Ray Harmony's Blog, page 18
April 4, 2019
How to Layer Melodies Using Rhythmic Displacement
Learn how to write melodies that are layered with rhythmic displacement, using a music theory hack from Mogwai “Hungry Face” (Les Revenants / The Returned soundtrack).
DOWNLOAD PDF + MIDI + WAV FROM THIS VIDEO
THEORY
Scottish band Mogwai wrote the soundtrack for the TV show Les Revenants (The Returned) back in 2012. In the main theme “Hungry Face”, there’s an innovative approach to layering melodies by using rhythmic displacement, which has gone rather unnoticed and therefore unappreciated. So, what’s rhythmic displacement? And why did theirs go unnoticed? Well, rhythmic displacement is when you take a musical element (like a melody), and move it slightly earlier or later in the music. And Mogwai’s use of this technique goes unnoticed, intentionally, cos they displace the first melody (by moving it a 1/4 note later) when the second melody starts. This is a super clever sleight of hand, cos the second melody pulls your attention away from the first melody, which then gets rhythmically displaced to make the music sound unsettled, without anyone knowing why. And as if that’s not enough, Mogwai have one more ingenious trick up their sleeve. The first melody (which has a nursery rhyme feel), is made to sound like it’s in C major. But, when the second melody begins (which has a serious feel), it reveals the music is actually in D minor. Brilliant! And perfect for the soundtrack to a supernatural TV show.
SETUP
Alright, now you’re gonna learn how to use this theory to make your own version, and what you see in the video is our version that we made earlier. So, start by setting up eight bars of 4/4, with your grid set to 1/8 notes, and your tempo set to 109 BPM. As you already know, “Hungry Face” is in the key of D minor, so we’ll use it too.
STEP 1. FIRST MELODY
You’re gonna start by writing an innocent sounding four-bar melody, which will create the illusion that it’s in the nice happy key of C major. So, how do you write a melody that sounds like it’s in C major, but is actually in D minor? Well it’s pretty easy, because these two scales share six notes. The only note in D minor that’s not also in C major, is B♭, so just avoid that note. And don’t play B either, as that’ll make your melody properly in the key of C major. Lastly, centre your melody around C, to make it sound like that’s your root.
STEP 2. SECOND MELODY
Right, it’s time to finally reveal the real key, D minor. So, you’re now gonna write a serious sounding four-bar melody in a lower register, starting in bar five, and centring it around D (the real root) and F (♭3). These two notes will pull your listeners’ ears into the key of D minor.
STEP 3. RHYTHMIC DISPLACEMENT
As your listeners are orientating themselves to what sounds like a new key, you’re gonna rhythmically displace your first melody over the top of your second melody, which will create the unsettling feeling that everything is not what it seems. So, simply copy and paste your first melody above your second melody, then shorten its last note by a 1/4 note, and then move the melody a 1/4 note later. Voilà!
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 FactMag.com/2017/03/28/sums-kangding-...
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March 28, 2019
How to Write an Unpredictable Melody
Learn how to write a non-diatonic melody, using a music theory hack from TheFatRat “Chosen” (ft. Anna Yvette & Laura Brehm).
DOWNLOAD PDF + WAV + MIDI FROM THIS VIDEO
THEORY
German producer TheFatRat dropped his new single “Chosen” this month, which definitely avoids Spotify’s infamous five-second skip rate, as a mere four seconds into the track there’s an extremely unexpected note in the melody that’s totally thrilling! At first it sounds like he’s changing the quality of the root chord from major to minor, cos after establishing E as the root, the melody moves from G♯ (3) to G♮ (♭3), making it sound like Emaj has become Em. But after that G♮ and another E, instead of going to B again, his melody hits C♮ (not C♯), revealing the chord has actually become Cmaj/E (♭VImaj), not Em. This is an ingenious illusion, as he emphasizes the melodic movement from G♯ to G♮ in order to trick our ears into thinking the root chord quality has changed!
SETUP
Alright, now you’re gonna learn how to use this theory to make your own version, and what you see below is our version that we made earlier. So, start by setting up four bars of 4/4, with your grid set to 1/32 notes, and your tempo set to 95 BPM. As you already know, “Chosen” is in the key of E major (with a couple of non-diatonic notes), so we’ll use E major as well. And by the way, a non-diatonic note is just a note that is not in the scale. Also, those dark notes below our melody are the root notes of the chords in our progression (which are on another track). These root notes are all muted, they’re just there for reference. And no, this is not our bass line, that’s a different melody (see MIDI file).
