Hand-picked
Featured Lessons
This is a hand-picked batch of some of my favorite lessons.
12 lessons
43 Music Theory Concepts Every Modern Composer Should Master
The complete music theory roadmap for self-taught musicians: 43 concepts in the exact order to learn them, from the musical alphabet to writing full songs.
Hemiola: What It Is and Writing Funky Jams With It
What hemiola really means (the 3:2 ratio), the vertical, horizontal and 3/4-over-6/8 kinds, and a funky B Dorian jam built from a horizontal hemiola.
Making Music with Pascal's Triangle + The Locrian Scale
The seventh and final episode - using algorithmic sequences to create music with the most challenging mode. Part 7 of the Riffing with Modes series.
The Mario Cadence: How To Use These 3 Majestic Chords
The Mario cadence — I-bVI-bVII-I — is a striking modal mixture progression heard in Super Mario Bros, "I Am the Walrus" by The Beatles, and Seal's "Kiss From A Rose." Learn how to write with it.
The SMART Way To Think About Chord Names and Labels
Learn the simple, consistent system behind all chord labels in modern music. Memorize just 5 default chords and build any chord from there.
How to Write Harmonies for Guitar, Piano, and Vocals
Learn to write harmony lines like Boston, The Eagles, and Iron Maiden. Explore diatonic thirds, sixths, fourths, and fifths to create rich harmonized melodies.
How to Sound Like Daft Punk, Tool, or Every Rock Band
Three different styles from funk to metal to acoustic rock using Minor/Aeolian. Part 6 of the Riffing with Modes series.
Playing In Every Mode with ONE Tiny Scale Shape
Instead of learning thousands of scale shapes, learn how to use the ones you already have! This lesson demonstrates how the minor pentatonic shape can be used to play in all 7 modes by simply changing your root note.
2 Indian Rhythm Exercises (Konnakol) That Will Destroy You
Two konnakol exercises from Indian Carnatic music - reductive threes and speeding fives over a steady pulse - and how they turn into music, with Ben Levin.
Famous Chords With Weird Nicknames (And How To Write Music With Them)
Some chords are so famous and popular they got their own name. Learn several of them, like the Neapolitan Chord, the Augmented Sixth Chord, the Backdoor Chord, Cadential 6/4, and more. Then try writing music with these popular chords.
Diminished 7th Chord = PORTAL to 8 Tonalities
Discover how diminished 7th chords act as symmetrical portals to multiple keys. Learn how any note can be the root and use this to modulate to 8 different tonalities.
Demonstrating All 7 Modes in Parallel
Building the modes in parallel (starting from the same root) allows you to see and hear the differences. Learn each mode's unique identity so you can easily identify it when you hear it and use it effectively in your own music.