Ray Harmony's Blog, page 32

How to Start a Chord Progression

Today on 3-Minute Theory: How to start writing a chord progression.

The first thing you need to decide is whether you want a happy vibe (AKA major), or a sad vibe (AKA minor). You’ve got three options on both sides, and these options are called the modes. There is an extra seventh mode, but it’s very dissonant and is not really used in popular music that much, so we’re gonna forget about it for now.

Next up, the “white note hack”. Use only the white notes to make your chord progressions, because it’s super simple, and if you do need to move your chord progressions up or down into a different key later, you can just grab all the MIDI and move it. Easy!

MAJOR (happy) modes:
Now, if you want happy vibes, draw the chord C E G into the piano roll of your DAW. This is our happy (major) chord. The way we build chords is by playing a note, skipping the next note up, then playing the next note, and so on. Start your chord progression on C, if you want a straight-up happy sound. This is the Ionian mode (AKA the major scale). Now, grab that MIDI chord and move it to F. If you want a happy but quirky sound to your chord progression, start on F. This is the Lydian mode. Grab that MIDI chord again and move it to G. If you want a happy but serious sound to your chord progression, start on G. This is the Mixolydian mode. Those are your three major options.

MINOR (sad) modes:
Now, if you want sad vibes, draw the chord A C E into your piano roll. This is our sad (minor) chord. Start on A if you want a straight-up sad or serious sound to your chord progression. This is the Aeolian mode (AKA the natural minor scale). Grab that MIDI chord and move it to D. If you want a sad but hopeful sound to your chord progression, start on D. This is the Dorian mode. Grab that MIDI chord again and move it to E. If you want a dark sound to your chord progression, start on E. This is the Phrygian mode. Those are your three minor options.

For an example, let’s just start on D, for the sad but hopeful Dorian mode. We’ve only got the first chord in the mode now, so we still need to get the other six chords. To do this, we just start on each of the white notes and follow that play/skip/play/skip/play formula to build all the chords in that mode. Here are the chords in D Dorian: D F A / E G B / F A C / G B D / A C E / B D F / C E G.

Now, no matter what mode you’re using in this white note hack, I want you to find the B D F chord and delete it, because it’s really dissonant. It’s a diminished triad, and is not used in popular music that much, so for now we’re just gonna get rid of it. Okay, so these are the six chords that you can use to make your chord progression. You can use as many or as few as you want. Be sure to start on that first chord (for now) so it really anchors your chord progression to its mode.

If you want to go deeper into writing the modes and writing chord progressions using them, please check out my Hack Music Theory for Songwriting & Producing PDF. Thanks for reading, and happy songwriting!

Ray :)

PS. Have you downloaded my free music theory book yet?

012 | How to Start a Chord Progression

Today on 3-Minute Theory: How to start writing a chord progression.

The first thing you need to decide is whether you want a happy vibe (AKA major), or a sad vibe (AKA minor). You’ve got three options on both sides, and these options are called the modes. There is an extra seventh mode, but it’s very dissonant and is not really used in popular music that much, so we’re gonna forget about it for now.

Next up, the “white note hack”. Use only the white notes to make your chord progressions, because it’s super simple, and if you do need to move your chord progressions up or down into a different key later, you can just grab all the MIDI and move it. Easy!

MAJOR (happy) modes:
Now, if you want happy vibes, draw the chord C E G into the piano roll of your DAW. This is our happy (major) chord. The way we build chords is by playing a note, skipping the next note up, then playing the next note, and so on. Start your chord progression on C, if you want a straight-up happy sound. This is the Ionian mode (AKA the major scale). Now, grab that MIDI chord and move it to F. If you want a happy but quirky sound to your chord progression, start on F. This is the Lydian mode. Grab that MIDI chord again and move it to G. If you want a happy but serious sound to your chord progression, start on G. This is the Mixolydian mode. Those are your three major options.

MINOR (sad) modes:
Now, if you want sad vibes, draw the chord A C E into your piano roll. This is our sad (minor) chord. Start on A if you want a straight-up sad or serious sound to your chord progression. This is the Aeolian mode (AKA the natural minor scale). Grab that MIDI chord and move it to D. If you want a sad but hopeful sound to your chord progression, start on D. This is the Dorian mode. Grab that MIDI chord again and move it to E. If you want a dark sound to your chord progression, start on E. This is the Phrygian mode. Those are your three minor options.

For an example, let’s just start on D, for the sad but hopeful Dorian mode. We’ve only got the first chord in the mode now, so we still need to get the other six chords. To do this, we just start on each of the white notes and follow that play/skip/play/skip/play formula to build all the chords in that mode. Here are the chords in D Dorian: D F A / E G B / F A C / G B D / A C E / B D F / C E G.