STEP 1. THE CHORDS
First things first, you need to write your chord progression. Choosing your chords before you write your melody will allow you to outline that harmony in your melody, which will make it more structured and therefore more memorable. So there’s only a few guidelines here: play Emaj in your first bar (to establish it as the root chord), and play Cmaj in your third bar. Also, after you’ve played the Cmaj, keep using those non-diatonic notes C♮ and G♮ until the end of your progression. For example, use Am (as it contains C♮) instead of Amaj (as it contains C♯). This will make your listeners get used to those non-diatonic notes, then when you loop around and hit that Emaj, they’ll be surprised to hear G♯ again, which will keep ‘em interested!
STEP 2. THE MELODY
TheFatRat uses 1/32 notes (with a rest after each note), which makes his melody super perky, so we’ll do the same. So, start by outlining the Emaj triad, then to keep it fresh, throw in a note (or two) that is not in the triad but is in the scale (like D♯). Then use the same approach over your other chords. And be sure to emphasize the G♯ moving to G♮ when the Cmaj chord hits. Also, don’t play C♮ in your melody until you get to the Cmaj, otherwise that’ll ruin the surprise of that totally unexpected chord.
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 photograph by Steve Galli
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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March 21, 2019
How to Write a Bass Line (or Guitar Riff) like Rage Against the Machine “Bulls on Parade”
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.
INTRO
So, over the last few months we’ve been conceptualizing and planning a brand new series for you! And don’t worry, our New Music Theory series will continue like normal, we’ll just switch back and forth between the two. And if you’re wondering why we need a new series, well, there’s two reasons: Firstly, Hack Music Theory is all about relevant music theory, which is why we trawl through the new releases every week to bring you the best new theory. But, there are tons of great songs that were released years ago (like “Bulls on Parade”), which are still totally relevant today, so we’d love to be able to hack these kinds of songs for you as well, and with this new series, we can! And secondly, our other videos are longer, and while that step-by-step process is essential for learning how to write great music from scratch, it does require more of a time commitment from you. Whereas this new series will deliver short videos containing one power hack, which you can instantly apply to music you’re already working on in order to improve it. We respect your time, and we appreciate you giving it to us every week. So this new series is our way for us to continue serving you, but to take up less of your time while offering you more (in the way of insights into songs we wouldn’t otherwise hack). We’re super stoked to bring you a wider range of music theory hacks, and we hope you dig ‘em. Alright, without further ado, it’s time to open your DAW to hack music theory.
THEORY
The “Bulls on Parade” verses contain one of the grooviest riffs, ever! This is partly due to it having lots of syncopation and being in the pentatonic minor scale, but, there’s a very unexpected note in this riff that takes it to a whole new level. And, it’s not just the addition of this unexpected note, it’s also where this note is placed. So, the note is the 7, and it’s placed between two ♭7s, before resolving to the root.
HACK
Alright, now you’re gonna learn how to instantly apply this power hack to your own music, and what you see on the screen right now is our example that we made earlier. We’re using the F Blues scale. And this is our “before the hack” version, and this is our “after the hack” version. We’ll play through ‘em both at the end. So, playing the ♭7 up to the 7 and then up to the root isn’t anything special, but, playing the ♭7 up to the 7 and then going back down to the ♭7, that certainly is special! You see, when you play the ♭7 up to the 7 it creates some serious tension, and only a provocative (and brave!) artist wouldn’t then resolve that 7 up to the root. By the way, if you’re new to music theory and all these numbers are confusing you, then download our free book “12 Music Theory Hacks to Learn Scales & Chords” (link below). It only takes 30 minutes to read, and it’ll give you a super solid theory foundation! Now, the band do resolve to the root after that last ♭7, but that creates frustration as it wasn’t the big resolution the listener expected after the 7, and the resolution didn’t happen when the listener wanted it to. That’s a very cool hack! So, if you’re feeling brave like Rage Against the Machine, then throw this power hack into one of your bass lines or riffs!
NEXT
Okay, so now that you’ve got one section down, 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.
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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Music Theory Hack from Rage Against the Machine “Bulls on Parade”
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.
