No matter what genre you make music in, you can easily funk up your bass lines, which will get people moving to your music. So in this video, you’ll learn how to apply four essential funk elements to your bass lines. But first… tea!

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 music that stands out, so you can move and grow your audience! If that sounds useful to you, then subscribe to our YouTube channel and hit that bell to get notified every Thursday, when we publish our new video. Alright, let’s jump in...

THEORY
Local Vancouver band FIVE ALARM FUNK just dropped their new single “Wake the Funk Up” feat. Leo P (Too Many Zooz), and it’s one helluva funky tune! All the funk essentials are here: Every beat 1 has a funk flashlight shining on it, there’s enough syncopation to make any dancefloor get on up, the ♭7 is tearing the roof off the sucker, and the song takes you on a chromatic rollercoaster. By the way, chromatic (AKA non-diatonic) refers to notes that are not in the scale. Now, always remember that funk is an attitude, not a genre, so any time you wanna get the party started with a bass line, use these four funk essentials:

1. Accent beat 1 in every bar
2. Syncopate almost everything else
3. Use the ♭7 everywhere you can
4. Seal the deal with chromatic notes

SETUP
Alright, now you’re gonna learn how to use this theory to make your own version, and what you see on the screen right now is our version that we made earlier. So, start by setting up eight bars of 4/4, with your grid set to 1/16 notes, and your tempo set to 116 BPM. “Wake the Funk Up” is in E♭ Dorian with a bunch of chromatic notes, but we’ll be using E (instead of E♭), as it has a smaller key signature so it’s easier for learning. 

STEP 1. THE ONE
As James Brown famously requested from Bootsy Collins back in the day: If you gimme the one, son, then you can play whatever you want for the rest of the bar. So, make sure you play beat 1 of every bar. We alternated between playing the low root on beat 1, then switching it up with a higher note on beat 1 of every other bar.

STEP 2. THE SCALE
The funkiest bass lines often use the blues scale, which is simply the pentatonic minor scale with the ♭5 added in. So, while the horns will be playing in E Dorian, the bass will be playing in E Blues. This scale combo is a funk favourite! And yes, these two scales work perfectly together as their notes overlap (other than the ♭5, but, we’ll throw the ♭5 in the Dorian horns as well). Right, so E Blues contains the notes: E G A B♭ B♮ D, so you can use any of those notes in your bass line. And by the way, if you want our blues scale hack for funky bass lines, along with a MIDI file example, then that’s all included in our Songwriting & Producing PDF (click & scroll down).

STEP 3. SYNCOPATED MOTIF
Now, as you’ve given Mr Brown all the ones, you’re free to do whatever you want everywhere else. So, you’re gonna create a syncopated motif, which you can then repeat (and vary) to make your bass line. And if you’re new to those terms. Syncopation is when you accent an off-beat, and that injects energy into your groove. And a motif is a short musical idea, which you repeat to give your bass line structure and make it memorable. Our motif consists of a three-note descending line, where the last note is a syncopated 1/16 note. We then repeat our motif, starting on the note we ended on, to form a larger six-note motif. Right, now it’s time to create a motif in your second bar. And yes, you’re leaving the rest of your first bar open, cos space is essential in a funky bass line. And once you’ve created your motif, repeat it in your fourth bar with a variation. We varied our motif by playing it ascending. Next, repeat the original motif in your sixth bar, but add a couple notes. Also, throw in some extra notes at the end of your fourth bar and in your fifth bar. These extra notes start building the energy towards your big ending, which is coming up next.

STEP 4. CHROMATIC ENDING
Many great funk bass lines have a wild sound to them, which is often a result of venturing out of the scale. And the classic place to do this, is at the end of your line. This not only builds tension, it also prevents your bass line from becoming boring and predictable. So, in your eighth bar, you’re gonna write a melodic run that uses our old friend Syncopation, as well as our new friend Chromaticism. In Dorian, some funky favourites when it comes to chromatic notes are the 7 (especially when played between the ♭7 and the root), and the ♭2 (especially when played between the root and the 2 leading to the ♭3). Also, remember the funky ♭5, which you should use liberally throughout your bass line.

NEXT
Okay, so now that you’ve got one section down, how do you write the other sections? And then, how do you transition between all the sections (especially when they’re in different keys)? And then, how do you structure and arrange your song? Well, these are issues that many songwriters and producers struggle with, and that’s exactly why we made our online apprenticeship course. So, if you wanna overcome these obstacles once and for all, then our course is definitely for you!

Kate & Ray Harmony (AKA Revolution Harmony)
Music Teachers & Producers in Vancouver BC, Canada

LEVELS
Level 1 - Read our free book (below) & watch our YouTube videos
Level 2 - Read our "Part 1" book & "Songwriting & Producing" PDF
Level 3 - Practice making music using our lessons (PDF+MIDI+WAV)
Level 4 - Learn our secret art of song-whispering & finish your music

ABOUT
Hack Music Theory is a pioneering DAW method for making great music that stands out, so you can move and grow your audience! Taught by award-winning music lecturer Ray Harmony, and his protégé wife Kate Harmony, from their studio in Vancouver BC, Canada. Ray is the author of critically-acclaimed book series "Hack Music Theory", and has made music with Serj Tankian (System of a Down), Tom Morello (Rage Against the Machine), Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree), Devin Townsend (Strapping Young Lad), Ihsahn (Emperor), Kool Keith (Ultramagnetic MCs), Madchild (Swollen Members), and many more! Kate has the highest grade distinction in Popular Music Theory from the London College of Music, and is the only person on the planet who's been trained by Ray to teach his method. On that note, the "Hack Music Theory" YouTube channel teaches relevant and instantly-usable music theory for producers, DAW users, and all other music makers (songwriters, singers, guitarists, bassists, drummers, etc.) in all genres, from EDM to R&B, pop to hip-hop, reggae to rock, electronic to metal (and yes, we djefinitely djent!).

COPYRIGHT
© 2019 Revolution Harmony
Revolution Harmony is Ray Harmony & Kate Harmony
All content (script & music) in video by Revolution Harmony
Thumbnail photograph by Brendan Meadows

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What makes a great djent riff? Two things: the right notes, with the right polymeter. So in this video you’ll learn all that, plus you’ll learn how to make your riffs stand out by adding a second melody into the same riff. But first… tea!

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 music that stands out, so you can move and grow your audience! If that sounds useful to you, then subscribe to our YouTube channel and hit that bell to get notified every Thursday, when we publish our new video. Alright, let’s jump in...

THEORY
Prog metal legends PERIPHERY just dropped their new single “Garden in the Bones”, and it’s brilliant! This song is overflowing with stunning melodies, mesmerizing riffs, captivating polymeters, epic grooves, and the most massive chorus! “Garden in the Bones” launches directly into the first verse, which contains a slower polymetric riff with lots of rests. But, instead of playing it on one note (like so many djent riffs), or using super dissonant intervals (like so many other djent riffs), Periphery play a refreshingly consonant group of notes, which would be right at home in any popular music genre. Then, as if that’s not enough, when the second verse comes around, it’s not just a copy and paste of the first verse. No, it’s a continuation; the next chapter of an unfolding story. They achieve this by adding notes to the original riff, in place of the rests. This creates a 2-in-1 riff consisting of the original riff as the bass voice, and the new notes as a melody on top. 

