Ray Harmony's Blog, page 17

Black Eyed Peas “Be Nice” (feat. Snoop Dogg) Music Theory

Learn how to write an uplifting bass line, using a music theory hack from Black Eyed Peas “Be Nice” ft. Snoop Dogg (written by Adam Friedman for Songland TV show). Subtitles/CC available.

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 and hit that bell to get notified every Thursday, when we publish our new video. Also, if you’re new to our channel, be sure to download our free book “12 Music Theory Hacks to Learn Scales & Chords” below. Alright, it’s time to open your DAW to hack music theory. But first… tea!

INTRO
The new single “Be Nice” from The Black Eyed Peas (which was written by Adam Friedman for the Songland TV show), has a super fun bass line that’s not only the central focus of the song, but it’s also perfect for conveying the super positive message behind the lyrics. So what makes this bass line feel so good? Well, there’s a few things, like the fact that it’s built around an ascending line, which is literally uplifting. But far more interesting than that, is the fact that the bass line is in a minor key. And as you probably know, major keys are usually used in feel good songs like this. So how do they make a minor key feel so uplifting? Easy, they made the song for dancing, and when we move to music, we feel good. So to get people dancing, they used lots of syncopation in their bass line, and that makes it really funky. And by the way, syncopation is when you accent an off-beat. Also, most funk bass lines are actually in minor keys, cos funk’s favourite notes are the 1, the ♭3 and the ♭7. And lastly, to emphasise all those off-beats in the bass line, the drums accent all the 1/4 note beats by playing the classic four-on-the-floor groove.

SETUP
Alright, now you’re gonna learn how to use this theory to make your own version. And for the example in this lesson, we’ll be using our version that we made earlier. So, start by setting up two bars of 4/4, with your grid set to 1/16 notes, and your tempo set to 105 BPM. “Be Nice” is in the key of F minor, so we’ll use it too.

STEP 1. SYNCOPATION
Funkiness is all about syncopation. So to get people moving to your bass line, you have to accent lots of off-beats. If you don’t, it’ll sound rigid and stiff, and that ain’t gonna get anybody dancing! And for that reason, the best place to start writing a funky bass line, is with the rhythm, and more importantly, syncopation. And remember, great bass lines have a balance of notes on the beat and notes off the beat. So don’t just play everything off the beat thinking it’ll make your bass line extra funky, you gotta spank some of those 1/4 note beats as well! In our example, we’re playing beat 1 and beat 3 in each bar, and then everything else is syncopated.

MORE
And by the way, if you want our ultimate hack for funky bass lines, along with a MIDI file example, then check out our Songwriting & Producing PDF (click & scroll down). It also contains hacks on how to write great chord progressions, melodies, and more MIDI examples as well!

STEP 2. TWO LINES
Right, now it’s time to turn your rhythm into a bass line. And what’s cool about the bass line in “Be Nice”, is that it’s a 2-in-1. What I mean by that, is there’s actually two clearly defined lines playing together (obviously playing one-at-a-time though). The upper line carries the melody, while the lower line holds things down with one note (in the original, that note is C, the 5). And writing two lines like this will make your bass even more funky, as it mirrors the slap bass technique often used in funk.

VALUE
Now, as with many of the songs we hack, the vibe and the production are super cool, but when it comes to the actual music, the songwriters and producers often choose to sacrifice longevity for popularity. And for the record, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that, because the value of music is different for everyone. If music has extrinsic value to you, then you’re making music as a way of achieving something, like a hit. On the other hand, if music has intrinsic value to you, then you’re making music purely for the joy of creating art. And this song is the perfect example of music that was made for extrinsic value, as it was written to be a hit.

BE NICE
So, in their bass’ upper line, they simply ascend note-by-note through the scale. This makes it instantly appealing, cos the first time someone hears it they already know where it’s going, and the average person likes music that sounds familiar. The downside to writing predictable music though, is that people get tired of it quickly. But, if you’re aiming for a hit that doesn’t matter, because you only need it to be trending for a few weeks.

BE DIFFERENT
If you’re like us though, and you’re happy to sacrifice popularity for longevity, then write an upper line that people won’t be able to guess where it’s going on their first listen, as that will keep them coming back again and again!

NEXT
Okay, so now that you’ve got one section down, how do you write the other sections? How do you transition between them (especially when they’re in different keys)? And, how do you structure and arrange your song? These are issues that many songwriters and producers struggle with, and that’s exactly why we made our online course Apprenticeship #1. So, if you wanna overcome these obstacles once and for all, then sign up now!