INTRO
So, over the last few months we’ve been conceptualizing and planning a brand new series for you! And don’t worry, our New Music Theory series will continue like normal, we’ll just switch back and forth between the two. And if you’re wondering why we need a new series, well, there’s two reasons: Firstly, Hack Music Theory is all about relevant music theory, which is why we trawl through the new releases every week to bring you the best new theory. But, there are tons of great songs that were released years ago (like “Bulls on Parade”), which are still totally relevant today, so we’d love to be able to hack these kinds of songs for you as well, and with this new series, we can! And secondly, our other videos are longer, and while that step-by-step process is essential for learning how to write great music from scratch, it does require more of a time commitment from you. Whereas this new series will deliver short videos containing one power hack, which you can instantly apply to music you’re already working on in order to improve it. We respect your time, and we appreciate you giving it to us every week. So this new series is our way for us to continue serving you, but to take up less of your time while offering you more (in the way of insights into songs we wouldn’t otherwise hack). We’re super stoked to bring you a wider range of music theory hacks, and we hope you dig ‘em. Alright, without further ado, it’s time to open your DAW to hack music theory.
THEORY
The “Bulls on Parade” verses contain one of the grooviest riffs, ever! This is partly due to it having lots of syncopation and being in the pentatonic minor scale, but, there’s a very unexpected note in this riff that takes it to a whole new level. And, it’s not just the addition of this unexpected note, it’s also where this note is placed. So, the note is the 7, and it’s placed between two ♭7s, before resolving to the root.
HACK
Alright, now you’re gonna learn how to instantly apply this power hack to your own music, and what you see on the screen right now is our example that we made earlier. We’re using the F Blues scale. And this is our “before the hack” version, and this is our “after the hack” version. We’ll play through ‘em both at the end. So, playing the ♭7 up to the 7 and then up to the root isn’t anything special, but, playing the ♭7 up to the 7 and then going back down to the ♭7, that certainly is special! You see, when you play the ♭7 up to the 7 it creates some serious tension, and only a provocative (and brave!) artist wouldn’t then resolve that 7 up to the root. By the way, if you’re new to music theory and all these numbers are confusing you, then download our free book “12 Music Theory Hacks to Learn Scales & Chords” (link below). It only takes 30 minutes to read, and it’ll give you a super solid theory foundation! Now, the band do resolve to the root after that last ♭7, but that creates frustration as it wasn’t the big resolution the listener expected after the 7, and the resolution didn’t happen when the listener wanted it to. That’s a very cool hack! So, if you’re feeling brave like Rage Against the Machine, then throw this power hack into one of your bass lines or riffs!
NEXT
Okay, so now that you’ve got one section down, 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.
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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March 14, 2019
4 Essentials to Enliven Your Bass Lines
No matter what genre you make music in, you can easily funk up your bass lines, which will get people moving to your music. So in this video, you’ll learn how to apply four essential funk elements to your bass lines. But first… tea!
DOWNLOAD PDF + WAV + MIDI FROM THIS VIDEO
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. Alright, let’s jump in...
THEORY
Local Vancouver band FIVE ALARM FUNK just dropped their new single “Wake the Funk Up” feat. Leo P (Too Many Zooz), and it’s one helluva funky tune! All the funk essentials are here: Every beat 1 has a funk flashlight shining on it, there’s enough syncopation to make any dancefloor get on up, the ♭7 is tearing the roof off the sucker, and the song takes you on a chromatic rollercoaster. By the way, chromatic (AKA non-diatonic) refers to notes that are not in the scale. Now, always remember that funk is an attitude, not a genre, so any time you wanna get the party started with a bass line, use these four funk essentials:
Accent beat 1 in every bar Syncopate almost everything else Use the ♭7 everywhere you can Seal the deal with chromatic notes
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 eight bars of 4/4, with your grid set to 1/16 notes, and your tempo set to 116 BPM. “Wake the Funk Up” is in E♭ Dorian with a bunch of chromatic notes, but we’ll be using E (instead of E♭), as it has a smaller key signature so it’s easier for learning.
STEP 1. THE ONE
As James Brown famously requested from Bootsy Collins back in the day: If you gimme the one, son, then you can play whatever you want for the rest of the bar. So, make sure you play beat 1 of every bar. We alternated between playing the low root on beat 1, then switching it up with a higher note on beat 1 of every other bar.
STEP 2. THE SCALE
The funkiest bass lines often use the blues scale, which is simply the pentatonic minor scale with the ♭5 added in. So, while the horns will be playing in E Dorian, the bass will be playing in E Blues. This scale combo is a funk favourite! And yes, these two scales work perfectly together as their notes overlap (other than the ♭5, but, we’ll throw the ♭5 in the Dorian horns as well). Right, so E Blues contains the notes: E G A B♭ B♮ D, so you can use any of those notes in your bass line. And by the way, if you want our blues scale hack for funky bass lines, along with a MIDI file example, then that’s all included in our Songwriting & Producing PDF (click & scroll down).
