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"Create Your Own"

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Step 1 - Choose appropriate instruments

Collect instruments that sound like they could have been played during ancient times. You can make a list, or you can compile these sounds into your computer. You will find that they generally fall into three categories: 1. woodwinds; 2. percussion; 3. strings.

For the woodwinds, you can find excellent samples of ethnic woodwind instruments in most sampled libraries. If you don't have access to these sounds, you can use the bassoon, English horn and flute. For the percussion, you can use many varieties of marimbas and primitive sounding mallet instruments, as well as the bell tree and finger cymbals. For the strings, you can use solo stringed instruments, as well as the violin section to provide an atmosphere. The harp also counts as a stringed instrument in this case.

Step 2 - Choose a key and a Phrygian scale

To find all your notes for this composition, use the Phrygian scale (a/k/a Phrygian mode). Pick the key in which you want to compose your music.

If you choose the C Phrygian scale, your notes will be C, Db, Eb, F, G, Ab, Bb and back to C. Use these notes in any order.

Step 3 - Fill in the atmosphere

Use the violin section to play simultaneous open 5ths in its highest register. The open 5ths have a very timeless, ethereal sound when played softly by the violins in their highest register. In the key of C, your notes will be C (two octaves above Middle C), with a G on top of that. You can start this atmospheric string part immediately in bar 1 and hold it throughout the duration of the piece.

Step 4 - Construct an introduction and a melody

Using the notes in the Phrygian scale discussed in step #2, introduce a short line, for mallet percussion and/or harp, within the first few bars. This acts as an introduction to the melody. After these first few bars, a melody can be played by any of the woodwinds, and can also last a few bars in length. Alternate back and forth between a few bars of woodwind melody and a few bars of mallet percussion (and/or harp).

Each time the melody enters, a different woodwind can take turns playing it. In composing the melody and other short lines, feature some of the more unique notes in your scale. If you are working with the C Phrygian scale, make good use of the Db (the 2nd step of the scale).

Step 5 - Use the remainder of the instruments from your list

A solo cello can play a few bars of melody along with the woodwinds. Finger cymbals work well, all by themselves or at the same time as a plucked harp note. Use the bell tree to introduce the atmospheric violins at the beginning.