SETUP
Alright, now you’re gonna learn how to use this theory to make your own version. So, start by setting up one bar of 15/4, with your grid set to 1/8 notes, and your tempo set to 135 BPM. Periphery use F♯ Dorian for their verses, so we’ll use it too.

STEP 1.  VERSE 1
First things first, F♯ Dorian consists of the notes: F♯ G♯ A B C♯ D♯ E, so you can use any of those notes in your riff. Now, start on the root note (F♯), then skip two 1/8 notes, and then play a note. Next, skip another two 1/8 notes, and then play two notes. Then do that again: skip two 1/8 notes, and then play two notes. And lastly, skip another two 1/8 notes, and then play one last note. When you’re choosing your notes, keep it simple (and keep it low), and think of them as an implied chord progression. Also, use a B somewhere, but more on that later. Right, now you have your 15/8 riff, so repeat it once to complete the bar of 15/4. Finally, add the root note (F♯) on beat 9. This is such a clever trick of Periphery’s, cos what that one extra note does, is ingeniously disguise the odd 15/8 time signature. You see, the root note is the home of your scale, so it’s the strongest note. And by playing the strongest note on beat 9, it pulls the ear back to that 1/4 note pulse (cos in 4/4, beat 9 is actually beat 1 of bar 3). Also, the drummer is playing 1/4 notes on his china cymbal, so that pulse is really powerful. And that pulse, along with the root note on beat 9, tricks the listener into feeling this as 4/4, right until the end of the riff where it’s finally revealed that there’s a 1/4 note missing (cos in four bars of 4/4 there are sixteen 1/4 notes, but here there are only fifteen). This polymeter makes the riff sound far simpler (and therefore more accessible) than it actually is. That’s very clever! So to sum up. The polymeter is occurring between the guitar and the drums. The guitar is playing two bars of 15/8 over the drums that are playing three bars of 4/4 and one bar of 3/4. This all adds up to one cycle of the polymeter, which is equal to one bar of 15/4.

STEP 2.  VERSE 2
Right, this is where things get extra tasty. You’re now gonna use the first verse riff as a bass voice, and you’re gonna add a new voice on top of it in place of all the rests. This creates a riff that can still be played on one guitar, but now it sounds like there’s two guitars playing, cos there are two melodies (one low, and one high). Okay, so remember in Step 1 we mentioned that you should think of the notes in your bass voice as an implied chord progression? Well now it’s time to flesh out that harmony. For example, Periphery’s second verse riff implies some dreamy add9 harmonies, so if you want that vibe as well, then be sure to play a 2 over a couple chords (e.g. over the implied F♯m, the 2 is G♯). And as you’re writing the high melody in your riff, be sure to play a D♯ over the B in your bass voice. Playing D♯ over B creates the unique Dorian sound, so without that D♯, you won’t get the sad-but-hopeful Dorian mood that we all love. And that’s why in Step 1, we said play a B. And by the way, if you wanna know everything you need to know about Dorian and the other modes, then download our Songwriting & Producing PDF.

NEXT
Okay, so now that you’ve got your first and second verses down, how do you write the other sections? And then, how do you transition between all the sections (especially when they’re in different keys)? And then, how do you structure and arrange your song? Well, these are issues that all songwriters and producers struggle with in the beginning, and that’s exactly why we made our online apprenticeship course. So, if you wanna overcome these obstacles once and for all, then our course is definitely for you!

Kate & Ray Harmony (AKA Revolution Harmony)
Music Teachers & Producers in Vancouver BC, Canada

LEVELS
Level 1 - Read our free book (below) & watch our YouTube videos
Level 2 - Read our "Part 1" book & "Songwriting & Producing" PDF
Level 3 - Practice making music using our lessons (PDF+MIDI+WAV)
Level 4 - Learn our secret art of song-whispering & finish your music

ABOUT
Hack Music Theory is a pioneering DAW method for making great music that stands out, so you can move and grow your audience! Taught by award-winning music lecturer Ray Harmony, and his protégé wife Kate Harmony, from their studio in Vancouver BC, Canada. Ray is the author of critically-acclaimed book series "Hack Music Theory", and has made music with Serj Tankian (System of a Down), Tom Morello (Rage Against the Machine), Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree), Devin Townsend (Strapping Young Lad), Ihsahn (Emperor), Kool Keith (Ultramagnetic MCs), Madchild (Swollen Members), and many more! Kate has the highest grade distinction in Popular Music Theory from the London College of Music, and is the only person on the planet who's been trained by Ray to teach his method. On that note, the "Hack Music Theory" YouTube channel teaches relevant and instantly-usable music theory for producers, DAW users, and all other music makers (songwriters, singers, guitarists, bassists, drummers, etc.) in all genres, from EDM to R&B, pop to hip-hop, reggae to rock, electronic to metal (and yes, we djefinitely djent!).

COPYRIGHT
© 2019 Revolution Harmony
Revolution Harmony is Ray Harmony & Kate Harmony
All content (script & music) in video by Revolution Harmony

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The piano is a universal instrument, so a great piano part will give your song a timeless feel. And in this lesson, you’ll learn how to write a beautiful piano chord progression and melody, which will stand the test of time. But first… tea!

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 music that stands out, so you can move and grow your audience! If that sounds useful to you, then subscribe to our YouTube channel and hit that bell to get notified every Thursday, when we publish our new video. Alright, let’s jump in...

THEORY
London rapper DAVE just dropped his new single “Black”, which is a goosebump-inducing song with one of the most sophisticated piano parts we’ve heard in the New Music Friday playlist in a very long time! What makes the piano part so good? Two things. First, the chord progression lasts for an epic 16 bars. This is extremely rare in today’s music, which usually consists of four-bar loops. Second, the chord progression switches back and forth between the natural minor (popular music’s favourite scale) and the harmonic minor, which creates a Classical flavour to the piano part as the harmonic minor is the quintessential Classical scale. And it’s this Classical vibe that adds a timeless feel and a musical weight to the song, which in turn makes Dave’s important lyrics even more powerful.

SETUP
Alright, now you’re gonna learn how to use this theory to make your own version, and what you see below is our version that we made earlier. So, start by setting up 16 bars of 4/4, with your grid set to 1/8 notes, and your tempo set to 84 BPM. Dave’s song is in the key of D minor, so we’ll use it too.

STEP 1.  LEFT HAND  (chords)
We’re gonna start with the left-hand part, which will simply play octaves of each chord’s root note. These octaves provide a minimal harmonic backdrop, which creates a more delicate sound than full chords. So, first things first, here’s the menu of chords in D minor that you can choose from: Dm, Edim, Fmaj, Gm, Am (or Amaj), B♭maj, Cmaj, C♯dim. Please note: the Amaj and C♯dim chords are from the harmonic minor. Choose whichever chords you like from the D minor menu, but approach your 16 bars as 4x four-bar chord progressions. And start each four-bar progression with the root chord (Dm), except for the last progression, which you wanna start with one of the major chords in the key, to provide an uplifting vibe to the end of your epic 16 bars. Lastly, the Cmaj to C♯dim movement has a magnetic pull to the Dm, so definitely use that progression somewhere.