STEP 3. SYNCOPATED MOTIF
Now, as you’ve given Mr Brown all the ones, you’re free to do whatever you want everywhere else. So, you’re gonna create a syncopated motif, which you can then repeat (and vary) to make your bass line. And if you’re new to those terms. Syncopation is when you accent an off-beat, and that injects energy into your groove. And a motif is a short musical idea, which you repeat to give your bass line structure and make it memorable. Our motif consists of a three-note descending line, where the last note is a syncopated 1/16 note. We then repeat our motif, starting on the note we ended on, to form a larger six-note motif. Right, now it’s time to create a motif in your second bar. And yes, you’re leaving the rest of your first bar open, cos space is essential in a funky bass line. And once you’ve created your motif, repeat it in your fourth bar with a variation. We varied our motif by playing it ascending. Next, repeat the original motif in your sixth bar, but add a couple notes. Also, throw in some extra notes at the end of your fourth bar and in your fifth bar. These extra notes start building the energy towards your big ending, which is coming up next.
STEP 4. CHROMATIC ENDING
Many great funk bass lines have a wild sound to them, which is often a result of venturing out of the scale. And the classic place to do this, is at the end of your line. This not only builds tension, it also prevents your bass line from becoming boring and predictable. So, in your eighth bar, you’re gonna write a melodic run that uses our old friend Syncopation, as well as our new friend Chromaticism. In Dorian, some funky favourites when it comes to chromatic notes are the 7 (especially when played between the ♭7 and the root), and the ♭2 (especially when played between the root and the 2 leading to the ♭3). Also, remember the funky ♭5, which you should use liberally throughout your bass line.
NEXT
Okay, so now that you’ve got one section down, 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
Thumbnail photograph by Brendan Meadows
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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March 7, 2019
How to Write Better Djent Riffs
What makes a great djent riff? Two things: the right notes, with the right polymeter. So in this video you’ll learn all that, plus you’ll learn how to make your riffs stand out by adding a second melody into the same riff. But first… tea!
DOWNLOAD PDF + WAV + MIDI FROM THIS VIDEO
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. Alright, let’s jump in...
THEORY
Prog metal legends PERIPHERY just dropped their new single “Garden in the Bones”, and it’s brilliant! This song is overflowing with stunning melodies, mesmerizing riffs, captivating polymeters, epic grooves, and the most massive chorus! “Garden in the Bones” launches directly into the first verse, which contains a slower polymetric riff with lots of rests. But, instead of playing it on one note (like so many djent riffs), or using super dissonant intervals (like so many other djent riffs), Periphery play a refreshingly consonant group of notes, which would be right at home in any popular music genre. Then, as if that’s not enough, when the second verse comes around, it’s not just a copy and paste of the first verse. No, it’s a continuation; the next chapter of an unfolding story. They achieve this by adding notes to the original riff, in place of the rests. This creates a 2-in-1 riff consisting of the original riff as the bass voice, and the new notes as a melody on top.
SETUP
Alright, now you’re gonna learn how to use this theory to make your own version. So, start by setting up one bar of 15/4, with your grid set to 1/8 notes, and your tempo set to 135 BPM. Periphery use F♯ Dorian for their verses, so we’ll use it too.
STEP 1. VERSE 1
First things first, F♯ Dorian consists of the notes: F♯ G♯ A B C♯ D♯ E, so you can use any of those notes in your riff. Now, start on the root note (F♯), then skip two 1/8 notes, and then play a note. Next, skip another two 1/8 notes, and then play two notes. Then do that again: skip two 1/8 notes, and then play two notes. And lastly, skip another two 1/8 notes, and then play one last note. When you’re choosing your notes, keep it simple (and keep it low), and think of them as an implied chord progression. Also, use a B somewhere, but more on that later. Right, now you have your 15/8 riff, so repeat it once to complete the bar of 15/4. Finally, add the root note (F♯) on beat 9. This is such a clever trick of Periphery’s, cos what that one extra note does, is ingeniously disguise the odd 15/8 time signature. You see, the root note is the home of your scale, so it’s the strongest note. And by playing the strongest note on beat 9, it pulls the ear back to that 1/4 note pulse (cos in 4/4, beat 9 is actually beat 1 of bar 3). Also, the drummer is playing 1/4 notes on his china cymbal, so that pulse is really powerful. And that pulse, along with the root note on beat 9, tricks the listener into feeling this as 4/4, right until the end of the riff where it’s finally revealed that there’s a 1/4 note missing (cos in four bars of 4/4 there are sixteen 1/4 notes, but here there are only fifteen). This polymeter makes the riff sound far simpler (and therefore more accessible) than it actually is. That’s very clever! So to sum up. The polymeter is occurring between the guitar and the drums. The guitar is playing two bars of 15/8 over the drums that are playing three bars of 4/4 and one bar of 3/4. This all adds up to one cycle of the polymeter, which is equal to one bar of 15/4.