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

LEVELS
Level 1 - Read our free book (below) & watch our YouTube videos
Level 2 - Read our "Part 1" book & "Songwriting & Producing" PDF
Level 3 - Practice making music using our lessons (PDF+MIDI+WAV)
Level 4 - Learn our secret art of song-whispering & finish your music

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 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 by James Hickey

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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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Published on June 13, 2019 14:51

Dog Blood (Skrillex & Boys Noize) “Turn Off The Lights” Music Theory

Learn how to write a melody, using a music theory hack from Dog Blood (Skrillex & Boys Noize) “Break Law”, from their new EP “Turn Off The Lights”.

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 and hit that bell to get notified every Thursday, when we publish our new video. Also, if you’re new to our channel, be sure to download our free book “12 Music Theory Hacks to Learn Scales & Chords” below. Alright, it’s time to open your DAW to hack music theory. But first… tea!

INTRO
BREAK LAW (off the new Dog Blood EP from Skrillex & Boys Noize) contains an awesome Indian vocal sample, which instantly hooks you! The original vocal is obviously not by Dog Blood, but they’ve credited the late Indian composer Aadesh Shrivastava as a co-writer, so we think it’s originally from his song “Sona Sona” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBo2-e8Dnsg). Now, Skrillex and Boys Noize did a great job of finding and re-using this melody, cos it’s super catchy but it’s also super interesting, and those two elements are usually mutually exclusive. In other words, if you want a catchy melody, it can’t be too interesting otherwise people won’t be able to sing it, and therefore it won’t be memorable. And if you want an interesting melody, it can’t be too catchy otherwise it’ll become too familiar, and then it won’t be interesting anymore. So, how can this melody be both interesting and catchy? Well, the composer very cleverly wrote it to be both simple and complex. It’s simple in terms of its pitches, which makes it easy to sing and remember, but it’s complex in terms of its rhythm, which keeps it interesting even after countless listens. Also, here’s a bonus hack for you. The original melody is actually five bars long, and that’s another great method for writing interesting melodies: use an odd number of bars!

SETUP
Alright, now you’re gonna learn how to use this theory to make your own version. So, start by setting up four bars of 4/4, with your grid set to 1/32 notes, and your tempo set to 108 BPM. “Break Law” is in D Phrygian, so we’ll use it too.

STEP 1. PITCH
Right, so the “pitch” element is the one you’re gonna keep simple, in order to make your melody catchy. So, choose only three notes from D Phrygian, which is: D E♭ F G A B♭ C. The original melody uses G, A and B♭, but you can use any three notes from the scale. And if you want, you can choose a fourth note that will be used exclusively as a 1/32 note to decorate your melody, and provide some variation. The original melody uses C as its decorative note, but once again, you can use any note from the scale.

MORE
And by the way, if you need help writing melodies, then simply use the Melody Checklist in our Songwriting & Producing PDF (click & scroll down). It’s the ultimate list of dos and don’ts for writing great melodies. And on that note, just a quick reminder that our epic summer sale is finishing this Sunday (9 June 2019), so grab 33% OFF all our PDFs, lessons, and our online course.

STEP 2. RHYTHM
Now, the “rhythm” element is the one you’re gonna make more complex, in order to make your melody interesting. Remember, if your pitches and your rhythm are both simple, then people will get tired of your melody after a few listens. A more complex rhythm will give your melody depth, which will in turn give it longevity. So, here’s how it’s done. You actually write four melodic segments (known as phrases), which then come together to form your melody. But, and this is a very important but, in order to make your whole melody unpredictable and therefore interesting, make each phrase different, and don’t stick to the bar lines. For example, you can see our first phrase actually ends in the second bar, and our third phrase actually begins before the third bar. And lastly, in the Dog Blood track, the melody is played over a droning bass line that just keeps pounding that root note, so we’ll do that too.

NEXT
Okay, so now that you’ve got one section down, how do you write the other sections? How do you transition between them (especially when they’re in different keys)? And, how do you structure and arrange your song? These are issues that many songwriters and producers struggle with, and that’s exactly why we made our online course Apprenticeship #1. So, if you wanna overcome these obstacles once and for all, then sign up now!

