Q&A for How to Write a Symphony

Yes, but most symphonies are composed in silence, so you should probably wait until she leaves.

Not only is it morally acceptable, it is recommended - the more angst, the better. If the tragic event was something you experienced firsthand, it would be advisable to start writing the music as soon as possible, ideally while you can still painfully relive every detail so you can fully infuse the sentiments into your composition. Time heals wounds, but art endures as a faithful reminder.

Write as few or as many as you have in you. Start with one, and see where that gets you.

Yes, as long as they are enthusiastic about music and you are open to potential criticism from them, feel free.

There is no right time! If you feel ready and you have an idea what you want to write, go ahead and get started!

Get a notation software like Finale, Sibelius or MuseScore. The first two require an authorization fee, but are significantly more professional-looking.

It can be difficult. Mozart wrote his first symphony when he was 8 years old, but that was just a few woodwinds and strings. The larger the orchestra you plan to have in the symphony, the more difficult it is going to be to write a quality symphony.

No. The only solo instrument symphony is the organ symphony (common in the Romantic era, written by composers such as Vierne and Widor). It can, however be written for a subset of a full orchestra. If you were to write a piece with a solo instrument (or group of solo instruments), it would be a concerto for that instrument, e.g. a bassoon concerto. This would still have an accompaniment part, usually orchestral.

First, you need to hire a venue. Decide how many rehearsals you'll need. Then you need to hire the musicians and a conductor. Call the local musicians union for quotes on appropriate fees and length of rehearsals etc.

Since the composers you’ll be listening were mostly inspired from each other, of course you can.

Well, it depends what kind of sheet music you're talking about. If your question concerns the paper and pencil kind, you can find that at your local sheet music/bookstore, such as Annie's Music, Marshall's Music, etc. You can also get notebooks of sheet music online. If you're talking about sheet music online, I suggest using Flat.io. It's a free software with a modestly priced upgrade. If your question pertains to finding a score to arrange, you can search the internet (it works, but the scores can be pretty expensive) or arrange one based on what you heard in the soundtrack.

Not necessarily, but if you're not naturally talented at music, you're going to have to make up for it with a lot of hard work.

Yes. This is very common, especially in newer music. For example, Gustav Holst named each movement of "The Planets, Op. 32" after a different planet in our solar system.

Most classical instruments were never designed to play micro intervals, and most players are hardly trained to play them, even when they technically are possible, like on string instruments. However, that all adds to the strange sounds that you may be looking for. What works rather well is, for example, using two pianos, one of which is tuned a quarter tone higher than the other, though they may not sound quite like one single instrument.

Usually symphonies are in four movements. How long those movements are is up to the composer. Usually the first movement will be in Sonata-Allegro Form - a specific form used widely in symphony composers in the classical scene. You can look up the process of how to build that online. Usually the different movements will also have contrasting moods as well.

It's the same as writing in any language, if you can't understand it, how would you be able to write it? You could always write your music by playing it in a DAW using midi, and then asking a musician friend to notate it properly.

It's usually best to sign a commissioning contract with an orchestra before you write the symphony. Most professional orchestras don't access unsolicited submissions.

It depends on what you want to achieve. If you just want to make sure your pitches and rhythms are correct, use software. But to really learn to write a symphony, you need to hear it performed by real musicians. There are a lot of subtleties to orchestration that only come from experience with live musicians.

Depending on where you have it performed and how many rehearsals you have, it can cost anywhere from $5000 to $1 million or more.

No. This is a common myth. Most composers don't write that way. Even Beethoven spent months revising his symphonies. You will need to write down a draft, find the problems, revise, and eventually get to the point where you are satisfied with the music.

A sinfonietta is classically shorter, simpler, less serious, or just "lighter" than a symphony would usually be. Not all of those have to describe whatever you're writing, though.

Yes, you can, though it's a little unorthodox. You might want to look into the album Tommy by The Who. It's a rock opera, and it might give you some ideas on how to make a cohesive project for rock instruments.

As many as you need. There will be some days where you're stuck and writing for a few minutes will seem painful. There will also be days where you seem to have an endless flow of ideas, and you feel as if you could write for hours. How long you need to spend on it each day is unique to you and your symphony.

It's not an exact science, but the best way, in my opinion, is to voice the chords in the higher-pitched instruments, like violin, piccolo, or trumpet, rather than bass or bassoon. As for thinning out chords that are meant to be voiced in one section of the orchestra, that is a bit more difficult. Try to have fewer instruments playing the chords and move them up to higher octaves.

A symphony is a piece in multiple movements. Some have more than four, others less. One movement symphonic pieces are usually rhapsodies, symphonic poems, tone poems etc.

No. Traditionally they do, but more recent composers have written single–movement symphonies. For example, Scriabin‘s 4th symphony.

The odds of fame are slim. Checking the lists of composers on Wikipedia or in Grove's Dictionary, there are many and most are not household names. If you're after fame, writing for movies stands a better chance. Your name's on the credits.