Sweet Child O’ Mine: More Than A Riff

Everybody knows the riff. That is not the mystery. The real question is why “Sweet Child O’ Mine” keeps working after the riff, after the first verse, after the chorus, after the solo – and why the whole thing feels so satisfying even though the ingredients are not absurdly complicated. A

How Brian May Makes a Ballad Hurt: The Harmony of “Too Much Love Will Kill You”

If you’ve ever wondered how a “simple” ballad can hit like a freight train, Brian May’s "Too Much Love Will Kill You" is your masterclass. Not because it’s harmonically flashy in a jazz-nerd way, but because it’s harmonically honest. Every move is doing

My Heart Will Go On — The Power Ballad That Sailed Across Oceans

When you think of ultimate movie ballads, “My Heart Will Go On” almost certainly tops the list. From the opening flute solo to Celine Dion’s soaring vocals, it’s a masterclass in building emotional arcs through clever songwriting choices. But there’s more happening under the hood than meets

The Musical Magic of “Stand by Me”

“Stand by Me,” originally performed by Ben E. King, is a timeless classic that has resonated with audiences for decades. Its enduring appeal lies not only in its heartfelt lyrics but also in its deceptively simple yet powerful musical composition. In this blog post, we’ll look at the music

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chords

Can’t Fight This Feeling — Unpacking an 80s Power Ballad Masterpiece

Ever notice how some 80s ballads just grab you from the very first second? REO Speedwagon’s “Can’t Fight This Feeling” is one of those songs.

chords

Is “Blinding Lights” in Two Keys at Once? Let’s Break It Down

Ever get that feeling a track is straight out of a time machine? That’s exactly the vibe that “Blinding Lights” by The Weekend projects. But there’s an invisible trick beneath the shiny production and driving beat

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Songwriting

The Minor Plagal Cadence in Adele’s song “Make You Feel My Love”

Songwriting

Modal Interchange in Radiohead's "Creep"

Explore the music theory behind Radiohead’s “Creep” and discover how modal interchange enhances its emotional depth. Delve into the intriguing use of non-diatonic chords B and Cm in the key of G major, revealing the techniques that make this song a timeless classic.

Songwriting

Relative minor and secondary dominants in Hallelujah by Jeff Buckley

Discover the music theory behind Jeff Buckley’s rendition of “Hallelujah.” Learn how the use of relative minor chords and secondary dominants creates a reluctant, bittersweet feeling. See how these harmonic tools shape the song’s emotion and how you can use them in your own compositions.

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Songwriting

Unlocking the Secrets of Modern Music: Analyzing the Top 5 Chord Progressions for Songwriters

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Songwriting

Unusual Chord Progressions You Need to Know

Improvise

Relative minor blues pentatonic over major (soloing trick #37)

Discover a versatile soloing trick to instantly elevate your playing. Learn how using the relative minor blues pentatonic scale over major chord progressions can make your solos sound more professional by avoiding scale running. Transform your improvisation and focus on creativity.

Songwriting

Ballad intro I-VI-ii-V – great for songs in major

As a musician and songwriter, expanding your repertoire of intros and outros is essential. Discover a beautiful ballad intro using the I-VI-ii-V chord progression, perfect for songs in a major key. Learn how to use arpeggios and altered chords to create a captivating start to your music.

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Songwriting

A great intro for ballad songs

Every musician and songwriter needs a bunch of intros and outros for songs. Whether you tag them onto your own compositions or use them when covering other musician’s songs, well crafted intros and outros make a performance much more sophisticated.

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Songwriting

The magic of the major 7 in ABBA's Dancing Queen

The 7th scale degree in a major key is magic! We often use it to make the tonic chord sound very lush and sophisticated. But the 7th also a wonderful melodic choice that can make a song iconic. A good example of this is ABBA's classic hit song "Dancing Queen".

Business

Is ABBA the future of music?

This year the legendary band ABBA will be back on stage! But although they'll perform a few new songs, they won't actually be on stage! Their avatars will perform live. Is this a glimpse of the future of live music? What is ABBA Voyage? ABBA could

Songwriting

How Songwriters Manage Their Creative Energy with Flow

We songwriters heavily depend on our creative energy. Professional songwriters know how to use the concept of flow to their advantage. This article helps you to enter a state of flow more often.

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Songwriting

How to create dark, eerie and foreboding moods with the Phrygian mode

If you want to create a dark and eerie mood in your music, the Phrygian mode is an awesome music theory tool to get the job done. This old mode has been used for intercession and lament in churches from the Middle Ages on and it certainly hasn‘t lost

Reharmonize

From Simple to Complex Harmony using Secondary Dominants

An important music theory tool for songwriters, composers and musicians in general is the secondary dominant. This tool alone can turn a boring chord progression into a masterpiece or number one hit song. I invite you to join me on a journey of pimping a simple chord progression and turning

Questions

Parallel or Relative minor?

Music theory can be confusing. Relative & parallel – which is which? And why is "p" the symbol for "relative"? Learn about the interesting backstory here.

Getting Started

Relative Minor and Parallel Minor EXPLAINED

Understanding the concept of relative and parallel keys is a must for any decent musician. Relative minor? Parallel major? These music theory terms are a lot easier than they might seem. Let's learn about relative and parallel keys now.

Reharmonize

Reharmonizing Stand by Me (by Ben E. King)

Learn several approaches to reharmonizing this classic song. You can use the techniques I explain for any other song as well.

Songwriting Featured

How a one-note melody became a number one hit

How to turn a one-note melody into a Billboard number one hit? Learn the music theory Toto used in their song Africa. We'll talk about one-note melodies, common chords and expectation vs. deception.

Questions

What is the longest musical chord name?

Did you ever think about the longest chord symbol you could write in music?

Songwriting

How many songs should an album have?

Many artists are wondering about how many songs they should put on their album — 10? 13? 21? 3? Read my advice in this article…