Name: Music Composition Arrangement Certificate Training
Price: 35800.0 ZAR
Availability: InStock

Description

This course equips learners with the skills to compose and arrange music for various contexts, including commercial, educational, and performance settings. It covers the creative and technical processes of generating original musical ideas and structuring them into cohesive arrangements. Learners will develop the ability to manipulate musical elements such as melody, harmony, rhythm, and texture to achieve expressive and stylistic goals.

Learning Outcomes

Apply fundamental principles of music theory, including harmony, melody, and rhythm, to compose original works.
Analyze existing musical compositions to identify structural, stylistic, and expressive elements.
Design arrangements that adapt musical material for different ensembles, genres, or performance contexts.
Implement compositional techniques such as motif development, modulation, and orchestration.
Evaluate own compositions and arrangements against criteria of coherence, originality, and suitability for purpose.
Demonstrate the ability to notate music clearly using standard notation and/or digital tools.

Target Audience

This course is ideal for aspiring composers, arrangers, music educators, and performers who wish to formalize their skills in music creation and arrangement. It is also suitable for individuals working in media, entertainment, or community arts who need to produce original music.

Prerequisites

None — open enrollment

Course Outline

Day 1: Introduction to Music Composition and Arrangement

Objectives:
• Understand the role of composition and arrangement in music creation
• Identify key elements of music: melody, harmony, rhythm, and structure
• Explore different musical genres and their conventions
• Set up a digital audio workstation (DAW) for composition

Topics:
• Overview of music composition and arrangement
• Elements of music: melody, harmony, rhythm, texture
• Musical genres and styles
• Introduction to digital audio workstations (DAWs)
• Basic DAW navigation and setup
• Project management for composers

Day 2: Melody Writing and Development

Objectives:
• Construct memorable melodies using scales and intervals
• Apply motifs and thematic development techniques
• Use rhythmic variation to enhance melodies
• Notate melodies using standard notation

Topics:
• Scales and modes for melody
• Interval relationships and contour
• Motif creation and development
• Phrasing and punctuation
• Rhythmic variation techniques
• Melody notation and transcription

Day 3: Harmony and Chord Progressions

Objectives:
• Build chords (triads, seventh chords, extensions)
• Create functional chord progressions in major and minor keys
• Use harmonic rhythm to support musical form
• Apply cadences for resolution

Topics:
• Chord construction: triads, sevenths, extensions
• Diatonic harmony and chord functions
• Common chord progressions (I-IV-V, ii-V-I, etc.)
• Harmonic rhythm and pacing
• Cadences: authentic, plagal, half, deceptive
• Modulation basics

Day 4: Rhythm and Meter

Objectives:
• Understand time signatures and rhythmic notation
• Create rhythmic patterns and grooves
• Use syncopation and polyrhythms effectively
• Apply rhythmic devices in composition

Topics:
• Time signatures: simple, compound, irregular
• Note values and rests
• Rhythmic patterns and ostinatos
• Syncopation and off-beat accents
• Polyrhythms and cross-rhythms
• Rhythmic notation in DAWs

Day 5: Musical Form and Structure

Objectives:
• Identify common musical forms (binary, ternary, sonata, etc.)
• Structure compositions with clear sections
• Apply transitional devices and bridges
• Use repetition and contrast effectively

Topics:
• Binary, ternary, and rondo forms
• Sonata-allegro form
• Verse-chorus structure in popular music
• Through-composed and strophic forms
• Transitions and bridges
• Repetition and contrast techniques

Day 6: Instrumentation and Orchestration

Objectives:
• Understand ranges and timbres of common instruments
• Assign instruments to musical lines effectively
• Use orchestration techniques for texture and colour
• Write for ensembles of various sizes

Topics:
• Instrument families: strings, woodwinds, brass, percussion
• Range and transposition
• Timbre and blend
• Orchestration techniques: doubling, divisi, etc.
• Writing for small ensembles (duo to chamber)
• Introduction to large ensemble writing

Day 7: Arrangement Techniques and Voice Leading

Objectives:
• Apply voice leading principles for smooth harmonic motion
• Arrange existing melodies with harmonies and countermelodies
• Use dynamics and articulation for expression
• Create balanced textures

Topics:
• Voice leading rules and best practices
• Part writing for SATB and other groups
• Countermelody and secondary lines
• Dynamic markings and articulation
• Texture: monophonic, homophonic, polyphonic
• Arranging for different instrument combinations

