Composition Lessons in Edinburgh
Always wanted to write your own music? Our Edinburgh composition lessons teach you to turn the ideas in your head into finished pieces, whatever your starting point or style.
New to music as an adult, or booking for your child? Explore our adult music lessons and children’s music lessons in Edinburgh.
Composition is the most personal musical discipline there is: melody, harmony, rhythm and form in service of something only you would write. Lessons are 1-2-1 and built entirely around your goals, from first songwriting experiments to fully notated concert works.
You don't need to read music fluently to begin. Some students compose by ear and pick up notation as their ideas demand it; others arrive theory-strong and want craft: voice leading, structure, arrangement, and the editing discipline that turns a promising sketch into a finished piece.
For school and university applicants, composition lessons are also practical preparation: SQA music courses include composing assessments, and university and conservatoire music applications typically ask for a portfolio of original work. A teacher's honest, specific feedback arrives long before an examiner's or admissions panel's does.
Composition pairs naturally with music theory lessons, and many students combine the two: theory supplying the vocabulary, composition putting it to work.
Why learn composition at Morningside?
- Write in any style: songwriting, classical, film and game scoring
- Notation, harmony and structure taught as your ideas need them
- Portfolio preparation for SQA assessments and university applications
- Compose by ear or on paper, no fluent reading required to start
- 1-2-1 lessons built entirely around your own music
- Pairs naturally with our music theory lessons
“I am an international student currently studying in Edinburgh. I always wanted to learn how to compose music and Morningside School of Music is the music school in Edinburgh that catered to my wish with one-to-one lessons. The lessons are really fun and creative and I am always looking forward to them. It is also very flexible, where I get to schedule it around my university activities so that I can enjoy learning music while studying for my course. The teachers are very friendly and the centre is very comfortable, which makes you feel at home right from the start. It is certainly one of the best experiences for me in Edinburgh.”
Composition lesson FAQs
Do I need to play an instrument to take composition lessons?
It helps to have some way of testing ideas, most composers sketch at a piano or guitar, but you don't need to be an advanced player. Plenty of composition happens by ear, by voice and, these days, in notation software.
Can you help with school and university composition work?
Yes. We support SQA music composing assessments and help older students assemble portfolios for university and conservatoire applications, alongside developing your own personal projects.
What styles of composition do you teach?
Whatever you want to write: songs, classical and choral writing, film and game scoring, jazz, folk or experimental work. Lessons follow your musical ambitions rather than a fixed syllabus.
How much do composition lessons cost?
£36 for a half hour and £59 for a full hour, the same rate as every discipline we teach, pay-as-you-go with no contracts or block booking.
One simple rate
£59 for a full hour, £36 for a half hour: the same price for every instrument we teach, in person or online. Pay as you go, no block booking or contracts.
Composition lessons at Morningside School of Music run seven days a week, 8am–10pm, in person in Edinburgh or online, from first ideas to finished portfolio.
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Ready to get started?
Register your interest and we’ll match you with a tutor, in Morningside, or online, whatever suits you best.