STEP 2.  RIGHT HAND  (melody)
Right, it’s right-hand time, and that means melody! So, using 1/8 notes, come up with a motif (which is a short musical idea) over the Dm chord. Base your motif around the 2nd note (cos it’s a beautiful interval), and the 3rd note (cos it’s a deeply emotional interval) - over Dm the 2nd note is E, and the 3rd note is F. Then once you’ve got your motif, you can re-use it over the other chords (basing it around each chord’s 2nd and 3rd notes). Next, tie ‘em all together with some other notes, and be sure to use some arpeggios too, which is when you play a chord one note at a time. Also, throw in a few melodic variations to keep things fresh.

BONUS HACK  (intro)
Lastly, if you want a beautiful intro (like in Dave’s song), then use this hack. Set up four bars for your intro. Now, start on the root chord (Dm) and play it for two bars, then go to another chord and play it for two bars as well. You see, by playing each chord for two bars, instead of one bar or less (like in your verse), the harmony in your intro will move at half the speed. This is so powerful, cos when your verse kicks in, the harmony starts moving at double the speed, which makes everything feel like it’s totally ramping up.

NEXT
Okay, so now that you’ve got an intro and a verse, how do you write a chorus and a bridge? And then, how do you transition between all the sections, especially if they’re in different keys? And then, how do you structure and arrange your song? Well, all songwriters and producers struggle with these issues in the beginning, and that’s exactly why we made our online apprenticeship course. So, if you wanna overcome these obstacles once and for all, then our course is definitely for you!

Kate & Ray Harmony (AKA Revolution Harmony)
Music Teachers & Producers in Vancouver BC, Canada

LEVELS
Level 1 - Read our free book (below) & watch our YouTube videos
Level 2 - Read our "Part 1" book & "Songwriting & Producing" PDF
Level 3 - Practice making music using our lessons (PDF+MIDI+WAV)
Level 4 - Learn our secret art of song-whispering & finish your music

ABOUT
Hack Music Theory is a pioneering DAW method for making great music that stands out, so you can move and grow your audience! Taught by award-winning music lecturer Ray Harmony, and his protégé wife Kate Harmony, from their studio in Vancouver BC, Canada. Ray is the author of critically-acclaimed book series "Hack Music Theory", and has made music with Serj Tankian (System of a Down), Tom Morello (Rage Against the Machine), Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree), Devin Townsend (Strapping Young Lad), Ihsahn (Emperor), Kool Keith (Ultramagnetic MCs), Madchild (Swollen Members), and many more! Kate has the highest grade distinction in Popular Music Theory from the London College of Music, and is the only person on the planet who's been trained by Ray to teach his method. On that note, the "Hack Music Theory" YouTube channel teaches relevant and instantly-usable music theory for producers, DAW users, and all other music makers (songwriters, singers, guitarists, bassists, drummers, etc.) in all genres, from EDM to R&B, pop to hip-hop, reggae to rock, electronic to metal (and yes, we djefinitely djent!).

COPYRIGHT
© 2019 Revolution Harmony
Revolution Harmony is Ray Harmony & Kate Harmony
All content (script & music) in video by Revolution Harmony
Dave photo by Regina Lemaire-Costa

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Most popular music is made using the two most common western scales: the major, and the natural minor. So the best way to make your melodies stand out is to use a non-western scale (like the one we’ll reveal in this lesson). But first… tea!

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 music that stands out, so you can move and grow your audience! If that sounds useful to you, then subscribe to our YouTube channel and hit that bell to get notified every Thursday, when we publish our new video. Alright, let’s jump in...

THEORY
Italian-Iranian crossover group NAVA just dropped their new Persian-inspired electronic track “Ritual”. This song jumps out at you from the hundreds of new releases, because those were made using the major or minor scale, whereas this song was made using a non-western scale. This scale is common in the traditional music of many non-western countries, like Iran and India, but it’s exceptionally rare in the West. When we do use this scale though, we call it the Phrygian dominant (or Phrygian major), but it has many non-Western names that predate these. Now, there’s a couple characteristics that make this scale sound exotic (which we’ll get to in a minute), but the main characteristic is the combination of the ♭2 and the 3. For example, in C Phrygian dominant, to get that exotic sound, you need to play the ♭2 (D♭), the 3 (E), and obviously the root (C). On the other hand, if you want a melody that stands out but does not sound too exotic, then change the chord under the D♭ in your melody to a B♭m, for example. This results in your listeners not hearing the D♭ as a dissonant ♭2, but instead as a beautiful ♭3 in the context of that B♭m chord. This is actually the method we used in our Grime Bass lesson, so check out that PDF if you wanna learn how to use the Phrygian dominant in a Western style. You’ll love how versatile this scale is!

SETUP
Alright, now you’re gonna learn how to use this theory to make your own version, and what you see below is our version that we made earlier. So, start by setting up two bars of 4/4, with your grid set to 1/16 notes, and your tempo set to 120 BPM. NAVA uses C Phrygian dominant, so we’ll use it too.

STEP 1. THE SCALE
So, what notes are in this exotic scale? Well, in C Phrygian dominant, the notes are: C D♭ E F G A♭ B♭. Now as we mentioned earlier, there’s a couple reasons this scale sounds exotic to Western ears. Firstly, there’s a super rare three-semitone interval between adjacent degrees of the scale (D♭ and E), whereas in the standard Western scales and modes, there’s usually one or two semitones between the degrees. Having said that though, there is one relatively standard Western scale that does contain a three-semitone interval between adjacent degrees, but, you hardly ever hear it outside of classical music (and metal), so it’s super rare in popular music. The scale we’re talking about is the harmonic minor*, and we love it, cos it’s another great way to make your music stand out. In fact, we teach you how to make standout music using the harmonic minor scale (and its cousin, the melodic minor) in our online course Apprenticeship #1, where you’ll also learn how to write new sections for existing sections, how to transition between sections in different keys, and a bunch more! Now, the second reason Phrygian dominant sounds exotic to Western ears, is that it has a ♭2, which only occurs twice in the Western modes (in Phrygian and Locrian), so that’s already rare. But, that’s only half the story. Both Phrygian and Locrian are minor (i.e. they contain a ♭3), whereas Phrygian dominant is major (i.e. it contains a 3), and as you now know, that magic combination of ♭2 and 3 is exactly what makes this scale sound so exotic.

*The West actually came across the Phrygian dominant by starting on the 5th degree of the harmonic minor scale. Therefore, these two scales are related, which means they share the exact same notes, but have a different root. For more on relative scales, read Hack 5 in our free ebook.

STEP 2. THE MELODY
Right, now that you’re familiar with this exotic scale, it’s time to use it to write your melody. So, start your first phrase by playing the root note (C) to establish the home, then play around with all those beautiful semitone steps that naturally occur in this scale, in other words: C to D♭, E to F, and G to A♭. And for your melody’s second phrase, start on the root note again, but an octave higher this time (for variation, and to extend your melody’s range). Then, cascade down through the scale, perhaps ending with that exotic combo of ♭2 and 3. And for the rhythm of your melody, use a wide variety of note values to keep it fresh, and don’t be scared to throw in a 1/32 note for some extra spice. And if you need more help writing melodies, then use the Melody Checklist in our Songwriting & Producing PDF (click & scroll down), it’s the ultimate list of dos and don’ts for writing great melodies! Lastly, for maximum exoticness, we’re playing our melody over a bass line that’s inspired by a drone, which is when you play one note continuously. However, we added some other notes to our bass line, for extra interest (see MIDI file).

