Do you think it helps/ is important for composers to carry on practising their instruments ?

[Adrian Allan]

I must admit that I don't really practise the guitar any more, even though it is my main instrument.

I used to practise about 3 hours a day, but I sort of hit a brick wall, where I couldn't reach the level I wanted for purely technical reasons.

I felt like I was Fred Perry and the other players out there were like Roger Federer, just hitting the balls back faster and more accurately than I could ever hope to do. Did anybody else go through the same thing as me ? It felt like a very technical game of tennis after a certain level, with only the very fittest making it up to the very top.

However, I still find it important for me to be learning an instrument.

I'm a pretty poor piano player, but I do try to keep up the playing. I think that the discipline of still learning an instrument is important one to have through life.

I also think that the very act of learning a second instrument and struggling through gives new patterns and musical ideas that aren't necessarily available on a first instrument. You also subconsciously pick up things while actually playing that you might not do in a life devoted to score analysis.

Basically, I'm saying that I still find it important to practise an instrument. Does anybody else agree ?

Or once you decided to compose, did you put your serious practising days behind you ?

[Adrian Allan]

Perhaps that is the joy of the sort of informal music scene you've been a part of.

I can tell you that there are many people I know who have got to a very high classical standard and then just given up, for one reason for another.

I think it may be because in something like classical guitar if you don't do your 3 hours a day, your technique just won't stay with you. And then when you pick it up again, there's more of a mountain to climb back to where you left it last time.

Then you get to a slightly depressing cycle of knowing that you must put in the hours just to stay afloat - but when no work comes in, it is tempting to think "why bother ?"

Sad to say that one England's most promising classical guitar players is now a lawyer and never picks up her guitar (and she had a contact with Decca). And her case is by no means unique.

[Ray Kemp]

Frank Sinatra 1967 'That's Life'

[Chris Alpiar]

Long ago, I practiced literally 8-10 hours a day, then scrambled to rehearsals, gigs, shows, recording sessions, jam sessions - often I was triple booked and had to find subs for my subs, it was a whirlwind of craziness, but it felt so good. I wanted to be the new era Coltrane and be an innovator. And I was true to my mission. At one point I had moved to NYC and found myself in situations playing with the very top jazz players of the world, playing free improvisatory music, and we played in clubs that paid us by letting us pass the hat... or maybe $30 each guarantee... for 5 hours of complete focus, sweat, hard core jazz... And gigs with really heavy and famous cats in the jazz scene. New York Jazz works that you tour Europe and Japan and make your cake and then you come back to NYC for the winter and spend all your money while you play for nothing. After a few years of this and having to choose 2 day jobs (which I did) or wedding and barmitzvah bands where I was required to be a clown (which I chose not to after doing a few and hating myself), I realized I had to make money somehow. So to me composing is something I always have done (jazz comp major at Berklee) but was finally going to apply my knowledge and talent to to find a commercially viable voice and make some money. To me composition has been about compromising my art in a way to find someplace in the main stream to be acceptible to the masses, since it was obvious that very few people wanted to hear my spin on truth and improvisation and pay money for it.

As a result my composition is all an extension of my playing, and I try and think of each instrument I write for being something that I play. I dont practice for 10 hours a day anymore for certain. I pick up my horns enough to keep in shape to give private lessons and to do occassional recordings (which I reserve recording my horns on music that I resonate with only, regardless of money, whereas I used to record anywhere for anyone)

But composing is in essence the same as improvisation, just you can agonize over it for as long as you want and make it perfect whereas in improv you have to find zen space and connect everything in real time. I couldnt compose today without having the experiences I had as a player. Anyone who composes without playing anything I strongly urge you to master at least one instrument.

But while I dont think its important to 'shed' for extended practice sessions where you focus on sound and technique of your instrument, I do think that if you are an improvisor, spending a few hours with a metronome on and working through ideas is a great way to find the idea you need in your writing. Mostly because it forces you to the zen place of musical meditation and hopefully you can find the truth of your moment

[Kelvin]

I think it is important to have an understanding of the instrument your are composing for, but not necessarily be a virtuoso at that. Tchaikovsky is a remarkably poor piano player but look at his piano concerto!
Having said that I still find it important to continue playing your instrument, it is more satisfying i think to be able to play your own creation than have the computer do it for you - but that is just a personal preference.

[Adrian Allan]

I never knew that about Tchaikovsky.

In an ideal world, it would be useful to spend (say) a year learning the basics of each of all the orchestral instruments - one year for each instrument.

