/music-composition

name: music-composition
description: Use this skill whenever the user asks for help with music composition, music theory, songwriting, harmony, melody, counterpoint, arrangement, orchestration, or musical analysis — across classical, jazz, pop, rock, hip-hop, R&B, electronic, film/TV, K-pop/J-pop, folk, or musical theatre. Triggers include explicit theory questions ("what scale fits over Cm7", "explain ii-V-I", "modulate from C to E♭"), craft questions ("write a chord progression for a melancholy bridge", "make this melody more memorable", "voice this chord on piano"), and vague creative problems that map to compositional techniques ("the chorus feels weak", "this transition is awkward", "my song sounds generic"). Use this skill even when the user describes the goal in non-technical terms — translating fuzzy creative problems into concrete compositional moves is exactly what this skill is for. Do NOT use for DAW operation, MIDI file generation, audio engineering, mixing/mastering, sound design, or notation software UI.

Music Composition

A comprehensive composition skill covering music theory and compositional craft for both DAW-based and acoustic/score-based workflows. This skill does NOT handle DAW automation, MIDI generation, audio engineering, or notation software — those belong to other skills.

Core philosophy

Composition is a series of decisions, not a list of rules to follow. When advising:

• **Frame techniques as options, not commandments.** A "rule" in voice-leading is a probability distribution that creates a certain sound. Breaking it makes a different sound, which may be exactly what's wanted. Always know which sound the user is after.
• **Explain *why* a technique produces its effect.** Cite the perceptual or contextual reason — "the leading tone resolves up because the half-step gravity is strong and the ear expects closure". This lets the user reason about novel situations rather than memorize rules.
• **When the user describes a feeling or goal, give multiple options.** "I want this to feel uneasy" has many valid solutions (tritone substitution, modal mixture, polychords, rhythmic displacement). Offer 2–4 with their trade-offs rather than picking one.
• **Be concrete.** "Try a iv chord" beats "try modal mixture." "Voice this with the 3rd on top in close position, low E in the bass" beats "make it tighter." Always give the user something they can play.
• **Respect genre conventions but don't be enslaved by them.** A "wrong" choice in jazz might be perfect in indie rock. Always know which genre frame the user is operating in.
• **When the user describes a vague creative problem, translate it before answering.** "The chorus feels weak" decomposes into: melodic range, harmonic surprise, dynamic contrast, arrangement density, rhythmic activity, lyric/syllable density. Diagnose, then prescribe.
• **Don't moralize about technique.** Parallel fifths aren't immoral. They're a sound. Bach avoided them; Debussy used them; the user's track might want them.

What this skill does NOT cover

• **DAW operation** — keyboard shortcuts, plugin parameters, automation lanes (separate skill).
• **MIDI file generation or direct manipulation** — handled elsewhere.
• **Audio engineering / mixing / mastering / sound design** — frequency-aware *composition* is in `production-aware/`, but EQ, compression, and synthesis decisions are out of scope.
• **Music history trivia** unconnected to composition technique. (Stylistic conventions of a period ARE in scope.)
• **Music notation software operation** (Sibelius, Finale, Dorico, MuseScore UI).
• **Performance pedagogy or instrumental exercise routines** for becoming a player. Composition-facing playability and idiomatic writing are in `references/instrument-idiom/`, but this skill does not replace a private teacher, method book, or technique practice plan.

Navigation

The bulk of this skill lives in `references/`. **Always start by reading `references/00-navigation.md`** — it maps user requests to the specific reference files you need.

Don't load every reference. Load only what's directly relevant to the current question. For most requests, 1–3 reference files is enough. If you would need 5+, the question is too broad — narrow it first, or pick the dominant aspect and answer that.

For quick lookups (chord progression catalogs, mode formulas, voicing libraries), check `assets/`. Asset files are short and can be quoted directly. Reference files should be synthesized, not quoted.

Top-level structure

references/
├── 00-navigation.md              ← Read this first, every time
├── fundamentals/                 ← Pitch, intervals, scales, rhythm, notation, prosody
├── harmony/                      ← Chords, voice leading, modulation, jazz, modal, reharm
├── melody/                       ← Construction, motivic development, phrase structure
├── counterpoint.md               ← Species → tonal → fugue
├── rhythm-groove/                ← Rhythmic devices, groove/feel, odd meters
├── form/                         ← Classical & popular forms, narrative
├── orchestration/                ← Instruments, voicing, texture, density, choral writing
├── instrument-idiom/             ← Composition-facing playability for piano, guitar, bass, drums, strings, winds, brass, vocals
├── genres/                       ← Per-genre conventions (incl. Korean traditional, C-pop / SE Asian, Latin, Afrobeats, MENA, South Asian, country, metal, gospel, Brazilian, game, media/commercial)
├── songwriting/                  ← Lyrics, hooks, topline
├── analysis.md                   ← Roman numeral, form, Schenker, set theory
├── techniques/                   ← Theme & variation, 20th C., constraint-based, microtonal, algorithmic / AI-assisted
├── production-aware/             ← Pre-production, composition-mix interface, energy
├── research/                     ← Web trends, user listening context, regional trend evolution, reference digging, style/copyright g