Ray Harmony's Blog, page 5

How to Write a Mysterious Melody • Music Theory from John Williams "Harry Potter" theme

 

How to Write a Mysterious Melody
Using the Chromatic Scale

 

 

The epitome of a mysterious and magical melody is the Harry Potter theme (titled “Prologue” on the soundtrack album) by legendary film composer, John Williams.

 

This melody is overflowing with mystery and magic for a few reasons, all of which you’ll learn in this PDF, but the main reason is: chromaticism. That’s just the fancy word for using notes that are not in the scale. While this technique is (sadly) rare in popular music, it’s common in classical and soundtrack music.

 

However, John Williams elevates his chromaticism in the Harry Potter theme with an additional technique, which you’ll also learn in this tutorial. For now though, it’s sufficient to know that the chromaticism found in this melody is not your average run-of-the-mill chromaticism, this is very special.

 

Whatever genre you make music in*, if you want to learn how to convey mystery and magic through a melody, you can learn everything you need to know from John Williams. So, inspired by the Harry Potter theme, in this PDF you’ll learn our 6-step method for writing mysterious melodies. But first… Tea!

 

*Like all the Hack Music Theory teachings, the method in this tutorial will work in any genre.

 

 

Step 1. Diatonic

 

First things first. Before we can play notes that are not in the scale, we need a scale. Remember though, no matter what scale you’re using, you can always add chromatic notes to your melody. And by the way, another word for chromatic is non-diatonic (notes in the key are diatonic, notes outside the key are non-diatonic).

 

So, while the Harry Potter theme is rooted in the natural minor scale, after you’ve worked through this PDF, you can follow the method again but in another scale/mode. For this example, though, we’ll be using the E natural minor scale:

 

E Natural Minor Scale

1

2

♭3

4

5

♭6

♭7

E

F♯

G

A

B

C

D

 

 

Set your DAW’s time signature to 3|8 and the tempo to about 90 BPM. As the original recording was played by an orchestra (not a computer), the tempo varies a lot due to the musicians’ expressive performance. After you’ve written your melody, revisit your tempo and try some faster or slower BPMs to see if that better suits your specific melody.

 

Next, create a 16-bar loop on your melody track. That sounds like a super long melody, but it’s not really, because each bar is only three 1/8 notes long. So the length of this melody will be the equivalent of six bars of 4|4.

 

Regarding the virtual instrument to load up on this track. John Williams uses a celesta, which is a beautiful instrument, but rather rare. If you don’t have a celesta in your library, as we don’t, then you can use a vibraphone, which is what we used. Or you can use a vintage organ, an electric piano, or even a regular piano. Obviously the more mysterious (i.e. the less common) your instrument, the more mysterious your final music will sound, so try to at least find something unusual.

 

 

Step 2. Chromatic

 

Walls have ears, so please make sure nobody’s listening in, because we’re about to talk about those mysterious and magical chromatic notes. Shhh…

 

For the rest of the tutorial, please buy the PDF. Supporting our work helps us to keep teaching. Thank you :)

 

 

Download PDF Tutorial  

 

 

 

Lastly, are you new to music theory? Or are you experienced, but you want a refresher? Then download our FREE BOOK (link opens in new tab). It only takes 30 minutes to read, then you’ll have a solid theory foundation that you can instantly apply to your songwriting and producing. Enjoy!

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Ray Harmony
Multi award-winning college lecturer

 

 

How to Write a Technical Drum Beat • Music Theory from TesseracT "Natural Disaster"

 

How to Write a
Technical Drum Beat

 

If you’ve been in the Hack Music Theory family for a while, you’ll know we love technical drum beats! And there probably ain’t nothin’ more tech’ than polymeters*. While polymeters were relatively popular with those bold “modern classical” composers of the early 20th century, they haven’t been used much since then.

