As with most things in life, writing a great vocal melody is all about balance: Balancing harmonic and non-harmonic notes, balancing small and large melodic intervals, balancing short and long note values, and so on…

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Jennifer from Vancouver emailed us with this question: “I’m new to producing, and I’m trying to learn more about bass and how it works, cuz the way I’m doing it now is sounding really boring. You know when you…

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What makes a great vocal? Well, it used to be two elements: Melody & Performance. However, as I’m sure you already know, nowadays most vocal recordings are edited using Auto-Tune or Melodyne, which corrects the pitch and rhythm…

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Alex from Montreal asked the following question in the comments of our Hack-A-Hit video on The Chainsmokers: “In your other videos you emphasized always starting your modes on their root chords, because that gives the listener a…

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How to Write a Chord Progression
in the Dorian Mode

 

The video above is from our Songwriting & Producing Course. If you wanna make Dorian music, this course is for you. In 12 step-by-step videos, you'll learn our essential…

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Jared from the States emailed us with this question: “I used the blues scale to make a bass synth line. I really love it, but I can’t seem to add chords to it. I’m getting REALLY frustrated!!!! Can you…

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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… Read more

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…

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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…

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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…

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Damian from Birmingham, England emailed us with this question: “I’ve watched all your videos and learnt so much already, thank you. I kinda get the idea of numbering notes, but I’m not sure how the numbers with flats work.… Read more

How do write an epic riff that’s so tasty it sounds just as good on a guitar as it does on a synth? Easy, just follow these three music theory hacks:

Step 1: Start with the root note of…

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Roland from Germany emailed us and asked: “I really love the blues scale, it's so juicy and funky for writing bass lines. But if I've got it right, you can only make a blues scale out of a minor…

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Follow this simple step-by-step Hack Music Theory guide for writing great bass lines!

Step 1: Start with the root note of each chord in your chord progression
If you’re working in a digital audio workstation (DAW), then copy…

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Sara Sky from Vancouver Island, Canada asks: “How does theory relate to expressing different emotions in a composition?” Wow, what an awesome question, thank you Sara! And what a perfect topic to kick off our Q&A Tuesdays…

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How do you go from a blank canvas to a great chord progression in half an hour? Easy, just follow these six steps.

Step 1: Choose the scale/mode that reflects what you're feeling
In this video lesson we chose…

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Hello, we are Kate Harmony and Ray Harmony, AKA Revolution Harmony, and we're over the moon happy to introduce to you... the HACK MUSIC THEORY show!

Every Thursday (which you must please refer to as Theory Thursday from this…

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