Now, no matter what mode you’re using in this white note hack, I want you to find the B D F chord and delete it, because it’s really dissonant. It’s a diminished triad, and is not used in popular music that much, so for now we’re just gonna get rid of it. Okay, so these are the six chords that you can use to make your chord progression. You can use as many or as few as you want. Be sure to start on that first chord (for now) so it really anchors your chord progression to its mode.

If you want to go deeper into writing the modes and writing chord progressions using them, please check out my Hack Music Theory for Songwriting & Producing PDF. Thanks for reading, and happy songwriting!

Ray :)

PS. Have you downloaded my free music theory book yet?

3-Minute Theory: Hacks for Busy People

Do you get frustrated while making music? Do you battle to finish songs you start? Do they all sound the same, anyway? Do your chord progressions and melodies never turn out as good as you’d hoped? Do you listen to other people’s music and wish it was your own? Do you get confused about what theory is relevant for today’s music?

If you answered, “Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, and yes”, then you’re not alone, as most musicians in the popular music world have these exact same struggles.

This is because popular music theory education is an unregulated mess, with everyone and their cat sharing incorrect information on the internet. So, as an award-winning college lecturer, author and journalist, specialising in music theory and composition, I’ve made it my life’s mission to create a trusted, simple and fun online source for popular music theory.

I know, I know, I hear ya! “That’s all fine and dandy and everything, Ray, but I’m busy all day every day, so when the hell am I supposed to find the time to learn music theory?” Well, if you’re kind enough to give me three minutes of your time, I’ll give you three decades of my music theory knowledge. Does that sound like a good deal?

Yep, in a mere three minutes per video, I’ll guide you step-by-step through the music theory hacks behind my top-secret songwriting methods, putting an end to your frustration, writer’s block and insecurities once and for all. Right about now, I’d usually be saying put the kettle on, make a cup of tea and settle in, but we’ll be done before the water’s even boiled. Welcome to our new series, 3-Minute Theory.

Ray :)

PS. Have you downloaded our free music theory book yet?

011 | 3-Minute Theory: Hacks for Busy People

Do you get frustrated while making music? Do you battle to finish songs you start? Do they all sound the same, anyway? Do your chord progressions and melodies never turn out as good as you’d hoped? Do you listen to other people’s music and wish it was your own? Do you get confused about what theory is relevant for today’s music?

If you answered, “Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, and yes”, then you’re not alone, as most musicians in the popular music world have these exact same struggles.

This is because popular music theory education is an unregulated mess, with everyone and their cat sharing incorrect information on the internet. So, as an award-winning college lecturer, author and journalist, specialising in music theory and composition, I’ve made it my life’s mission to create a trusted, simple and fun online source for popular music theory.

I know, I know, I hear ya! “That’s all fine and dandy and everything, Ray, but I’m busy all day every day, so when the hell am I supposed to find the time to learn music theory?” Well, if you’re kind enough to give me three minutes of your time, I’ll give you three decades of my music theory knowledge. Does that sound like a good deal?

Yep, in a mere three minutes per video, I’ll guide you step-by-step through the music theory hacks behind my top-secret songwriting methods, putting an end to your frustration, writer’s block and insecurities once and for all. Right about now, I’d usually be saying put the kettle on, make a cup of tea and settle in, but we’ll be done before the water’s even boiled. Welcome to our new series, 3-Minute Theory.

Ray :)

PS. Have you downloaded our free music theory book yet?

Introduction to Modes and How to Use Them

Alan from Portland, Oregon emailed us and asked: “I understand the major and minor scales, and I use them in my tracks all the time, but I don’t understand the modes. I know they’re like scales, but I don’t get what the difference is, and I don’t really get why they’re useful either. Sorry that’s more than one question, but I hope you can still help me.” Thank you, Alan. Yes of course we can and will help you, that’s what we’re here for! There’s actually two great questions here, but I’m still gonna give you a one-sentence answer, so here it is:

While modes and scales have slightly different histories, the terms are practically interchangeable in popular music today, besides, the modes are merely scales that convey different emotions by starting on different degrees of the major scale formula.

Now, let’s talk and play through the modes and their emotions. When you play all the white notes from C to C (i.e. C D E F G A B C), you get the major scale, which sounds happy. And, when you play all the white notes from A to A (i.e. A B C D E F G A), you get the natural minor scale, which sounds sad. These are relative scales, as they share the exact same notes, but start in different places and create different emotions. This is one of the greatest magic tricks in music theory, and an awesome songwriting hack, as it allows you to tap into totally different emotions without changing any notes. For more on relatives, please read chapter five of our free book: 12 Music Theory Hacks to Learn Scales & Chords.

