How do I compose music...
Is it a phenomenon ?...
I have my own ways and they are not set in stone.
Composing music is an art, for some there's also calculations or math involved, for example in some sequential classical music.
I get inspired by life, experiences, religion, people, etc...
My best place to compose is at home on my old upright piano with a handheld recorder, or a cellphone's voice recorder works very well! I then literary start improvising and record them as I go along. If something sounds good, I keep the recording and I then call it a "sketch" or a draft.
They don't always get names immediately. That's why I call them sketches or ideas. Sometimes I listen back to old sketches that I've never used and then they sound amazing. So don't throw them all away.
I never play incomplete songs to anyone.
I don't compose all the time. I normally work towards a project or an album.
I try and release an album every year, but it is not always possible. People don't realize how long it takes. The composing, arranging and recording takes several months.
Once again you must work towards a goal or a theme.
For example my album Music All Around was inspired by the universe and space. Risurrezione by faith and religion.
To most time consuming for me is the transcription. These days we are lucky to have music software to help us. I use Musescore music notating software. This is very important and enables you to copyright your music.
Image Source
How long does it take to compose a song ?
Well... it depends... sometimes you compose the most amazing song in under 5 minutes ! It just works !
Then you have ideas/sketches that you work on for hours, weeks or even months !
Composing instrumental music needs a lot of depth and detail. You don't have lyrics to help you.
Studying Music and Composition
Studying music definitely helps your music-ability and knowledge, so I believe it could make you a better composer. It could also improve the quality of your compositions.
Thanks for reading :)