Ray Harmony's Blog, page 19
January 31, 2019
Change This Note to Make Your Melodies Stand Out
There’s 20,000 tracks being uploaded to Spotify every day, so it’s essential that your melodies stand out in this never-ending stream of new tunes. So in this video, you’ll learn how changing one note can grab the listener’s attention. 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...
Oxford band FOALS just dropped their new single “Exits”, which instantly stood out on Spotify’s New Music Friday playlist. What made it stand out? One note! Wait, how can it be that easy? Well, almost all popular music these days is made using only two scales: the natural minor, and the major. And it goes without saying that there’s obviously nothing wrong with these scales, but, our brains have evolved to switch into autopilot when there’s nothing unexpected in our environment, and that includes music. If there’s nothing unexpected in a song, listeners’ minds will drift off and stop paying attention. So, the easiest way to create something unexpected, is to simply use a different scale, like Foals did in “Exits”.
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 1/8 notes, and your tempo set to 94 BPM. And by the way, the 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.
Step 1 - Mode
Okay, so this is the natural minor scale: D E F G A B♭ C, which is by far the most overused scale in existence. But, with one tweak, you can turn it into the Dorian mode, which will make it instantly stand out. So, all you do, is move the 6th note, B♭, one semitone up to B♮. And with that, you now have the Dorian mode, which sounds like an upfliting version of the natural minor scale. Right, now we’re ready to write our chord progression. Just before we do that though, if you wanna learn about all the modes and how to use them, then everything you need to know is in our Songwriting & Producing PDF (click & scroll down).
Step 2 - Chords
The Foals song is in D Dorian, so we’ll use it too. That means your chord choices are: Dm, Em, Fmaj, Gmaj, Am, Bdim, and Cmaj. This video is not about writing a Dorian chord progression though, so if you need help with that, then watch our playlist coming up at the end of this video. Right, so the chords we chose are: Dm, Fmaj, Cmaj, Gmaj, and then back to a quick Cmaj. And when you’re writing your chord progression, be sure to play the Gmaj chord, and, be sure to play it towards the end of your progression!
Step 3 - Melody
Finally, it’s time to write your melody. So, for your rhythm, use a combination of 1/8 notes, 1/4 notes, and dotted 1/4 notes. And for your pitches, a good place to start writing your melody, is by using the third note of each chord. For a couple examples of this: the 3rd note in Dm is F, and the 3rd note in Gmaj is B. And that brings us to Foals’ magic trick! The 3rd note in a chord is what creates its emotion: a major chord is uplifting, and a minor chord is serious. And as you’ll remember, this B is the one unexpected note that makes this scale different. So, for the first three bars, the listeners will presume this is in the totally overused natural minor scale. And just as they’re switching into autopilot, we hit ‘em with that B, cos that B makes this chord a surprising Gmaj, instead of Gm (which is what they’ll be expecting). Boom! You now have their attention. Use it well. And by the way, if you want the ultimate list of dos and don’ts for writing great melodies, then use our Melody Checklist, which is also in the Songwriting & Producing PDF (click & scroll down).
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
5 Hacks for Better Melodies (7:23)
Step-by-Step Guide to Making Dorian Music (Playlist)
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
Yannis Philippakis (Foals) thumbnail photo by Nabil Elderkin
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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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January 24, 2019
Are Your Drum Build-Ups Missing This?
Drum build-ups are vital in creating tension, but they’re almost always centred around the snare drum, which means they all sound the same, and that’s boring! So in this video, you’ll learn how to make your drum builds stand out. 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...
London duo MODESTEP just dropped their new single “Not IRL” (on Monstercat, which is actually a local label, so big up Vancouver!). In this song, Modestep takes the art of drum build-ups to a whole new level, for three reasons: First, they extend their build way longer than you’re expecting, which creates even more tension than usual. Second, their build is centred around the toms, instead of the snare. And third, there’s a super tasty drum fill that leads into the beginning of the build, which means they’re already creating tension before their build has even started.
Now, please excuse me here while I have a quick proud teacher moment, but the drummer in Modestep, Pat Lundy, is actually a former music theory student of mine. Big up Pat! He’s an ultra mega talented drummer, so do yourself a favour and check out his channel:
►Pat Lundy - Modestep drummer (YouTube channel)
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 five bars of 4/4, with your grid set to 1/32 notes, and your tempo set to 75 BPM. And please note that to keep this video short (because we respect your time), our build is half the length of Modestep’s, but if you want a longer build, just double each bit.
Step 1 - Fill
So, this first bar is actually gonna end up being the last bar of your verse. In other words, this bar is the transition from verse to build. So to help create a more interesting transition, and to introduce some tension, you’re gonna throw in a fill here. Right, start with a snare on beat 4, then use a combination of all three toms to play all the 1/32 notes after that, except on beat 4+. Leaving that beat open makes the tom right afterwards syncopated, which means you’re accenting an off-beat, and that adds groove!