 

And yes, over the last few decades there have been a few rare examples of polymeters in popular music. But, it wasn’t until a group of hairy Swedes with exceptional talent (otherwise known as Meshuggah) came along and re-popularised the polymeter. What made Meshuggah’s polymeters unique, though, is their genius idea of having their drummer’s hands (snare & cymbals) play in 4|4 as the one time signature, while his feet (kick) play in an odd time signature, like 17|16. The genius of the Meshuggah method is that listeners can nod (or mosh) along to the 4|4 time signature, while the odd time signature slithers around unpredictably. The brilliance of this can’t be overstated. They created a way to play in odd time while the audience dances in 4|4.

 

To get an idea of how weird odd time signatures sound without this method, listen to “March of the Pigs” by Nine Inch Nails. They alternate three bars of 7|8 with one bar of 4|4. And while we love this song, you have to have a relatively high level of music theory knowledge just to be able to dance along to it. That’s obviously not ideal for the average listener. Also, 7|8 isn’t even that weird. Meshuggah uses far weirder time signatures! But, because they’re playing them against 4|4, you can dance along.

 

Meshuggah’s method has become a favourite for prog/tech bands over the last couple decades, and TesseracT are one of them. Their new album “War of Being” kicks off with a great polymeter (in the track “Natural Disaster”) which finds them adding a few creative twists to Meshuggah’s method. So, inspired by “Natural Disaster”, here’s our 6-step method for making technical polymetric drum beats. But first… Tea!

 

*If you’re new to polymeters, it’s the term for playing in two (or more) time signatures simultaneously.

 

 

Download PDF Tutorial  

 

 

Lastly, are you new to music theory? Or are you experienced, but you want a refresher? Then download our FREE BOOK (link opens in new tab). It only takes 30 minutes to read, then you’ll have a solid theory foundation that you can instantly apply to your songwriting and producing. Enjoy!

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Ray Harmony
Multi award-winning college lecturer

 

 

How to Write a Prog Melody • Music Theory from Steven Wilson "Impossible Tightrope"

 

How to Write a Prog Melodyusing the Major-Minor scale, aka Mixolydian ♭6

 

There aren’t many melodies that stand out nowadays. In an era where most musicians are trying to sound like the popular musicians in their genre, the result is a narrowing of musical territory. This should shock the world, as artists have historically been the brave explorers boldly trekking into unmapped cultural regions. These days, though, most “artists” tend to be copycats playing it safe, doing everything in their power (and AI’s power) to stay within the narrow boundaries of what the masses deem acceptable. The result is not art, but product.

 

It only requires a cursory glance in the rearview mirror to see that the artists who stand the test of time are the ones who bring something new to the table. To be clear, the artist’s job is not to reinvent the musical wheel (like Arnold Schoenberg did). But, every human has a slightly different way of seeing the world, and art is supposed to be a way for the artist to capture and share their unique worldview.

 

One of the rare artists who still takes his job description seriously is prog rock legend Steven Wilson. Regardless of what you think of his music (or him as a person), and regardless of whether you love or hate his band Porcupine Tree, huge respect is owed to the man for sticking to the artist’s brief. Steven Wilson’s music is not groundbreaking, but it always sounds like Steven Wilson’s music, not someone else’s. Yet he continues to mature and explore new musical ground (for him). A recent example of this is his new single “Impossible Tightrope” from upcoming album “The Harmony Codex”. And what a great name for an album, right?

 

At 5:46 into the epic 10-minute song, there’s a section where the bass and drums play a captivatingly syncopated groove, while Steven sings a beautifully strange melody over the top. This melody instantly stands out, as the scale is not a normal scale. The first time I heard this section, I knew I had to share it with you. So, in this PDF you’ll learn this beautifully strange scale, and our 6-step method for using it to write a prog melody. But first… Tea!

 

 

Download PDF Tutorial
 

 

 

Lastly, are you new to music theory? Or are you experienced, but you want a refresher? Then download our FREE BOOK (link opens in new tab). It only takes 30 minutes to read, then you’ll have a solid theory foundation that you can instantly apply to your songwriting and producing. Enjoy!