STEP 2. VERSE 2
Right, this is where things get extra tasty. You’re now gonna use the first verse riff as a bass voice, and you’re gonna add a new voice on top of it in place of all the rests. This creates a riff that can still be played on one guitar, but now it sounds like there’s two guitars playing, cos there are two melodies (one low, and one high). Okay, so remember in Step 1 we mentioned that you should think of the notes in your bass voice as an implied chord progression? Well now it’s time to flesh out that harmony. For example, Periphery’s second verse riff implies some dreamy add9 harmonies, so if you want that vibe as well, then be sure to play a 2 over a couple chords (e.g. over the implied F♯m, the 2 is G♯). And as you’re writing the high melody in your riff, be sure to play a D♯ over the B in your bass voice. Playing D♯ over B creates the unique Dorian sound, so without that D♯, you won’t get the sad-but-hopeful Dorian mood that we all love. And that’s why in Step 1, we said play a B. And by the way, if you wanna know everything you need to know about Dorian and the other modes, then download our Songwriting & Producing PDF (click & scroll down).
NEXT
Okay, so now that you’ve got your first and second verses down, 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 all songwriters and producers struggle with in the beginning, 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.
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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February 28, 2019
How to Write a Beautiful Piano Chord Progression & Melody
The piano is a universal instrument, so a great piano part will give your song a timeless feel. And in this lesson, you’ll learn how to write a beautiful piano chord progression and melody, which will stand the test of time. But first… tea!
DOWNLOAD PDF + WAV + MIDI FROM THIS VIDEO
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. Alright, let’s jump in...
THEORY
London rapper DAVE just dropped his new single “Black”, which is a goosebump-inducing song with one of the most sophisticated piano parts we’ve heard in the New Music Friday playlist in a very long time! What makes the piano part so good? Two things. First, the chord progression lasts for an epic 16 bars. This is extremely rare in today’s music, which usually consists of four-bar loops. Second, the chord progression switches back and forth between the natural minor (popular music’s favourite scale) and the harmonic minor, which creates a Classical flavour to the piano part as the harmonic minor is the quintessential Classical scale. And it’s this Classical vibe that adds a timeless feel and a musical weight to the song, which in turn makes Dave’s important lyrics even more powerful.
SETUP
Alright, now you’re gonna learn how to use this theory to make your own version, and what you see below is our version that we made earlier. So, start by setting up 16 bars of 4/4, with your grid set to 1/8 notes, and your tempo set to 84 BPM. Dave’s song is in the key of D minor, so we’ll use it too.
STEP 1. LEFT HAND (chords)
We’re gonna start with the left-hand part, which will simply play octaves of each chord’s root note. These octaves provide a minimal harmonic backdrop, which creates a more delicate sound than full chords. So, first things first, here’s the menu of chords in D minor that you can choose from: Dm, Edim, Fmaj, Gm, Am (or Amaj), B♭maj, Cmaj, C♯dim. Please note: the Amaj and C♯dim chords are from the harmonic minor. Choose whichever chords you like from the D minor menu, but approach your 16 bars as 4x four-bar chord progressions. And start each four-bar progression with the root chord (Dm), except for the last progression, which you wanna start with one of the major chords in the key, to provide an uplifting vibe to the end of your epic 16 bars. Lastly, the Cmaj to C♯dim movement has a magnetic pull to the Dm, so definitely use that progression somewhere.
STEP 2. RIGHT HAND (melody)
Right, it’s right-hand time, and that means melody! So, using 1/8 notes, come up with a motif (which is a short musical idea) over the Dm chord. Base your motif around the 2nd note (cos it’s a beautiful interval), and the 3rd note (cos it’s a deeply emotional interval) - over Dm the 2nd note is E, and the 3rd note is F. Then once you’ve got your motif, you can re-use it over the other chords (basing it around each chord’s 2nd and 3rd notes). Next, tie ‘em all together with some other notes, and be sure to use some arpeggios too, which is when you play a chord one note at a time. Also, throw in a few melodic variations to keep things fresh.
BONUS HACK (intro)
Lastly, if you want a beautiful intro (like in Dave’s song), then use this hack. Set up four bars for your intro. Now, start on the root chord (Dm) and play it for two bars, then go to another chord and play it for two bars as well. You see, by playing each chord for two bars, instead of one bar or less (like in your verse), the harmony in your intro will move at half the speed. This is so powerful, cos when your verse kicks in, the harmony starts moving at double the speed, which makes everything feel like it’s totally ramping up.
NEXT
Okay, so now that you’ve got an intro and a verse, how do you write a chorus and a bridge? And then, how do you transition between all the sections, especially if they’re in different keys? And then, how do you structure and arrange your song? Well, all songwriters and producers struggle with these issues in the beginning, 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
Dave photo by Regina Lemaire-Costa
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February 21, 2019
Want Exotic Melodies? Use These Notes...
Most popular music is made using the two most common western scales: the major, and the natural minor. So the best way to make your melodies stand out is to use a non-western scale (like the one we’ll reveal in this lesson). But first… tea!
DOWNLOAD PDF + WAV + MIDI FROM THIS VIDEO
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. Alright, let’s jump in...
THEORY
Italian-Iranian crossover group NAVA just dropped their new Persian-inspired electronic track “Ritual”. This song jumps out at you from the hundreds of new releases, because those were made using the major or minor scale, whereas this song was made using a non-western scale. This scale is common in the traditional music of many non-western countries, like Iran and India, but it’s exceptionally rare in the West. When we do use this scale though, we call it the Phrygian dominant (or Phrygian major), but it has many non-Western names that predate these. Now, there’s a couple characteristics that make this scale sound exotic (which we’ll get to in a minute), but the main characteristic is the combination of the ♭2 and the 3. For example, in C Phrygian dominant, to get that exotic sound, you need to play the ♭2 (D♭), the 3 (E), and obviously the root (C). On the other hand, if you want a melody that stands out but does not sound too exotic, then change the chord under the D♭ in your melody to a B♭m, for example. This results in your listeners not hearing the D♭ as a dissonant ♭2, but instead as a beautiful ♭3 in the context of that B♭m chord. This is actually the method we used in our Grime Bass lesson, so check out that PDF if you wanna learn how to use the Phrygian dominant in a Western style. You’ll love how versatile this scale is!
SETUP
Alright, now you’re gonna learn how to use this theory to make your own version, and what you see below is 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 120 BPM. NAVA uses C Phrygian dominant, so we’ll use it too.
STEP 1. THE SCALE
So, what notes are in this exotic scale? Well, in C Phrygian dominant, the notes are: C D♭ E F G A♭ B♭. Now as we mentioned earlier, there’s a couple reasons this scale sounds exotic to Western ears. Firstly, there’s a super rare three-semitone interval between adjacent degrees of the scale (D♭ and E), whereas in the standard Western scales and modes, there’s usually one or two semitones between the degrees. Having said that though, there is one relatively standard Western scale that does contain a three-semitone interval between adjacent degrees, but, you hardly ever hear it outside of classical music (and metal), so it’s super rare in popular music. The scale we’re talking about is the harmonic minor*, and we love it, cos it’s another great way to make your music stand out. In fact, we teach you how to make standout music using the harmonic minor scale (and its cousin, the melodic minor) in our online course Apprenticeship #1, where you’ll also learn how to write new sections for existing sections, how to transition between sections in different keys, and a bunch more! Now, the second reason Phrygian dominant sounds exotic to Western ears, is that it has a ♭2, which only occurs twice in the Western modes (in Phrygian and Locrian), so that’s already rare. But, that’s only half the story. Both Phrygian and Locrian are minor (i.e. they contain a ♭3), whereas Phrygian dominant is major (i.e. it contains a 3), and as you now know, that magic combination of ♭2 and 3 is exactly what makes this scale sound so exotic.
*The West actually came across the Phrygian dominant by starting on the 5th degree of the harmonic minor scale. Therefore, these two scales are related, which means they share the exact same notes, but have a different root. For more on relative scales, read Hack 5 in our free ebook.
STEP 2. THE MELODY
Right, now that you’re familiar with this exotic scale, it’s time to use it to write your melody. So, start your first phrase by playing the root note (C) to establish the home, then play around with all those beautiful semitone steps that naturally occur in this scale, in other words: C to D♭, E to F, and G to A♭. And for your melody’s second phrase, start on the root note again, but an octave higher this time (for variation, and to extend your melody’s range). Then, cascade down through the scale, perhaps ending with that exotic combo of ♭2 and 3. And for the rhythm of your melody, use a wide variety of note values to keep it fresh, and don’t be scared to throw in a 1/32 note for some extra spice. And if you need more help writing melodies, then 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! Lastly, for maximum exoticness, we’re playing our melody over a bass line that’s inspired by a drone, which is when you play one note continuously. However, we added some other notes to our bass line, for extra interest (see MIDI file).