And while we’re on the topic of transitions. If you wanna learn how to write a new section for an existing section, and then how to transition between those sections, especially when they’re in different keys, then check out our online apprenticeship course. It contains 17 hours of video, in which I literally teach you every step of the music making process, from blank screen to finished song!
Step 2 - Toms
Alright, now we’re into bar two, where the build starts. However, instead of blasting that snare, you’re gonna go all in on the toms. But first, get your kicks on all the 1/8 notes. Then, fill in the whole bar with 1/32 note toms, but don’t play any toms at the same time as a kick, cos you want space for your kick to stomp. Also, leave another 1/32 note open over each 1/4 note beat, for a more interesting pattern. And then when you’re done, repeat this bar so it plays through twice. Next, to crank up the tension even more, you’re gonna change the tom pattern halfway through your four-bar build. So, in bar four, keep the same kick pattern, but now you’re gonna play a very simple and repetitive pattern on only one tom.
Step 3 - Snare
Finally, it’s snare drum time! And yes of course, the snare is indeed the ultimate tool in a build-up, but, we don’t wanna be lazy and rely on it exclusively, cos that’s boring. So, after you’ve used the toms to get the tension to this level, it’s time to max it out! And by saving the snare until this late in the game, your build is now gonna be able to reach a height that other builds can only dream of. Alright, so in bar five, get that machine gun snare in on all those 1/32 notes. But, be sure to stop before the end of the bar, to create space, so your drop sounds extra massive!
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
How to Make Better Drums Fills (4:58)
Why Your Kick on Beat 1 Isn't Kicking (5:41)
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
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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DOWNLOAD FREE BOOK
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January 17, 2019
Wanna Bass with the Big Beat Boys?
There’s many genres that are all about bass and drums, and many of those genres often don’t even use chords. But, chords are essential in creating musical depth, so in this video you’ll learn a game-changing bass hack that solves this problem. But first… tea!
Hello revolutionaries, 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 enchant and enlarge 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...
The Chemical Brothers just dropped their new single “MAH”. And as the Mancunian duo are electronic OGs and big beat pioneers, “MAH” unsurprisingly features a classic electronic bass hack. The Chemical Brothers are fully aware of the importance of harmony, and as a result, they don’t just abandon chords (like many other producers), instead, they cleverly disguise the harmony in their bass line. How? Well, after choosing a chord that conveyed their desired emotion, they then outlined that chord using their bass. And as the vocal hook is: “I’m mad as hell, I ain’t gonna take it no more”, their choice of a diminished triad could not be more appropriate, as its extreme dissonance perfectly conveys the “mad as hell” lyrics.
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 one bar of 4/4, with your grid set to 1/16 notes, and your tempo set to 130 BPM. In their bass line, The Chemical Brothers use the Cdim chord, so we’ll use it too.
Step 1 - Chord
Now, ask yourself what emotion you wanna convey with your bass line? If you’re going for posi vibes and smiley faces, then use the Cmaj chord (which is C E and G). If you’re after a more serious mood though, then use the Cm chord (which is C E♭ and G). And finally, if you’re “mad as hell”, then use the Cdim chord (which is C E♭ and G♭). And by the way, if you need help understanding the different types of chords and scales, or if you just wanna brush up on your theory knowledge, then download our free music theory book below.
Step 2 - Bass
Right, now that you’ve got your chord, it’s time to turn it into a bass line. So, start by playing the root note (C), to establish your home. Then, drop down and play through an arpeggio starting on beat 2e, and using 1/16 notes. And by the way, an arpeggio is when you play a chord one note at a time (so for Cdim, we play C, then E♭, then G♭). Next, throw in a couple 1/16 notes (from your chord) on beat 3e and beat 3a, which creates a super dancey syncopation. And syncopation is just when you accent an off-beat. Finally, we’re gonna wrap up with three 1/16 notes (all from your chord), starting on beat 4e. And on that note, well, off-beat note, remember to use some octaves of your three notes as well, which will extend the range of your bass line (for example, like we did with the high G♭). Also, this bass line is playing over a pumping four-on-the-floor drum beat, and we don’t wanna get in the way of those kicks now, do we? So, be sure to avoid playing any bass notes on beat 2, beat 3, and beat 4. This allows maximum space to show off your massive kick drum sample! You’re welcome ;)
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
Magic Hack for Better Bass Lines (6:16)
How to Write a Polymetric Bass Line (14:53)
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 the pioneering notation-free method for making great music that stands out, so you can enchant and enlarge 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 OneEyeIn.com
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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January 10, 2019
5 Hacks to Make Better Music in 2019
Happy New Year, and may this be your best year yet! On that note, did you make a New Year’s resolution to start making music, or make more music, or make better music? Well unfortunately, studies suggest that only about one in 10 people achieve their New Year’s resolutions, so this video is designed to help you become that one person. But first… tea!