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

LEVELS
Level 1 - Read our free book (below) & watch our YouTube videos
Level 2 - Read our "Part 1" book & "Songwriting & Producing" PDF
Level 3 - Practice making music using our lessons (PDF+MIDI+WAV)
Level 4 - Learn our secret art of song-whispering & finish your music

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 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 courtesy of ukf.com/news/watch-skrillex-tempa-t-b...

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

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Published on June 06, 2019 11:40

Wu-Tang Clan “Of Mics and Men” Music Theory

Learn how to write a bass line using a music theory hack from Wu-Tang Clan “Seen a Lot of Things” (from “Of Mics and Men” EP).

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 and hit that bell to get notified every Thursday, when we publish our new video. Also, if you’re new to our channel, be sure to download our free book “12 Music Theory Hacks to Learn Scales & Chords” below. Alright, it’s time to open your DAW to hack music theory. But first… tea!

INTRO
“Seen a Lot of Things” (off Wu-Tang’s new EP) contains a music theory gem that’s as effective as it is hidden. Seriously, most people listening to this track won’t even notice this gem, but they’ll feel it for sure! And the reason they’ll feel it, is because it has to do with the 3rd note of the root chord. Remember, the 3rd in a chord is the note that determines whether that chord is major or minor. When the 3rd note is three semitones above the root, it’s a minor chord, and when the 3rd note is four semitones above the root, it’s a major chord. Now, Wu’s track is in the key of D minor, so the root chord is obviously Dm, and that’s the chord they use first in their four-bar loop. But, here’s where things get interesting. They change some of the Dm chords into Dmaj chords. And that’s crazy cool on its own, but they don’t stop there. The chords in their progression are not actually full chords, they’re “power chords”, which consist of only the root and the 5th, so on their own, “power chords” are not major or minor, cos they’re missing the 3rd. So, the way they change the Dm to Dmaj is by changing the 3rd note in the bass line, from F (the minor 3rd) to F♯ (the major 3rd). This also means that the same chord progression works over both bass lines, the one with F, and the one with F♯. And even the vocal melody in the chorus avoids that 3rd note as well, which means the same melody works over both choruses, despite the first chorus using Dm and the second chorus using Dm and Dmaj. And that makes the second chorus feel way more uplifting than the first chorus. Super clever!

SETUP
Alright, now you’re gonna learn how to use this theory to make your own version, and what you see on the screen right now is our version that we made earlier. So, start by setting up four bars of 4/4, with your grid set to 1/16 notes, and your tempo set to 86 BPM. And as you know, Wu’s track is in the key of D minor, so we’ll use it too.

STEP 1. MINOR
Okay so you’re gonna start by writing a bass line using the D natural minor scale: D E F G A B♭ C. Now, be sure to play a long D in bars one and three, which will anchor your bass line into the root note, and therefore the key. And in bars two and four, make sure you play a relatively long F. Then you can fill out the rest of your bass line with other notes from the scale. But, in the first half, don’t play B♭, cos that’s the minor 6th so it will lock you into that minor vibe, which will then mess up step two.

MORE
And by the way, if you need help writing bass lines, lead melodies, chord progressions and everything else, then download our Songwriting & Producing PDF (click & scroll down). It’s your one-stop-source for everything you need to make great music now! And just before we jump into step two, a quick heads up. The sun is shining here in Vancouver and it’s feeling a lot like summer, and you know what that means: it’s time for our epic summer sale! So, everything on our website is now 33% OFF. And yes, that includes our online apprenticeship course, which you will SAVE $50 on. Are you ready to invest in yourself, and take your music to the next level? Then get involved now, and use the discount code “summer” at the checkout. The sale ends on Sunday, 9 June 2019. Enjoy!

STEP 2. MAJOR
Alright, here comes the clever bit. Take that relatively long F you played in bar two, and move it up to F♯. With that one simple tweak, you’ve now turned Dm into Dmaj. But remember, in the chord progression above this note, you need to be playing a D “power chord”, which is just the notes D and A. And now you have two versions of your bass line: the original version, and this new uplifting version. So, play around with using both versions throughout your track in order to change up the vibe.

NEXT
Okay, so now that you’ve got one section down, how do you write the other sections? How do you transition between them (especially when they’re in different keys)? And, how do you structure and arrange your song? These are issues that many songwriters and producers struggle with, and that’s exactly why we made our online course Apprenticeship #1. So, if you wanna overcome these obstacles once and for all, then sign up now!

