One of the most common things I hear from composers is "well I've found this nice idea, I really like it, but I just don't know what to do next, I don't know how should I carry it on". Sometimes rather than continuing to hunt in the dark you should just work with what you already have. In this video I look at the musical technique of Variation as a way of turning your initial idea into a larger piece. 00:51 Simple Melodic Variation 01:47 Simple Rhythmic Variation 02:26 Simple Harmonic Variation 02:53 Modal Variation 04:14 Variation as a Form 05:30 Variations over a harmony 07:45. Note Speed Variation 08:53 Bach & Beethoven Variations 10:30 Advanced melodic variations 12:47 Timbre Variations 14:07 Indian Raga Variations 14:52 Heterophony 15:32 Ben Johnston Variations 16:57 YOUR Variation ⦿ Support the Channel on Patreon⦿ https://www.patreon.com/davidbruce ⦿Listen to my new album 'The North Wind was a Woman'⦿ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/1E2T6NwkC4GgQEim6OtXmV Other services: http://smarturl.it/northwindwasawoman ⦿ Follow me on Twitter⦿ https://www.twitter.com/davidbruce ⦿ Follow me on Instagram⦿ https://www.instagram.com/davidbrucecomposer ⦿David Bruce Composer Spotify Playlist⦿ https://tinyurl.com/y798swcy ⦿My 2nd YouTube Channel⦿ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHjcEVdMjIOOlVhtTRq4sDw Examples featured in this video: Pachelbel's Canon https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JvNQLJ1_HQ0 La Bergamasca, Marco Uccellini https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34Lohr99FQA Jascha Heifetz plays Paganini Caprice No. 24 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPcnGrie__M The Harmonius Blacksmith https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwjIiUNBiTk Yuja Wang Rhapsody on a theme by Paganini Rachmaninoff https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5mn_AOq_RA Beethoven Diabelli Variations https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wp59KCg_DCY Cory Henry playing Amazing Grace https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fuZeZCIIAtg Ben Johnston String Quartet No.4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4MkJXXMBAw Bach Goldberg Variations https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15ezpwCHtJs