WANT MORE?
Right, now that you’ve got one section down, how do you write more sections for it, and then, how do you transition between those sections, and turn 'em into a song? Great questions, and if this is something you need help with, then check out our cutting-edge online apprenticeship course, where you’ll literally learn every step of the music making process, and most importantly, you’ll learn how to finish your songs! You’ll also gain access to our private network, which is a safe online space (i.e. social media platform) exclusively for our 600+ apprentices from 50+ countries. Our Network is a super supportive place for you to ask theory questions, share your music, get feedback, meet like-minded music makers, and collaborate! If all this sounds useful to you, then head on over to our Online Apprenticeship page now.

Kate & Ray Harmony (AKA Revolution Harmony)
Music Teachers & Producers in Vancouver BC, Canada

LEVELS
Level 1 - Read our free book (below) & watch our YouTube videos
Level 2 - Read our "Part 1" book & "Songwriting & Producing" PDF
Level 3 - Practice making music using our lessons (PDF+MIDI+WAV)
Level 4 - Learn our secret art of song-whispering & finish your music

ABOUT
Hack Music Theory is a pioneering DAW method for making great music that stands out, so you can move and grow your audience! Taught by award-winning music lecturer Ray Harmony, and his protégé wife Kate Harmony, from their studio in Vancouver BC, Canada. Ray is the author of critically-acclaimed book series "Hack Music Theory", and has made music with Serj Tankian (System of a Down), Tom Morello (Rage Against the Machine), Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree), Devin Townsend (Strapping Young Lad), Ihsahn (Emperor), Kool Keith (Ultramagnetic MCs), Madchild (Swollen Members), and many more! Kate has the highest grade distinction in Popular Music Theory from the London College of Music, and is the only person on the planet who's been trained by Ray to teach his method. On that note, the "Hack Music Theory" YouTube channel teaches relevant and instantly-usable music theory for producers, DAW users, and all other music makers (songwriters, singers, guitarists, bassists, drummers, etc.) in all genres, from EDM to R&B, pop to hip-hop, reggae to rock, electronic to metal (and yes, we djefinitely djent!).

COPYRIGHT
© 2019 Revolution Harmony
Revolution Harmony is Ray Harmony & Kate Harmony
All content (script & music) in video by Revolution Harmony
NAVA photo courtesy of Rolling Stone (Italy)

Wooohooo!!! You’re a mere 30 minutes away from being even smarter than you already are. Just head on over to your inbox now for your free download.

There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again.

When you want a heavy bass line, do you find yourself clicking through your sounds trying to find something that makes your bass heavy? Well, sounds don’t make bass lines heavy, the notes do. So in this video, you’ll learn what notes to use to make your bass lines heavy, regardless of the sounds you’re using. But first… tea!

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 music that stands out, so you can move and grow your audience! If that sounds useful to you, then subscribe to our YouTube channel and hit that bell to get notified every Thursday, when we publish our new video. Alright, let’s jump in...

THEORY
The legendary London grime producer & MC, SKEPTA, just dropped his new single “Wish You Were Here”. This track is the epitome of London’s grime sound, with its string arpeggios, dissonant bass, and syncopated drums. However, Skepta has a secret scale up his sleeve, which takes this tune to the next level. Now, it’s no secret that Grime producers love the Phrygian mode for its ♭2 (for example, if you’re in A Phrygian, the ♭2 is B♭). And if you’re familiar with modes, you’ll know that Phrygian is minor. And if you’re not familiar with modes, just keep watching cos we’ll explain Phrygian in a minute. So, here’s where the grime veteran kicks things up: Instead of playing the ♭3, he plays the 3, thereby turning Phrygian into Phrygian dominant (AKA Phrygian major), which is a very rare scale! And please note, there are many different (and better!) names for this scale, but Phrygian dominant is probably the most common name for it in the West. And finally, as if a rare scale wasn’t enough, Skepta throws in another note that isn’t even in Phrygian or Phrygian dominant, the 7. And by the way, if you’re new to the concept of musical spelling, which is when we assign numbers to notes (like 7), then read the fourth hack in our free book “12 Music Theory Hacks to Learn Scales & Chords”. And if you’re new to the concept of flat numbers (like ♭3), then read the eighth hack in the book, which you can download below.

SETUP
Alright, now you’re gonna learn how to use this theory to make your own version, and what you see on the screen right now is our version that we made earlier. So, start by setting up two bars of 4/4, with your grid set to 1/16 notes, and your tempo set to 135 BPM. Skepta uses B♭ Phrygian dominant, but we’re using A, cos there’s fewer flats, so it’s easier for learning.

STEP 1.  “SKEPTA SCALE”
First things first, let’s talk about what Phrygian is. And that story begins with the Aeolian mode (AKA the natural minor scale), which is what you get when you play all the white notes, with A as your root note (in other words, your scale’s home). Now, to turn the Aeolian mode into the Phrygian mode, all you do is move the second note (B) one semitone down (to B♭). Then, to turn Phrygian in to Phrygian dominant, all you do is move the third note (C) one semitone up (to C♯), which changes the scale from minor to major. And finally, throw in that naughty note that is not in Phrygian or Phrygian dominant, the G♯. So, here is the “Skepta scale”: A B♭ C♯ D E F G G♯. And if you wanna start it on B♭, like Skepta does in his track, then just select all the MIDI and move it one semitone up.

STEP 2.  BASS LINE
Right, now that you know the “Skepta scale”, it’s time to use those notes to write your bass line. So, start by playing the root (A) for a 1/4 note, then complete the rest of your first bar with the notes A, C♯ and G, which outlines an A7 chord. Then in your second bar, start by playing the ♭2 (B♭), which creates that classic grime sound. Next, complete the rest of that bar with the notes G and B♭, which outlines a Gm chord, and then throw in that naughty G♯ somewhere towards the end. And lastly, for maximum groove, use plenty of rests and off-beats.

NEXT
Right, now that you’ve got one section down, how do you write more sections for it, and then, how do you transition between those sections, and turn 'em into a song? Great questions, and if this is something you need help with, then check out our cutting-edge online apprenticeship course, where you’ll literally learn every step of the music making process, and most importantly, you’ll learn how to finish your songs! You’ll also gain access to our private network, which is a safe online space (i.e. social media platform) exclusively for our 600+ apprentices from 50+ countries. Our Network is a super supportive place for you to ask theory questions, share your music, get feedback, meet like-minded music makers, and collaborate! If all this sounds useful to you, then head on over to our Online Apprenticeship page now.

Kate & Ray Harmony (AKA Revolution Harmony)
Music Teachers & Producers in Vancouver BC, Canada

LEVELS
Level 1 - Read our free book (below) & watch our YouTube videos
Level 2 - Read our "Part 1" book & "Songwriting & Producing" PDF
Level 3 - Practice making music using our lessons (PDF+MIDI+WAV)
Level 4 - Learn our secret art of song-whispering & finish your music

ABOUT
Hack Music Theory is a pioneering DAW method for making great music that stands out, so you can move and grow your audience! Taught by award-winning music lecturer Ray Harmony, and his protégé wife Kate Harmony, from their studio in Vancouver BC, Canada. Ray is the author of critically-acclaimed book series "Hack Music Theory", and has made music with Serj Tankian (System of a Down), Tom Morello (Rage Against the Machine), Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree), Devin Townsend (Strapping Young Lad), Ihsahn (Emperor), Kool Keith (Ultramagnetic MCs), Madchild (Swollen Members), and many more! Kate has the highest grade distinction in Popular Music Theory from the London College of Music, and is the only person on the planet who's been trained by Ray to teach his method. On that note, the "Hack Music Theory" YouTube channel teaches relevant and instantly-usable music theory for producers, DAW users, and all other music makers (songwriters, singers, guitarists, bassists, drummers, etc.) in all genres, from EDM to R&B, pop to hip-hop, reggae to rock, electronic to metal (and yes, we djefinitely djent!).