You probably noticed that there are five other notes in the major scale that we could also start on (i.e. the 2, 3, 4, 5, and 7), which would create five other scales with five other emotions. These five other scales are known as the modes. And this is where the confusion between scales and modes comes from, because the two scales we use all the time in popular music, the major and natural minor scales, are also modes. They are merely two modes in a family of seven. So, in order to truly express ourselves as songwriters, we need to treat all the modes as equal relatives.

The two modes that we refer to as the major and natural minor scales are the most normal sounding of the seven modes, so predictably they became the most popular, which resulted in the other five modes being pretty much forgotten in popular music. But, because the other five modes are almost never used in songs these days, if you want your music to instantly stand out from everyone else’s, just use these “forgotten” modes.

Please note that you must always secure the five forgotten modes to their respective root notes, in order to create their unique emotions. Otherwise, your listeners may perceive your mode as the relative major or relative natural minor scale, because we’re all so used to hearing those two modes. The best way to secure a mode to its root note is to emphasize it in some way, like starting your chord progression on the root triad. In the following examples, I’ll secure each mode to its root note by playing the root in my left hand. So, here are all seven modes, their names, and their unique emotions:

The white notes from C to C create the Ionian mode (AKA the major scale), which sounds happy
The white notes from D to D create the Dorian mode, which sounds sad but hopeful
The white notes from E to E create the Phrygian mode, which sounds dark
The white notes from F to F create the Lydian mode, which sounds uplifting but quirky
The white notes from G to G create the Mixolydian mode, which sounds happy but serious
The white notes from A to A create the Aeolian mode (AKA the natural minor scale), which sounds sad
The white notes from B to B create the Locrian mode, which sounds evil (and is a favourite of metal bands)

So that’s my answer! Thanks for reading. Now, here’s an exercise for you: Choose one of the five “forgotten” modes. Write a melody or chord progression that expresses a more complex core emotion than just happy or sad. Then, play it to a friend and ask them how it makes them feel. Did you tap into a more complex emotion? Please let us know how it goes in the comments below, and if you’d like to learn more about modes and how to use them, check out our Hack Music Theory for Songwriting & Producing PDF.

Do you feel a little bit smarter now than you did a few minutes ago? Then please subscribe so we can do it all again next week! And if you have a question you’d like us to answer here on Q&A Tuesday, please comment below or connect with us.

Kate :)

PS. Have you downloaded our free music theory book yet?

010 | Introduction to Modes and How to Use Them

Alan from Portland, Oregon emailed us and asked: “I understand the major and minor scales, and I use them in my tracks all the time, but I don’t understand the modes. I know they’re like scales, but I don’t get what the difference is, and I don’t really get why they’re useful either. Sorry that’s more than one question, but I hope you can still help me.” Thank you, Alan. Yes of course we can and will help you, that’s what we’re here for! There’s actually two great questions here, but I’m still gonna give you a one-sentence answer, so here it is:

While modes and scales have slightly different histories, the terms are practically interchangeable in popular music today, besides, the modes are merely scales that convey different emotions by starting on different degrees of the major scale formula.

Now, let’s talk and play through the modes and their emotions. When you play all the white notes from C to C (i.e. C D E F G A B C), you get the major scale, which sounds happy. And, when you play all the white notes from A to A (i.e. A B C D E F G A), you get the natural minor scale, which sounds sad. These are relative scales, as they share the exact same notes, but start in different places and create different emotions. This is one of the greatest magic tricks in music theory, and an awesome songwriting hack, as it allows you to tap into totally different emotions without changing any notes. For more on relatives, please read chapter five of our free book: 12 Music Theory Hacks to Learn Scales & Chords.

You probably noticed that there are five other notes in the major scale that we could also start on (i.e. the 2, 3, 4, 5, and 7), which would create five other scales with five other emotions. These five other scales are known as the modes. And this is where the confusion between scales and modes comes from, because the two scales we use all the time in popular music, the major and natural minor scales, are also modes. They are merely two modes in a family of seven. So, in order to truly express ourselves as songwriters, we need to treat all the modes as equal relatives.

The two modes that we refer to as the major and natural minor scales are the most normal sounding of the seven modes, so predictably they became the most popular, which resulted in the other five modes being pretty much forgotten in popular music. But, because the other five modes are almost never used in songs these days, if you want your music to instantly stand out from everyone else’s, just use these “forgotten” modes.