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

LEVELS
Level 1 - Read our free book (below) & watch our YouTube videos
Level 2 - Read our "Part 1" book & "Songwriting & Producing" PDF
Level 3 - Practice making music using our lessons (PDF+MIDI+WAV)
Level 4 - Learn our secret art of song-whispering & finish your music

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 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 RZA by Todd Heisler/The New York Times

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Published on May 30, 2019 13:15

Slipknot “Unsainted” Music Theory

Learn how to write melodies in counterpoint, using a music theory hack from Slipknot “Unsainted” (off their upcoming album “We Are Not Your Kind”).

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 and hit that bell to get notified every Thursday, when we publish our new video. Also, if you’re new to our channel, be sure to download our free book “12 Music Theory Hacks to Learn Scales & Chords” below. Alright, it’s time to open your DAW to hack music theory. But first… tea!

INTRO
Slipknot’s new single “Unsainted” begins with a totally unexpected women’s choir, which sings the chorus melody, but without the lyrics. These “aahs” cleverly deliver the melody before the vocalist even starts singing, so by the time he comes in, the chorus is already familiar. It’s essential that Slipknot hook listeners in the first few seconds, cos this song is the lead single from their upcoming album, and this intro does exactly that. But, as effective as it is, what actually makes this song special is their use of counterpoint, which is the technique of writing melodies that counter each other and result in distinctive musical layers.

SETUP
Alright, now you’re gonna learn how to use this theory to make your own version, and what you see on the screen right now is our version that we made earlier. So, start by setting up four bars of 4/4, with your grid set to 1/8 notes, and your tempo set to around 100 BPM. The intro and chorus of “Unsainted” is in the key of B minor, so we’ll use it too.

STEP 1. CHORDS
Now I know what you’re thinking: “Wait, what? Chords? I thought we were talking about melodies here?” We are, but, the best counterpoint always creates powerful harmony from the individual melodies playing simultaneously. So the easiest way to start writing a counterpoint section, is to choose your chords first. And the chords in B minor are: Bm, C♯dim, Dmaj, Em, F♯m, Gmaj, and Amaj. Also, you can use F♯maj (instead of F♯m), if you wanna use the harmonic minor like Slipknot do here.

STEP 2. COUNTERPOINT
Alright, now that you’ve got your chord progression down, it’s time to turn it into counterpoint. And when writing counterpoint, you can have as few as two simultaneous melodies, or, as many as you want. In this lesson, we’ll just be doing two (which is known as two-part counterpoint, and that’s what you see here), but in the playthrough at the end of this video, if you listen carefully, you’ll hear a third melody coming in, which will demonstrate what three-part counterpoint sounds like. Now, when writing two-part counterpoint, a great place to start is to outline each chord by playing its root and 3rd. For example, we’re starting our chord progression on Bm, and you can see we’re playing the root of the chord (B) in the low voice, and the minor 3rd (D) in the high voice. But then over our last chord, F♯maj, we’re doing the opposite: we’re playing the root of the chord (F♯) in the high voice, and the major 3rd (A♯) in the low voice. Right, now that you’ve got your chords outlined, you can start adding in some other notes to create your final melodies. And remember, the high voice will be your lead melody, so that can have more notes than the low voice, which will be your bass melody, so keep that a little simpler.

And by the way, if you need help writing melodies, no problem, just use our Melody Checklist, which is the ultimate list of dos and don’ts for writing great melodies. It’s available in our Songwriting & Producing PDF (click & scroll down), which also includes the other essential hacks you need to write great music, like our ultimate counterpoint hack.

NEXT
Okay, so now that you’ve got one section down, how do you write the other sections? How do you transition between them (especially when they’re in different keys)? And, how do you structure and arrange your song? These are issues that many songwriters and producers struggle with, and that’s exactly why we made our online course Apprenticeship #1. So, if you wanna overcome these obstacles once and for all, then sign up now!

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

LEVELS
Level 1 - Read our free book (below) & watch our YouTube videos
Level 2 - Read our "Part 1" book & "Songwriting & Producing" PDF
Level 3 - Practice making music using our lessons (PDF+MIDI+WAV)
Level 4 - Learn our secret art of song-whispering & finish your music

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 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 courtesy of https://www.kerrang.com/the-news/core...