COPYRIGHT
© 2019 Revolution Harmony
Revolution Harmony is Ray Harmony & Kate Harmony
All content (script & music) in video by Revolution Harmony

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It’s easy to play a few chords that sound nice together. But those chord progressions are really bland, cos there’s no spice in them. So in this video, you’ll learn how to transform your progressions with one super spicy chord. But first… tea!

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 music that stands out, so you can move and grow your audience! If that sounds useful to you, then subscribe to our YouTube channel and hit that bell to get notified every Thursday, when we publish our new video. Alright, let’s jump in...

Theory
French group DIRTYPHONICS just dropped their new single “Rise from the Dead”, which boasts two powerful hacks that make the chord progression seriously stand out. Firstly, they play each chord one note at a time (known as an “arpeggio”), which makes their progression sound like a melody. Secondly (and this is the hack you’ve been waiting for), they make the third chord in their progression super spicy, which builds a ton of tension that totally captivates you. And then when that tension is resolved with the fourth chord, you feel so amazingly satisfied! So, what chord can create this level of spicy sorcery? A diminished chord. But, this ain’t no ordinary run-of-the-mill diminished chord. No, this is a non-diatonic diminished chord! What the hell is that? Well you see, both the major and minor keys contain a diminished chord. And yes, that diminished chord is somewhat spicy and will create some tension, but, as it’s in the key (known as “diatonic”), its tension is somewhat limited. So in order to create that next-level tension that Dirtyphonics are bringing, you need to not only use a diminished chord, but a diminished chord that’s not in your key (known as “non-diatonic” or “chromatic”).

Set-Up
Alright, now you’re gonna learn how to use this theory to make your own version, and what you see on the screen right now is our version that we made earlier. So, start by setting up four bars of 4/4, with your grid set to 1/16 notes, and your tempo set to 75 BPM. The Dirtyphonics track is in the key of F minor, but we actually used A minor for our example, because A minor consists of only white notes, which means it’s easy to distinguish between the diatonic notes (i.e. in the key) which are white, and the non-diatonic notes (i.e. not in the key) which are black.

Step 1 - Chords
Dirtyphonics’ chords are based on a classic (and therefore, overused) minor key chord progression, which starts on the I (Am), and then drops down to the ♭VI (Fmaj), and then goes up to the ♭VII (Gmaj). And with such a friendly and familiar starting point, Dirtyphonics are able to throw in a mega dissonant chord, without the progression ending up too spicy. Here’s how they do it. They insert a non-diatonic diminished chord in between the two friendly major chords, which softens the spiciness of that non-diatonic diminished chord. And the chord we’re gonna insert there, is F♯dim*. And that F♯dim also creates these awesome ascending semitone steps, which add even more tension. And, notice how the Fmaj and F♯dim chords only have one different note, which makes that chord change super smooth, even though it’s such a spicy chord!

*If you’re interested in where F♯dim comes from: It’s a borrowed chord (i.e. a chord borrowed from a parallel mode) from A Dorian.

Step 2 - Arpeggios
Right, now that you’ve got your block chords, it’s time to break ‘em up into arpeggios, so let’s start with the first chord, Am. And Dirtyphonics break up the chords in their intro into 1/16 note arpeggios, in a very common grouping of 8+8. But, when they bring this chord progression back later in the song (at 2:08, if you wanna check it out), they do something very clever: they play their 1/16 note arpeggios in the unusual grouping of 6+6+4. And just for fun, we played ours in the unusual grouping of 7+4+4+1, but you can use whatever grouping you like for your arpeggios. And once you’ve worked out a grouping you like for your first chord, then apply that to the rest of your chords, like this. And lastly, for some extra melodic interest, and to add to the climbing feel of these arpeggios, we moved one of these high root notes of each chord up to the next note in the scale.

NEXT
Right, now that you’ve got one section down, how do you write more sections for it, and then, how do you transition between those sections, and turn 'em into a song? Great questions, and if this is something you need help with, then check out our cutting-edge online apprenticeship course, where you’ll literally learn every step of the music making process, and most importantly, you’ll learn how to finish your songs! You’ll also gain access to our private network, which is a safe online space (i.e. social media platform) exclusively for our 600+ apprentices from 50+ countries. Our Network is a super supportive place for you to ask theory questions, share your music, get feedback, meet like-minded music makers, and collaborate! If all this sounds useful to you, then head on over to our Online Apprenticeship page now.

Kate & Ray Harmony (AKA Revolution Harmony)
Music Teachers & Producers in Vancouver BC, Canada

RELATED
Lush String Sections (5:18)
Uplifting Piano Chords (4:56)

LEVELS
Level 1 - Read our free book (below) & watch our YouTube videos
Level 2 - Read our "Part 1" book & "Songwriting & Producing" PDF
Level 3 - Learn our secret art of songwhispering & finish your music

ABOUT
Hack Music Theory is a pioneering DAW method for making great music that stands out, so you can move and grow your audience! Taught by award-winning music lecturer Ray Harmony, and his protégé wife Kate Harmony, from their studio in Vancouver BC, Canada. Ray is the author of critically-acclaimed book series "Hack Music Theory", and has made music with Serj Tankian (System of a Down), Tom Morello (Rage Against the Machine), Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree), Devin Townsend (Strapping Young Lad), Ihsahn (Emperor), Kool Keith (Ultramagnetic MCs), Madchild (Swollen Members), and many more! Kate has the highest grade distinction in Popular Music Theory from the London College of Music, and is the only person on the planet who's been trained by Ray to teach his method. On that note, the "Hack Music Theory" YouTube channel teaches relevant and instantly-usable music theory for producers, DAW users, and all other music makers (songwriters, singers, guitarists, bassists, drummers, etc.) in all genres, from EDM to R&B, pop to hip-hop, reggae to rock, electronic to metal (and yes, we djefinitely djent!).

COPYRIGHT
© 2019 Revolution Harmony
Revolution Harmony is Ray Harmony & Kate Harmony
All content (script & music) in video by Revolution Harmony

Wooohooo!!! You’re a mere 30 minutes away from being even smarter than you already are. Just head on over to your inbox now for your free download.

There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again.

There’s 20,000 tracks being uploaded to Spotify every day, so it’s essential that your melodies stand out in this never-ending stream of new tunes. So in this video, you’ll learn how changing one note can grab the listener’s attention. But first… tea!

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 music that stands out, so you can move and grow your audience! If that sounds useful to you, then subscribe to our YouTube channel and hit that bell to get notified every Thursday, when we publish our new video. Alright, let’s jump in...

Oxford band FOALS just dropped their new single “Exits”, which instantly stood out on Spotify’s New Music Friday playlist. What made it stand out? One note! Wait, how can it be that easy? Well, almost all popular music these days is made using only two scales: the natural minor, and the major. And it goes without saying that there’s obviously nothing wrong with these scales, but, our brains have evolved to switch into autopilot when there’s nothing unexpected in our environment, and that includes music. If there’s nothing unexpected in a song, listeners’ minds will drift off and stop paying attention. So, the easiest way to create something unexpected, is to simply use a different scale, like Foals did in “Exits”.

