music), which can be layered up. Begin
your piece by introducing the ‘cells’ from the first chord and build up the texture,
before this becomes monotonous change to the second chord and time
signature.
Use AUGMENTATION and DIMINUTION to create vary the rhythmic patterns of the
piece. This FRAGMENTS the music creating a musical MOSAIC.
HINT – When you have finished your piece don’t forget to add DYNAMICS which
will add to the interest and shape of your music.
Accompaniment Patterns
The Keyboard part could use one of these patterns.
NB if you end with the same note that you start with you could tie it over to the
next repetition
Broken Chords:
Alberti Pattern:
Chord accompaniment:
Using Repetition, Sequence, Imitation, Countermelody and harmony
To use Repetition simply repeat what you have already written e.g.
To use Sequence simply repeat what you have already written but transpose up or
down e.g.
To use imitation try to use notes that will fit with the chords in two bars next to each
other. You can begin imitation on beat one or beat three of the bar e.g.
To write the countermelody you need to use the same process as before. Use the
same rhythm or a simpler rhythm when the melody is busy and have a more
complex rhythm where the melody stands still e.g. at the end of a line.
To write a harmony part choose notes that are either a third or sixth above or
below your melody e.g.
Assessment Standard 1.4
Composing Skills reflective log
Comments on my learning journey
My music
Circle your
rating
My creative choices and Very good
decisions — including
Good
my use of composition
and music concepts.
Needs more
work
Very good
How well have I
experimented with and
Good
developed my musical
Needs more
ideas?
work
Very good
How effective and
imaginative is my music?
Good
Needs more
work
Does it make musical
sense/convey my
intentions?
What I would do
differently next time and
why?
Candidate’s signature:
Date: