Ray Harmony's Blog, page 14

How to Add Impact to your Choruses (feat. Vukovi music theory hack)

 
How to Add Impact to your Choruses

 

In this episode, you’ll learn how to add impact to your choruses. But first… tea!

Hello revolutionary music makers, we are Kate and Ray Harmony (AKA Revolution Harmony), and welcome to Hack Music Theory, where we help you make great music that stands out! Also, welcome to the first of our new podcast exclusive episodes. Yep, you won’t find these on YouTube, they’re made just for you here. Hope you enjoy!

And by the way, if you’re new to theory, or if you just want a refresher, please read our free book “12 Music Theory Hacks to Learn Scales & Chords”. It takes about 30 minutes to read, then you’ll have a super solid theory foundation.

 

 
 

Wooohooo!!! You’re a mere 30 minutes away from being even smarter than you already are. Just head on over to your inbox now for your free download.

There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again.

 

“The most brilliant, fast, easy & fun music theory book I’ve ever seen!” DEREK SIVERS, CD Baby founder

We use this field to detect spam bots. If you fill this in, you will be marked as a spammer.

DOWNLOAD FREE BOOK


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Scroll down to listen to the podcast episode of this lesson.

 

Alright, it’s time to open your DAW to hack music theory. This hack is from the new song “Aura”, by Scottish band Vukovi. FYI, their new album “Fall Better” is super fun, and it’s overflowing with energy too, so we’ve made it our new workout soundtrack!

So, you’ll notice when the chorus of “Aura” starts, at 0:29 into the track, it has a huge impact! What causes that? Two things. First, the chorus melody actually starts a beat before the chorus. And second, to emphasise the chorus melody, all the other instruments stop when it starts. And by the way, this song is in 4/4.

 

[image error]

Figure 1:  Chorus melody starts on beat 4 of preceding bar

 

Now, you may think you’d get more impact by starting your chorus melody on beat 1 along with everything else, and in some situations you will. But, by stopping all your instruments on beat 4 of the bar preceding your chorus, and starting your melody there, you move all the attention to your melody. This focus on the melody intensifies the transition from verse to chorus. It also thins out the sound, and then when everything comes back in on beat 1 there’s a way bigger impact than if all the instruments had kept playing through the transition.

And as a bonus, beginning your chorus melody on beat 4 of the bar preceding your chorus results in an overlapping phrase, which acts as reinforcement for the transition. Yeah it’s like when you’re building a brick wall, you want the bricks to overlap, so the layer above reinforces the layer below. Not that I’ve ever built a brick wall, but I have watched a lot of Grand Designs on the telly haha!

So the next time you’re wanting to add impact to a chorus, stop all your instruments on beat 4 of the preceding bar, and start your chorus melody there. And that’s it! Hope you found this hack useful, and if you wanna get all our essential music making hacks in one place, then download our Songwriting & Producing PDF. Thanks so much for being here, and until next time, happy songwriting and producing!

 

Podcast

Listen below, or on any podcast app.

How to Add Impact to your Choruses

 
How to Add Impact to your Choruses

 

In this episode, you’ll learn how to add impact to your choruses. But first… tea!

Hello revolutionary music makers, we are Kate and Ray Harmony (AKA Revolution Harmony), and welcome to Hack Music Theory, where we help you make great music that stands out! Also, welcome to the first of our new podcast exclusive episodes. Yep, you won’t find these on YouTube, they’re made just for you here. Hope you enjoy!

And by the way, if you’re new to theory, or if you just want a refresher, please read our free book “12 Music Theory Hacks to Learn Scales & Chords”. It takes about 30 minutes to read, then you’ll have a super solid theory foundation.

 

 
 

Wooohooo!!! You’re a mere 30 minutes away from being even smarter than you already are. Just head on over to your inbox now for your free download.

There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again.

 

“The most brilliant, fast, easy & fun music theory book I’ve ever seen!” DEREK SIVERS, CD Baby founder

We use this field to detect spam bots. If you fill this in, you will be marked as a spammer.

DOWNLOAD FREE BOOK


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Scroll down to listen to the podcast episode of this hack.

 

Alright, it’s time to open your DAW to hack music theory. This hack is from the new song “Aura”, by Scottish band Vukovi. FYI, their new album “Fall Better” is super fun, and it’s overflowing with energy too, so we’ve made it our new workout soundtrack!

So, you’ll notice when the chorus of “Aura” starts, at 0:29 into the track, it has a huge impact! What causes that? Two things. First, the chorus melody actually starts a beat before the chorus. And second, to emphasise the chorus melody, all the other instruments stop when it starts. And by the way, this song is in 4/4.

 

[image error]

Figure 1:  Chorus melody starts on beat 4 of preceding bar

 

Now, you may think you’d get more impact by starting your chorus melody on beat 1 along with everything else, and in some situations you will. But, by stopping all your instruments on beat 4 of the bar preceding your chorus, and starting your melody there, you move all the attention to your melody. This focus on the melody intensifies the transition from verse to chorus. It also thins out the sound, and then when everything comes back in on beat 1 there’s a way bigger impact than if all the instruments had kept playing through the transition.

And as a bonus, beginning your chorus melody on beat 4 of the bar preceding your chorus results in an overlapping phrase, which acts as reinforcement for the transition. Yeah it’s like when you’re building a brick wall, you want the bricks to overlap, so the layer above reinforces the layer below. Not that I’ve ever built a brick wall, but I have watched a lot of Grand Designs on the telly haha!

So the next time you’re wanting to add impact to a chorus, stop all your instruments on beat 4 of the preceding bar, and start your chorus melody there. And that’s it! Hope you found this hack useful, and if you wanna get all our essential music making hacks in one place, then download our Songwriting & Producing PDF (click and scroll down). Thanks so much for being here, and until next time, happy songwriting and producing!

 

Podcast

Listen below, or on any podcast app.

Get Your Music Discovered

3 music theory hacks to make your music stand out, so you can get discovered!

Hello revolutionary music makers, we are Kate Harmony and Ray Harmony (AKA Revolution Harmony), and welcome to Hack Music Theory. We help you make great music that stands out, so you can move and grow your audience! If that sounds useful to you, then subscribe to our YouTube channel (or Podcast) and hit that bell to get notified every Friday, when we publish our new lesson.

FREE BOOK
If it's your first time here, be sure to download our free book “12 Music Theory Hacks to Learn Scales & Chords” below. It only takes 30 minutes to read, and then you'll have a super solid music theory foundation!

 
 

Wooohooo!!! You’re a mere 30 minutes away from being even smarter than you already are. Just head on over to your inbox now for your free download.

There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again.

 

“The most brilliant, fast, easy & fun music theory book I’ve ever seen!” DEREK SIVERS, CD Baby founder

We use this field to detect spam bots. If you fill this in, you will be marked as a spammer.

DOWNLOAD FREE BOOK


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There’s about 40,000 songs being added to Spotify every day, so the only way you can get discovered, is if your music truly stands out. How do you do that? Well, in this lesson you’ll learn 3 hacks to make your music stand out from the crowd! But first… Tea!

INTRO
So, to counter all the boring year-end lists of smash hits, we started a new Hack Music Theory tradition last year: The Most Artistic Music of the Year. We selected the winner by asking ourselves this question: What release this year contained the most interesting theory, used in the most creative way, resulting in an accessible work of art. And the vital criteria here is accessibility, cos it’s actually surprisingly easy to write creative music, but it’s surprisingly difficult to write creative music that makes people dance and sing along! Now, without further ado, the winner of 2019’s Most Artistic Music of the Year, is… Dan D’Lion.

Dan D’Lion is a British producer and singer, who came outta nowhere this year with two jaw-dropping EPs ("Perspective" EP & "Betterman" EP). The first time we heard Dan D’Lion was in Spotify’s New Music Friday playlist a few months back, when his song “Simmer Down” totally jumped out at us, and almost nothing on that playlist ever stands out, let alone jumps out! So, in this lesson, we’ll hack the pre-chorus of “Simmer Down”, where three musical elements make this song truly stand out from the crowd. To be honest though, we could easily make four lessons on this one section alone, it’s that good! So as soon as this lesson ends, go listen to Dan D’Lion and hit repeat, cos it’ll take many listens to explore the musical depths of his 10 songs.

GIVEAWAY
Now, just before we jump into the lesson, we’ve got exciting news for you: We’re feeling festive, so one of you will win our bestselling online course: Apprenticeship #1 (worth $150). The course contains 17 hours of video that guides you through every step of the music making process, from blank screen to finish song. Details on how to enter coming up later, but now, it’s time to open your DAW to hack music theory.

SETUP
Alright, now you’re gonna learn the three theory hacks from Dan D’Lion that will make your music stand out! And for the example in this lesson, we’ll be using our version that we made earlier, using these three hacks. So, start by setting up four bars of 4/4, with your tempo set to 108 BPM, and your grid set to 1/16 notes. Dan D’Lion uses A natural minor for this section, so we’ll use it too.

HACK 1. MODAL AMBIGUITY
The first thing you’ll feel when listening to this section in “Simmer Down”, is that it’s not obvious what the key is. Dan D’Lion very cleverly does this by starting his bass line with a long note that makes us think it’s the root, but it’s not. Then after this long note, he drops down to the real root (A), which is when the ambiguity takes hold, as we thought the bass line started on the root, but now A feels like the root. Dan D’Lion does help us to hear A minor as the actual key though, by playing synth arpeggios in the background that reinforce A minor. Now, while this ambiguity around keys is a trendy hack these days, when most songwriters and producers use it, they just go back and forth between the relative major and minor keys. But that’s not interesting enough for Dan D’Lion, what he does is to go back and forth between A natural minor and its relative Dorian mode. In our example, we chose the relative Lydian mode, so we started our bass line on F. And whatever relative mode you choose, be sure to start your bass line on that mode’s root note. And if you need help understanding the modes, then simply use the mode hacks in our Songwriting & Producing PDF (click & scroll down).

HACK 2. USE THIS NOTE
Now that you’ve blurred the line between A natural minor and the relative mode that you chose, it’s time to blur that blurred line! You see, Dan D’Lion isn’t satisfied with merely creating ambiguity around the key, he then goes on to break free from those two keys by using the note C♯, which is not in either key, so it’s what we call “non-diatonic”. This blurring of the blurred line not only enhances the ambiguity from Hack 1, but it also creates the ultimate standout moment in your song. In fact, it was this exact note that made Dan D’Lion’s song jump out at us in the first place.

HACK 3. COUNTERPOINT
Dan D’Lion used the compositional technique known as counterpoint to write his backing vocals. And counterpoint is when the contour of your backing melody counters the contour of your lead melody. It’s extremely rare to hear counterpoint in popular music, as almost all backing melodies these days just harmonise the lead melody by following its contour, usually a 3rd above or below. But, by using counterpoint to write your backing melody, you inject one of the rarest elements into your song, which will make it truly stand out from the crowd. And by the way, if you need help with counterpoint, then simply use our counterpoint hack, which is also in our Songwriting & Producing PDF (click & scroll down). And, if you need help with writing melodies, then use our Melody Checklist, which is in that PDF as well. It’s the ultimate list of dos and don’ts for writing great melodies.

MORE
So, now that you’ve got one section coming together, how do you write the other sections? Then, how do you transition between them (especially when they’re in different keys)? And then, how do you structure and arrange your song? These are issues many songwriters and producers struggle with, and that’s exactly why we made our online apprenticeship course, which guides you through every step of the music making process, from blank screen to finished song. So, if you wanna learn our secret method for writing (and finishing) great songs, which we don’t teach in these free lessons, then check out our Apprenticeship #1 online course.

NEXT
Alright, now let’s have a listen to our standout section, but just before the playthrough, here’s how you can win our online course Apprenticeship #1: Write a comment below this video on YouTube, and tell us why you should win. It’s that simple! We’ll then pick our favourite answer, and announce the winner in our newsletter this Sunday (15 Dec 2019). So, be sure to post your comment by Saturday (14 Dec 2019), and also, make sure you’re on our mailing list (you can sign up on our home page).

Sadly, this is our last lesson of the year, but we’ve got EPIC news for you about 2020. When we come back in early January, we’re gonna be launching Apprenticeship #2. This course is the mother of all courses, it’s taken us over a year to make, and it contains over 30 hours of video! So, if your New Year’s resolution is to get serious and commit to your music, then make sure you’ve done Apprenticeship #1 before January, cos come 2020, it’s Apprenticeship #2 time! Thanks for watching (or listening, if you’re on the podcast), and we’ll see you in a few weeks. Until then, happy holidays, and thank you for another magical year, we really appreciate you being here.

Kate & Ray Harmony (AKA Revolution Harmony)
Music Teachers & Producers in Vancouver BC, Canada

 

Take Your Music to the Next Level

LEVEL 1 – FREE BOOK
"12 Music Theory Hacks to Learn Scales & Chords" will give you a super solid music theory foundation in 30 minutes!

LEVEL 2 – SONGWRITING & PRODUCING PDF (click & scroll down)
This is our best-selling PDF, which includes MIDI file examples. Learn the essential hacks for songwriting & producing, like our Melody Checklist (the ultimate list of do's and don'ts for writing great melodies). You'll also learn how to write chord progressions, bass lines, riffs, counterpoint harmonies, and more!

LEVEL 3 – LESSON PACKS
After learning our essential hacks, it's time to put them to practical use and start writing some new songs. Lesson packs include step-by-step PDF guides to making music for different instruments and in different genres (electronic, metal, soundtrack, etc.), as well as multitrack MIDI files of the examples.

LEVEL 4 – ONLINE APPRENTICESHIP
Go from a blank screen to a finished song, in this 17-hour video course. Learn how to write new sections for an existing section, how to transition between sections in different keys, how to structure and arrange, and much more! This course has been called "life-changing" many times, so join 800+ music makers now (from all genres), who are learning Ray's secret hack: Song Whispering.

ABOUT
Hack Music Theory is a pioneering DAW method for making great music that stands out, so you can move and grow your audience! Taught by multi-award-winning music lecturer Ray Harmony, and his protégé wife Kate Harmony, from their studio in Vancouver BC, Canada. Ray is the author of critically-acclaimed book series "Hack Music Theory", and has made music with Serj Tankian (System of a Down), Tom Morello (Rage Against the Machine), Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree), Devin Townsend (Strapping Young Lad), Ihsahn (Emperor), Kool Keith (Ultramagnetic MCs), Madchild (Swollen Members), and many more! Kate has the highest grade distinction in Popular Music Theory from the London College of Music, and is the only person on the planet who's been trained by Ray to teach his method. On that note, Hack Music Theory teaches relevant and instantly-usable music theory for producers, songwriters, DAW users, and all other music makers (guitarists, bassists, singers, drummers, etc.) in all genres, from EDM to R&B, pop to hip-hop, reggae to rock, electronic to metal (and yes, we djefinitely djent!).

COPYRIGHT
© 2019 Revolution Harmony
Revolution Harmony is Ray Harmony & Kate Harmony
All content (script & music) in video by Revolution Harmony

New UK Jazz Rhythms

Learn how to make a groove inspired by the captivating rhythms of new UK Jazz, using a music theory hack from “Free My Skin” by London collective Steam Down.

Hello revolutionary music makers, we are Kate Harmony and Ray Harmony (AKA Revolution Harmony), and welcome to Hack Music Theory. We help you make great music that stands out, so you can move and grow your audience! If that sounds useful to you, then subscribe to our YouTube channel (or Podcast) and hit that bell to get notified every Friday, when we publish our new lesson.

FREE BOOK
If it's your first time here, be sure to download our free book “12 Music Theory Hacks to Learn Scales & Chords” below. It only takes 30 minutes to read, and then you'll have a super solid music theory foundation!

 
 

Wooohooo!!! You’re a mere 30 minutes away from being even smarter than you already are. Just head on over to your inbox now for your free download.

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“The most brilliant, fast, easy & fun music theory book I’ve ever seen!” DEREK SIVERS, CD Baby founder

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DOWNLOAD FREE BOOK


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SETUP
The theory hack in this lesson is from the new single “Free My Skin” by the inspirational London collective, Steam Down. But, the music in this lesson (which you’ll hear at the end), is actually our music that we wrote using their theory. On that note, we could definitely make lessons on their melodies, chords and bass as well, cos there’s so much interesting theory going on in those, but this lesson is all about rhythm, so we’ll focus on their drum groove. Right, so start by setting your tempo to 146 BPM, then make two bars of 4/4, with your grid set to 1/16 notes.

INTRO
Now, the first standout feature you’ll notice is that tempo. That ain’t a tempo for sitting on your ass and listening, that’s a tempo for dancing! This is just one of the many refreshing aspects of this new UK Jazz movement. And this isn’t really Jazz, this is the sound of London. You see, London, which is my hometown, is a melting pot of cultures, so its music is a reflection of that. This is why you’ll hear elements from homegrown grime, Jamaican dancehall, West African afrobeat, and more, all coming together in this new sound. And this musical melting pot is perfectly captured by Steam Down. By the way, big shoutout to Gary Crosby and all the other heroes at the Tomorrow’s Warriors charity for their life-changing educational work behind this movement.

STEP 1. FOUR-ON-THE-FLOOR (ALMOST)
The driving force behind this awesome groove is an almost four-on-the-floor pattern on the kick. The drummer plays beat 1, 3 and 4, but not beat 2. This creates a super dancey groove, but leaves space for something more interesting.

STEP 2. MORE SYNCOPATION!
Next, in that space left open by not playing a kick on beat 2, the drummer plays a couple syncopated snare hits on beats 1a and 2+. Then in the second bar, there’s even more syncopation, as there are three syncopated snare hits on beats 1a, 2e and 2a.

STEP 3. IRREGULAR HATS
Now, there’s only one rule when it comes to the hats in this groove: don’t play beat 2. By leaving that beat totally open, the drummer ensures that the super funky groove created from all those syncopated snares is not watered down, cos this is Steam Down, not water down! Also, by having some rests on the hats, it creates an irregular pattern, which keeps the groove unpredictable. And lastly, there’s a 1/32 note thrown in for extra spice.

SALE • 40% OFF
Alright, now let’s have a listen to this melting pot of rhythms from around the world, but just before the playthrough, if there’s an artist you’d like us to hack, please let us know by commenting on the video in YouTube. And don’t forget, today is the last day of our epic sale, so get involved now for 40% off everything, including our bestsellers: the Songwriting & Producing PDF (click & scroll down) and the Apprenticeship #1 Online Course (SAVE $60). Thanks for reading/watching/listening, and we’ll see you next time!

Kate & Ray Harmony (AKA Revolution Harmony)
Music Teachers & Producers in Vancouver BC, Canada

 

Take Your Music to the Next Level

LEVEL 1 – FREE BOOK
"12 Music Theory Hacks to Learn Scales & Chords" will give you a super solid music theory foundation in 30 minutes!

LEVEL 2 – SONGWRITING & PRODUCING PDF (click & scroll down)
This is our best-selling PDF, which includes MIDI file examples. Learn the essential hacks for songwriting & producing, like our Melody Checklist (the ultimate list of do's and don'ts for writing great melodies). You'll also learn how to write chord progressions, bass lines, riffs, counterpoint harmonies, and more!

LEVEL 3 – LESSON PACKS
After learning our essential hacks, it's time to put them to practical use and start writing some new songs. Lesson packs include step-by-step PDF guides to making music for different instruments and in different genres (electronic, metal, soundtrack, etc.), as well as multitrack MIDI files of the examples.

LEVEL 4 – ONLINE APPRENTICESHIP
Go from a blank screen to a finished song, in this 17-hour video course. Learn how to write new sections for an existing section, how to transition between sections in different keys, how to structure and arrange, and much more! This course has been called "life-changing" many times, so join 800+ music makers now (from all genres), who are learning Ray's secret hack: Song Whispering.

ABOUT
Hack Music Theory is a pioneering DAW method for making great music that stands out, so you can move and grow your audience! Taught by multi-award-winning music lecturer Ray Harmony, and his protégé wife Kate Harmony, from their studio in Vancouver BC, Canada. Ray is the author of critically-acclaimed book series "Hack Music Theory", and has made music with Serj Tankian (System of a Down), Tom Morello (Rage Against the Machine), Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree), Devin Townsend (Strapping Young Lad), Ihsahn (Emperor), Kool Keith (Ultramagnetic MCs), Madchild (Swollen Members), and many more! Kate has the highest grade distinction in Popular Music Theory from the London College of Music, and is the only person on the planet who's been trained by Ray to teach his method. On that note, Hack Music Theory teaches relevant and instantly-usable music theory for producers, songwriters, DAW users, and all other music makers (guitarists, bassists, singers, drummers, etc.) in all genres, from EDM to R&B, pop to hip-hop, reggae to rock, electronic to metal (and yes, we djefinitely djent!).

COPYRIGHT
© 2019 Revolution Harmony
Revolution Harmony is Ray Harmony & Kate Harmony
All content (script & music) in video by Revolution Harmony
Thumbnail photo of Steam Down from SteamDown.co.uk

2 Hacks for EPIC Bass Lines

Learn how to write a bass line for an epic chorus, by using a music theory hack from Leprous “Alleviate” (off their new album “Pitfalls”).

Hello revolutionary music makers, we are Kate Harmony and Ray Harmony (AKA Revolution Harmony), and welcome to Hack Music Theory. We help you make great music that stands out, so you can move and grow your audience! If that sounds useful to you, then subscribe to our YouTube channel (or Podcast) and hit that bell to get notified every Friday, when we publish our new lesson.

FREE BOOK
If it's your first time here, be sure to download our free book “12 Music Theory Hacks to Learn Scales & Chords” below. It only takes 30 minutes to read, and then you'll have a super solid music theory foundation!

 
 

Wooohooo!!! You’re a mere 30 minutes away from being even smarter than you already are. Just head on over to your inbox now for your free download.

There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again.

 

“The most brilliant, fast, easy & fun music theory book I’ve ever seen!” DEREK SIVERS, CD Baby founder

We use this field to detect spam bots. If you fill this in, you will be marked as a spammer.

DOWNLOAD FREE BOOK


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SETUP
Over the last couple of lessons you’ve learned how to write an epic chord progression and melody (links below), so now you’re gonna learn how to write an epic bass line underneath. And this theory hack is inspired by the chorus of recent single “Alleviate” by the awesome Norwegian band Leprous. But, the example in this lesson is actually our music, which we wrote using their theory. Right, so start by setting up four bars of 4/4, with your grid set to 1/8 notes, and your tempo set to 116 BPM. Leprous use D natural minor for their chorus, and the natural minor scale is a common choice for epic music, so we’ll use it too.

SERIES
1. How to Write Epic Chord Progressions
2. How to Write Epic Melodies

STEP 1. THE PATH
Your bass line needs to be the path upon which all your other instruments will walk, so it’s essential to build a solid path that can take the weight of everything above it. And the best way to do that is to play the root of every chord, as the root is by far the most stable note. Our chords are: Dm → Fmaj → B♭maj → Csus4, so we started writing our bass line by using D→F→B♭→C. And another thing to keep in mind is that as soon as you play a note on your bass guitar, it starts to fade, which weakens the path. So to counter that, simply play 1/8 notes, which has the added advantage of giving your bass line a driving momentum.

STEP 2. STRAY
Now, there’s a huge difference between your bass being a path, and it being a doormat. If your bass only plays root notes, it’ll blend into the background and your other instruments will walk all over it. That’s not cool, so don’t let your bass be a doormat. The best way to avoid that fate (and to ensure your bass line becomes a path) is actually rather counterintuitive. To be the path, your bass needs to stray from the path. Think about it: Your listeners won’t notice your bass line when it’s only playing root notes, so as soon as it strays from those roots, it attracts attention to itself. Then, as soon as it has that attention, it can return to the path, but now that it’s been noticed, the next root note it plays won’t blend into the background. We strayed with one or two 1/8 notes at the end of each bar. And this straying also creates the opportunity to inject motifs, which are short musical ideas that are repeated to make your music memorable, like these ascending 1/8 notes at the end of bars 1 and 2, and these descending 1/8 notes at the end of bars 3 and 4.

MORE
So, now that you’ve got one section down, how do you write the other sections? Then, how do you transition between them (especially when they’re in different keys)? And then, how do you structure and arrange your song? These are issues many songwriters and producers struggle with, and that’s exactly why we made our online apprenticeship course, which guides you through every step of the music making process, from blank screen to finished song. So, if you wanna learn our secret method for writing (and finishing) great songs, which we don’t teach in these free lessons, then check out our Apprenticeship #1 online course.

SALE • 40% OFF
This bass line is not the only epic thing going down this week, our epic Black Friday sale starts today, so get involved now for 40% off everything, including our bestsellers: the Songwriting & Producing PDF (click & scroll down) and the Apprenticeship #1 Online Course - sale ends 2 Dec 2019. Thanks for reading/watching/listening, and we’ll see you next time!

Kate & Ray Harmony (AKA Revolution Harmony)
Music Teachers & Producers in Vancouver BC, Canada

 

Take Your Music to the Next Level

LEVEL 1 – FREE BOOK
"12 Music Theory Hacks to Learn Scales & Chords" will give you a super solid music theory foundation in 30 minutes!

LEVEL 2 – SONGWRITING & PRODUCING PDF (click & scroll down)
This is our best-selling PDF, which includes MIDI file examples. Learn the essential hacks for songwriting & producing, like our Melody Checklist (the ultimate list of do's and don'ts for writing great melodies). You'll also learn how to write chord progressions, bass lines, riffs, counterpoint harmonies, and more!

LEVEL 3 – LESSON PACKS
After learning our essential hacks, it's time to put them to practical use and start writing some new songs. Lesson packs include step-by-step PDF guides to making music for different instruments and in different genres (electronic, metal, soundtrack, etc.), as well as multitrack MIDI files of the examples.

LEVEL 4 – ONLINE APPRENTICESHIP
Go from a blank screen to a finished song, in this online video course. Learn how to write new sections for an existing section, how to transition between sections in different keys, how to structure and arrange, and much more! This course has been called "life-changing" many times, so join 800+ music makers now (from all genres), who are learning Ray's secret hack: Song Whispering.

ABOUT
Hack Music Theory is a pioneering DAW method for making great music that stands out, so you can move and grow your audience! Taught by multi-award-winning music lecturer Ray Harmony, and his protégé wife Kate Harmony, from their studio in Vancouver BC, Canada. Ray is the author of critically-acclaimed book series "Hack Music Theory", and has made music with Serj Tankian (System of a Down), Tom Morello (Rage Against the Machine), Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree), Devin Townsend (Strapping Young Lad), Ihsahn (Emperor), Kool Keith (Ultramagnetic MCs), Madchild (Swollen Members), and many more! Kate has the highest grade distinction in Popular Music Theory from the London College of Music, and is the only person on the planet who's been trained by Ray to teach his method. On that note, Hack Music Theory teaches relevant and instantly-usable music theory for producers, songwriters, DAW users, and all other music makers (guitarists, bassists, singers, drummers, etc.) in all genres, from EDM to R&B, pop to hip-hop, reggae to rock, electronic to metal (and yes, we djefinitely djent!).

COPYRIGHT
© 2019 Revolution Harmony
Revolution Harmony is Ray Harmony & Kate Harmony
All content (script & music) in video by Revolution Harmony
Thumbnail photo of Simen Børven by Irene Serrano

Leprous “Pitfalls” Melody (Music Theory)

Learn how to write a melody for an epic chorus, by using a music theory hack from Leprous “Alleviate” (off their new album “Pitfalls”).

Hello revolutionary music makers, we are Kate Harmony and Ray Harmony (AKA Revolution Harmony), and welcome to Hack Music Theory. We help you make great music that stands out, so you can move and grow your audience! If that sounds useful to you, then subscribe to our YouTube channel (or Podcast) and hit that bell to get notified every Friday, when we publish our new lesson.

FREE BOOK
If it's your first time here, be sure to download our free book “12 Music Theory Hacks to Learn Scales & Chords” below. It only takes 30 minutes to read, and then you'll have a super solid music theory foundation!

 
 

Wooohooo!!! You’re a mere 30 minutes away from being even smarter than you already are. Just head on over to your inbox now for your free download.

There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again.

 

“The most brilliant, fast, easy & fun music theory book I’ve ever seen!” DEREK SIVERS, CD Baby founder

We use this field to detect spam bots. If you fill this in, you will be marked as a spammer.

DOWNLOAD FREE BOOK


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SETUP
In last week’s lesson you learned how to write an epic chord progression, so now you’re gonna learn how to write an epic melody for it. And this theory hack is inspired by the chorus of recent single “Alleviate” by the awesome Norwegian band Leprous. But, the example in this lesson is actually our music, which we wrote using their theory. Right, so start by setting up eight bars of 4/4, with your grid set to 1/8 notes, and your tempo set to 116 BPM. Leprous use D natural minor for their chorus, and the natural minor scale is a common choice for epic music, so we’ll use it too.

STEP 1. ONCE UPON A TIME
Epic music sounds epic, because it tells an epic musical story. And when it comes to telling a story, you don’t just jump right into the best part, you first have to set the scene. So, start your melody with a short “Once upon a time...” phrase. We started our melody with a motif centered around one semitone intervals. And whatever you do for your “Once upon a time...” phrase, just be sure to use small intervals, as this phrase is intended to set things up without grabbing any attention.

STEP 2. THE MOUNTAIN
All great stories have a massive obstacle, which the main character needs to overcome in order to transform into the hero. Sometimes the obstacle is internal, sometimes external, but it always involves climbing a metaphorical mountain, or sometimes an actual mountain, quite literally. So, now that you’ve set the scene for your story, it’s time to introduce the mountain. And musically, there’s no better way to do this than a huge interval, as that instantly injects a ton of drama, while catapulting your listeners to the top of that musical mountain. Leprous use the very beautiful minor 6th interval here, but you can use a 6th or 7th. We actually used a major 6th here.

MELODY CHECKLIST
If you want the ultimate list of dos and don’ts for writing great melodies, then use the Melody Checklist in our Songwriting & Producing PDF (click and scroll down). And that PDF also contains hacks on how to write great chord progressions, bass lines, counterpoint harmony, and all the other essential songwriting and producing hacks, as well as MIDI file examples.

STEP 3. TAKE IT HOME
Alright, now that your listeners have summited that mountain and become heroes, it’s time to take them home, safely. This involves a slow and steady descent back home, but with a couple 1/8 notes, to avoid a possible anticlimax after that peak.

STEP 4. THE SEQUEL
Right, now that you’ve written your epic melody over four bars, it’s time for the sequel. So, when you take your listeners through bars 5 to 8, you need a variation in order to create that magic balance of familiarity and freshness. And the best place to make your variation is when you’re taking it home the second time. So, on your slow and steady descent, simply change up a few pitches and their note values.

NEXT 
So, now that you’ve got one section coming together, how do you write the other sections? Then, how do you transition between them (especially when they’re in different keys)? And then, how do you structure and arrange your song? These are issues many songwriters and producers struggle with, and that’s exactly why we made our online apprenticeship course, which guides you through every step of the music making process, from blank screen to finished song. So, if you wanna learn our secret method for writing (and finishing) great songs, which we don’t teach in these free lessons, then sign up now for our one-of-a-kind online apprenticeship course.

Thanks for reading/watching/listening, and we’ll see you next week!

Kate & Ray Harmony (AKA Revolution Harmony)
Music Teachers & Producers in Vancouver BC, Canada

 

Take Your Music to the Next Level

LEVEL 1 – FREE BOOK
"12 Music Theory Hacks to Learn Scales & Chords" will give you a super solid music theory foundation in 30 minutes!

LEVEL 2 – SONGWRITING & PRODUCING PDF (click & scroll down)
This is our best-selling PDF, which includes MIDI file examples. Learn the essential hacks for songwriting & producing, like our Melody Checklist (the ultimate list of do's and don'ts for writing great melodies). You'll also learn how to write chord progressions, bass lines, riffs, counterpoint harmonies, and more!

LEVEL 3 – LESSON PACKS
After learning our essential hacks, it's time to put them to practical use and start writing some new songs. Lesson packs include step-by-step PDF guides to making music for different instruments and in different genres (electronic, metal, soundtrack, etc.), as well as multitrack MIDI files of the examples.

LEVEL 4 – ONLINE APPRENTICESHIP
Go from a blank screen to a finished song, in this online video course. Learn how to write new sections for an existing section, how to transition between sections in different keys, how to structure and arrange, and much more! This course has been called "life-changing" many times, so join 800+ music makers now (from all genres), who are learning Ray's secret hack: Song Whispering.

ABOUT
Hack Music Theory is a pioneering DAW method for making great music that stands out, so you can move and grow your audience! Taught by multi-award-winning music lecturer Ray Harmony, and his protégé wife Kate Harmony, from their studio in Vancouver BC, Canada. Ray is the author of critically-acclaimed book series "Hack Music Theory", and has made music with Serj Tankian (System of a Down), Tom Morello (Rage Against the Machine), Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree), Devin Townsend (Strapping Young Lad), Ihsahn (Emperor), Kool Keith (Ultramagnetic MCs), Madchild (Swollen Members), and many more! Kate has the highest grade distinction in Popular Music Theory from the London College of Music, and is the only person on the planet who's been trained by Ray to teach his method. On that note, Hack Music Theory teaches relevant and instantly-usable music theory for producers, songwriters, DAW users, and all other music makers (guitarists, bassists, singers, drummers, etc.) in all genres, from EDM to R&B, pop to hip-hop, reggae to rock, electronic to metal (and yes, we djefinitely djent!).

COPYRIGHT
© 2019 Revolution Harmony
Revolution Harmony is Ray Harmony & Kate Harmony
All content (script & music) in video by Revolution Harmony
Thumbnail photo of Einar Solberg from “Alleviate” music video

Leprous “Pitfalls” Chords (Music Theory)

Learn how to write a chord progression for an epic chorus, by using a music theory hack from Leprous “Alleviate” (off new album “Pitfalls”).

Hello revolutionary music makers, we are Kate Harmony and Ray Harmony (AKA Revolution Harmony), and welcome to Hack Music Theory. We help you make great music that stands out, so you can move and grow your audience! If that sounds useful to you, then subscribe to our YouTube channel (or Podcast) and hit that bell to get notified every Friday, when we publish our new lesson. 

FREE BOOK 
If it's your first time here, be sure to download our free book “12 Music Theory Hacks to Learn Scales & Chords” below. It only takes 30 minutes to read, and then you'll have a super solid music theory foundation!

 
 

Wooohooo!!! You’re a mere 30 minutes away from being even smarter than you already are. Just head on over to your inbox now for your free download.

There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again.

 

“The most brilliant, fast, easy & fun music theory book I’ve ever seen!” DEREK SIVERS, CD Baby founder

We use this field to detect spam bots. If you fill this in, you will be marked as a spammer.

DOWNLOAD FREE BOOK


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INTRO
Norwegian band Leprous just released their new album “Pitfalls”, and it’s truly epic! One of the most epic moments is the chorus in their song “Alleviate”, which we’ll hack over the next two lessons: chords this week, then melody next week.

SETUP
Alright, now you’re gonna learn how to make your own epic chord progression, like Leprous. And for the example in this lesson, we’ll be using our version that we made earlier. So, start by setting up eight bars of 4/4, with your grid set to 1/4 notes, and your tempo set to 116 BPM. Leprous use D natural minor for their chorus, and the natural minor scale is a common choice for epic music, so we’ll use it too.

STEP 1. COMMON NOTES
A common note is a note that’s the same between two chords. For example, Dm and Fmaj both contain the notes F and A, so F and A are common notes between those two chords. And common notes are an essential part of epic music, cos having a note or two stay the same when your chord changes, creates a super strong link between those chords that adds power to your progression. So, when you’re choosing what chords to use from the key of D minor, be sure to choose chords with common notes. For our progression, we chose: Dm → Fmaj → B♭maj → Csus4. And the reason for Csus4, is because Cmaj doesn’t have a common note with the B♭maj before it or the Dm after it, so we changed the Cmaj to Csus4, which gives us the common note F.

STEP 2. INVERSIONS
Now that you’ve chosen your chords, it’s time to use inversions to get the common notes in the same place within your chords as they change. And by the way, an inversion is simply when you change the order of the notes in a chord. For example, we inverted Fmaj to be CFA, instead of FAC. And we did that to get those common notes (F and A) in the same place as they are in Dm. So now F is in the middle of both chords, and A is on top of both chords, which makes this chord change super strong, and therefore epic!

STEP 3. RHYTHM
When it comes to how long you spend on each chord (known as harmonic rhythm), keep it simple, as your chord progression is just the foundation upon which you’ll write an epic melody. So if get too fancy with your harmonic rhythm, your chords will actually draw attention away from your melody. And epic music is all about the melody, which we’ll cover next week. Now, Leprous plays each chord for one bar, so we’ve done the same.

STEP 4. VARIATION
This is optional, but if you create a little variation in your progression, it’ll inject some freshness. We did this by resolving Csus4 to Cmaj every second time, but then we go straight back to Csus4, as that 4 (F) is the common note that links to the next chord, Dm.

NEXT
So, now that you’ve got one section coming together, how do you write the other sections? Then, how do you transition between them (especially when they’re in different keys)? And then, how do you structure and arrange your song? These are issues many songwriters and producers struggle with, and that’s exactly why we made our online apprenticeship course, which guides you through every step of the music making process, from blank screen to finished song. So, if you wanna learn our secret method for writing (and finishing) great songs, which we don’t teach in these free lessons, then sign up now for this one-of-a-kind video course.

Thanks for reading/watching/listening, and we’ll see you next week!

Kate & Ray Harmony (AKA Revolution Harmony)
Music Teachers & Producers in Vancouver BC, Canada

 

Take Your Music to the Next Level

LEVEL 1 – FREE BOOK
"12 Music Theory Hacks to Learn Scales & Chords" will give you a super solid music theory foundation in 30 minutes!

LEVEL 2 – SONGWRITING & PRODUCING PDF (click & scroll down)
This is our best-selling PDF, which includes MIDI file examples. Learn the essential hacks for songwriting & producing, like our Melody Checklist (the ultimate list of do's and don'ts for writing great melodies). You'll also learn how to write chord progressions, bass lines, riffs, counterpoint harmonies, and more!

LEVEL 3 – LESSON PACKS
After learning our essential hacks, it's time to put them to practical use and start writing some new songs. Lesson packs include step-by-step PDF guides to making music for different instruments and in different genres (electronic, metal, soundtrack, etc.), as well as multitrack MIDI files of the examples.

LEVEL 4 – ONLINE APPRENTICESHIP
Go from a blank screen to a finished song, in this online video course. Learn how to write new sections for an existing section, how to transition between sections in different keys, how to structure and arrange, and much more! This course has been called "life-changing" many times, so join 700+ music makers now (from all genres), who are learning Ray's secret hack: Song Whispering.

ABOUT
Hack Music Theory is a pioneering DAW method for making great music that stands out, so you can move and grow your audience! Taught by multi-award-winning music lecturer Ray Harmony, and his protégé wife Kate Harmony, from their studio in Vancouver BC, Canada. Ray is the author of critically-acclaimed book series "Hack Music Theory", and has made music with Serj Tankian (System of a Down), Tom Morello (Rage Against the Machine), Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree), Devin Townsend (Strapping Young Lad), Ihsahn (Emperor), Kool Keith (Ultramagnetic MCs), Madchild (Swollen Members), and many more! Kate has the highest grade distinction in Popular Music Theory from the London College of Music, and is the only person on the planet who's been trained by Ray to teach his method. On that note, the "Hack Music Theory" YouTube channel teaches relevant and instantly-usable music theory for producers, DAW users, and all other music makers (songwriters, singers, guitarists, bassists, drummers, etc.) in all genres, from EDM to R&B, pop to hip-hop, reggae to rock, electronic to metal (and yes, we djefinitely djent!).

COPYRIGHT
© 2019 Revolution Harmony
Revolution Harmony is Ray Harmony & Kate Harmony
All content (script & music) in video by Revolution Harmony
Thumbnail photo of Einar Solberg by Will Ireland

Leprous “Pitfalls” Chords Music Theory

Learn how to write a chord progression for an epic chorus, by using a music theory hack from Leprous “Alleviate” (off new album “Pitfalls”).

Hello revolutionary music makers, we are Kate Harmony and Ray Harmony (AKA Revolution Harmony), and welcome to Hack Music Theory. We help you make great music that stands out, so you can move and grow your audience! If that sounds useful to you, then subscribe to our YouTube channel (or Podcast) and hit that bell to get notified every Friday, when we publish our new lesson. 

FREE BOOK 
If it's your first time here, be sure to download our free book “12 Music Theory Hacks to Learn Scales & Chords” below. It only takes 30 minutes to read, and then you'll have a super solid music theory foundation!

 
 

Wooohooo!!! You’re a mere 30 minutes away from being even smarter than you already are. Just head on over to your inbox now for your free download.

There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again.

 

“The most brilliant, fast, easy & fun music theory book I’ve ever seen!” DEREK SIVERS, CD Baby founder

We use this field to detect spam bots. If you fill this in, you will be marked as a spammer.

DOWNLOAD FREE BOOK


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INTRO
Norwegian band Leprous just released their new album “Pitfalls”, and it’s truly epic! One of the most epic moments is the chorus in their song “Alleviate”, which we’ll hack over the next two lessons: chords this week, then melody next week.

SETUP
Alright, now you’re gonna learn how to make your own epic chord progression, like Leprous. And for the example in this lesson, we’ll be using our version that we made earlier. So, start by setting up eight bars of 4/4, with your grid set to 1/4 notes, and your tempo set to 116 BPM. Leprous use D natural minor for their chorus, and the natural minor scale is a common choice for epic music, so we’ll use it too.

STEP 1. COMMON NOTES
A common note is a note that’s the same between two chords. For example, Dm and Fmaj both contain the notes F and A, so F and A are common notes between those two chords. And common notes are an essential part of epic music, cos having a note or two stay the same when your chord changes, creates a super strong link between those chords that adds power to your progression. So, when you’re choosing what chords to use from the key of D minor, be sure to choose chords with common notes. For our progression, we chose: Dm → Fmaj → B♭maj → Csus4. And the reason for Csus4, is because Cmaj doesn’t have a common note with the B♭maj before it or the Dm after it, so we changed the Cmaj to Csus4, which gives us the common note F.

STEP 2. INVERSIONS
Now that you’ve chosen your chords, it’s time to use inversions to get the common notes in the same place within your chords as they change. And by the way, an inversion is simply when you change the order of the notes in a chord. For example, we inverted Fmaj to be CFA, instead of FAC. And we did that to get those common notes (F and A) in the same place as they are in Dm. So now F is in the middle of both chords, and A is on top of both chords, which makes this chord change super strong, and therefore epic!

STEP 3. RHYTHM
When it comes to how long you spend on each chord (known as harmonic rhythm), keep it simple, as your chord progression is just the foundation upon which you’ll write an epic melody. So if get too fancy with your harmonic rhythm, your chords will actually draw attention away from your melody. And epic music is all about the melody, which we’ll cover next week. Now, Leprous plays each chord for one bar, so we’ve done the same.

STEP 4. VARIATION
This is optional, but if you create a little variation in your progression, it’ll inject some freshness. We did this by resolving Csus4 to Cmaj every second time, but then we go straight back to Csus4, as that 4 (F) is the common note that links to the next chord, Dm.

NEXT
So, now that you’ve got one section coming together, how do you write the other sections? Then, how do you transition between them (especially when they’re in different keys)? And then, how do you structure and arrange your song? These are issues many songwriters and producers struggle with, and that’s exactly why we made our online apprenticeship course, which guides you through every step of the music making process, from blank screen to finished song. So, if you wanna learn our secret method for writing (and finishing) great songs, which we don’t teach in these free lessons, then sign up now for this one-of-a-kind video course.

Thanks for reading/watching/listening, and we’ll see you next week!

Kate & Ray Harmony (AKA Revolution Harmony)
Music Teachers & Producers in Vancouver BC, Canada

 

Take Your Music to the Next Level

LEVEL 1 – FREE BOOK
"12 Music Theory Hacks to Learn Scales & Chords" will give you a super solid music theory foundation in 30 minutes!

LEVEL 2 – SONGWRITING & PRODUCING PDF (click & scroll down)
This is our best-selling PDF, which includes MIDI file examples. Learn the essential hacks for songwriting & producing, like our Melody Checklist (the ultimate list of do's and don'ts for writing great melodies). You'll also learn how to write chord progressions, bass lines, riffs, counterpoint harmonies, and more!

LEVEL 3 – LESSON PACKS
After learning our essential hacks, it's time to put them to practical use and start writing some new songs. Lesson packs include step-by-step PDF guides to making music for different instruments and in different genres (electronic, metal, soundtrack, etc.), as well as multitrack MIDI files of the examples.

LEVEL 4 – ONLINE APPRENTICESHIP
Go from a blank screen to a finished song, in this online video course. Learn how to write new sections for an existing section, how to transition between sections in different keys, how to structure and arrange, and much more! This course has been called "life-changing" many times, so join 700+ music makers now (from all genres), who are learning Ray's secret hack: Song Whispering.

ABOUT
Hack Music Theory is a pioneering DAW method for making great music that stands out, so you can move and grow your audience! Taught by multi-award-winning music lecturer Ray Harmony, and his protégé wife Kate Harmony, from their studio in Vancouver BC, Canada. Ray is the author of critically-acclaimed book series "Hack Music Theory", and has made music with Serj Tankian (System of a Down), Tom Morello (Rage Against the Machine), Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree), Devin Townsend (Strapping Young Lad), Ihsahn (Emperor), Kool Keith (Ultramagnetic MCs), Madchild (Swollen Members), and many more! Kate has the highest grade distinction in Popular Music Theory from the London College of Music, and is the only person on the planet who's been trained by Ray to teach his method. On that note, the "Hack Music Theory" YouTube channel teaches relevant and instantly-usable music theory for producers, DAW users, and all other music makers (songwriters, singers, guitarists, bassists, drummers, etc.) in all genres, from EDM to R&B, pop to hip-hop, reggae to rock, electronic to metal (and yes, we djefinitely djent!).

COPYRIGHT
© 2019 Revolution Harmony
Revolution Harmony is Ray Harmony & Kate Harmony
All content (script & music) in video by Revolution Harmony
Thumbnail photo of Einar Solberg by Will Ireland

Predictable or Creative? You decide!

So, now that 2020 is just a couple months away, we’re starting to make our new year plans. You see, 2020 will be Hack Music Theory’s fourth year, and we need your help to take this awesome community to an even awesomer level. To do that, we would love you to answer two questions that will determine the direction of Hack Music Theory next year (please write your answers in the YouTube comments). But first, as always... tea!

Hello revolutionary music makers, we are Kate Harmony and Ray Harmony (AKA Revolution Harmony), and welcome to Hack Music Theory. We help you make great music that stands out, so you can move and grow your audience! If that sounds useful to you, then subscribe to our YouTube channel (or Podcast) and hit that bell to get notified every Friday, when we publish our new lesson.

FREE BOOK
If it's your first time here, be sure to download our free book “12 Music Theory Hacks to Learn Scales & Chords” below. It only takes 30 minutes to read, and then you'll have a super solid music theory foundation!

 
 

Wooohooo!!! You’re a mere 30 minutes away from being even smarter than you already are. Just head on over to your inbox now for your free download.

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“The most brilliant, fast, easy & fun music theory book I’ve ever seen!” DEREK SIVERS, CD Baby founder

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DOWNLOAD FREE BOOK


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QUESTION 1 - Predictable or Creative?
The artists who become superstars, like Marshmello, reach that fame because their music appeals to the masses. But in order to appeal to millions of people, their songs must be predictable, because the general public likes music that sounds familiar. On the other hand, if you wanna push the boundaries of creativity and make art, you’ll end up with a relatively small audience, like the amazing artist Dan D’Lion. Now, Hack Music Theory is all about relevant music theory. But, is Marshmello relevant (because he’s got 36 million monthly listeners on Spotify), or is Dan D’Lion relevant (because he’s making the freshest electronic music out there)? This is your community, so you decide. Simply drop us a comment on YouTube and let us know if you’d like to learn the popular but predictable music theory of superstars, or if you’d prefer to learn the interesting music theory of creative but lesser-known artists.

QUESTION 2 - Which Genres?
As you know, we teach all genres of popular music, from electronic to metal. But, would you prefer to learn theory from a specific genre, or do you like this variety? As we’ve mentioned before, the theory hacks in every lesson can be used to make music in any genre, but maybe that isn’t obvious enough. So, let us know if you like the genre variety or if you’d prefer more of one genre. And if so, which genre?

THANKS
Thank you sincerely for your time and for being here in the Hack Music Theory community, we appreciate you, and we’re super stoked to make 2020 the best year yet, with your help. Thanks again, and we’ll be back next week with a new artist hack!

Kate & Ray Harmony (AKA Revolution Harmony)
Music Teachers & Producers in Vancouver BC, Canada

 

Take Your Music to the Next Level

LEVEL 1 – FREE BOOK
"12 Music Theory Hacks to Learn Scales & Chords" will give you a super solid music theory foundation in 30 minutes!

LEVEL 2 – SONGWRITING & PRODUCING PDF (click & scroll down)
This is our best-selling PDF, which includes MIDI file examples. Learn the essential hacks for songwriting & producing, like our Melody Checklist (the ultimate list of do's and don'ts for writing great melodies). You'll also learn how to write chord progressions, bass lines, riffs, counterpoint harmonies, and more!

LEVEL 3 – LESSON PACKS
After learning our essential hacks, it's time to put them to practical use and start writing some new songs. Lesson packs include step-by-step PDF guides to making music for different instruments and in different genres (electronic, metal, soundtrack, etc.), as well as multitrack MIDI files of the examples.

LEVEL 4 – ONLINE APPRENTICESHIP
Go from a blank screen to a finished song, in this online video course. Learn how to write new sections for an existing section, how to transition between sections in different keys, how to structure and arrange, and much more! This course has been called "life-changing" many times, so join 700+ music makers now (from all genres), who are learning Ray's secret hack: Song Whispering.

ABOUT
Hack Music Theory is a pioneering DAW method for making great music that stands out, so you can move and grow your audience! Taught by multi-award-winning music lecturer Ray Harmony, and his protégé wife Kate Harmony, from their studio in Vancouver BC, Canada. Ray is the author of critically-acclaimed book series "Hack Music Theory", and has made music with Serj Tankian (System of a Down), Tom Morello (Rage Against the Machine), Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree), Devin Townsend (Strapping Young Lad), Ihsahn (Emperor), Kool Keith (Ultramagnetic MCs), Madchild (Swollen Members), and many more! Kate has the highest grade distinction in Popular Music Theory from the London College of Music, and is the only person on the planet who's been trained by Ray to teach his method. On that note, the "Hack Music Theory" YouTube channel teaches relevant and instantly-usable music theory for producers, DAW users, and all other music makers (songwriters, singers, guitarists, bassists, drummers, etc.) in all genres, from EDM to R&B, pop to hip-hop, reggae to rock, electronic to metal (and yes, we djefinitely djent!).

COPYRIGHT
© 2019 Revolution Harmony
Revolution Harmony is Ray Harmony & Kate Harmony
All content (script & music) in video by Revolution Harmony

Stranger Theory: Making Music without Scales (Re-Upload)

Ray Harmony and the Hack Music Theory revolution are put to the ultimate test in this Halloween Special. Is it possible to make great music that's not in any scale or mode? Spoiler alert: Yes! By the way, please note that this is our Halloween Special that we've re-uploaded, partly cos the sound in the original was out of sync (which we've fixed), and partly cos this is our favourite HMT video. Happy Halloween :)

Hello revolutionary music makers, we are Kate Harmony and Ray Harmony (AKA Revolution Harmony), and welcome to Hack Music Theory. We help you make great music that stands out, so you can move and grow your audience! If that sounds useful to you, then subscribe to our YouTube channel (or Podcast) and hit that bell to get notified every Friday, when we publish our new lesson. Also, if you’re new to our channel, be sure to download our free book “12 Music Theory Hacks to Learn Scales & Chords” below. It only takes 30 minutes to read, and then you'll have a super solid music theory foundation! Alright, it’s time to open your DAW to hack music theory.

 
 

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“The most brilliant, fast, easy & fun music theory book I’ve ever seen!” DEREK SIVERS, CD Baby founder

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CHALLENGE
If Ray fails his challenge, this will be the last ever episode on this YouTube channel. In under five minutes, he needs to write a riff, but he cannot use any scales or any modes. Ray decides to use one of his favourite songwriting hacks, a note row. This method of composing was invented by Arnold Schoenberg in the 1920s and is known as serialism (AKA dodecaphony, twelve tone technique, 12 tone method) and results in 12 tone music (or 12 note music, if you're British like Ray), which he loves! Using MIDI programming in his Reaper DAW, as well as his trusty Godin xtSA electric guitar, he tackles this colossal challenge with a combination of electronic music theory and a djent guitar mindset (the lesson/tutorial is at 7:32). Ray throws down an epic metal riff while vocalist Garbageface doom raps the grooviest verse you'll ever hear! So, whether you're looking for a Halloween funny horror music video, Halloween movies, horror movies, horror comedy, Halloween music, or just a Halloween song to get your party pumping, this video is for you. Or, whether you're wanting to seriously learn about 12 tone guitar, djent metal riff writing, hardcore metal riff writing, or just how to write heavy guitar riffs, this video is for you. And, be sure to watch the guitar playthrough at 11:37 as well, it's unlike anything you've ever seen before! Thanks for watching, and we’ll see you next week!

Kate & Ray Harmony (AKA Revolution Harmony)
Music Teachers & Producers in Vancouver BC, Canada

 

Take Your Music to the Next Level

LEVEL 1 – FREE BOOK
"12 Music Theory Hacks to Learn Scales & Chords" will give you a super solid music theory foundation in 30 minutes!

LEVEL 2 – SONGWRITING & PRODUCING PDF (click & scroll down)
This is our best-selling PDF, which includes MIDI file examples. Learn the essential hacks for songwriting & producing, like our Melody Checklist (the ultimate list of do's and don'ts for writing great melodies). You'll also learn how to write chord progressions, bass lines, riffs, counterpoint harmonies, and more!

LEVEL 3 – LESSON PACKS
After learning our essential hacks, it's time to put them to practical use and start writing some new songs. Lesson packs include step-by-step PDF guides to making music for different instruments and in different genres (electronic, metal, soundtrack, etc.), as well as multitrack MIDI files of the examples.

LEVEL 4 – ONLINE APPRENTICESHIP
Go from a blank screen to a finished song, in this online video course. Learn how to write new sections for an existing section, how to transition between sections in different keys, how to structure and arrange, and much more! This course has been called "life-changing" many times, so join 700+ music makers now (from all genres), who are learning Ray's secret hack: Song Whispering.

ABOUT
Hack Music Theory is a pioneering DAW method for making great music that stands out, so you can move and grow your audience! Taught by multi-award-winning music lecturer Ray Harmony, and his protégé wife Kate Harmony, from their studio in Vancouver BC, Canada. Ray is the author of critically-acclaimed book series "Hack Music Theory", and has made music with Serj Tankian (System of a Down), Tom Morello (Rage Against the Machine), Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree), Devin Townsend (Strapping Young Lad), Ihsahn (Emperor), Kool Keith (Ultramagnetic MCs), Madchild (Swollen Members), and many more! Kate has the highest grade distinction in Popular Music Theory from the London College of Music, and is the only person on the planet who's been trained by Ray to teach his method. On that note, the "Hack Music Theory" YouTube channel teaches relevant and instantly-usable music theory for producers, DAW users, and all other music makers (songwriters, singers, guitarists, bassists, drummers, etc.) in all genres, from EDM to R&B, pop to hip-hop, reggae to rock, electronic to metal (and yes, we djefinitely djent!).

COPYRIGHT
© 2019 Revolution Harmony
Revolution Harmony is Ray Harmony & Kate Harmony
All content (script & music) in video by Revolution Harmony