Hello revolutionaries, 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 enchant and enlarge 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...
Hack 1: Permission to Play
There’s an abundance of scientific research proving that a lack of play in our lives leads to depression, and for people like us, play is making music. If you’ve ever stopped music for a while and noticed how everything in your life suddenly gets a lot more serious and a lot less enjoyable, then you’ve already experienced this slippery slope. So, if you truly wanna show up 100% for your family and your work, then you need to play. But remember, play is all about intrinsic value, which means the process itself is enjoyable. If someone’s making music as a means to an end (for example, with the goal of one of their songs going viral), then they’re on an even worse slippery slope. We have no control over how the world reacts to our music, so they’d be far happier by refocusing their attention onto the joy of the music making process itself.
Hack 2: Schedule Sessions
I remember when I started teaching music in 1995 (back before the internet stole our time, and instead, we spent it obsessively listening to that three-legged dog tape), my students would often turn up without having done their homework, cos they were “too busy”. And nowadays, with the internet in the palm of our hand, we’re “busier” than we’ve ever been in the whole of human history. And that is why everyone is “happy” on Instagram, but when we actually put our phones down and look around, everyone seems pretty miserable. The only way to overcome this “too busy to play” fallacy, is to schedule a weekly session. So pause this video right now, open your calendar, find one hour somewhere, and create a recurring weekly event. Then, when your session time arrives, turn off your phone, close your web browser, and open your DAW to hack music theory.
Hack 3: Use Music Theory
Nothing ruins fun like frustration! So, the process of making music will only be enjoyable if you’re competent at it. And that’s where we come in. With Hack Music Theory, you can overcome the dreaded blank screen once and for all, cos while Writer’s Block may exist in our minds, in reality, it’s a lie. I remember when I was a kid, my dad told me over and over again “Creativity is a tap that you can turn on whenever you want.” That understanding, along with learning music theory, has resulted in hundreds of songs over my 28 years of making music, with a grand total of zero accounts of writer’s block. So, to get started today, just watch our Step-By-Step Starter Guide at the end of this video, and also, download our free music theory book below.
Hack 4: Practice Makes Play
Now, in order for an activity to properly be play, it needs to pull you into the “flow” state, which is that zone you enter when you’re fully immersed in a task and totally lose track of time. This can only happen when the activity is challenging, but not too difficult. And yes, everything is difficult in the beginning, but, just like everything else, regular practice results in quick progress. Besides, music is only 12 notes. It’s easy! So, make your initial weekly sessions about practising the application of music theory. And to do this, simply follow along with the examples in our weekly videos. If you practice making music using the steps in those videos, you’ll be bustin’ out awesome tunes in no time! Remember, practice makes play.
Hack 5: Get Support
Sitting in front of your DAW with headphones on can be an isolating experience, and as we’re a social species, it’s vital to join a like-minded music community. This will not only create new friendships, which is deeply valuable in itself, but sharing your works-in-progress and getting supportive feedback from your peers will totally turbocharge your progress, and your happiness. So, do some searching online and see if there’s a local meetup you can join. Or, if you wanna join our private network, which has hundreds of good people in it from over 50 countries, then sign up for our online apprenticeship, the link is below. Here’s how one of our top apprentices described it: “I really enjoy the interactions in the Network. Apprentices share their works-in-progress often, and have the right attitude: they’re open-minded, positive, helpful, and some are very funny too. It’s like a family, but without the drama!” –François Lalonde (Montréal, Canada)
So, write down these five hacks, stick ‘em somewhere you’ll see everyday, and you’ll become the one outta 10 people who achieve their New Year’s resolutions. We really hope you found this video helpful, and we’ll see you next week, when we get back to our regular lesson format.
Kate & Ray Harmony (AKA Revolution Harmony)
Music Teachers & Producers in Vancouver BC, Canada
LEARN
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 the pioneering notation-free method for making great music that stands out, so you can enchant and enlarge 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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December 17, 2018
The Best One-Note Bass Line of 2018
Sometimes a section in your song will want a simple bass line, in fact, sometimes it’ll want nothing more than one note. But, almost all one-note bass lines sound like they were made by a complete beginner. So, how on earth do you make a one-note bass line that is intelligent? Keep watching to find out. But first… tea!
Hello revolutionaries, 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 get discovered! If that sounds useful to you, then subscribe to our YouTube channel and hit that bell to get notified every Saturday, when we publish our new video.
Right, so in this video we’ll be revealing the second (and final) release on our “Most Artistic Music of the Year” list. And if you missed last week’s video, then watch that to discover the other release, as well as the criteria for making our list. Also, we’ll be announcing the winner of our Apprenticeship giveaway at the end of this video, so stay tuned. Now, without further ado, the second artist on our very short list, is: THE ARUSHA ACCORD.