WANT MORE?
Right, now that you’ve got one section down, how do you write more sections for it, and then, how do you transition between those sections, and turn 'em into a song? Great questions, and if this is something you need help with, then check out our cutting-edge online apprenticeship course, where you’ll literally learn every step of the music making process, and most importantly, you’ll learn how to finish your songs! You’ll also gain access to our private network, which is a safe online space (i.e. social media platform) exclusively for our 600+ apprentices from 50+ countries. Our Network is a super supportive place for you to ask theory questions, share your music, get feedback, meet like-minded music makers, and collaborate! If all this sounds useful to you, then head on over to our Online Apprenticeship page 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
NAVA photo courtesy of Rolling Stone (Italy)
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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February 14, 2019
Use These Notes to Make Grime Bass Lines
When you want a heavy bass line, do you find yourself clicking through your sounds trying to find something that makes your bass heavy? Well, sounds don’t make bass lines heavy, the notes do. So in this video, you’ll learn what notes to use to make your bass lines heavy, regardless of the sounds you’re using. But first… tea!
DOWNLOAD PDF + WAV + MIDI FROM THIS VIDEO
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. Alright, let’s jump in...
THEORY
The legendary London grime producer & MC, SKEPTA, just dropped his new single “Wish You Were Here”. This track is the epitome of London’s grime sound, with its string arpeggios, dissonant bass, and syncopated drums. However, Skepta has a secret scale up his sleeve, which takes this tune to the next level. Now, it’s no secret that Grime producers love the Phrygian mode for its ♭2 (for example, if you’re in A Phrygian, the ♭2 is B♭). And if you’re familiar with modes, you’ll know that Phrygian is minor. And if you’re not familiar with modes, just keep watching cos we’ll explain Phrygian in a minute. So, here’s where the grime veteran kicks things up: Instead of playing the ♭3, he plays the 3, thereby turning Phrygian into Phrygian dominant (AKA Phrygian major), which is a very rare scale! And please note, there are many different (and better!) names for this scale, but Phrygian dominant is probably the most common name for it in the West. And finally, as if a rare scale wasn’t enough, Skepta throws in another note that isn’t even in Phrygian or Phrygian dominant, the 7. And by the way, if you’re new to the concept of musical spelling, which is when we assign numbers to notes (like 7), then read the fourth hack in our free book “12 Music Theory Hacks to Learn Scales & Chords”. And if you’re new to the concept of flat numbers (like ♭3), then read the eighth hack in the book, which you can download below.
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 two bars of 4/4, with your grid set to 1/16 notes, and your tempo set to 135 BPM. Skepta uses B♭ Phrygian dominant, but we’re using A, cos there’s fewer flats, so it’s easier for learning.
STEP 1. “SKEPTA SCALE”
First things first, let’s talk about what Phrygian is. And that story begins with the Aeolian mode (AKA the natural minor scale), which is what you get when you play all the white notes, with A as your root note (in other words, your scale’s home). Now, to turn the Aeolian mode into the Phrygian mode, all you do is move the second note (B) one semitone down (to B♭). Then, to turn Phrygian in to Phrygian dominant, all you do is move the third note (C) one semitone up (to C♯), which changes the scale from minor to major. And finally, throw in that naughty note that is not in Phrygian or Phrygian dominant, the G♯. So, here is the “Skepta scale”: A B♭ C♯ D E F G G♯. And if you wanna start it on B♭, like Skepta does in his track, then just select all the MIDI and move it one semitone up.
STEP 2. BASS LINE
Right, now that you know the “Skepta scale”, it’s time to use those notes to write your bass line. So, start by playing the root (A) for a 1/4 note, then complete the rest of your first bar with the notes A, C♯ and G, which outlines an A7 chord. Then in your second bar, start by playing the ♭2 (B♭), which creates that classic grime sound. Next, complete the rest of that bar with the notes G and B♭, which outlines a Gm chord, and then throw in that naughty G♯ somewhere towards the end. And lastly, for maximum groove, use plenty of rests and off-beats.
