The Music Theory of POWER CHORDS Signals Music Studio 2019-04-11 | The Chord Progression Codex is NOW AVAILABLE! https://shorturl.at/bouLVMy pro theory + songwriting course bit.ly/2J2NctnEnroll in my Rhythm Training Course at ANY price! bit.ly/3wDacU4My Patreon: bit.ly/2JCJQfVPowerchords are the building block of rock and metal. They get a bad rap for being simplistic, but the reality is that their simplicity gives them unparalleled versatility- the ability to accommodate both major AND minor tonalities instead of being limited to just one.Applying this ambiguity just requries a little bit of knowledge about scales and fifths, as well as the chords in a key. This video will go over the music theory of powerchords and how they fit into your scale concepts, as well as general ideas and applications of power chords and their variations. Related theory videos-Chords in minor: youtu.be/j-j4g0ktPGwDiminished: youtu.be/HQ2pg7D1aksMetallica Scale: youtu.be/UuqvZDDm_bkI can not thank my Patreon subscribers enough for supporting this channel and enabling these videos, especially with the increase in YouTube copyright bots claiming my videos. A personal Shout out to the following fine folks-Linas Orentas Marek Pawlowski John ArnoldChristopher SwansonMarc BulandrBradley BowerAlvaro Begue-AguadoDon WattersDon Dachenhousen IIIPatrick RyanFree online guitar lessons for beginners, intermediate, and advanced players. Located in Crystal Lake, Jake Lizzio provides free jam tracks and video lessons for guitar players, as well as music theory videos and other music education content.Table of Contents:00:00 Intro00:25 Powerchords 01:28 Is It A Chord?02:31 Substituting Chords03:27 Big Notes04:32 Inverted Powerchords06:27 Converting Scales10:35 Applying Chord Implications13:49 Wrapping Up
How To Arrange Chords into BEAUTIFUL 4-PART HARMONIES [Music Theory - Voice Leading] Signals Music Studio 2022-02-14 | My Pro Songwriting+Theory Course: bit.ly/3uJ9HJiMy Patreon: bit.ly/3gE4sSLWriting a 4 part harmony can be very difficult if you don't understand the basic principles behind voice leading and arrangement. There are countless rules one must follow to emulate the stylings of Bach, Mozart, and Beethoven. But these rules are not needed just to arrange a simple progression! This video goes through the fundamental concepts of harmony and arrangment without getting into the weeds of clefs, notation, and actual "rules". By the end of the lesson, you should be able to arrange any chord progression for other instruments, and hopefully get new insight into the sorts of complex harmonies that can exist within a chord progression. Thank you to my Patreon Supporters for all their help and kind words. They deserve as much credit for this channel as I do!TAKE NOTE:The arrangement I make in this video at the end violates several golden rules. For one, it includes parallel fifths (parallel motion that occurs a perfect fifth apart). As a teacher who lives in the year 2022, I don't want you to burden yourself with these rules unless you're trying to sound like music from the "common practice era", or unless you're trying to pass tests in music school (or if you're just really curious).On Parallel Motion: If both voices are moving together in the same interval class, it's parallel. If one voice moves up a m3 while the other moves up a M3, those are both THIRDS. The motion is parallel. If one voice moves up a m3 while the other moves up a fourth, those are no longer the same interval class (thirds and fourths), and would not be called parallel motion, but instead would be called similar motion. Professional arrangement and orchestration takes many more skills than just learning to voice lead. A real arranger/composer will keep in mind the range of the instrument and has to notate music in different clefs. Arrangers also take note of the tonal qualities of instruments and exploit their frequency spectrum to either blend well together or clash and sound juxtaposed. So this lesson won't turn you into a pro arranger - but it WILL get you writing your first 3 and 4 part harmonies and I think it's a great start to composing more advanced harmony. I highly advise you combine this lesson with my last lesson on harmony, found here youtu.be/8lCf7q_VPHAI also suggest you consider how many more options you will have when writing your voices if you are comfortable with your diatonic seventh chords, inversions, and secondary dominants. Seventh Chords: youtu.be/3JizNRwHYNYInverted Chords: youtu.be/LFN-eKved_8Secondary Dominants: youtu.be/py4HaueW50QIf you know all this stuff, you'll know exactly how I wrote this arrangement!youtu.be/EC_Fvs3TEj4Also, I said at 17:50ish that there is only one way to play that E7 on guitar. But there is another....00:00 Intro01:51 Basic Concepts06:15 Arranging in 3 voices10:50 Why the V become V713:10 Arranging in 4 voices16:20 Make It Into MUSIC!19:41 Outro