Has anybody tried this approach, or at least with a few instruments before writing for them ?

If I'm not sure I tend to be very conservative. In other words I don't think of using the tubas for melody line, or placing the trombones far into the treble register.

Other stuff too - wish I understood harmonics on strings or when to use mutes, etc.

[John McIntyre]

An interesting discussion. I came from a 'performance' background. I think it's important to maintain a physical connection to music making; it can only help with the creative connection of composing. I'm constantly surprised how many composers don't have first hand knowledge of the instruments for which they write. I would think it difficult to write well for instruments that you know of only in a theoretical sense. Creating music and performing music are interconnected in many ways. It seems to me that writing effectively for orchestra, inherently means that one has played in one.

The entire aspect of 'performance practice' to which Adrian refers can be learned in books and in real life. I remember well playing clarinet/bass clarinet and watching the sloppy bowings of the second violinsts near the back. They sat right near me and I could compare them to the prima donna first violin players way up front. Sitting in front of French Horn players oftentimes meant hearing a lot of 'cacks' on low notes. Note to self: don't write the French Horns too low!

[Steve Chandler]

I was in a piano store once and brought a notebook with some of my pieces. I started playing of the easier ones and the salesguy asked about a piece. I told him I could only play parts of it badly. He thought I was crazy to compose music I couldn't just play. I told him I compose from my ear, mind and heart not my fingers. I don't want to limit my composing to what I can play. Since that time I've worked hard at practicing my pieces so that I can play almost all of them, though not at the tempo my mind hears (and the computer can play easily).

Frankly the OP's question mystifies me. If you're in an academic situation finding people to learn your music is relatively easy. But those of us who've been in the real world for a while know that the way to get hooked into a music community is by playing, and that means practicing. If I don't learn and practice my own pieces nobody else will and then nobody will hear them.

Recently I've decided to start composing for flute and piano. I've noodled on flute in the past and when I dug out my instrument I found it needed some work. So I've put off composing until I can get it repaired. I guess when it comes to flute I compose to give myself music I'll find interesting to learn and ultimately improve my playing. I'll never be great at any instrument, but just playing and practicing keeps me connected to music and thus to composing.

[Luigi]

it all depends on other things ,like :

how is it important to you? How does your instrument affects your main purpose? (composition,creating music,etc)

do you want to be a pro or an hobbyst? if the answer is 'pro' ,then I am afraid you can't really fail to be at least proficient enough to express yourself. Music does not have to be hard to be good. The reality is that creating music is a different issue than having a good command on your instrument

what kind of music do you want to play? if it's classical or jazz,one should be at least have a certain proficiency. For example,I have been a rock-metal guitarist for 15 years. Then I started feeling very limited. I started listening to many different kinds of music,especially classical ,tv music,etc, and I decided to take up piano and keyboard about 7 years ago.
As a rock guitarist,I was proficient.....I have learned pieces like The Flight of The Bumble Bee, this sort of thing.

On keyboards,I still have to reach the proficiency I want; however,this has happened merely because I wanted to study harmony (which I did) and tecnique just didn't fit my schedule yet. Now,I want to learn good keyboard technique. Of course,my previous experience with guitar,will aid me because I already know things like isolating this or that particular technical problem, to strive for precision,etc

Basically ,my conclusion is that once you've done your technical homework on your instrument,then even if you don't practice as much,the technique won't go away so easily. I have not practiced guitar for years but when I grab it I don't find myself in too much trouble.

It all depends how important is to you....my advice is,if you want to speed things up,find a good teacher as well as do things on your own,but don't just sit alone and frustrate yourself. I definitely want to be a good keyboardist....it won't be easy but if someone else has done it,so can I

[Jan Civil]

You know, with midi I have concentrated on a wholly different set of chops than I would ever have sticking to trying to be super adept at the electric lead guitar, which I was moving in that direction fairly well, and I can still get away with a lot if I need to in my own music. I do think that having that sort of command of an instrument or instruments is crucial, it informs the energy level of the music, the level of detail you're even going to go for. I wouldn't want to have to try and cut it as a performer and at the same time create these 'midi performances', just cause personally I don't have the energy to do both, OR the time, not at all. But, I have midi drummer chops, midi keyboard chops, midi funk bass chops, midi orchestra you name it chops to call into play. NONE of which I would have without having disciplined the munchkins. Which is only to say, I do a different weirder kind of serious practicing now. I now go months without touching the strat or what have you. I think if my mind is sharp and I keep my hand in, I can still take myself somewhat serious as a performer if need be, without such munchkin torture going on all the time.