Day 8: Creative Composition Projects

Objectives:
• Compose a short piece applying all learned elements
• Use DAW tools for recording and editing
• Incorporate genre-specific conventions
• Critically evaluate own work and revise

Topics:
• Composition project brief and planning
• DAW recording and MIDI editing
• Genre-specific composition techniques
• Self-assessment and revision strategies
• Peer feedback session
• Project completion and export

Day 9: Advanced Topics in Composition and Arrangement

Objectives:
• Explore extended techniques and experimental approaches
• Use digital tools for sound design and manipulation
• Understand contemporary trends in music composition
• Prepare portfolio-ready pieces

Topics:
• Extended instrumental techniques
• Electronic music and synthesis basics
• Sound design for composition
• Algorithmic composition and AI tools
• Film scoring and media composition
• Portfolio preparation

Day 10: Final Project and Course Review

Objectives:
• Complete and present a final composition/arrangement
• Demonstrate proficiency in composition and arrangement skills
• Receive constructive feedback and revise
• Reflect on learning and plan further development

Topics:
• Final project presentation
• Peer and instructor feedback
• Revision and polishing
• Course review and Q&A
• Career pathways in composition
• Resources for continued learning

Practicals

30 hours of practicals To be conducted online or on-campus or in-house

Overview

Hands-on practical sessions are integral to this course, allowing learners to apply theoretical concepts in a studio environment. Learners will compose, arrange, and produce music using digital audio workstations and live instruments, developing technical proficiency and creative confidence.

Practical Activities

DAW Fundamentals and Melody Writing — Learners set up a DAW project, create a simple melody using MIDI, and apply basic editing techniques. (6h)
Harmony and Chord Progression Lab — Learners build chord progressions in a DAW, experiment with voicings, and apply harmonic rhythm to a short composition. (6h)
Rhythm and Arrangement Workshop — Learners create rhythmic patterns using drum programming and arrange a multi-track piece with melody, harmony, and rhythm. (6h)
Orchestration and Voice Leading Exercise — Learners orchestrate a given melody for a small ensemble using virtual instruments, applying voice leading and texture techniques. (6h)
Final Composition Project Production — Learners produce a complete composition or arrangement from scratch, incorporating all learned techniques, and present it for feedback. (6h)

Summatives

Each delegate is assessed continuously throughout the course via daily exercises, scored practical assignments, and a final summative test at the end.

Practical Assignments — 30%

Practical assignments are observed and scored against a rubric during the practical sessions. Each delegate's practical mark is averaged into a single 100% score and contributes 30% to the final total.

Daily Exercises — 20%

Every training day ends with a multiple-choice exercise scored out of 100%. The scores from each daily exercise are averaged across the duration of the course to produce a Daily Average mark, which contributes 20% to the final total.

Final Test — 50%

On the last day a final summative test is written. It is a multiple-choice paper with multiple-answer questions: each question may have more than one correct option, and a single wrong selection on a question marks the entire question wrong — no partial credit. The final test is scored out of 100% and contributes 50% to the overall mark.

Final Total

Component	Out of	Weight
Practical Assignments (rubric-scored)	100%	30%
Daily Average (multiple choice)	100%	20%
Final Test (multi-answer multiple choice)	100%	50%
Final Total	—	100%

All marks are recorded on the AATICD LMS and visible to each learner under their account.

Certificate

Certificate of Completion

Awarded to delegates who achieve an overall mark of 50% or higher on the Final Total (Practicals 30% + Daily Average 20% + Final Test 50%).

How it works

Certificates are auto-generated on the AATICD LMS as soon as the marks pass the 50% threshold.
Each certificate is a branded PDF with the delegate's name, the course title, the unit standard ID, NQF level, credits, and the date of issue.
You can download or print your certificate from your LMS dashboard at any time after issue — there's no reissue fee and no expiry date.
If you scored under 50% you can sit the final test again at the next scheduled session at no extra cost.

Where to find it

Sign in to the LMS, open your dashboard, and your certificates appear under My Certificates. Each entry has a View / Download button and a print option.

Training Discounts

Group discounts apply automatically — the more delegates you enrol, the greater the saving. Discounts are calculated at 3% per 5 delegates, scaling up to 40% off for 100+ delegates.