This band is seriously the most underrated band on the planet, and their “Juracán” EP is the most unbelievable (and underrated) release of 2018. Their new EP is overflowing with breathtaking vocal melodies, goosebump-inducing harmonies, mind-expanding riffs, a revitalizing rhythm section that awakens your body, and the most creative song structures you’ll ever hear in Popular Music. Just a warning though, The Arusha Accord makes music only for the most open-minded music lovers. But that’s you, innit? So as soon as this video ends, go listen to them and hit repeat, cos it’ll take many many listens to explore their musical depths. And start with “The Road (Amor Vincit Omnia - Part 1)”, which is the song we’ll be covering in this video. Alright, now it’s time to open your DAW to hack music theory.
THEORY
A monumentally important element in intelligent bass lines, is obviously: melody. So when you remove the melodic element (by staying on one note), you have to compensate with your rhythm. And ideally, you want your one-note bass line to be thrillingly unpredictable, which will draw your listeners in with its intrigue. So, let’s talk about rhythm then. Most humans love symmetry. That’s why 99.9% of Popular Music uses time signatures that are symmetrical. This means the music has a regular and predictable pulse, like the continuous 1/4 notes in 4/4, or the continuous dotted 1/4 notes in 12/8. However, there are a few brave artists out there who are freethinking “black sheep”, going against the current, and The Arusha Accord is the black sheep’s black sheep. They celebrate the unorthodox beauty of asymmetry, by creating irregular and unpredictable pulses in their music. The results are mesmerizing, and help extend the longevity of their music into the timeless realm! And that is how you make an intelligent one-note bass line.
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 alternating 10/8 and 12/8, with your grid set to 1/8 notes, and your tempo set to 115 BPM. In the intro of this song, The Arusha Accord chose D for their one note, so we’ll use it too. And before we jump into the steps, if you need help with the basics, or if you just wanna brush up on your scales and chords, then download our free music theory book below.
Step 1 - Long Cycle
Now, one note ain’t much to play with, right? Well, it’s plenty for The Arusha Accord. The first thing they do, is create a long cycle for their bass line. In fact, the bassist plays through forty four 1/8 notes in one cycle of the rhythm. So, step one is to choose a root note, then draw in forty four 1/8 notes on that one pitch.
Step 2 - Assymetrical Time
The Arusha Accord’s intro bass line hints at a dotted 1/4 note pulse, as all the bars start with a couple groups of three 1/8 notes. This gives the bass line a more laid-back vibe, as there’s more distance between the accents, creating a slower pulse. So, purely to demonstrate a different feel, we went with a bass line that hints at a 1/4 note pulse. And we created this by starting each bar with a couple groups of two 1/8 notes. This gives our bass line a more urgent vibe, as there’s less distance between the accents, creating a faster pulse. So, step two is to choose between either of these hinted at pulses, then to use the remainder of each bar to add the asymmetry. To do this, create an irregular pulse by grouping your remaining 1/8 notes into a mixture of twos and threes. But, at the end of your third bar (or at the end of your fourth bar), throw your listeners a curveball to keep ‘em on their toes, by using a single 1/8 note. So, here’s the grouping we went with: In our first bar, we grouped 10/8 into 2+2+3+3. In our second bar, we grouped 12/8 into 2+2+2+3+3. In our third bar, we grouped 10/8 into 2+2+2+3+1. And in our fourth bar, we grouped 12/8 into 2+2+2+3+3. And the way you’re gonna make your grouping stand out, which in turn creates that irregular pulse, is by keeping the first note of each group as an 1/8 note, and then shortening the other notes of each group to 1/32 notes. Like this. And here’s a little bonus hack. In the original song when the drums come in, the cycle of time signatures changes yet again, that’s so Arusha Accord!
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
LEARN
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 the pioneering notation-free method for making great music that stands out, so you can get discovered! Taught by award-winning music lecturer Ray Harmony, and his protégé (and 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
© 2018 Revolution Harmony
Revolution Harmony is Ray Harmony & Kate Harmony
All content (script & music) in video by Revolution Harmony
Arusha Accord art by https://www.instagram.com/tomgilmourart
Arusha Accord photo by https://www.instagram.com/scumjordmillionaire
Black Sheep (Out of Step) art by http://www.cynthiaconnolly.com
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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December 9, 2018
Odd Time Signatures That Don’t Sound Odd
4/4 is the most overused time signature, ever! So if you want your music to stand out, the easiest way to do that is to use odd time signatures. Wait, but don’t odd time signatures sound odd? Not if you use the hack in this video. But first… tea!
Hello revolutionaries, 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 get discovered! If that sounds useful to you, then subscribe to our YouTube channel and hit that bell to get notified every Saturday, when we publish our new video. Alright, it’s time to open your DAW to hack music theory.