NEXT
Right, now that you’ve got one section down, how do you write more sections for it, and then, how do you transition between those sections, and turn 'em into a song? Great questions, and if this is something you need help with, then check out our cutting-edge online apprenticeship course, where you’ll literally learn every step of the music making process, and most importantly, you’ll learn how to finish your songs! You’ll also gain access to our private network, which is a safe online space (i.e. social media platform) exclusively for our 600+ apprentices from 50+ countries. Our Network is a super supportive place for you to ask theory questions, share your music, get feedback, meet like-minded music makers, and collaborate! If all this sounds useful to you, then head on over to our Online Apprenticeship page 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
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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February 7, 2019
Use This Chord to Transform Your Progressions
It’s easy to play a few chords that sound nice together. But those chord progressions are really bland, cos there’s no spice in them. So in this video, you’ll learn how to transform your progressions with one super spicy chord. 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. Alright, let’s jump in...
Theory
French group DIRTYPHONICS just dropped their new single “Rise from the Dead”, which boasts two powerful hacks that make the chord progression seriously stand out. Firstly, they play each chord one note at a time (known as an “arpeggio”), which makes their progression sound like a melody. Secondly (and this is the hack you’ve been waiting for), they make the third chord in their progression super spicy, which builds a ton of tension that totally captivates you. And then when that tension is resolved with the fourth chord, you feel so amazingly satisfied! So, what chord can create this level of spicy sorcery? A diminished chord. But, this ain’t no ordinary run-of-the-mill diminished chord. No, this is a non-diatonic diminished chord! What the hell is that? Well you see, both the major and minor keys contain a diminished chord. And yes, that diminished chord is somewhat spicy and will create some tension, but, as it’s in the key (known as “diatonic”), its tension is somewhat limited. So in order to create that next-level tension that Dirtyphonics are bringing, you need to not only use a diminished chord, but a diminished chord that’s not in your key (known as “non-diatonic” or “chromatic”).
Set-Up
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 75 BPM. The Dirtyphonics track is in the key of F minor, but we actually used A minor for our example, because A minor consists of only white notes, which means it’s easy to distinguish between the diatonic notes (i.e. in the key) which are white, and the non-diatonic notes (i.e. not in the key) which are black.
Step 1 - Chords
Dirtyphonics’ chords are based on a classic (and therefore, overused) minor key chord progression, which starts on the I (Am), and then drops down to the ♭VI (Fmaj), and then goes up to the ♭VII (Gmaj). And with such a friendly and familiar starting point, Dirtyphonics are able to throw in a mega dissonant chord, without the progression ending up too spicy. Here’s how they do it. They insert a non-diatonic diminished chord in between the two friendly major chords, which softens the spiciness of that non-diatonic diminished chord. And the chord we’re gonna insert there, is F♯dim*. And that F♯dim also creates these awesome ascending semitone steps, which add even more tension. And, notice how the Fmaj and F♯dim chords only have one different note, which makes that chord change super smooth, even though it’s such a spicy chord!
*If you’re interested in where F♯dim comes from: It’s a borrowed chord (i.e. a chord borrowed from a parallel mode) from A Dorian.
Step 2 - Arpeggios
Right, now that you’ve got your block chords, it’s time to break ‘em up into arpeggios, so let’s start with the first chord, Am. And Dirtyphonics break up the chords in their intro into 1/16 note arpeggios, in a very common grouping of 8+8. But, when they bring this chord progression back later in the song (at 2:08, if you wanna check it out), they do something very clever: they play their 1/16 note arpeggios in the unusual grouping of 6+6+4. And just for fun, we played ours in the unusual grouping of 7+4+4+1, but you can use whatever grouping you like for your arpeggios. And once you’ve worked out a grouping you like for your first chord, then apply that to the rest of your chords, like this. And lastly, for some extra melodic interest, and to add to the climbing feel of these arpeggios, we moved one of these high root notes of each chord up to the next note in the scale.
NEXT
Right, now that you’ve got one section down, how do you write more sections for it, and then, how do you transition between those sections, and turn 'em into a song? Great questions, and if this is something you need help with, then check out our cutting-edge online apprenticeship course, where you’ll literally learn every step of the music making process, and most importantly, you’ll learn how to finish your songs! You’ll also gain access to our private network, which is a safe online space (i.e. social media platform) exclusively for our 600+ apprentices from 50+ countries. Our Network is a super supportive place for you to ask theory questions, share your music, get feedback, meet like-minded music makers, and collaborate! If all this sounds useful to you, then head on over to our Online Apprenticeship page now.
Kate & Ray Harmony (AKA Revolution Harmony)
Music Teachers & Producers in Vancouver BC, Canada
RELATED
Lush String Sections (5:18)
Uplifting Piano Chords (4:56)
LEVELS
Level 1 - Read our free book (below) & watch our YouTube videos
Level 2 - Read our "Part 1" book & "Songwriting & Producing" PDF
Level 3 - Learn our secret art of songwhispering & 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
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