Please note that you must always secure the five forgotten modes to their respective root notes, in order to create their unique emotions. Otherwise, your listeners may perceive your mode as the relative major or relative natural minor scale, because we’re all so used to hearing those two modes. The best way to secure a mode to its root note is to emphasize it in some way, like starting your chord progression on the root triad. In the following examples, I’ll secure each mode to its root note by playing the root in my left hand. So, here are all seven modes, their names, and their unique emotions:

The white notes from C to C create the Ionian mode (AKA the major scale), which sounds happy
The white notes from D to D create the Dorian mode, which sounds sad but hopeful
The white notes from E to E create the Phrygian mode, which sounds dark
The white notes from F to F create the Lydian mode, which sounds uplifting but quirky
The white notes from G to G create the Mixolydian mode, which sounds happy but serious
The white notes from A to A create the Aeolian mode (AKA the natural minor scale), which sounds sad
The white notes from B to B create the Locrian mode, which sounds evil (and is a favourite of metal bands)

So that’s my answer! Thanks for reading. Now, here’s an exercise for you: Choose one of the five “forgotten” modes. Write a melody or chord progression that expresses a more complex core emotion than just happy or sad. Then, play it to a friend and ask them how it makes them feel. Did you tap into a more complex emotion? Please let us know how it goes in the comments below, and if you’d like to learn more about modes and how to use them, check out our Hack Music Theory for Songwriting & Producing PDF.

Do you feel a little bit smarter now than you did a few minutes ago? Then please subscribe so we can do it all again next week! And if you have a question you’d like us to answer here on Q&A Tuesday, please comment below or connect with us.

Kate :)

PS. Have you downloaded our free music theory book yet?

The Chainsmokers – Hack the Music Theory in "Closer" & "Something Just Like This"

Discover the go-to chord progression that The Chainsmokers use in their hit-making formula!

When The Chainsmokers' brand new Coldplay collaboration "Something Just Like This" came out two weeks ago, did you notice that it sounds just like their smash hit from last year, "Closer"? Well, that's because they use the exact same chord progression and the exact same harmonic rhythm (i.e. when the chords change), in both these songs. Before I expose the music theory behind The Chainsmokers hit factory, be sure to subscribe if you wanna stay bang up-to-date on 2017’s hottest music theory trends!

Right, without further ado, here's their secret formula: ♭VImaj(add9) → ♭VIImaj → Im7 → ♭VIImaj

They're in the key of F minor (and not A♭ major, as Wikipedia is incorrectly informing the world!), so therefore the actual chords they're using are: D♭maj(add9) → E♭maj → Fm7 → E♭maj. Check out the MIDI piano roll below for the notes in each chord:

[image error]

Why is this chord progression so popular? There's a few reasons for this. First, it starts on a maj(add9) chord, which is always instantly lovable, as major is happy and adding the 9 (i.e. 2nd note) makes the chord sound super dreamy. Second, you hear two happy major chords before the first minor arrives, and people like feeling happy. Third, the one common note on top of every chord makes the changes flow and keeps every chord sounding familiar, but therefore predictable. Fourth, it slowly climbs up to the root chord Fm7, so by the time the root finally arrives, it feels rather satisfying, but predictable. Fifth, the last chord is actually the second chord repeated, which makes this chord progression even more predictable.

Do you see a pattern forming? This, my revolutionary music-making friends, is always the downfall of hits. For a song to become a hit, it needs to be predictable, but people get really really sick of hearing a predictable song after a few months. The insanely short shelf-life of hits is the sacrifice these hit factories make when they're chasing hits. Is that sacrifice worth it to you? The fact that you're here reading a music theory blog tells me that you want more, you want to learn the language of music so you can make artistic songs that will not expire after a few months. I salute you for that!

And on that note, watch the video above to find out how this chord progression can be improved in order to extend its longevity into the decades, then use this approach for your own music, and it will be both popular and long-lasting.

As always, please feel free to connect or comment below, I read all messages. Thank you sincerely for your time, your open mind, and your dedication to the art of music. Happy songwriting!

Ray :)

PS. Have you downloaded our free music theory book yet?

009 | The Chainsmokers – Hack the Music Theory in "Closer" & "Something Just Like This"

Discover the go-to chord progression that The Chainsmokers use in their hit-making formula!

When The Chainsmokers' brand new Coldplay collaboration "Something Just Like This" came out two weeks ago, did you notice that it sounds just like their smash hit from last year, "Closer"? Well, that's because they use the exact same chord progression and the exact same harmonic rhythm (i.e. when the chords change), in both these songs. Before I expose the music theory behind The Chainsmokers hit factory, be sure to subscribe if you wanna stay bang up-to-date on 2017’s hottest music theory trends!

