Songwriting

Write better songs with deep music theory knowledge. Learn from popular hit songs and enhance your repertoire of building blocks for your songwriting.

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

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".

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

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.

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…

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Songwriting

The 251 turnaround (aka ii-V-I)

The 251 turnaround is one of the most common chord progression in jazz and pop music. This mini course teaches you its practical applications for songwriting and improvising alike.

Songwriting

Kokomo (Beach Boys) - Analysis

Analyzing a harmonically rich Beach Boys song recently resurfaced through the Netflix series Space Force. Learn the use of plagal cadences and secondary dominants.

Songwriting

Man in the Mirror (Michael Jackson) – Song Analysis

Learn from the music theory in Michael Jackson's "Man in the Mirror". Understand the chord progressions to use the same tricks in your own songwriting.

Songwriting

Can’t Stop The Feeling (Justin Timberlake) 2/2 – Song Analysis

Learn the songwriting tricks and music theory used in Justin Timberlake's hit song. This is the final part of the 2-part series.

Songwriting

Can’t Stop The Feeling (Justin Timberlake) 1/2 – Song Analysis

Learn the songwriting tricks and music theory used in Justin Timberlake's hit song.

Songwriting

Blank Space (Taylor Swift) – Song Analysis

Understand the music theory behind the hit song Blank Space. Learn tricks for your own songwriting.

Songwriting

Hotline Bling (Drake) - Analysis

Learn the music theory in Hotline Bling: lydian chords, harmonic rhythm, emotional subdominants, tension & resolution and more.