When I am composing and find myself struck with a case of indecision, I like to have a spinning wheel randomly select something from a list of options. These are a few methods involving spinning wheels that I like to employ.

All of my methods involve using the free website, https://pickerwheel.com/.

Method 1

This is a method that I like to use when I am in the middle of a piece, but do not know how to continue it.

Input a list of as many random musical actions that you can think of. These actions can include anything such "go to the key a tri-tone away," "switch to 7/8 meter," "swing the 8th notes," or "use the lick." Spin the wheel. Whatever is selected, use that to compose your next musical phrase. Once you have finished that phrase, spin the wheel again and use the selected result to compose the following phrase. Repeat as necessary.

Method 2

This is a method that I like to use when I am about to start a piece, but don't know what I kind of piece I want.

Input two lists. The first list will contain a variety of moods and emotions, such as "joyful," "playful," or "mysterious." The second list will contain various movie/story genres, such as "fantasy," "science fiction," or "adventure." Roll the wheel once for each list. You will get combinations such as "mysterious fantasy" or "epic adventure." Alternatively, the second list can contain musical genres instead, such as "rock" or "hip-hop." In this case, you will get combinations like "epic jazz" or "uplifting rock." Use these combinations as a starting point for your piece.

Method 3

This is a method I use when I am about to start a piece, but don't know what type of ensemble I want to write for.

Input two lists. The first list will contain a selection of ensemble sizes, such as "solo," "chamber," or "massive." The second list will contain instrument categories, such as "winds," "brass," or "percussion." Roll the wheel once for the first list, and three times for the second list. This will give you combinations like "chamber; brass, strings and percussion" or "massive; brass, choir, and strings."

Final Thoughts

I recommend creating a text document that has all of input parameters, with one parameter per line. Then, you can simply copy the list and paste into the importer tool on the website. You can tweak the parameters and input values as you see fit. Use the results from the processes as jumping off points, but don't feel compelled to strictly adhere to what the picker wheel selects. Take these results, and tweak them to fit your piece. The "rule of cool" prevails over all else.

Methods like this can be great ways of getting past writer's block or giving an interesting flair to your pieces. If you are searching for more ways to achieve these things, then check out my 7 Musical Writing Prompts Involving Random Number Generation.

About The Author

I am Ethan Toavs, and my music is all about exploring new worlds! I specialize in combining cinematic styles with influences from a variety of cultures, and employing unorthodox methods of composing. I have a master's degree in Contemporary Media & Film Composition from the Eastman School of Music, and a bachelor's degree in Music from Coastal Carolina University. If you are a filmmaker or other creator who wants music that breathes life into the worlds of your characters and stories, then please reach out to me.

Have thoughts on this blog post? Feel free to chat with me about it in my Discord server!