Can someone help me with composing a sonata?

Question

Hello I'm a pianist whos starting AS music I'd like to try composing a sonata. When composing a sonata what characteristic should my movements have? Strictly speaking is sonata form used in the movements?
Any help would be really appreciated thank you

Answer 1

Well today ANYthing goes --

But if you look to the classic examples, you will usually find that sonatas were cast into 3 or 4 movements, with the first being in sonata-allegro form, the second being a slow movement, in either truncated sonata form -- no development, or theme and variations, or ternary (ABA). The last movements often are Rondo forms of some sort, or in many cases sonata-allegro form. In a 4 movement sonata, the 3rd is usually a minuet or scherzo.

There are exceptions to all of the above -- for instance, Mozart's famous A major Sonata K 331 has no sonata allegro movement (!). In Beethoven's "Moonlight" only the finale is in sonata form.

The different movement schemes are so varied that it would be exhaustive to try and list them all here. There are two-movement schemes, 1 mvt schemes (Liszt's B minor is a notable example), and even 5 and 6 movement schemes in some rare examples.

Answer 2

Although you have not given a clear picture of your skills as a pianist, and I personally am not clear about wht "AS music" means, I will try to help out.

Why try such a large form? After all, you sound as though you are just beginning your formal training. The very challenge of writing a piece of music that long so it hangs together in once piece, so to speak, is a lot to ask of yourself. That is an understatement.

You do sound enthusiastic, but I think you would do best if you are patient with yourself while you become well-acquainted with the basic materials of music. Otherwise, you will be quite uncomfortable with the entire project. Just the problem of being able to assess whatever stumbling blocks you might run into gives me a headache. I hesitate to think what it would do to *you*!!

When you do feel comfortable, I think you will find smaller forms to keep you happy for a while, like songs, for example. You might find some poems that would make good songs, write out a melody that lifts the poem up into the dimension of musical sound, and then harmonize it.

I hope you see that in order to do even that, you woud need to be comforatble with musical notation, harmony, and you should know just where to set your melody so it is singable. In addition, if you cannot play it really easily yourself, you will be one embarrassed person, so be sure your pianistic skills and your composting skills match.
And, sing ....learn to sing (caveat emptor!!!!)....ahem!!!

I love your enthusiasm. Have a good time, and try not to bite off more than you can chew!
Best of luck.

Answer 3

sonata in three movements

1 Allegro
A 1st theme-change key to dominant-2nd theme-development section of material in 1st theme-reprise 2nd
theme-coda

2 adagio- slow short movement in related minor key

3.allegro-Rondo compose theme with some relation to 1st
movement.1st theme contrasting 2d theme 1st theme reprise
and coda

Have fun with this i,f you are doing this for an exam then you must demonstrate a confident handling of form so dont worry too much about being original.

Read The Sonata by Charles Rosen

Answer 4

While I would suggest trying some smaller forms first, let me give you a couple of sites that might help you along:

http://www.dolmetsch.com/ourresources.htm
Click on the "music theory & history" link. Check out any of the areas that interest you but especially chapter 41.

http://music.indiana.edu/som/theory/t511/form.html
This has form diagrams.

Good luck.

Musician, composer, teacher.

Answer 5

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