Set-Up
Alright, now you’re gonna learn how to use this theory to make your own version, and what you see on the screen right now is our version that we made earlier. So, start by setting up four bars of 4/4, with your grid set to 1/8 notes, and your tempo set to 94 BPM. And by the way, the dark notes below our melody are the root notes of the chords in our progression (which are on another track). These root notes are all muted, they’re just there for reference.

Step 1 - Mode
Okay, so this is the natural minor scale: D E F G A B♭ C, which is by far the most overused scale in existence. But, with one tweak, you can turn it into the Dorian mode, which will make it instantly stand out. So, all you do, is move the 6th note, B♭, one semitone up to B♮. And with that, you now have the Dorian mode, which sounds like an upfliting version of the natural minor scale. Right, now we’re ready to write our chord progression. Just before we do that though, if you wanna learn about all the modes and how to use them, then everything you need to know is in our Songwriting & Producing PDF (click & scroll down).

Step 2 - Chords
The Foals song is in D Dorian, so we’ll use it too. That means your chord choices are: Dm, Em, Fmaj, Gmaj, Am, Bdim, and Cmaj. This video is not about writing a Dorian chord progression though, so if you need help with that, then watch our playlist coming up at the end of this video. Right, so the chords we chose are: Dm, Fmaj, Cmaj, Gmaj, and then back to a quick Cmaj. And when you’re writing your chord progression, be sure to play the Gmaj chord, and, be sure to play it towards the end of your progression!

Step 3 - Melody
Finally, it’s time to write your melody. So, for your rhythm, use a combination of 1/8 notes, 1/4 notes, and dotted 1/4 notes. And for your pitches, a good place to start writing your melody, is by using the third note of each chord. For a couple examples of this: the 3rd note in Dm is F, and the 3rd note in Gmaj is B. And that brings us to Foals’ magic trick! The 3rd note in a chord is what creates its emotion: a major chord is uplifting, and a minor chord is serious. And as you’ll remember, this B is the one unexpected note that makes this scale different. So, for the first three bars, the listeners will presume this is in the totally overused natural minor scale. And just as they’re switching into autopilot, we hit ‘em with that B, cos that B makes this chord a surprising Gmaj, instead of Gm (which is what they’ll be expecting). Boom! You now have their attention. Use it well. And by the way, if you want the ultimate list of dos and don’ts for writing great melodies, then use our Melody Checklist, which is also in the Songwriting & Producing PDF (click & scroll down).

NEXT
Right, now that you’ve got one section down, how do you write more sections for it, and then, how do you transition between those sections, and turn 'em into a song? Great questions, and if this is something you need help with, then check out our cutting-edge online apprenticeship course, where you’ll literally learn every step of the music making process, and most importantly, you’ll learn how to finish your songs! You’ll also gain access to our private network, which is a safe online space (i.e. social media platform) exclusively for our 600+ apprentices from 50+ countries. Our Network is a super supportive place for you to ask theory questions, share your music, get feedback, meet like-minded music makers, and collaborate! If all this sounds useful to you, then head on over to our Online Apprenticeship page now.

Kate & Ray Harmony (AKA Revolution Harmony)
Music Teachers & Producers in Vancouver BC, Canada

RELATED
5 Hacks for Better Melodies (7:23)
Step-by-Step Guide to Making Dorian Music (Playlist)

LEVELS
Level 1 - Read our free book (below) & watch our YouTube videos
Level 2 - Read our "Part 1" book & "Songwriting & Producing" PDF
Level 3 - Learn our secret art of songwhispering & finish your music

ABOUT
Hack Music Theory is a pioneering DAW method for making great music that stands out, so you can move and grow your audience! Taught by award-winning music lecturer Ray Harmony, and his protégé wife Kate Harmony, from their studio in Vancouver BC, Canada. Ray is the author of critically-acclaimed book series "Hack Music Theory", and has made music with Serj Tankian (System of a Down), Tom Morello (Rage Against the Machine), Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree), Devin Townsend (Strapping Young Lad), Ihsahn (Emperor), Kool Keith (Ultramagnetic MCs), Madchild (Swollen Members), and many more! Kate has the highest grade distinction in Popular Music Theory from the London College of Music, and is the only person on the planet who's been trained by Ray to teach his method. On that note, the "Hack Music Theory" YouTube channel teaches relevant and instantly-usable music theory for producers, DAW users, and all other music makers (songwriters, singers, guitarists, bassists, drummers, etc.) in all genres, from EDM to R&B, pop to hip-hop, reggae to rock, electronic to metal (and yes, we djefinitely djent!).

COPYRIGHT
© 2019 Revolution Harmony
Revolution Harmony is Ray Harmony & Kate Harmony
All content (script & music) in video by Revolution Harmony
Yannis Philippakis (Foals) thumbnail photo by Nabil Elderkin

Wooohooo!!! You’re a mere 30 minutes away from being even smarter than you already are. Just head on over to your inbox now for your free download.

There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again.

Drum build-ups are vital in creating tension, but they’re almost always centred around the snare drum, which means they all sound the same, and that’s boring! So in this video, you’ll learn how to make your drum builds stand out. But first… tea!

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 music that stands out, so you can move and grow your audience! If that sounds useful to you, then subscribe to our YouTube channel and hit that bell to get notified every Thursday, when we publish our new video. Alright, let’s jump in...

London duo MODESTEP just dropped their new single “Not IRL” (on Monstercat, which is actually a local label, so big up Vancouver!). In this song, Modestep takes the art of drum build-ups to a whole new level, for three reasons: First, they extend their build way longer than you’re expecting, which creates even more tension than usual. Second, their build is centred around the toms, instead of the snare. And third, there’s a super tasty drum fill that leads into the beginning of the build, which means they’re already creating tension before their build has even started.

Now, please excuse me here while I have a quick proud teacher moment, but the drummer in Modestep, Pat Lundy, is actually a former music theory student of mine. Big up Pat! He’s an ultra mega talented drummer, so do yourself a favour and check out his channel:

►Pat Lundy - Modestep drummer (YouTube channel)

Set-Up
Alright, now you’re gonna learn how to use this theory to make your own version, and what you see on the screen right now is our version that we made earlier. So, start by setting up five bars of 4/4, with your grid set to 1/32 notes, and your tempo set to 75 BPM. And please note that to keep this video short (because we respect your time), our build is half the length of Modestep’s, but if you want a longer build, just double each bit.

Step 1 - Fill
So, this first bar is actually gonna end up being the last bar of your verse. In other words, this bar is the transition from verse to build. So to help create a more interesting transition, and to introduce some tension, you’re gonna throw in a fill here. Right, start with a snare on beat 4, then use a combination of all three toms to play all the 1/32 notes after that, except on beat 4+. Leaving that beat open makes the tom right afterwards syncopated, which means you’re accenting an off-beat, and that adds groove!

And while we’re on the topic of transitions. If you wanna learn how to write a new section for an existing section, and then how to transition between those sections, especially when they’re in different keys, then check out our online apprenticeship course. It contains 17 hours of video, in which I literally teach you every step of the music making process, from blank screen to finished song!

