How to Write Captivating Bass
Using Displacements for Variations

Download Tutorial as PDF
includes MIDI + WAV file examples

Do you ever write a bass line (or synth/guitar riff) that you love, but after a few loops it gets boring?…

How to Write a
Memorable Bass Line
using modal ambiguity

Yes, your lead melody is important. But a great bass line has the power to make or break a section. Despite that fact, though, most producers approach their bass as…

How to Write Haunting Arpeggios
using parallel keys and borrowed chords

Danny Elfman’s theme song for the Netflix show Wednesday (officially called “Wednesday Main Titles” on the soundtrack album) is utterly brilliant! It’s just over one minute, but the amount…

How to Write a Suspenseful Melody
using Bitonality, AKA playing in two keys simultaneously

The dictionary definition of suspenseful is “causing a feeling of excitement or nervousness because you are waiting for something to happen”.

That perfectly describes the intro…

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…

How to Write a Prog Melody

using 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…

How to Write an Octatonic Riff

Using 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…

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…

How to Write a Mixolydian MELODY

Music in a major key is uplifting, but the downside is that it often sounds childlike.

This is because the major scale is the most predictable scale. Predictable things are comforting and reassuring, so…

How to Write Locrian BASS Lines

Step 1. Basic

Set up four bars with an 1/8 note grid, and your tempo at 97 BPM. You’re gonna start by writing a basic bass line that plays every 1/8 note. This creates…

How to Write a Standout MELODY

Step 1. First Impressions

There are many ways to write a standout melody, but it’s difficult to improve on the method PJ Harvey uses in her new single “A Child’s Question, August”. That’s because…

How to Write a Locrian RIFF

FREE: Download This Tutorial as PDF
Includes multitrack MIDI example

Step 1. Octaves

Set your grid to 1/16 notes and your tempo to 97 BPM. You’re gonna start by writing a creative pattern using…

How to Write a Catchy MELODY

FREE: Download This Tutorial as PDF

Includes multitrack MIDI example

Step 1. Scale

There are two types of catchy melodies: annoyingly repetitive ones you can’t stop singing but actually hate, and awesome ones that…

How to Write a Lydian MELODY

FREE: Download This Tutorial as PDF

Includes multitrack MIDI example

Simple music can be great music. Depeche Mode’s lead single “Ghosts Again” from their new album “Memento Mori” is proof. It has a well-written …

How to Write a Bass Line like Gorillaz "New Gold"

In the new Gorillaz single “New Gold”, there’s a music theory secret that makes their song feel totally different to the other new releases out this week. That’s what you’ll…

How to Write a Bass Line like Red Hot Chili Peppers "Tippa My Tongue"

In the new Red Hot Chili Peppers single “Tippa My Tongue”, there’s a ridiculously funky variation of the blues scale, which we’re calling the RHCP scale…

Meshuggah Hack for Better Djent Riffs

In this lesson you'll learn how to improve your Djent riffs using a hack from Meshuggah "I Am That Thirst", which is off their new album "Immutable". But first… Tea!

Hello revolutionary music makers…

Chord Flow Rule

DOWNLOAD This Tutorial as PDF (includes MIDI file)

In this lesson you’ll learn a common fault that many songwriters and producers make when writing chord progressions. More importantly, though, you’ll learn our theory hack for quickly and…

Melody Range Rule

In this lesson you’ll learn a common fault that many songwriters and producers make when writing melodies. More importantly, though, you’ll learn our theory hack for quickly and easily fixing this fault. But first… Tea!

Hello revolutionary…

4-Step Hack for Dark Bass Lines

In this lesson you’ll learn a simple 4-step hack for writing dark and dissonant bass lines. We invite you to work along with us through the following steps, so by the end of this…

How to Write Chillout Chord Progressions

In this tutorial you'll learn how to write chord progressions for the Covid-19 era (and beyond), using our 6-step success formula. But first… Tea!

Hello revolutionary music makers, we are Kate and Ray Harmony…

3 music theory hacks to make your music stand out, so you can get discovered!

Hello revolutionary music makers, we are Kate Harmony and Ray Harmony (AKA Revolution Harmony), and welcome to Hack Music Theory. We help you make great…

Learn how to write a melody for an epic chorus, by using a music theory hack from Leprous “Alleviate” (off their new album “Pitfalls”).

Hello revolutionary music makers, we are Kate Harmony and Ray Harmony (AKA Revolution Harmony), and…

Learn how to write a chord progression for an epic chorus, by using a music theory hack from Leprous “Alleviate” (off new album “Pitfalls”).

Hello revolutionary music makers, we are Kate Harmony and Ray Harmony (AKA Revolution Harmony), and…

Halloween is coming! And with horror movies and TV shows flooding Netflix, it’s the perfect time to learn how to write spooky and scary soundtrack music like the creepy new American Horror Story 1984 theme song.

Hello revolutionary music makers…