Music theory lessons
Learn how music works, from notes and rhythms to scales and chords. Get clear help with school topics and music theory exams.
Learn with Hashini
Music Composition Lessons to Develop Your Own Musical Ideas
Composition lessons help students turn musical ideas into pieces that have shape, contrast, harmony and direction.
Start with melodies and motifs — short musical ideas. Learn to choose rhythms and chords, organise your piece, write down the notes and improve your work.
Prefer in-person learning? See the Kandy teaching location, class formats and directions.
Learning from home? Explore online lessons, setup and personal feedback.
Explore verified exam, festival and school-learning outcomes from the Foundation-First Method. Individual results vary. View student results
Ask About Lessons on WhatsAppQuick details
- Available
- Online or in person in Kandy, with suitable times confirmed on enquiry
- Teacher
- Hashini Herath
- Learning route
- Composition lessons can help you prepare for LCM requirements where relevant.
Lesson policy acknowledgement
By booking or participating in lessons, you acknowledge and agree to the Parent Information & Lesson Policy.
Fee guidance
Eligible in-person group lessons in Kandy include four 2-hour sessions each month. See the current Kandy group fee in the fee guidance. One-to-one lessons are LKR 24,000/month for four 2-hour private lessons. Online lesson fees are confirmed separately. The suitable format is confirmed after reviewing the student's age, level, goals and schedule.
Lesson availability
Find a lesson time that fits
Share your subject, current level and preferred times. Hashini will confirm a suitable online or Kandy class before you join.
Sri Lanka time · Asia/Colombo (UTC+05:30)
Composition lessons
What is included
Turn a small musical idea into a piece with melody, harmony, shape and direction.
Included in booked lessons
- Guided melody, motif, rhythm and harmony tasks
- Help developing sections and organising musical ideas
- Feedback on original work covered during lessons
- Manageable writing tasks to develop and revise musical ideas
Provided when relevant
- MuseScore notation guidance when appropriate
- Portfolio-project guidance and LCM preparation where applicable
Practice guidance means clear tasks based on the work covered in lessons, with progress reviewed during booked teaching time.
You can message Hashini to clarify assigned work or discuss lesson arrangements. Teaching and practice review take place during booked lessons, with replies fitted around her teaching schedule. Messaging does not include unlimited support, additional private teaching or a guaranteed reply time.
Supporting materials are chosen for the student's current needs. Not every lesson or programme includes every type of resource. External examination fees and any separately charged materials are discussed separately.
Who these lessons are for
- Young composers and producers
- Creative students
- Students interested in original music
Skills students can develop
- Write stronger melodies and motifs
- Use harmony and form with more intention
- Write your music clearly in MuseScore, a program for writing sheet music
- Develop original pieces for study or personal projects
Progress depends on starting level, regular attendance and practice. These are learning aims, not guaranteed results.
Where we can help
If any of these difficulties feel familiar, share them when you enquire.
- Starting ideas but not finishing them
- Writing melodies without shape
- Using chords without direction
- Not knowing how to structure a piece
The Foundation-First Method
Read → Understand → Play → Create
Start with a small idea. Repeat or change it, add chords and build different sections. Learn to review and improve your piece as you write.
1
Read
Look at a short musical idea in notation or a piece being studied.
2
Understand
Explore how its rhythm, melody and chords work together.
3
Play
Play or listen to an idea to hear whether it has the intended shape and direction.
4
Create
Write, revise and develop your own idea, using feedback to decide what comes next.
Teaching, guidance and review
Your first month: a clear start and a review
A clear plan for what Hashini provides, with the work chosen for your starting point.
1
Review your starting point
In early lessons, Hashini looks at your experience, current work and learning needs so the teaching starts at a suitable level.
2
Choose a manageable focus
Hashini chooses suitable foundation work and a learning focus that fits your starting point and goals.
3
Know what to practise
You receive clear practice tasks based on the work covered in each lesson. Previous work is revisited during lessons, with feedback to guide the next task.