Step 2 - Toms
Alright, now we’re into bar two, where the build starts. However, instead of blasting that snare, you’re gonna go all in on the toms. But first, get your kicks on all the 1/8 notes. Then, fill in the whole bar with 1/32 note toms, but don’t play any toms at the same time as a kick, cos you want space for your kick to stomp. Also, leave another 1/32 note open over each 1/4 note beat, for a more interesting pattern. And then when you’re done, repeat this bar so it plays through twice. Next, to crank up the tension even more, you’re gonna change the tom pattern halfway through your four-bar build. So, in bar four, keep the same kick pattern, but now you’re gonna play a very simple and repetitive pattern on only one tom.

Step 3 - Snare
Finally, it’s snare drum time! And yes of course, the snare is indeed the ultimate tool in a build-up, but, we don’t wanna be lazy and rely on it exclusively, cos that’s boring. So, after you’ve used the toms to get the tension to this level, it’s time to max it out! And by saving the snare until this late in the game, your build is now gonna be able to reach a height that other builds can only dream of. Alright, so in bar five, get that machine gun snare in on all those 1/32 notes. But, be sure to stop before the end of the bar, to create space, so your drop sounds extra massive!

NEXT
Right, now that you’ve got one section down, how do you write more sections for it, and then, how do you transition between those sections, and turn 'em into a song? Great questions, and if this is something you need help with, then check out our cutting-edge online apprenticeship course, where you’ll literally learn every step of the music making process, and most importantly, you’ll learn how to finish your songs! You’ll also gain access to our private network, which is a safe online space (i.e. social media platform) exclusively for our 600+ apprentices from 50+ countries. Our Network is a super supportive place for you to ask theory questions, share your music, get feedback, meet like-minded music makers, and collaborate! If all this sounds useful to you, then head on over to our Online Apprenticeship page now.

Kate & Ray Harmony (AKA Revolution Harmony)
Music Teachers & Producers in Vancouver BC, Canada

RELATED
How to Make Better Drums Fills (4:58)
Why Your Kick on Beat 1 Isn't Kicking (5:41)

LEVELS
Level 1 - Read our free book (below) & watch our YouTube videos
Level 2 - Read our "Part 1" book & "Songwriting & Producing" PDF
Level 3 - Learn our secret art of songwhispering & finish your music

ABOUT
Hack Music Theory is a pioneering DAW method for making great music that stands out, so you can move and grow your audience! Taught by award-winning music lecturer Ray Harmony, and his protégé wife Kate Harmony, from their studio in Vancouver BC, Canada. Ray is the author of critically-acclaimed book series "Hack Music Theory", and has made music with Serj Tankian (System of a Down), Tom Morello (Rage Against the Machine), Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree), Devin Townsend (Strapping Young Lad), Ihsahn (Emperor), Kool Keith (Ultramagnetic MCs), Madchild (Swollen Members), and many more! Kate has the highest grade distinction in Popular Music Theory from the London College of Music, and is the only person on the planet who's been trained by Ray to teach his method. On that note, the "Hack Music Theory" YouTube channel teaches relevant and instantly-usable music theory for producers, DAW users, and all other music makers (songwriters, singers, guitarists, bassists, drummers, etc.) in all genres, from EDM to R&B, pop to hip-hop, reggae to rock, electronic to metal (and yes, we djefinitely djent!). 

COPYRIGHT
© 2019 Revolution Harmony
Revolution Harmony is Ray Harmony & Kate Harmony
All content (script & music) in video by Revolution Harmony

Wooohooo!!! You’re a mere 30 minutes away from being even smarter than you already are. Just head on over to your inbox now for your free download.

There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again.

There’s many genres that are all about bass and drums, and many of those genres often don’t even use chords. But, chords are essential in creating musical depth, so in this video you’ll learn a game-changing bass hack that solves this problem. But first… tea!

Hello revolutionaries, we are Kate Harmony and Ray Harmony (AKA Revolution Harmony), and welcome to Hack Music Theory. We help you make great music that stands out, so you can enchant and enlarge your audience! If that sounds useful to you, then subscribe to our YouTube channel and hit that bell to get notified every Thursday, when we publish our new video. Alright, let’s jump in...

The Chemical Brothers just dropped their new single “MAH”. And as the Mancunian duo are electronic OGs and big beat pioneers, “MAH” unsurprisingly features a classic electronic bass hack. The Chemical Brothers are fully aware of the importance of harmony, and as a result, they don’t just abandon chords (like many other producers), instead, they cleverly disguise the harmony in their bass line. How? Well, after choosing a chord that conveyed their desired emotion, they then outlined that chord using their bass. And as the vocal hook is: “I’m mad as hell, I ain’t gonna take it no more”, their choice of a diminished triad could not be more appropriate, as its extreme dissonance perfectly conveys the “mad as hell” lyrics.

Set-Up
Alright, now you’re gonna learn how to use this theory to make your own version, and what you see on the screen right now is our version that we made earlier. So, start by setting up one bar of 4/4, with your grid set to 1/16 notes, and your tempo set to 130 BPM. In their bass line, The Chemical Brothers use the Cdim chord, so we’ll use it too.

Step 1 - Chord
Now, ask yourself what emotion you wanna convey with your bass line? If you’re going for posi vibes and smiley faces, then use the Cmaj chord (which is C E and G). If you’re after a more serious mood though, then use the Cm chord (which is C E♭ and G). And finally, if you’re “mad as hell”, then use the Cdim chord (which is C E♭ and G♭). And by the way, if you need help understanding the different types of chords and scales, or if you just wanna brush up on your theory knowledge, then download our free music theory book below.

Step 2 - Bass
Right, now that you’ve got your chord, it’s time to turn it into a bass line. So, start by playing the root note (C), to establish your home. Then, drop down and play through an arpeggio starting on beat 2e, and using 1/16 notes. And by the way, an arpeggio is when you play a chord one note at a time (so for Cdim, we play C, then E♭, then G♭). Next, throw in a couple 1/16 notes (from your chord) on beat 3e and beat 3a, which creates a super dancey syncopation. And syncopation is just when you accent an off-beat. Finally, we’re gonna wrap up with three 1/16 notes (all from your chord), starting on beat 4e. And on that note, well, off-beat note, remember to use some octaves of your three notes as well, which will extend the range of your bass line (for example, like we did with the high G♭). Also, this bass line is playing over a pumping four-on-the-floor drum beat, and we don’t wanna get in the way of those kicks now, do we? So, be sure to avoid playing any bass notes on beat 2, beat 3, and beat 4. This allows maximum space to show off your massive kick drum sample! You’re welcome ;)

NEXT
Right, now that you’ve got one section down, how do you write more sections for it, and then, how do you transition between those sections, and turn 'em into a song? Great questions, and if this is something you need help with, then check out our cutting-edge online apprenticeship course, where you’ll literally learn every step of the music making process, and most importantly, you’ll learn how to finish your songs! You’ll also gain access to our private network, which is a safe online space (i.e. social media platform) exclusively for our 600+ apprentices from 50+ countries. Our Network is a super supportive place for you to ask theory questions, share your music, get feedback, meet like-minded music makers, and collaborate! If all this sounds useful to you, then head on over to our Online Apprenticeship page now.

