Difference Between Musician and Composer

Is there anyone who doesn’t like music? You can hardly find someone who avoids such a beautiful gift of humans. Music gives us courage, hope, and, most precious, peace of mind. Moreover, it often becomes our partner whenever we’re obsessed or need a medium to enjoy the moment. But, have you ever wondered who creates music or how it is created and presented to us? What’s the difference between musician and composer?

Here comes the two main characters of the creation of music; the COMPOSER and the MUSICIAN. And this is where people mix things up while talking about composers and musicians. However, in this short article, you’ll get to know the difference between a musician and a composer.

The Composer:

You probably have heard the term, Composer related to music. Well, a composer is a person who gives melody, sound, and creative effects to a song or lyric. In another way, a composer’s work is to turn a written song or lyric into a hearing song or track. However, many composers also write lyrics as well as music.

A composer must have an excellent knowledge of music, although he doesn’t need to have an incredible voice or skill in musical instruments. But, remember, a composer can use any musical instrument, like a harmonium, piano, guitar, etc., or their own voice to create a melody or song.

Another thing you should know is that the Composer may or may not perform on the set or stage. And it has been seen that many composers also work as musicians.

The Musician:

While talking about musicians, you definitely know many of them as they perform on the stage, and people get to see them playing or singing music. Thereby, you can say that a musician is a person who performs music for an audience.

However, keep in mind that a musician may or may not have an excellent knowledge of music. All he/she needs is to have a good voice or skill in musical instruments since he plays instruments or uses his/her own voice to sing to the audience.

Relation Between The Two:

A composer and a musician maintain a close relationship since they work together to give life to a song or music. While the Composer creates music, the musician presents it to the audience in an acute perfection. 

In this way, you can consider the Composer as a teacher and the musician as his/her student. The musician plays or sings a song as per the composer’s instructions. 

Therefore, it’s clear that a music composer is always a musician as he also plays or sings music to give it a perfect shape. And the musician is the last person who sings or plays the music in its best form with a fantastic voice, melody, and tune.

Note: A musician is not always a composer, whereas a music composer is always a musician. 

We hope this article was helpful for you in finding out the differences between the musician and the music composer. 

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Jr. Robert A. Plant

Hey there! I'm Jr. Robert A. Plant, an artist, blogger and reviewer who's absolutely in love with the world of music. I have a knack for reviewing music gear, sharing my thoughts and insights at Raisingsand FX. When I'm not exploring gear, you'll find me lost in the creative process of writing songs. Music is my passion, and I'm here to inspire and touch lives through my artistic journey.

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