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Music theory (guitar): What subjects should I learn about if I want to compose my own music?
Counterpoint (how one melody plays against another) as well as how to move from one chord to another. I found learning about theory when I was studying piano was very helpful, but limited. The bottom line: how it sounds to you. This means lots of experimenting, and noting down the results (not just trying to remember it all). Music notation is essential.
Zanna Smith · August 17, 2026 · Quora
Could artificial intelligence compose music?
Certainly. In early computer music, analog-digital converters were used to sample and create artificial instruments. Now AI can be used to analyze speech patterns, as well as music patterns and rules, and create "its" own music. (My background is in the earliest computer-assisted composing.)
Zanna Smith · August 17, 2026 · Quora
Handwritten Musical Score for Variations
A black and white image displays a handwritten musical score titled "VARIATIONS on a theme from Hindemith" for Piano, Bb Clarinet, and Viola. The score includes musical notation, tempo markings, and dynamic instructions.
The Zanna Smith Archive · August 20, 2026
Handwritten musical score for bassoon and piano
Two pages of a handwritten musical score are displayed, featuring notes, symbols, and annotations in black ink. The pages are slightly creased and show some transparency.
The Zanna Smith Archive · August 20, 2026
How do musicians compose? Do they hear the music in their head?
I'm a synsthete, a person who perceives and conceives multisensorily. So when I see a painting, I feel and hear movement and music, and vice versa. When I'm developing a composition I have more of an image in mind; an improvisation follows, and parts of the improvisation become more significant. The patterns which emerge become the seeds for the scored composition.
Zanna Smith · August 17, 2026 · Quora
Two individuals with musical instruments outdoors
A composite image shows a person in a hat playing a woodwind instrument on a ledge, next to a potted citrus plant. Below, a young boy in a plaid shirt holds two maracas.
The Zanna Smith Archive · August 20, 2026
Two boys with musical instruments outdoors
Two boys are depicted in a black and white photograph. One boy, wearing a hat, is seated on a wall playing a wind instrument, while the other boy, in a plaid shirt, sits below holding maracas.
The Zanna Smith Archive · August 20, 2026
Two individuals at a musical performance
A young person with dark hair and a dark sweater sings into a microphone, standing behind a piano. Another person with dark hair is partially visible behind a dark, draped object with a statue on top.
The Zanna Smith Archive · August 20, 2026
Should children learn to play the piano before they learn to play another instrument?
Learning to play a small lap harp (without pedals) doesn't require knowing how to play the piano first, and will certainly help your daughter learn music, as well as improvising music for herself. For a more complicated harp (the orchestral harp), though it is necessary to learn how to read piano music and the coordination of hands, eyes (and feet!).
Zanna Smith · August 17, 2026 · Quora
What is the hardest thing about learning the piano from a beginners perspective?
Coordinating left and right hand. Reading and playing music without constantly looking back and forth from music to keys and hands.
Zanna Smith · August 17, 2026 · Quora
Composers: How did you get your start writing/decide you wanted to write music/stories?
I was surrounded by a writers and musicians when I was growing up. I started making up piano music, based on experiments and listening to music, when I was 4. It was just another way of communicating. Ditto with writing poetry and stories. As a teen I already knew I was a composer and writer so I continued learning.
Zanna Smith · August 17, 2026 · Quora
Woman at piano with cat and moving boxes
A woman in a blue tracksuit sits at a black digital piano with sheet music, looking towards the camera. A white and brown cat stands on the carpeted floor near several cardboard moving boxes, some labeled 'Hansen Bros Moving-Storage'.
The Zanna Smith Archive · August 20, 2026
Woman Seated at Wooden Organ Console
A woman with dark hair and glasses is seated at a wooden organ console, wearing a brown jacket over a white shirt. Several books and sheet music are open on the console, illuminated by a small lamp.