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Ray Harmony
Multi award-winning college lecturer

 

How to Write an Octatonic Riff • Music Theory from Ministry "Goddamn White Trash"

 

How to Write an Octatonic RiffUsing the Half-Whole Diminished Scale

 

 

Almost all popular music (in every genre and subgenre) is made using the major scale or the natural minor scale. That’s a vast ocean of music from only two scales! And yes, some of the more creative producers will use the modes. That’s great. But, the modes are also 7-note scales (just like the major and natural minor scales).

 

And, like those two scales, they also contain a major 3rd or a minor 3rd. In other words, each one of the five rarer modes sound either like a variation of the major scale, or a variation of the natural minor scale. So yes, the Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian and Locian modes open a lot more doors, however, they all lead into the same 7-note house.

 

For the record, Mozart had no problems writing genius-level music using only the major and minor scales, so there’s obviously nothing wrong with using those scales. But, as a counter argument, there was significantly less music when Mozart was alive. Nowadays, it can easily feel like all the possibilities that those two scales offer have been thoroughly explored already. I don’t believe that’s true, though it’s undeniable that it is significantly harder to create something new with those scales.

 

So, if you’re looking to explore some new musical territory, one of the best ways to get there is with 8-note scales. These are called octatonic scales. They were relatively common in the “modern” classical music of the early 20th century, but you hardly ever hear them in popular music. One of our favourite examples of an octatonic scale in popular music is in the song “I Am That Thirst” by Meshuggah. And another song we recently heard that features an octatonic scale is “Goddamn White Trash” by Ministry. They use it in a heavy breakdown riff (starts at 2:03).

 

So, if you’re ready to try the exciting world of 8-note scales, then in this tutorial you’re gonna learn our 5-step method for writing octatonic riffs. But first… Tea!

 

 

Download PDF Tutorial
 

 

 

Lastly, are you new to music theory? Or are you experienced, but you want a refresher? Then download our FREE BOOK (link opens in new tab). It only takes 30 minutes to read, then you’ll have a solid theory foundation that you can instantly apply to your songwriting and producing. Enjoy!

Ray Harmony
Multi award-winning college lecturer

 

 

How to Write a Beautiful Melody • Music Theory from Swedish House Mafia "Ray Of Solar"

 

How to Write a Beautiful Melody

 

There are 7 elements that create a beautiful melody. In our new PDF tutorial (link below), you'll learn what they are and how to use them!

 

When I recently heard “Ray Of Solar” by Swedish House Mafia on Spotify’s “New Music Friday” playlist, the song’s beauty jumped out at me from amongst the almost 150 tracks that all seem to be sounding more and more alike each week.

 

And for the record, while I’ve heard the name Swedish House Mafia, I don’t think I’d ever listened to them before. In fact, I don’t even know if they’re from Sweden. I mean, you’d think the electronic duo Boards of Canada are from Canada, right? Wrong. They’re from Scotland! What?! Yep, it’s true. But I digress… So, despite not being a Swedish House Mafia fan, the beauty of this song is undeniable. And as a result, we’ve ended up in the rare situation of making two tutorials on the same song.

 

In last week’s tutorial BEAUTIFUL ARPEGGIOS (PDF) we taught our 6-step method for making a beautiful chord progression like you hear in “Ray Of Solar”. In this tutorial, inspired by the same section, you’ll learn our 7-step method for writing a beautiful melody.

 

And no, you don’t need to have done the previous tutorial, this one is completely independent. If you have, though, then you can write a melody for the beautiful arpeggios you made from that tutorial. Alright, download the PDF at the link below, then read on to learn the music theory hacks that create this undeniable beauty, and how you can use them to write your own beautiful melody. But first… Tea!

 

 

Download PDF Tutorial
 

 

 

Lastly, are you new to music theory? Or are you experienced, but you want a refresher? Then download our FREE BOOK (link opens in new tab). It only takes 30 minutes to read, then you’ll have a solid theory foundation that you can instantly apply to your songwriting and producing. Enjoy!

