Composing with Constraints EX1 (JUNE 29 2022) (Patreon)

This is the first exercise from Composing with Constraints. If you've purchased the book (I purchased the E-book, which is cheaper!) then I suggest you read the preliminary notes for chapter 1 on melody. I will include the exercise as it is stated in the book for this first exercise, but I probably won't continue doing that, because I don't think it's fair to the author!

Exercise 1: Focal Point

Composing a melody for solo flute using the given constraints.

Guidelines:

1) Create a scale that uses between five and seven different pitches.

2) Using exclusively the notes of your scale in any order or register, compose a melody that fulfils the following requirements:

a. Duration: between 10 and 12 measures.

b. Meter: 4/4

c. Instrument: solo flute (concert flute)

The score should include all markings for articulations, breath marks, dynamics, phrasing, and tempo.

d. The melody must have a focal point (i.e., the highest note of the melody).

e. The rhythmic component must be constructed exclusively using material extracted from the excerpts contained in Figure 1.1 (see attached)

3) You must show the scale that you created clearly in your score.

4) All other parameters are free.

Please let me know if you have questions. I can help with coming up with scales if you have questions, as well as notation issues. I think the only confusing thing about this prompt is the rhythmic constraint, so let me know if you have any questions about that. As far as I can tell, you can use any of the measures' rhythms and put them together in any order you like. 

I'm tentatively thinking that I'll post two exercises per month, so I can review two exercises from each of you per month.