So, Spotify just announced their most-streamed songs of 2018, but we all know, the most popular songs are never the best songs! Smash hits are products designed and manufactured for mass appeal, while great songs are works of art courageously and creatively composed for music’s sake.
To balance out all the boring year-end lists of smash hits, we’re starting a new Hack Music Theory tradition: the most artistic music of the year!
And we made our list by asking ourselves this question: What releases this year contained the most interesting theory used in the most creative way, resulting in accessible works of art? And it is vital that the songs are accessible, cos it’s actually super easy to write complex music, but it’s super difficult to write complex music that makes people dance and sing along! Also, our choices are obviously only from music we’ve heard, and as there’s about 20,000 songs being released on Spotify every day, it’s humanly impossible to listen to everything, but we did our best! So in this video and next week’s video, we’ll be covering our top two releases of 2018, and a game-changing theory hack from each release.
And before we jump in, we’ve got more exciting news for you: We’re feeling festive, so one of you will win our pioneering online Apprenticeship course (worth $150). Details on how to enter are in the video.
THEORY
Right, without further ado, the first artist on our very short list, is: GOOD TIGER. In Good Tiger’s album “We Will All Be Gone”, they masterfully balance complex composition and technical musicianship, with accessible songwriting and the most beautiful melodies. Yeah, they truly are a great band! So this week when we got the Spotify Wrapped email that sums up your year’s listening, we were not at all surprised to discover that we’ve spent 43 hours listening to this album! For this video, we’ll focus on their song “The Devil Thinks I’m Sinking”. After the most epic (and catchy) chorus in 4/4, the song veers into an unaccompanied guitar riff in the odd time signature of 7/16. However, its oddness is cleverly disguised by the guitar’s 1/16 note arpeggios, making the riff sound like a refreshing rainfall of notes. The drummer then brings back his snare, but it’s on a regular backbeat, making the riff sound like it’s now in 7/8, and also making the section feel like it’s now in a kinda rushed 4/4 (as the last 1/8 note in every bar is cut off). And with that, Good Tiger has made a very odd time signature sound very accessible.
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. And by the way, these dark notes below are the root notes of the chords in our progression - these notes are all muted, they’re just there for reference. So, start by setting up four bars of 7/16, with your grid set to 1/16 notes, and your tempo set to 95 BPM. In the original song, this section is in the key of E minor, so we’ll use it too.
Step 1 - Arpeggios
First things first, you need a chord progression, so choose four chords from the key of E minor. We went with Em, Dmaj, Cmaj, and Bmaj. And please note that at the end, we switched into E harmonic minor, which turned the Bm chord into a Bmaj. Now, play each chord for one bar of 7/16. Then, break up each chord into 1/16 note arpeggios. And be sure to play some non-harmonic notes as well, which are notes that are not in the chord (but still in the key), like this 2 over our Em chord. And by the way, if you need help with the basics, or if you just wanna brush up on your scales and chords, then download our free music theory book below.
Step 2 - Grouping
Next, decide how you wanna group your 7/16. Good Tiger went with a 4 + 3 grouping, so we used it too. And to make your grouping stand out in this rainfall of 1/16 notes, accent the first note in each group, by turning its velocity up.
Step 3 - Backbeat
Lastly, when you add your drums, remember to play them in 7/8 with a regular backbeat snare in most bars. And a regular backbeat snare in 7/8 is on the third and seventh 1/8 notes in the bar. This makes everything feel like it’s in that kinda rushed 4/4 vibe that we spoke about earlier.
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 500+ 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
LEARN
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 the pioneering notation-free method for making great music that stands out, so you can get discovered! Taught by award-winning music lecturer Ray Harmony, and his protégé (and 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
© 2018 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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December 1, 2018
Most Producers Make This Mistake...
When we trawl through the new releases every Friday, it’s always shocking to hear that almost all producers make the same mistake with their drums. So this video is designed to put an end to that, once and for all. But first…
A quick announcement. A huge Thank You to everyone for slamming our website during our sale last weekend. This actually broke our online store, but it’s all fixed and upgraded now, and to apologise for the inconvenience, we’ve extended our sale till the end of this weekend. So if you want 40% off everything on our website, then head on over to Online Course and Books + PDFs. But first… tea!
Hello revolutionaries, 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 get discovered! If that sounds useful to you, then subscribe to our YouTube channel and hit that bell to get notified every Saturday, when we publish our new video. Alright, it’s time to open your DAW to hack music theory.
THEORY
In Tatran’s new album “Foresee” that just dropped yesterday, Dan Mayo (who’s one of our favourite drummers!) brings the groove BIG time, reminding us that humans do it best! Now, while it’s impossible to replace a great drummer with a computer, it is possible to learn their hacks and use them in our MIDI drums. And that brings us to the No.1 mistake almost all producers make with their drums: They learn how to program them from other producers (and their MIDI drums), instead of learning from the only true source, real live drummers. So if you wanna program better drums, learn from great drummers! How? We’ll reveal that next...
