What’s an Instant Composer? A songwriter or composer who can create music on demand without breaking a sweat. And you can learn those starting techniques in The Instant Composer: Counterpoint by Fux PDF eBook.
Initially created for a 7-week online class mentoring program, you can now get Peter Lawrence Alexander's 14 lesson PDFs and approximately 2 hours of supporting video lectures guiding you through the book: The Instant Composer: Counterpoint By Fux (available for separate purchase or as part of the Complete Edition Home Study Course), so you can have this advanced study option to do at your own pace. These fourteen lessons and material in the book are roughly the equivalent of a semester's worth of work in college, again, that you do at your own pace.
Do You Own The Course Textbook?
Only purchase this Lite Edition Course if you already own the required course textbook The Instant Composer: Counterpoint By Fux. The course is keyed to that book and won't make much sense without it. If you don't own the book, you'll want to get The Instant Composer: Counterpoint By Fux Home Study Course - Complete Edition, which includes both the required textbook and the course materials.
Principles You Can Apply To Any Style Of Music
The Instant Composer: Counterpoint By Fux Home Study Course does not take an academic theoretical approach. Initially, you'll do all your work with just the Dorian mode. From there, all the remaining modes are open to you.
The course does not teach rules! It teaches principles that you can apply to any style of music. Once you've learned to apply these principles, you then have the skill to write music on demand - in as many different music styles you know: classical, jazz, rap, you name it!
That's why this is a practical course for songwriters, arrangers, and composers who can read music and who want to:
- improve their melodic skills;
- expand their melodic language by learning to write modally;
- learn how to harmonize their song;
- learn how to create a starting bass line;
- learn how to create a counterline above and below the melody;
- learn how to create interesting harmonizations;
- learn how to improvise;
- (for jazz players) learn how to apply chord scales in jazz and other styles.
You will:
- write and record all your work;
- apply concepts with exercises;
- apply concepts to a maximum of five different songs of your choice, preferably from different styles.
You will need:
- the required textbook The Instant Composer: Counterpoint By Fux, 561 pgs.
- to be able to read music notation (especially piano);
- to ideally budget 2-4 hours per week, but you can set your own pace;
- preferably have sequencing or notation software with vocal, strings, and piano samples to record your work. If you only have access to a piano, that's OK.
Included in the Lite Edition Course:
- 14 Lessons in PDF format.
- Approx. 2 hours of supporting video lectures (.mov format for Mac and PC).
LESSON PLAN - The Instant Composer: Counterpoint By Fux Home Study Course
As mentioned above, the course was originally structured for a 7-week class, but you can work through the lessons at your own pace.
Week 1
Lesson 1: Understanding The So Called "Rules" Of Counterpoint
Lesson 2: Modes and Chord Scales
Week 2
Lesson 3: Harmonizing The Melodic Line
Lesson 4: Harmonizing The Melody - The Next Step
Week 3
Lesson 5: Dorian Bass Line - Note Against Note
Lesson 6: Creating A Counterline Above The Melody
Week 4
Lesson 7: Dorian - Two Notes Against One Note
Lesson 8: Dorian - Two Notes Against One Note: Counter Theme Below
Week 5
Lesson 9: Dorian - Four Notes Against One Note: Counter Theme Above
Lesson 10: Dorian - Four Notes Against One Note: Counter Theme Below
Week 6
Lesson 11: Dorian - Syncopation And Suspensions
Lesson 12: Dorian - Syncopation And Suspensions: Below The Melody
Week 7
Lessons 13-14: The Whole Pie
About Peter Lawrence Alexander
Peter Lawrence Alexander was the first American to create in English the multi-volume Professional Orchestration. Series which has been endorsed by winners of the Academy, Grammy, Emmy, and BAFTA Awards. He’s also the author and teacher of Visual Orchestration, Scoring Stages, How Ravel Orchestrated: Mother Goose Suite, The Instant Composer: Counterpoint by Fux, Writing For Strings, Applied Professional Harmony 101 and 102, How MIDI Works, Street Smart Guide to the Vienna Instruments Player, Street Smart Guide to Logic 8 and 9 and many more. He was also Film Music Magazine’s award winning Music Technology Journalist.
A graduate of Berklee College of Music in Boston with a BS In Music Composition, he studied counterpoint privately with Dr. Hugo Norden of Boston University, and orchestration with Pulitzer Prize nominated composer Albert Harris. He was the music tech to film composer and songwriter Henry Mancini, and understudied with film composer Jerry Goldsmith.
He coordinated beta test teams for the Vienna Symphonic Library and co-produced the Modern Symphonic Orchestra orchestral sample library for Creative Labs. As a media researcher he produced studies showing geodemographical radio station listening patterns by day segments, and in working with renowned radio programmer Jack McCoy’s RAM Research he laid the research foundation for what later became Arbitron Information on Demand.
Maintaining Peter's Teaching Legacy: Since the sudden and unexpected passing of Peter Lawrence Alexander in 2015, his music books and courses, along with this website, are now maintained and updated by his wife and long-time business helpmate, Caroline Alexander. Caroline holds a Master of Arts Degree in Music Design for Film and TV.