Starting Out

• To begin writing a piece of music, you have to have an idea. This idea can be anything from a melody line to a chord progression, to lyrics to a musical form that you would like to use in the composition of a piece of music.
  
  

The Details

• Once you have some clear musical idea of what you want to create, you have to decide on the details of your composition. The details include what key the song will be in, what instruments will be used to play the song, how long you want the song to last and who will perform your piece.
  
  

Writing It Down

• Putting the music that you have created onto paper allows you to preserve it as well as to share it with other musicians. It is also much easier to add new harmonies or melody lines when you can plainly see what you have already written.
  
  

Fine Tuning

• A piece of music will likely go through several revisions before you are finished with it. If possible, you will want to get a group of musicians to play your piece so you can hear what sounds good and what sounds bad. This will likely be the most time-consuming process of composing music.