9 Tips On How To Compose Piano Music

1. Understand Music Theory: Music piano theory is the language in which musicians communicate with each other and their fans. Trying to connect with your listeners is an important thing to do. If you have a firm grasp on music theory, basic composition and arranging techniques you will be better off in composing songs that you will be better able to share with the world and connect with your fans. Never stop learning as a composer. So to nutshell this point, "Educate Thyself."
2. Form: This is also known as "style" or "genre." Figure out which form you like best. It can be Pop, Classical, New Age, Blues, Jazz, Country, etc.. Do a mixture if you'd like. For me personally I've chosen to perform my songs in a Contemporary Pop/ New Age form just because that's the type that appeals to me the most. If you don't know which form you like, make sure to spend some time listening to all forms to see which one perks your interest.
3. Trust in Your Taste: To quote a friend of mine Dr. Paul, "Do what you love for the people who love what you do." Meaning, If you like it, there is someone else that will too. Focus on creating music that YOU enjoy!
4. Melody: The melody is also known as the "hook" or the part of the song that gets stuck in your head and you find yourself humming it in your head during and after the song. For me, I've found it easiest to come up with the melody of a song while I'm sitting down at the piano. I mess around until I find something that perks my interest and then I build on it from there.
5. Key: Once you have a good idea of your melody then you have something to build on. The next step would be to figure out which key you are playing in. A key is generally the major or minor scale around which a piece of music revolves around. If you are not confident in playing in other keys, you can always play in the key of C at first and then transpose it later on with a computer.
6. Mood: Next, figure out what type of mood you want the song to be. Energetic, Happy, Sad, Mysterious, etc... You can always try to listen to a variety of music to get an idea of various moods.
7. Purpose of the Song

• Beginning: The beginning of your song sets the mood and gets the listeners attention. Strive for that.
• Middle: The middle should be the climax and the purpose is to retain your listeners attention and get the melody stuck into their head.
• Ending: The ending should have a feeling of resolve and satisfaction. This isn't the case with all songs. There are songs that feel unresolved for a purpose. Just know what message you're trying to portray with the end of your song.

8. Patience: Realize that it might take a few months to a few years to complete a piece. Now and then, I'll write a song in an hour flat! Most of my songs take a few weeks to approx. 6 months to complete, and some songs have taken years to finish. If it takes you awhile to finish your composition, don't get frustrated. If you need to, set the composition aside for awhile and come back to it later. You'll find it easier to actually finish it.
9. Become a Pack Rat: Finally, record ALL of your ideas while you're still sitting at the piano! There's nothing more frustrating than having a great idea, getting interrupted, and then forgetting it. With some sort of recording device handy you can take the few minutes you need to record a rough-draft of your melody/song and come back to it later if you wish. You'll be glad you did!