Right, without further ado, here's their secret formula: ♭VImaj(add9) → ♭VIImaj → Im7 → ♭VIImaj

They're in the key of F minor (and not A♭ major, as Wikipedia is incorrectly informing the world!), so therefore the actual chords they're using are: D♭maj(add9) → E♭maj → Fm7 → E♭maj. Check out the MIDI piano roll below for the notes in each chord:

[image error]

Why is this chord progression so popular? There's a few reasons for this. First, it starts on a maj(add9) chord, which is always instantly lovable, as major is happy and adding the 9 (i.e. 2nd note) makes the chord sound super dreamy. Second, you hear two happy major chords before the first minor arrives, and people like feeling happy. Third, the one common note on top of every chord makes the changes flow and keeps every chord sounding familiar, but therefore predictable. Fourth, it slowly climbs up to the root chord Fm7, so by the time the root finally arrives, it feels rather satisfying, but predictable. Fifth, the last chord is actually the second chord repeated, which makes this chord progression even more predictable.

Do you see a pattern forming? This, my revolutionary music-making friends, is always the downfall of hits. For a song to become a hit, it needs to be predictable, but people get really really sick of hearing a predictable song after a few months. The insanely short shelf-life of hits is the sacrifice these hit factories make when they're chasing hits. Is that sacrifice worth it to you? The fact that you're here reading a music theory blog tells me that you want more, you want to learn the language of music so you can make artistic songs that will not expire after a few months. I salute you for that!

And on that note, watch the video above to find out how this chord progression can be improved in order to extend its longevity into the decades, then use this approach for your own music, and it will be both popular and long-lasting.

As always, please feel free to connect or comment below, I read all messages. Thank you sincerely for your time, your open mind, and your dedication to the art of music. Happy songwriting!

Ray :)

PS. Have you downloaded our free music theory book yet?

Hack the Hits on the Hack Music Theory show

Welcome to the Hack Music Theory show! I’m Ray Harmony, and I’m pumped to announce our brand new series, Hack-A-Hit, where I will expose the hottest music theory trends behind the latest hits.

Hack-A-Hit was inspired by John Seabrook’s masterpiece of a book The Song Machine: Inside the Hit Factory (buy it and read it right now, it'll blow your mind!), which exposes the process and intentions behind making hits, but not the actual music theory itself. So that’s exactly what I’m going to do in Hack-A-Hit.

Hits are sonic drugs, designed to give you a three-and-a-half-minute trip that instantly hooks you. But, in order to achieve this, they rely heavily on extreme simplicity, and extreme repetition of that extreme simplicity. This results in the lifespan of hits usually being no more than a few weeks or months, because after that, everyone’s sick of hearing them!

In Hack-A-Hit, I will expose the music theory tricks behind these hits, so you can use them, too. But more importantly, I will reveal the songwriting hacks that would extend these hits’ lifespans into the decades. Apply these tricks and hacks to your own music, and your songs will stand the test of time!

First up, I’ll be hacking The Chainsmokers’ favourite chord progression, which they used in both “Closer” and “Something Just Like This” (their brand new single with Coldplay). So, if you wanna stay bang up-to-date on 2017’s hottest music theory trends, subscribe now!

Ray :)

PS. Have you downloaded our free music theory book yet?

008 | Hack the Hits on the Hack Music Theory show

Welcome to the Hack Music Theory show! I’m Ray Harmony, and I’m pumped to announce our brand new series, Hack-A-Hit, where I will expose the hottest music theory trends behind the latest hits.

Hack-A-Hit was inspired by John Seabrook’s masterpiece of a book The Song Machine: Inside the Hit Factory (buy it and read it right now, it'll blow your mind!), which exposes the process and intentions behind making hits, but not the actual music theory itself. So that’s exactly what I’m going to do in Hack-A-Hit.

Hits are sonic drugs, designed to give you a three-and-a-half-minute trip that instantly hooks you. But, in order to achieve this, they rely heavily on extreme simplicity, and extreme repetition of that extreme simplicity. This results in the lifespan of hits usually being no more than a few weeks or months, because after that, everyone’s sick of hearing them!

In Hack-A-Hit, I will expose the music theory tricks behind these hits, so you can use them, too. But more importantly, I will reveal the songwriting hacks that would extend these hits’ lifespans into the decades. Apply these tricks and hacks to your own music, and your songs will stand the test of time!

First up, I’ll be hacking The Chainsmokers’ favourite chord progression, which they used in both “Closer” and “Something Just Like This” (their brand new single with Coldplay). So, if you wanna stay bang up-to-date on 2017’s hottest music theory trends, subscribe now!

Ray :)

PS. Have you downloaded our free music theory book yet?