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Ray Harmony
Multi award-winning college lecturer

 

How to Write Beautiful Arpeggios • Music Theory from Swedish House Mafia "Ray Of Solar"

 

How to Write Beautiful Arpeggios

 

If you play all the notes of a chord simultaneously, you’ll create an instant emotion in your listener. This is a powerful technique, and the most common way to play chords. While allowing a chord to unfold and reveal its emotion one note at a time is arguably less powerful, in the right context, it can be even more beautiful.

 

One such context is the new single “Ray Of Solar” by Swedish House Mafia. I’ll be honest, I don’t think I’ve ever listened to Swedish House Mafia before, and I don’t know anything about them, but when I was going through the new releases on Spotify, this song instantly stood out thanks to its beautiful arpeggio intro.

 

And yes, arpeggios are widely used, but they’re almost always boring. Most producers clearly don’t know how to be creative with arpeggios. And as Swedish House Mafia uses so many clever hacks to make their arpeggios creative, we simply had to share them with you. So, inspired by “Ray Of Solar”, here’s our 6-step method for writing beautiful arpeggios that will definitely stand out. But first… Tea!

 

 

Download PDF Tutorial
 

 

 

Lastly, are you new to music theory? Or are you experienced, but you want a refresher? Then download our FREE BOOK (link opens in new tab). It only takes 30 minutes to read, then you’ll have a solid theory foundation that you can instantly apply to your songwriting and producing. Enjoy!

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Ray Harmony
Multi award-winning college lecturer

 

 

How to Write a Melodic Bass Drop • Music Theory from Grabbitz "Hero"

 

How to Write a Melodic Bass Drop

 

 

EDM producers didn’t invent the bass drop, but it’s easy to argue they perfected it!

Having said that, though, the bass drop has long since gone stale. After becoming so popular, it was sadly turned into a formulaic cliché. However, every now and then a creative producer comes along with a fresh angle. The recent single “Hero” by Grabbitz (who’s probably my favourite EDM producer), contains an exciting example of this. At 57 seconds into the track, he drops an absolute beauty!

So, inspired by Grabbitz, here’s our 5-step method for making melodic bass drops. But first… Tea!

 

 

Access Tutorial
available on Producer tier

 

 

Lastly, are you new to music theory? Or are you experienced, but you want a refresher? Then download our FREE BOOK (link opens in new tab). It only takes 30 minutes to read, then you’ll have a solid theory foundation that you can instantly apply to your songwriting and producing. Enjoy!

[image error]

Ray Harmony
Multi award-winning college lecturer

 

How to Write a Rhythmic CHORD Progression • Music Theory from Maribou State "Midas"

 

How to Write a Rhythmic CHORD Progression

 

One of the most common mistakes producers make when writing chord progressions is focusing exclusively on the notes (i.e. the harmony). Now, it obviously goes without saying that the notes are a vital ingredient in chord progressions, however, another vital ingredient that is often ignored is rhythm.

 

As a result of this widespread oversight, it’s normal to hear chord progressions that are entirely lacking in vital energy. This lack is more obvious in certain genres than others, but the problem most certainly occurs in all genres.

 

British electronic duo Maribou State has a great example of what a lively chord progression sounds like. You can hear it in their song “Midas”. It’s a super chill track and the chords are not at all dominant, yet they’re full of vital energy.

 

So regardless of whether you want to write something uptempo or something chill, the 3-step method in this tutorial (inspired by Maribou State “Midas”) will guide you through making a chord progression that’s full of life, by using a creative rhythm, inversions, add chords, and 7th chords. But first… Tea!

 

 

Access Tutorial
available on Producer tier

 

 

Lastly, are you new to music theory? Or are you experienced, but you want a refresher? Then download our FREE BOOK (link opens in new tab). It only takes 30 minutes to read, then you’ll have a solid theory foundation that you can instantly apply to your songwriting and producing. Enjoy!