Set-Up
We’re using Tatran’s new track “Arba” as the inspiration for this video, and what you see on the screen right now is a summarised version of Dan’s opening drum groove. So, start by setting up two bars of 4/4, with your grid set to 1/16 notes, and your tempo set to 86 BPM.
Step 1 - What to Play
Now, there’s a lot we can learn from a great drummer like Dan Mayo, so for this video, let’s just focus on one thing: Depth. So, Dan is playing a regular backbeat snare on beat 2 and beat 4. And that is actually about as deep as many producers would go with their snare pattern, but Dan adds another layer to his groove by playing three more snare accents in each bar. Then he adds a third layer to his snares, by playing ghost notes. Ghost notes are super soft snare hits, which add depth and texture to a groove. And finally, he plays a tom on beat 4 of each bar, which boosts the snare on that beat, making it sound bigger than the snare on beat 2. And with that, Dan has created four layers on his snare drum alone. That’s a lot of depth!
Step 2 - How to Play
Right, now that you’ve programmed what you wanna play, it’s time to program how you wanna play it. This involves changing each note’s velocity (which is how hard it’s hit), as that creates even more depth. Also, depending on what genre you’re working in, you could move the notes slightly off the grid for a more human feel. If you want an urgent feel, then move them a fraction before the beat. And if you want a chill vibe, move them a fraction after the beat (like we did with ours). Now, back to velocity. As an example of this, when a drummer plays two 1/16 note kicks in a row, their foot can’t kick the second note as hard as the first note*, so pull the velocity down on that second note. And another cool velocity hack is to change every single note individually, as that way each note has a slightly different velocity, which is how a drummer would play it.
*Good drummers can do this, but it’s way more difficult!
Step 3 - Watch & Learn
Conveniently, Dan Mayo actually has a YouTube channel, so head on over there to watch and learn! And if you wanna check out another one of our favourite drummers, watch Adam Deitch, who’s the drummer in Lettuce and Break Science. We’ll link to both of these drummers in the description below, so go and watch them play. And once you’ve found a couple favourite videos, slow them down, and program the MIDI for what they’re playing. Then, use those drum hacks creatively in your own music. Doing this will make your drums better than 99% of other producers’ beats. Guaranteed!
DRUMMERS
►Dan Mayo - Tatran
►Adam Deitch - Lettuce, Break Science
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 500+ 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
LEARN
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 the pioneering notation-free method for making great music that stands out, so you can get discovered! Taught by award-winning music lecturer Ray Harmony, and his protégé (and 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
© 2018 Revolution Harmony
Revolution Harmony is Ray Harmony & Kate Harmony
All content (script & music) in video by Revolution Harmony
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November 24, 2018
Magic Hack for Better Bass Lines
A great bass line is not only the music’s foundation, it’s also what gets the party started! But, it takes a very repetitive rhythm to get people moving. So in this video, you’ll learn a magic hack for writing bass lines that move people, without boring them. But first…
A quick announcement. Our Black Friday sale is pumping all weekend long (23-26 November 2018), so head on over to our Online Course page and our Books + PDFs page to grab 40% off everything - yes, all our PDFs, our book “Hack Music Theory, Part 1”, and our bestseller, the online Apprenticeship course, which has been called “life-changing” numerous times! So, are you ready to take your music to new heights? Then get involved now. But first… tea!
Hello revolutionaries, 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 get discovered! If that sounds useful to you, then subscribe to our YouTube channel and hit that bell to get notified every Saturday, when we publish our new video. Alright, it’s time to open your DAW to hack music theory.
THEORY
In Karma Fields’ new track “An Underground System of Forgotten Machines” that just dropped yesterday, the bass line gets your head bobbing before the end of bar one, literally. How? Well, he uses a very clever hack that allows him to deliver the maximum dose of repetition, because the variation is disguised as repetition. Wait, what? Let me explain. He uses the shortest possible rhythmic segment (two notes), which he then repeats over two bars. Next, he assigns three pitches to this rhythm. Now, here’s where the magic happens. Most other producers would simply loop this two-bar bass line and call it a day, but not Karma Fields! He loops only the rhythm, then re-assigns the same pitches, but in a different order. Boom!