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

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background: #EAE9EA url(data:image/gif;base64,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) repeat-y center top;
font-family: 'Montserrat';
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border-bottom-color: #3d3d3d;
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box-shadow: none;
clear: both;
margin: 0px 0px;
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-moz-box-sizing: border-box;
box-sizing: border-box;
}

#ck_subscribe_form {
clear: both;
}

/* Element Queries — uses JS */

.ck_form_content, .ck_form_fields {
width: 50%;
float: left;
padding: 5%;
}

.ck_form.ck_horizontal {
}

.ck_form_content {
border-bottom: none;
}

.ck_form.ck_vertical {
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.ck_vertical .ck_form_content, .ck_vertical .ck_form_fields {
padding: 10%;
width: 100%;
float: none;
}

.ck_vertical .ck_form_content {
border-bottom: 1px dotted #aaa;
overflow: hidden;
}

/* Trigger the vertical layout with media queries as well */

@media all and (max-width: 499px) {

.ck_form {
background: #fff;
}

.ck_form_content, .ck_form_fields {
padding: 10%;
width: 100%;
float: none;
}

.ck_form_content {
border-bottom: 1px dotted #aaa;
}

}

/* Content */

.ck_form_content h3 {
margin: 0px 0px 0px;
font-size: 0px;
padding: 0px;
}

.ck_form_content p {
font-size: 14px;
}

.ck_image {
float: left;
margin-right: 5px;
}

/* Form fields */

.ck_errorArea {
display: none;
}

#ck_success_msg {
padding: 10px 10px 0px;
border: solid 1px #ddd;
background: #eee;
}

.ck_label {
font-size: 14px;
font-weight: bold;
}

.ck_form input[type="text"] {
font-size: 16px;
text-align: center;
margin-top: 20px;
margin-bottom: 0px;
padding: 8px 8px;
width: 100%;
border: 1px solid #d6d6d6; /* stroke */
-moz-border-radius: 4px;
-webkit-border-radius: 4px;
border-radius: 30px; /* border radius */
background-color: #fff; /* layer fill content */
height: auto;
}

.ck_form input[type="email"] {
font-size: 16px;
text-align: center;
margin-top: 0px;
margin-bottom: 15px;
padding: 8px 8px;
width: 100%;
border: 1px solid #d6d6d6; /* stroke */
-moz-border-radius: 4px;
-webkit-border-radius: 4px;
border-radius: 30px; /* border radius */
background-color: #fff; /* layer fill content */
height: auto;
}

.ck_form input[type="text"]:focus, .ck_form input[type="email"]:focus {
outline: none;
border-color: #aaa;
}

.ck_checkbox {
padding: 10px 0px 10px 20px;
display: block;
clear: both;
}

.ck_checkbox input.optIn {
margin-left: -20px;
margin-top: 0;
}
.ck_form .ck_opt_in_prompt {
margin-left: 4px;
}
.ck_form .ck_opt_in_prompt p {
display: inline;
}

.ck_form .ck_subscribe_button {
width: 100%;
color: #fff;
margin: 0px 0px 0px;
padding: 8px 8px;
font-size: 18px;
background: #d74128;
-moz-border-radius: 4px;
-webkit-border-radius: 4px;
border-radius: 30px; /* border radius */
cursor: pointer;
border: none;
text-shadow: none;
}

.ck_form .ck_guarantee {
color: #626262;
font-size: 12px;
text-align: center;
padding: 5px 0px;
display: block;
}

.ck_form .ck_powered_by {
display: block;
color: #aaa;
}

.ck_form .ck_powered_by:hover {
display: block;
color: #444;
}

.ck_converted_content {
display: none;
padding: 5%;
background: #fff;
}

/* v6 */

.ck_form_v6 #ck_success_msg {
padding: 0px 10px;
}

@media all and (max-width: 403px) {
.ck_form_v6.ck_modal .ck_close_link {
top: 30px;
}
}

@media all and (min-width: 404px) and (max-width: 499px) {
.ck_form_v6.ck_modal .ck_close_link {
top: 57px;
}
}

View more on Ray Harmony's website »

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Published on May 23, 2019 13:13

5 Time Signatures in 1

Over the last few weeks, we've been making music from scratch (while on camera), and sharing the unedited footage on YouTube. We did this to expose the best kept secret in music... when you understand theory, making music is not only easy, it's super fun too! In today's video, we reveal the final music, which is an epic polymeter containing 5 time signatures in 1. You gotta hear it to believe it. But first... 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 and hit that bell to get notified every Thursday, when we publish our new video.

The music making process is shrouded in secrecy and always takes place behind closed doors, cos writing music in front of people (or while on camera) is a very vulnerable thing to do, so nobody does it. But, we are here to change that once and for all! Our passion is to reveal that there is nothing mysterious or elusive about making music, it’s merely a simple step-by-step process fuelled by theory and creativity, which we can teach you right now! To learn more, click here.

