Learn Listening Online

Composing

Composing

General Information

Mac users: Choose one of the styles of music below and click once to select the file. A media player will appear on the screen but do not select play. Go to File and Save as, save the file to your Desktop. Import the MIDI file into your sequencer or music-writing program on your computer.

PC users: Choose one of the styles of music below and right click on the file you want and choose Save target as, save the file to your Desktop. Import the MIDI file into your sequencer or music-writing program on your computer.

Using MIDI files

You should find that you have accompaniment parts and a melody part.

Open the melody part and the chords part at the same time so that you can see the score (the two music staves). 

You should notice that the melody just has a rhythm on one note while the other part shows the chords for the music.

Drag the melody notes up or down to create your own melody, basing the notes that you choose on the chords underneath.

Have fun!

Choose from

Baroque period - a simple ground bass

Just move melody notes to match the chords below and construct your own melody.

Classical period - a simple Alberti bass

Just move melody notes to match the chords below and construct your own melody.
Make up the first eight bars, then the second, which are in a minor key, and when you have finished, copy the first eight bars to the end to make a piece with the shape ABA.

Late romantic - a simple accompaniment in the style of Erik Satie on a well-known chord structure.

Just move melody notes to match the chords below and construct your own melody. Copy the work as many times as you like and change the melody as often as you like. You can often copy the melodies as well and build up a longer composition.