Step 1 - Repetition
Set up four bars of 4/4, with your grid set to 1/16 notes, and your tempo set to 97 BPM. Karma Fields uses the notes D♯, E and F for his main bass line. So we’re gonna do something similar, but a little different: we’ll use F as our root note, and Phrygian as our mode. And on that note (or mode), if you need help understanding the modes, then check out the modes hack in our Songwriting & Producing PDF (click & scroll down), which contains all our top music making hacks as well! But if you need help with the basics first, then read our free book on scales and chords (free download below). Alright, so start by creating a short rhythmic segment, using one 1/8 note and one 1/16 note, in whichever order you want. Next, loop those two notes over bar one. You’ll be left with a 1/16 note open at the end, and that’s where you throw in a couple 1/8 notes to change things up a bit as you head into bar two. This also creates an awesome syncopation, as you don’t play the 1st beat of bar two. Then, continue looping your original two-note rhythmic segment over bar two. And once again you’ll be left with a 1/16 note open at the end, but this time, draw in a 1/16 note there. And that concludes your two-bar rhythm, so you can now loop it over bars three and four.
Step 2 - Magic
Right, now you’re gonna assign three pitches to your rhythm. Let’s use the root note (F), the ♭2 (G♭), and the ♭7 (E♭). And here’s how you’re gonna create your contour: start on the root, then go up, then go back to the root, and then go down. And to make it even more interesting, play the highest and lowest notes twice every time you get to them. So in other words, you’re gonna start with one F, then go up to two G♭s, then back down to one F, and then down to two E♭s. Keep this pattern going for the whole two-bar rhythm. And that is your first bass line. Now, here’s where the magic drops. In bars three and four, you’re gonna turn that contour upside down. So, you’re gonna start with one F, then go down to two E♭s, then back up to one F, and then up to two G♭s. Keep this pattern going for the whole two-bar rhythm. And that is your second bass line. Now, let’s keep this between the three of us, but here’s how this magic trick works. Your listeners will perceive these two bass lines as being the same, because of their shared rhythm and pitches. However, their different contours will prevent them from getting boring. Boom!
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 400+ apprentices from 40+ 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
LEARN
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 the pioneering notation-free method for making great music that stands out, so you can get discovered! Taught by award-winning music lecturer Ray Harmony, and his protégé (and 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
© 2018 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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Magic Hack for Better Bass Lines - Music Theory from Karma Fields “An Underground System of Forgotten Machines”
A great bass line is not only the music’s foundation, it’s also what gets the party started! But, it takes a very repetitive rhythm to get people moving. So in this video, you’ll learn a magic hack for writing bass lines that move people, without boring them. But first…
A quick announcement. Our Black Friday sale is pumping all weekend long (23-26 November 2018), so head on over to our Online Course page and our Books + PDFs page to grab 40% off everything - yes, all our PDFs, our book “Hack Music Theory, Part 1”, and our bestseller, the online Apprenticeship course, which has been called “life-changing” numerous times! So, are you ready to take your music to new heights? Then get involved now. But first… tea!
Hello revolutionaries, 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 get discovered! If that sounds useful to you, then subscribe to our YouTube channel and hit that bell to get notified every Saturday, when we publish our new video. Alright, it’s time to open your DAW to hack music theory.
THEORY
In Karma Fields’ new track “An Underground System of Forgotten Machines” that just dropped yesterday, the bass line gets your head bobbing before the end of bar one, literally. How? Well, he uses a very clever hack that allows him to deliver the maximum dose of repetition, because the variation is disguised as repetition. Wait, what? Let me explain. He uses the shortest possible rhythmic segment (two notes), which he then repeats over two bars. Next, he assigns three pitches to this rhythm. Now, here’s where the magic happens. Most other producers would simply loop this two-bar bass line and call it a day, but not Karma Fields! He loops only the rhythm, then re-assigns the same pitches, but in a different order. Boom!
Step 1 - Repetition
Set up four bars of 4/4, with your grid set to 1/16 notes, and your tempo set to 97 BPM. Karma Fields uses the notes D♯, E and F for his main bass line. So we’re gonna do something similar, but a little different: we’ll use F as our root note, and Phrygian as our mode. And on that note (or mode), if you need help understanding the modes, then check out the modes hack in our Songwriting & Producing PDF (click & scroll down), which contains all our top music making hacks as well! But if you need help with the basics first, then read our free book on scales and chords (free download below). Alright, so start by creating a short rhythmic segment, using one 1/8 note and one 1/16 note, in whichever order you want. Next, loop those two notes over bar one. You’ll be left with a 1/16 note open at the end, and that’s where you throw in a couple 1/8 notes to change things up a bit as you head into bar two. This also creates an awesome syncopation, as you don’t play the 1st beat of bar two. Then, continue looping your original two-note rhythmic segment over bar two. And once again you’ll be left with a 1/16 note open at the end, but this time, draw in a 1/16 note there. And that concludes your two-bar rhythm, so you can now loop it over bars three and four.