Okay, so after watching this video, you'll know how to write one section, but how do you write the other sections? And then, how do you transition between all the sections (especially when they’re in different keys)? And then, how do you structure and arrange your song? Well, these are issues that many songwriters and producers struggle with, and that’s exactly why we made our online apprenticeship course. So, if you wanna overcome these obstacles once and for all, then our course is definitely for you!

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

LEVELS
Level 1 - Read our free book (below) & watch our YouTube videos
Level 2 - Read our "Part 1" book & "Songwriting & Producing" PDF
Level 3 - Practice making music using our lessons (PDF+MIDI+WAV)
Level 4 - Learn our secret art of song-whispering & finish your music

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 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

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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.ck_vertical .ck_form_content, .ck_vertical .ck_form_fields {
padding: 10%;
width: 100%;
float: none;
}

.ck_vertical .ck_form_content {
border-bottom: 1px dotted #aaa;
overflow: hidden;
}

/* Trigger the vertical layout with media queries as well */

@media all and (max-width: 499px) {

.ck_form {
background: #fff;
}

.ck_form_content, .ck_form_fields {
padding: 10%;
width: 100%;
float: none;
}

.ck_form_content {
border-bottom: 1px dotted #aaa;
}

}

/* Content */

.ck_form_content h3 {
margin: 0px 0px 0px;
font-size: 0px;
padding: 0px;
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.ck_form_content p {
font-size: 14px;
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.ck_image {
float: left;
margin-right: 5px;
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/* Form fields */

.ck_errorArea {
display: none;
}

#ck_success_msg {
padding: 10px 10px 0px;
border: solid 1px #ddd;
background: #eee;
}

.ck_label {
font-size: 14px;
font-weight: bold;
}

.ck_form input[type="text"] {
font-size: 16px;
text-align: center;
margin-top: 20px;
margin-bottom: 0px;
padding: 8px 8px;
width: 100%;
border: 1px solid #d6d6d6; /* stroke */
-moz-border-radius: 4px;
-webkit-border-radius: 4px;
border-radius: 30px; /* border radius */
background-color: #fff; /* layer fill content */
height: auto;
}

.ck_form input[type="email"] {
font-size: 16px;
text-align: center;
margin-top: 0px;
margin-bottom: 15px;
padding: 8px 8px;
width: 100%;
border: 1px solid #d6d6d6; /* stroke */
-moz-border-radius: 4px;
-webkit-border-radius: 4px;
border-radius: 30px; /* border radius */
background-color: #fff; /* layer fill content */
height: auto;
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.ck_form input[type="text"]:focus, .ck_form input[type="email"]:focus {
outline: none;
border-color: #aaa;
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.ck_checkbox {
padding: 10px 0px 10px 20px;
display: block;
clear: both;
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.ck_checkbox input.optIn {
margin-left: -20px;
margin-top: 0;
}
.ck_form .ck_opt_in_prompt {
margin-left: 4px;
}
.ck_form .ck_opt_in_prompt p {
display: inline;
}

.ck_form .ck_subscribe_button {
width: 100%;
color: #fff;
margin: 0px 0px 0px;
padding: 8px 8px;
font-size: 18px;
background: #d74128;
-moz-border-radius: 4px;
-webkit-border-radius: 4px;
border-radius: 30px; /* border radius */
cursor: pointer;
border: none;
text-shadow: none;
}

.ck_form .ck_guarantee {
color: #626262;
font-size: 12px;
text-align: center;
padding: 5px 0px;
display: block;
}

.ck_form .ck_powered_by {
display: block;
color: #aaa;
}

.ck_form .ck_powered_by:hover {
display: block;
color: #444;
}

.ck_converted_content {
display: none;
padding: 5%;
background: #fff;
}

/* v6 */

.ck_form_v6 #ck_success_msg {
padding: 0px 10px;
}

@media all and (max-width: 403px) {
.ck_form_v6.ck_modal .ck_close_link {
top: 30px;
}
}

@media all and (min-width: 404px) and (max-width: 499px) {
.ck_form_v6.ck_modal .ck_close_link {
top: 57px;
}
}

View more on Ray Harmony's website »

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Published on May 16, 2019 13:05

How to Write a Lead Melody - The Unedited Process

Learn how to write a melody over your bass (in this unedited video that reveals the music making process).