The Zanna Smith Archive · August 20, 2026
Woman playing an organ in a room
A woman with gray hair and glasses, wearing a red jacket, is seated at an organ. Her right hand is on the keys, and sheet music is visible on a stand in front of her. Books are stacked on a shelf to her left, and a window with bars is visible in the background.
The Zanna Smith Archive · August 20, 2026
Zanna in sunglasses at an organ
Zanna wearing sunglasses and a blue jacket sits at a wooden organ with two keyboards. Sheet music is visible on the organ's stand.
The Zanna Smith Archive · August 20, 2026
Large Choir Performance with Conductor and Pianist
A black and white photograph shows a large choir composed of men in tuxedos and women in white dresses, arranged in rows on risers. A conductor stands in front of a grand piano, with a pianist seated at the instrument, all holding sheet music.
The Zanna Smith Archive · August 20, 2026
Two individuals seated near a piano
A woman in a light brown turtleneck and dark pants sits next to a young girl with dark hair and bangs, wearing a light blue top and dark pants. They are positioned in front of a dark piano with sheet music on its stand, and a framed picture hangs on the wall behind them.
The Zanna Smith Archive · August 20, 2026
Why would a composer prefer one key to another? For example, why would a composer choose to use F# minor instead of A minor, or Bb major instead of C major?
From ancient traditions of Asia (such as South Indian raga, and ancient Greek music) different modes and keys produce different moods. Gregorian chant used this, in addition to knowing which note would be most likely to sound best in a particular male voice (such as baritone or tenor).
Zanna Smith · August 17, 2026 · Quora
Got questions related to classical piano. I need a teacher who has +10yr of teaching exp in classical piano. Is a serious talk. With a # of questions?
I’m ready. What are the questions? I began playing the piano (and composing) when I was 3, before i could read music or anything else. My first piano lessons began on my Nana’s lap when I was 4, and with a “real” teacher when I was 6. By that time i was already performing in front of recognized musicians (which was daunting, but at 6, I loved it).
Zanna Smith · August 17, 2026 · Quora
What are the basic things that a beginner, who would want to play piano should know about?
Music, once you learn even the most basic things like reading and playing them, is something which comes through you. It isn’t something you simply hear and copy identically.
Zanna Smith · August 17, 2026 · Quora
How do you lift your spirits?
I lift my spirits in many ways: I totally immerse myself in something, like improvising music, painting, going for a walk, watching and feeling nature. Feeling connected to our surroundings, anything positive that takes us outside of our dismal mind, helps.
Zanna Smith · August 17, 2026 · Quora
How do I use the 'two other pedals' in piano?
The leftmost pedal (sometimes called the “soft pedal”) mutes the attack on the strings. It is important to learn how to control soft dynamics through your hands before you begin depending on this pedal. The rightmost pedal (sometimes called the “suspension pedal”) holds all notes you play, creating a legato or smooth transition from key to key.
Zanna Smith · August 17, 2026 · Quora
Two individuals with a keyboard and harp
An older individual with white hair plays a keyboard in the foreground, while a younger individual with dark hair and a face covering sits behind them. A harp is visible in the background, along with a glass door and a small table with items on it.
The Zanna Smith Archive · August 20, 2026
Two people playing a keyboard instrument
Two individuals are seated, with their hands on the keys of a black electronic keyboard. A bookshelf filled with books is visible in the background.
The Zanna Smith Archive · August 20, 2026
People gathered indoors, man playing brass instrument
A group of people are gathered indoors, with a man in the foreground playing a brass instrument. Other individuals are visible in the background, some looking towards the musician, in what appears to be a casual indoor setting.
The Zanna Smith Archive · August 20, 2026
Woman playing an organ in a room
A woman with dark hair and glasses, wearing a blue top, sits at a wooden organ. To the right, part of an American flag is visible, along with another person in blue clothing and a wooden pillar. A date stamp '96 1 21' is visible in the bottom right corner.
The Zanna Smith Archive · August 20, 2026