Vince Webb's Composing Podcast

What is Set Theory and how can you use it to write modern media music? I breakdown my personal understanding and demonstrate how I compose with it with several orchestral music examples using virtual…

I give my take on the Cycle of Fifths - what is it, how do we compose with it and how do we practice it?

In this episode I breakdown a recent composition and talk about the arrangement, orchestration and music theory.

I discuss 5 mistakes I've made in the past when composing professionally in a DAW. All of these issues highlight to me the important of choosing the right kind of process or tool for the job. ------…

I discuss the 5 main minor scales I use and demonstrate them in a variety of musical contexts.

I break down a recent track composed in a modern classical and cinematic style for use in TV and Film. I discuss the harmony and the arranging in the piece and demo the different stems inside Logic.

I discuss the most common ways I create atmospheric 'pads' in the context of writing music for media.

I discuss the concept of 'composing through improvising' and the 3 main activities which have contributed to my personal development as a composer.

I chat to Kirk Hunter about his upcoming string library and the business of sampling.

I explore the new sample library from Kirk Hunter Studios via real-time improvisation and composing some test pieces.

I discuss a compositional technique I use to create a shimmering flow of notes, blurring the line between melody and accompaniment.

5 psychological tricks I often use to listen to my work-in-progress track with 'fresh ears' - and decide if it's any good or not!

I talk about the journey of creating 'Classical Passion' - a production music album for Reliable Source which features a live string orchestra.

Writing music for fun isn't always fun - it's easy to lose faith in what you're doing.

I break down the ridiculously fast string writing in the opening of the main theme from Harry Potter.

I look at the first couple of bars of the famous Prelude in Eminor by Chopin and try to extract some useful harmony concepts to use when improvising or composing.

I break down the harmony of a cue from The Wizard of Oz in attempt to show how you can access a similar sound world in your own compositions.