An Introduction to Schillinger

The Schillinger System of Musical Composition in no way infringes upon one’s creativity. The idea of generating “mechanized music” by this “system” (as read about in various internet music groups) is simply wrong. Composing takes talent and musical vision. The Schillinger System in no way can replace both of these. It does, however, offer new possibilities to composers and allows for the rapid development of compositional technique, and a great technique will set you free. In introducing just a few of the basic techniques found in the System I will be brief, but also hope to emphasize how the System is not a dogmatic set of rules which simply allow one to generate “instant” music of value. The following are some basic musical tasks with which the System can help you:

            *Have you ever been rhythmically stuck in a rut? Unable to get away from writing music with square and predictable rhythms? Schillinger discusses approaches to rhythm which yield dynamic results. Great fluidity can be achieved on the local level using simple techniques, and coherence within entire compositions can be planned according to basic rhythmic principles.

            *Do you need to write a variation on a theme? Themes you create can be varied in infinite ways. Schillinger presents you with several ways to vary your original material while allowing the variants to remain in your own particular style.

            *New scales can be developed according to the structures of the chords you use. This allows for greater coherence between melody and harmony. By using various “expansions” of scales, one can easily compose etudes for any instrument from minimal initial material.

            *In the 21st century, most contemporary “serious” music is more contrapuntally than harmonically based. Schillinger presents ways to fuse the two together so that polyphony is not compromised while musical works achieve greater harmonic coherence.

            *Orchestrating a single melodic line for any number of players can be achieved by partitioning it according to logical methods. “Attack groups” and “places of attack” help composers distribute minimal material to many instruments and allow for “instant polyphony.”

            Variations in orchestral density can also be achieved using similar methods.

            *Semantics: music must sometimes be subservient to something else (like in film, for instance, where the composer must compose music to fit specific scenes, oftentimes after the scenes are already filmed and edited.) Schillinger’s theories (which make use of a simple psychological dial) will be invaluable for composers who work in film or who collaborate with artists working in other mediums.

            *Popular musicians will find hundreds of invaluable techniques that include discovering new voice leadings for common harmonic progressions, as well as developing new-yet-coherent harmonic progressions which may or may not be based on traditional harmony. Schillinger’s ideas of linking recurring rhythms with pitch cycling open incredible new possibilities to composers of trance, techno, and house music.