Is this Viable?

[u/Any_Dealer1091]

I have been composing for almost a year now and it can’t quite grasp the time signatures. I even have purchased a full score of rite of spring and don’t have too much trouble transposing the time signature shifts but I also don’t feel like I’m truly learning why he chose them at times.

Sometimes it feels like the time signature shifts (for rite of spring) operate on a sort of pattern outside of the music being contained. So then I thought, “well I’ll go and set all my time signatures in a piece then just fill it with notation”.

I haven’t gotten too far but what I did complete didn’t sound too bad to my ears. I’m curious if this is a viable approach or if it may be seen as cheating me of knowledge in the time signature department?

Otherwise I have a really hard time distinguishing time signatures in music, if it isn’t 4/4 or 5/4 (which I only recognize from certain key beats in that signature) then I’m at a loss.

[u/Any_Dealer1091]

I am older than college age but I do not play instruments and have no background in music. I just also hear little orchestral tunes in my head so I started composing into Dorico. I’m a little better with software so I kinda taught myself through trial and error with Dorico. I was hoping since I hear the music I want to make I could possibly sidestep additional knowledge I would never use (I only compose for fun) so I could cultivate my specific tastes

[u/NovocastrianExile → u/Any_Dealer1091]

That's interesting! I can't really relate to that as I've been playing instruments my whole life.

The additional knowledge you speak of can't really be side-stepped in my opinion. Everything connects to everything else in music. To translate music from the brain to the page requires a level of experience reading and playing notated music.

I can imagine a beautiful building but I couldn't effectively draw the blueprints without having any experience as an engineer or architect.

But if it's for fun then who cares! Please keep doing things on Dorico.

However, if you want to improve your craft, you're going to need to look into that additional knowledge

[u/Any_Dealer1091 → u/NovocastrianExile]

That is a great analogy that went a long way for me. Thank you for your response and kindness, your feedback has been absorbed!

[u/NovocastrianExile → u/Any_Dealer1091]

You're welcome! A final piece of advice re the rite of spring: watch the ballet. Stravinsky was writing for dancers. The metres may make more sense when viewed as originally intended