Kate & Ray Harmony (AKA Revolution Harmony)
Music Teachers & Producers in Vancouver BC, Canada

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LEVELS
Level 1 - Read our free book (below) & watch our YouTube videos
Level 2 - Read our "Part 1" book & "Songwriting & Producing" PDF
Level 3 - Learn our secret art of songwhispering & finish your music

ABOUT
Hack Music Theory is the pioneering notation-free method for making great music that stands out, so you can enchant and enlarge your audience! Taught by award-winning music lecturer Ray Harmony, and his protégé wife Kate Harmony, from their studio in Vancouver BC, Canada. Ray is the author of critically-acclaimed book series "Hack Music Theory", and has made music with Serj Tankian (System of a Down), Tom Morello (Rage Against the Machine), Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree), Devin Townsend (Strapping Young Lad), Ihsahn (Emperor), Kool Keith (Ultramagnetic MCs), Madchild (Swollen Members), and many more! Kate has the highest grade distinction in Popular Music Theory from the London College of Music, and is the only person on the planet who's been trained by Ray to teach his method. On that note, the "Hack Music Theory" YouTube channel teaches relevant and instantly-usable music theory for producers, DAW users, and all other music makers (songwriters, singers, guitarists, bassists, drummers, etc.) in all genres, from EDM to R&B, pop to hip-hop, reggae to rock, electronic to metal (and yes, we djefinitely djent!).

COPYRIGHT
© 2019 Revolution Harmony
Revolution Harmony is Ray Harmony & Kate Harmony
All content (script & music) in video by Revolution Harmony
Thumbnail photograph by OneEyeIn.com

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Happy New Year, and may this be your best year yet! On that note, did you make a New Year’s resolution to start making music, or make more music, or make better music? Well unfortunately, studies suggest that only about one in 10 people achieve their New Year’s resolutions, so this video is designed to help you become that one person. But first… tea!

Hello revolutionaries, we are Kate Harmony and Ray Harmony (AKA Revolution Harmony), and welcome to Hack Music Theory. We help you make great music that stands out, so you can enchant and enlarge your audience! If that sounds useful to you, then subscribe to our YouTube channel and hit that bell to get notified every Thursday, when we publish our new video. Alright, let’s jump in...

Hack 1: Permission to Play
There’s an abundance of scientific research proving that a lack of play in our lives leads to depression, and for people like us, play is making music. If you’ve ever stopped music for a while and noticed how everything in your life suddenly gets a lot more serious and a lot less enjoyable, then you’ve already experienced this slippery slope. So, if you truly wanna show up 100% for your family and your work, then you need to play. But remember, play is all about intrinsic value, which means the process itself is enjoyable. If someone’s making music as a means to an end (for example, with the goal of one of their songs going viral), then they’re on an even worse slippery slope. We have no control over how the world reacts to our music, so they’d be far happier by refocusing their attention onto the joy of the music making process itself.

Hack 2: Schedule Sessions
I remember when I started teaching music in 1995 (back before the internet stole our time, and instead, we spent it obsessively listening to that three-legged dog tape), my students would often turn up without having done their homework, cos they were “too busy”. And nowadays, with the internet in the palm of our hand, we’re “busier” than we’ve ever been in the whole of human history. And that is why everyone is “happy” on Instagram, but when we actually put our phones down and look around, everyone seems pretty miserable. The only way to overcome this “too busy to play” fallacy, is to schedule a weekly session. So pause this video right now, open your calendar, find one hour somewhere, and create a recurring weekly event. Then, when your session time arrives, turn off your phone, close your web browser, and open your DAW to hack music theory.

Hack 3: Use Music Theory
Nothing ruins fun like frustration! So, the process of making music will only be enjoyable if you’re competent at it. And that’s where we come in. With Hack Music Theory, you can overcome the dreaded blank screen once and for all, cos while Writer’s Block may exist in our minds, in reality, it’s a lie. I remember when I was a kid, my dad told me over and over again “Creativity is a tap that you can turn on whenever you want.” That understanding, along with learning music theory, has resulted in hundreds of songs over my 28 years of making music, with a grand total of zero accounts of writer’s block. So, to get started today, just watch our Step-By-Step Starter Guide at the end of this video, and also, download our free music theory book below.

Hack 4: Practice Makes Play
Now, in order for an activity to properly be play, it needs to pull you into the “flow” state, which is that zone you enter when you’re fully immersed in a task and totally lose track of time. This can only happen when the activity is challenging, but not too difficult. And yes, everything is difficult in the beginning, but, just like everything else, regular practice results in quick progress. Besides, music is only 12 notes. It’s easy! So, make your initial weekly sessions about practising the application of music theory. And to do this, simply follow along with the examples in our weekly videos. If you practice making music using the steps in those videos, you’ll be bustin’ out awesome tunes in no time! Remember, practice makes play. 

Hack 5: Get Support
Sitting in front of your DAW with headphones on can be an isolating experience, and as we’re a social species, it’s vital to join a like-minded music community. This will not only create new friendships, which is deeply valuable in itself, but sharing your works-in-progress and getting supportive feedback from your peers will totally turbocharge your progress, and your happiness. So, do some searching online and see if there’s a local meetup you can join. Or, if you wanna join our private network, which has hundreds of good people in it from over 50 countries, then sign up for our online apprenticeship, the link is below. Here’s how one of our top apprentices described it: “I really enjoy the interactions in the Network. Apprentices share their works-in-progress often, and have the right attitude: they’re open-minded, positive, helpful, and some are very funny too. It’s like a family, but without the drama!” –François Lalonde (Montréal, Canada)

So, write down these five hacks, stick ‘em somewhere you’ll see everyday, and you’ll become the one outta 10 people who achieve their New Year’s resolutions. We really hope you found this video helpful, and we’ll see you next week, when we get back to our regular lesson format.

Kate & Ray Harmony (AKA Revolution Harmony)
Music Teachers & Producers in Vancouver BC, Canada

LEARN
Level 1: Read our free book (below) & watch our YouTube videos
Level 2: Read our "Part 1" book & "Songwriting & Producing" PDF
Level 3: Learn our secret art of songwhispering & finish your music

ABOUT
Hack Music Theory is the pioneering notation-free method for making great music that stands out, so you can enchant and enlarge your audience! Taught by award-winning music lecturer Ray Harmony, and his protégé wife Kate Harmony, from their studio in Vancouver BC, Canada. Ray is the author of critically-acclaimed book series "Hack Music Theory", and has made music with Serj Tankian (System of a Down), Tom Morello (Rage Against the Machine), Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree), Devin Townsend (Strapping Young Lad), Ihsahn (Emperor), Kool Keith (Ultramagnetic MCs), Madchild (Swollen Members), and many more! Kate has the highest grade distinction in Popular Music Theory from the London College of Music, and is the only person on the planet who's been trained by Ray to teach his method. On that note, the "Hack Music Theory" YouTube channel teaches relevant and instantly-usable music theory for producers, DAW users, and all other music makers (songwriters, singers, guitarists, bassists, drummers, etc.) in all genres, from EDM to R&B, pop to hip-hop, reggae to rock, electronic to metal (and yes, we djefinitely djent!).

COPYRIGHT
© 2019 Revolution Harmony
Revolution Harmony is Ray Harmony & Kate Harmony
All content (script & music) in video by Revolution Harmony

Wooohooo!!! You’re a mere 30 minutes away from being even smarter than you already are. Just head on over to your inbox now for your free download.

There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again.

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