4
Review after four lessons
After four lessons, Hashini reviews the work with you during booked teaching time and explains what to continue, revisit or work on next.
Guidance and the four-lesson review take place within booked lessons. The work and pace depend on the student; four lessons do not promise a particular musical standard, exam readiness or an examination result.
Work chosen for composition lessons
Discuss the music the student wants to write and look at any existing ideas, notation skills or theory knowledge.
Develop a small melodic or rhythmic idea and explore simple ways to repeat, change or support it.
You receive feedback and small, clear tasks to help you develop your own music.
Know what to practise at home
Practice guidance means clear tasks based on the work covered in lessons, with progress reviewed during booked teaching time.
A parent can ask the student to show the task, help make time for practice and encourage a careful attempt. You do not need to read music or correct the playing yourself.
Illustrative beginner practice task: clap a steady rhythm
For a beginner who has covered crotchets (one-beat notes) and minims (two-beat notes) in a lesson:
- Count four steady beats aloud: 1, 2, 3, 4.
- Clap one crotchet on beat 1, one on beat 2, then a minim on beat 3. Keep counting through beat 4 while the minim lasts.
- Try the pattern again at a comfortable, steady pace. Note where the counting becomes difficult so you can revisit it in the next lesson.
This is an example, not an assignment for every student. Actual tasks, repetitions and practice duration depend on age, subject, starting point and the work covered in lessons.
Supporting materials are chosen for the student's current needs. Not every lesson or programme includes every type of resource. External examination fees and any separately charged materials are discussed separately.
You can message Hashini to clarify assigned work or discuss lesson arrangements. Teaching and practice review take place during booked lessons, with replies fitted around her teaching schedule. Messaging does not include unlimited support, additional private teaching or a guaranteed reply time.
More help with home practice
Lesson formats
- Online composition lessons
- In-person composition lessons in Kandy
- Portfolio and project feedback
- LCM composition preparation where applicable
Personal guidance
Composition is kept distinct from production: students build musical thinking first, then connect it to sound where appropriate.
How lessons work
How to Join Our Classes
Tell us your level, goals and available times. Hashini will help you choose a suitable class.
- 1
Tell Hashini your subject, current level and preferred times by form or WhatsApp.
- 2
Discuss a suitable class, learning mode and the current schedule. Confirm the fee and lesson policy.
- 3
Agree your starting point and begin lessons. You can enquire directly without taking an assessment.
Your first month: a clear start and a review
During early lessons, Hashini reviews the student's starting point, chooses suitable foundation work and a manageable learning focus, and gives clear practice tasks based on each lesson. After four lessons, she reviews the work with you and explains the next steps.
Guidance and the four-lesson review take place within booked lessons. The work and pace depend on the student; four lessons do not promise a particular musical standard, exam readiness or an examination result.
Related lessons and resources
Use these links to continue exploring the most relevant next step.
Music production classes
Learn to make music on a computer. Use music software to record ideas, choose sounds, arrange tracks, edit them and save your finished music.
Piano and electronic keyboard lessons
Piano and electronic keyboard lessons that help you read music, keep time and practise on your own.
FAQ
Do students need advanced theory first?
No. Theory helps, but students can begin composing with simple melodic and rhythmic ideas.
Can composition lessons help with portfolios?
Yes. Students can receive guidance on developing, revising and presenting original work.
Is this the same as music production?
No. Composition means writing music. Production means using software to record, arrange and finish the sound.
What happens during the first four lessons?
During early lessons, Hashini reviews the student's starting point, chooses suitable foundation work and a manageable learning focus, and gives clear practice tasks based on each lesson. After four lessons, she reviews the work with you and explains the next steps.
What if Hashini cancels a paid lesson?
If Hashini cancels a paid lesson, you receive a replacement lesson at a mutually suitable time or a credit for the cancelled lesson.
Ready to ask about lessons?
Share the student's age, current level, preferred format and the lesson type you are considering. Hashini will respond with the most suitable next step.
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