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Ray Harmony
Multi award-winning college lecturer

 

How to Write "Peaceful Piano" Music • Music Theory from Ludovico Einaudi "Experience"

 

How to Write "Peaceful Piano" Music

 

I’m just old enough that I got in my Grade 1 to 12 school years before computers and the internet took over. If you’re a Gen X like me, and there wasn’t a computer in your school building either, then our schooling experience was pretty much the same as our grandfathers’ schooling experiences in their youth. How crazy is that?!

 

And the deeper you go back into the past, the longer those stretches of time are where nothing changed. Fast forward to today, and robots are making music and cars are driving themselves! It’s not surprising that there’s a tidal wave of nostalgia sweeping industrialised countries. People are desperate to find anything that can lessen the unpredictable nature of this relentlessly-changing modern world.

 

For most people, an unpredictable world causes anxiety. And the opposite is true too: A predictable world causes calm. It’s totally understandable that this desperate desire to find some predictability in our world has resulted in “Peaceful Piano” being one of the most popular playlists on Spotify. Every track on this playlist creates a predictable musical environment, which counterbalances all the change.

 

If you’ve been in the Hack Music Theory family for a while, you’ll probably be amused right now, as I’ve spent decades teaching people how to make music that’s not predictable haha! Well, my views on music have evolved over the decades, and I now see (and hear) the benefit of well-written predictable music. For the record though, I don’t mean the manufactured “content” that makes up most of the new releases every week, I’m talking about artistic music that’s predictable, like Mozart.

 

One of the most popular composers in the Peaceful Piano “genre”, who’s been paving the minimal path since the mid-90s, is the Italian pianist and composer Ludovico Einaudi.

 

So, inspired by “Experience”, one of Einaudi’s most popular songs, here’s our 5-step method for writing “Peaceful Piano” music. But first… Tea!

 

 

Access Tutorial
available to all subscribers

 

 

Lastly, are you new to music theory? Or are you experienced, but you want a refresher? Then download our FREE BOOK (link opens in new tab). It only takes 30 minutes to read, then you’ll have a solid theory foundation that you can instantly apply to your songwriting and producing. Enjoy!

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Ray Harmony
Multi award-winning college lecturer

 

How to Write in 2 Modes Simultaneously • Music Theory from The Brooks "Pain & Bliss"

 

How to Write in 2 Modes Simultaneously

 

Humans are walking paradoxes! You know those times when you’re feeling two contradicting emotions at the same time? Like when you’re in a difficult situation but you feel hopeful about the future, while simultaneously doubting your own optimism. How on earth would you reflect those contradicting feelings in music?

 

As we cover in our Songwriting & Producing PDF, each mode conveys a general emotion. Feeling optimistic in a difficult situation would be well represented by the Dorian mode, which is the natural minor scale* with a major 6th (i.e. the cloud’s silver lining). Cancelling out that optimism with doubt would revert back to the natural minor scale, where the cloud doesn’t have a silver lining.

 

So you may be thinking now that it can’t be too difficult to write something using the Dorian mode then switch to the Aeolian mode. And you’re right, that’s not difficult. However, using one mode first and then moving into the other one, does not reflect the paradox of feeling both of the contradicting emotions simultaneously.

 

But you can’t use two modes at the same time, can you? Yes my friend, yes you can!

 

This is where things get juicy. Are you ready? Right, so in the title-track of their album “Pain & Bliss”, The Brooks play in both the Dorian and Aeolian modes at the same time. The guitar plays in Dorian while the bass simultaneously plays in Aeolian. It’s awesome!

 

So, inspired by this great song, here’s our 6-step method for writing music in two modes that will be played at the same time. But first… Tea!

 

*Natural minor scale is another name for the Aeolian mode.

 

 

Access Tutorial
available on Producer tier

 

 

Lastly, are you new to music theory? Or are you experienced, but you want a refresher? Then download our FREE BOOK (link opens in new tab). It only takes 30 minutes to read, then you’ll have a solid theory foundation that you can instantly apply to your songwriting and producing. Enjoy!

[image error]

Ray Harmony
Multi award-winning college lecturer