For my compositions I usually plan what form I am going to use, down to chord structures for each bar before I start and recently tried to do it by just starting with an idea and going with the flow. I prefer this method as it seems easier to put emotion into the music but for my music coursework I don't know if it is risky because I might not include everything I need, e.g all different cadences and chord inversions. How do you like to compose?

Also a quick question about rounded binary form:
For said composition, I just wrote and didn't really think what form I was using. Now I need to decide what form I am going to label it as, and was wondering if I could say rounded binary form if it has: A 12 bar introduction, 32 bar 'section A,' 32 bar 'section B' and then repeats about 16 bars of section A. It's the introduction that throws me when trying to classify it into a form..

Thank you in advance for your help to the question, i'd be interested to know how you all like to compose

I usually "go with the flow", and don't worry about structure. I will use 2 major ways of writing - compose a bass line and then put a drum part and harmonization to it, or sometimes I get a nice chord progression and work things from there.

I have gotten a bit of a formula - intro that is a little understated, a section that has a stronger rhythmic pulse, a rhythmic break, then a coda/recapitulation.

When collaborating the process changes, and there's give and take regarding the material and arrangement. My partner and I took a rambling manifesto of his and set it to music - we ended up with a solid rhapsody. We've taken a few lines of lyrics and worked musical ideas around, and done it the other way...

Of course, we aren't formal students or professionals, so we do what we want.

As for the piece who's structure you realted - I'd call it a "rhasopdic rondo" but that's only because I like alliteration!

"I prefer this method as it seems easier to put emotion into the music but for my music coursework I don't know if it is risky because I might not include everything I need, e.g all different cadences and chord inversions. How do you like to compose?"

There's no harm in using both methods! The possibilities are endless. But here are a few tips:

* The virtues of using a preexisting form is that a) you know in advance that your piece will be structurally balanced, and b) you can plot ahead with more certainty.

* It's best to compose using preexisting forms when you're starting out, because they need to be learned, whilst through composed (ie making it up as you go along), doesn't require specific instruction so much. (Most beginners use a formal structure even without knowing it - a song writer will usually go verse, chorus, verse, etc, etc).

* I find that the longer the piece, the more a pre-compositional plan for its structure becomes important to me. Over a certain length - about 5 mins for me - and a preconceived general plan is just about essential. But I usually only plot out details as I move along.

* Plotting out a form more often than not stipulates repetition, which in the view of most composers is an important aspect of musical communication. Players usually thrive on knowing they're playing a section which is the same or similar to something which has already happened.

* Over time, with experience, people seem to find some sort of balance between preconceiving a structure and through composition, which works best for them. They usually practice both approaches before they settle into something. On the other hand, many composers use different methods depending on the project. The only rule is do what works best for the project in question.