Step 2 - Magic
Right, now you’re gonna assign three pitches to your rhythm. Let’s use the root note (F), the ♭2 (G♭), and the ♭7 (E♭). And here’s how you’re gonna create your contour: start on the root, then go up, then go back to the root, and then go down. And to make it even more interesting, play the highest and lowest notes twice every time you get to them. So in other words, you’re gonna start with one F, then go up to two G♭s, then back down to one F, and then down to two E♭s. Keep this pattern going for the whole two-bar rhythm. And that is your first bass line. Now, here’s where the magic drops. In bars three and four, you’re gonna turn that contour upside down. So, you’re gonna start with one F, then go down to two E♭s, then back up to one F, and then up to two G♭s. Keep this pattern going for the whole two-bar rhythm. And that is your second bass line. Now, let’s keep this between the three of us, but here’s how this magic trick works. Your listeners will perceive these two bass lines as being the same, because of their shared rhythm and pitches. However, their different contours will prevent them from getting boring. Boom!
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 all those two 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 400+ apprentices from 40+ 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
LEARN
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 the pioneering notation-free method for making great music that stands out, so you can get discovered! Taught by award-winning music lecturer Ray Harmony, and his protégé (and 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
© 2018 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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DOWNLOAD FREE BOOK
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November 17, 2018
How to Write Lush Strings - Music Theory from deadmau5 “Drama Free” feat. Lights (mau5ville level 2)
Strings are amazing, right? They can literally be added to any song in any genre, and they instantly inject an atmosphere that no other instrument can create. So, how do you write a lush string section. Easy, you just watch this video. But first… tea!
Hello revolutionaries, 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 get discovered! If that sounds useful to you, then subscribe to our YouTube channel and hit that bell to get notified every Saturday, when we publish our new video. Alright, it’s time to open your DAW to hack music theory.
THEORY
In deadmau5’s new track “Drama Free” (feat. Lights) that just dropped yesterday, the party pumps for just over a minute, before you’re suddenly whisked away to a beautiful land of strings. This lush detour lasts about 40 seconds, then you’re safely returned to the beat, perfectly highlighting how strings are totally at home in any genre. So, to create lush strings like deadmau5, you need to write a minor key chord progression (which includes the relative major key’s root chord), then add extensions for depth, anticipations for tension, and motifs for memorability. We’ll show you how, next.
Step 1 - Chords
Set up eight bars of 4/4, with your grid set to 1/4 notes, and your tempo set to 92 BPM. “Drama Free” is in the key of C♯ minor, so we’ll use it too. Right, first things first, you need a chord progression. So, choose a few chords from C♯ minor that you like the sound of, and play each chord for one bar. And if you wanna repeat chords, or play one chord over two bars, that’s all good, just be sure to play the root chord (C♯m) in your first bar, and the relative major key’s root chord (Emaj) in your fifth bar. Now, once you’ve chosen your chords, draw in their root notes at the bottom. This will form the bass melody for your string section. And while we’re on this topic, lush strings tend to be written in four parts, which create four melodic layers. So, as you’re writing your string section, pay attention to what each layer sounds like as a melody on its own. For example, this layer is the cello part, and you wanna make sure your cellists have a beautiful melody to play, so they’re just as happy as your violinists are up top!
Step 2 - Extensions
While you’re building up the remaining three parts on top of your bass melody, be sure to extend your chords beyond triads, like here, where we added a 2 to the Bmaj triad, creating the extended chord: Bmaj(add9).
Step 3 - Anticipations
An anticipation is when you anticipate a note from the next chord, by playing that note before the chord actually comes in. We’ve used a bunch of anticipations in this string section. For example, here we anticipate F♯ from the upcoming Bmaj(add9) chord. Anticipations are so easy yet so effective in creating a brief and beautiful tension, which resolves as soon as the chord changes. Speaking of tension. deadmau5 switches from natural minor to harmonic minor to create even more tension. So, if you wanna do the same, use B♯ somewhere (like we did here). And yes, it’s B♯ not C. If you wanna know why sometimes we use a different name for the same note, then read Hack 7 in our free book, which you can download below. It only takes about 30 minutes to read, and you’ll gain a super solid foundation in scales, triads, relative keys, and much more!
Step 4 - Motifs
A motif is a short musical idea, which you can reuse to give your music structure and make it more memorable. And by now, your string section will already have a few motifs, you just need to go hunting for ‘em! We found a good few motifs. For example, this descending line with anticipations (which we reused here), and this kinda quick semitone movement (which we reused right afterwards).
NEXT
Right, now that you’ve got one section down, how do you write a new section for it, and then, how do you transition between those two sections? 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 400+ apprentices from 40+ 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
LEARN
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 the pioneering notation-free method for making great music that stands out, so you can get discovered! Taught by award-winning music lecturer Ray Harmony, and his protégé (and 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!).
(c) 2018 Revolution Harmony
All words and music in video by Revolution Harmony
Revolution Harmony is Ray Harmony & Kate Harmony
Photo of deadmau5 courtesy of MasterClass.com
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