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Hi guys,
So i'm an amateur composer who has never had private lessons on composing. I've written so far a theme and variation, a rondo, and a sonata(I just finished this. I hope to learn it and share it soon.)
Just wondering if it would be a good idea to attempt writing a fugue. biggest problem for me is the fact that I am learning my first fugue right now, BWV 877, so I don't think I know it well enough.
Also would it be orthodox to write a fugue as a stand alone piece or should it follow a prelude/be part of a sonata?
And for those who have studied these extensively(I haven't, yet)
Should the second entry in the exposition always be in the dominant key? or can it be the same key, different octave?
thanks!
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It is perfectly acceptable to write a fugue as a stand alone composition. 
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Just wondering if it would be a good idea to attempt writing a fugue. It wouldn't.
Regards,
Polyphonist
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Try to get your hands on a copy of Hugo Norden's Fundamental Counterpoint. Norden, a Music Theory professor at Boston Conservatory, was a master contrapuntalist who wrote 5000 canons, in every possible permutation that Bach used and even some that Bach never tried - for his Doctoral Dissertation, and he wrote over 750 fugues over a period of 2 years as an exercise. Norden made it a point to notice how Bach and other masters employed Golden Mean ratios as the structural skeleton of masterworks.
Piano repair and rebuilding since 1970. But there is ever and always MORE to learn.
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Many composers, including J. S. Bach, wrote stand-alone fugues, so there's nothing stopping you from doing so yourself. What would stop you even if others hadn't done so?
If you know little or nothing about counterpoint (that is implied in your post; correct me if I am wrong), what you end up with may not be a "real" fugue, although you can call it whatever you like. But what I don't understand is why you would want to write a fugue if you know next to nothing about the formal rules about fugue-writing.
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BruceD
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Just wondering if it would be a good idea to attempt writing a fugue. It wouldn't. It would!
Poetry is rhythm
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you're right about counterpoint.
One of the reasons I want to make an attempt is to sort of figure out very basic counterpoint stuff before I go and learn it from, say, a book or something. Obviously this spells disaster but I don't think I lose much from this.
I'm not sure if this was implied before but I do know some fugue stuff like subject, countersubject, inversion, augmentation, entry, answers, etc.
I just don't know (yet) how to apply all of these things while keeping a viable harmonic structure. Maybe I will find out.
If writing this is damaging in any way(I'm thinking of learning pieces that are too hard and getting bad habits. is there a parallel to that is the composing world?), let me know, if not I don't see a huge problem with making an attempt.
I'm all ears.
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you're right about counterpoint.
One of the reasons I want to make an attempt is to sort of figure out very basic counterpoint stuff before I go and learn it from, say, a book or something. Obviously this spells disaster but I don't think I lose much from this.
I'm not sure if this was implied before but I do know some fugue stuff like subject, countersubject, inversion, augmentation, entry, answers, etc.
I just don't know (yet) how to apply all of these things while keeping a viable harmonic structure. Maybe I will find out.
If writing this is damaging in any way(I'm thinking of learning pieces that are too hard and getting bad habits. is there a parallel to that is the composing world?), let me know, if not I don't see a huge problem with making an attempt.
I'm all ears. The worst that can happen is that you write a bad fugue. It can't do any harm.
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You can certainly do whatever you want - HOWEVER most folks start by writing exercises in 2 voice counterpoint before attempting to compose a fugue. An analysis of the Bach two part inventions can be particularly helpful to you. https://youtu.be/x33NihQShywhttps://youtu.be/wJgNZJ-TeTcAnd as for fugues...... https://youtu.be/OyvSrpQ2eWY
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I highly recommend watching these videos from the guy who wrote the Lady Gaga fugue. I say go for it! What do you have to lose? I've written a few after being inspired by this guy. After going through the counterpoint videos, you'll be ready for the last video, the fugue. He shows you a few tricks in the double counterpoint video that really helped me. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLA660D90FB432BD69
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Also, are seconds/7ths allowed outside of V7 chords? edit: I've finished the exposition to the fugue and I think(and hope) that I'm getting the hang of this. Please let me know if I'm doing anything 'wrong' here, as I'm bound to mess up somewhere. [img] http://www.imgur.com/a/f1N0K[/img]
Last edited by sumpianodude; 02/22/17 01:03 AM.
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Just wondering if it would be a good idea to attempt writing a fugue. It wouldn't. It would! Indeed not, if the information in the OP is accurate to any degree.
Regards,
Polyphonist
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But if he kills himself trying, is that a good thing or a bad thing?
Semipro Tech
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frankly, I don't think I will.  I've survived the exposition already. I hope the rest of the fugue is a bit easier!
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Just wondering if it would be a good idea to attempt writing a fugue. It wouldn't. It would! Indeed not, if the information in the OP is accurate to any degree. What catastrophe dost thou foresee? What grave omens dost thou divine? Reveal for us the true horrific travesty.
Poetry is rhythm
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Study lots of fugues, then write one. You can either follow all of the rules of a fugue and counterpoint, or just write whatever the heck you want. That's the beauty of composing (and the arts in general)!
You don't have to answer to anyone but yourself.
I do music stuffs Yep, I have a YouTube channel!Current: 1998 PETROF Model IV Chippendale LEGO Grand Piano (IDEAS 031|21323) YAMAHA PSR-520 Past: 2017 Charles Walter 1500 in semi-polish ebony 1991 Kawai 602-M Console in Oak
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