The Awesome Power of the Andalusian Cadence - Making Music in 5 Styles [SONGWRITING + ARRANGEMENT] Signals Music Studio 2022-01-03 | My Theory + Songwriting Course: bit.ly/3Ej44Cz Mp3's + PDF at my Patreon: patreon.com/signalsmusicstudioDavid Bruce- Composing A Melody over a Chord Progression youtu.be/jA7gdz56LtYThe Andalusian Cadence is an old fashioned chord progression that can be thought of as mainly deriving from the Minor Key (aeolian mode) but also includes the dominant chord. It's a killer progression, you've heard it in songs like Runaway by Del Shannon and Sultans of Swing by Dire Straits, as well as a million other songs. This time, we're transforming into many different styles, and along the way, hopefully you pick up some composing tricks, music theory hacks, or general song writing inspiration. These are the links I reference in this video. If you were confused something in this video, chances are it is explained in one of the following vids. 12tone- Andalusian Cadence: youtu.be/MSjVTZ_l9XADavid Bruce- The mystery at the Heart of Flamenco youtu.be/XYgTkW4WK80David Bruce- Composing A Melody over a Chord Progression youtu.be/jA7gdz56LtYWriting Progressions in Minor Keys youtu.be/j-j4g0ktPGwHarmonic Minor Series youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTR7Cy9Sv2845ykqmNpmeGFq_v9yKZ_3ASuspended Chords youtu.be/qu49nYaBfdMPowerchords youtu.be/dbhF2wnnT7MPedal Tones + Drones youtu.be/5E4Nsa6RL9IA quick note- there's some sloppy guitar playing in here. I absolutely have the production skills to elminate those mistakes (and probably would if these songs were to be released on an album) but I think it's important for you all to see/hear those mistakes!Also the intro has many inversions and chord modifcations. I simplified the numerals. One more thing I want to point out- the Em scale over B can sound fine if you play it fast enough - pretty much anything is passable if you play it quickly. But you really can't build real harmonies off that V chord if you're using the b7 tone, and the more time your ear has to hear the dissonance, the worse it will sound!I use Ableton Live 10 and Reason 10 (via rewire) together to produce. A giant thank you to my Patreon supporters. They're the reason I'm able to offer a professional rhythm course at a name-your-own-price model. You can find that here: signalsmusicstudio.com/courses/signal-rhythm-course I owe them a lot, and you might too :)Table of Contents00:00 Intro00:45 Andalusian Cadence History01:51 Music Theory04:20 Latin Style Jam05:46 LISTEN: Latin Jam06:27 Epic Cinematic Film Score09:55 LISTEN: Film Score Epicness11:30 MegaMetal15:52 LISTEN: MegaMetal17:32 Psychedellic Gooves20:08 LISTEN: Psychedellic Groove and Final Thoughts
How to Write Harmonies for Guitar / Piano / Vocals [MUSIC THEORY + SONGWRITING LESSON] Signals Music Studio 2021-11-23 | Enroll in my Rhythm Training Course for ANY price! bit.ly/3xeaC3AOr buy my Theory and Songwriting course: bit.ly/3DIfcJKWriting harmonies can be HARD! Hopefully this video makes it easy. It's still just a launching pad, but it's pretty thorough. One quick thing I forgot to mention- You can get away with really weird/bad harmonies if they are on "weak beats", like in between the quarter notes or right before a downbeat. However, strong beats nearly REQUIRE a good solid harmony that matches the underlying chord. If you were confused by anything in this video, you should check out these videos:Interval Training Course: signalsmusicstudio.com/courses/guitar-interval-courseChords of Major: youtu.be/M8eItITv8QASincere thanks to my wonderful Patreon Supporters. They've been very patient with me :)www.patreon.com/signalsmusicstudio00:00 Intro00:59 Harmonized Thirds 03:42 Sixths07:20 Fourths and Fifths08:27 Parallel vs Contrary Motion10:41 Why Parallel Fifths are Weird12:24 Writing a Vocal Harmony17:23 Final Thoughts
How To Design Dark and Scary Sounds (For Producers / Composers / Musicians) Signals Music Studio 2021-10-31 | My pro theory + songwriting course: bit.ly/2J2NctnEnroll in my Rhythm Training Course at ANY price! bit.ly/3wDacU4This video is a basic tutorial on how to make dark and scary sounds- for ambience, sound design, composition, production, beats, whatever! It's scary audio, and it's surprisingly easy to make with just two techniques: reversing things, and slowing them down. Throughout this video, I demonstrate several concepts of how to combine these techniques and where you may have heard them before. Here are my other "spooky" music videos:Scary Chords: youtu.be/-dgicW1ioP0Spooky Composing Techniques: youtu.be/CezFEDWth-cHere is my video on the minor scale (includes the fake Tool song):youtu.be/Bz_q96JhSOgHere is my video on the Locrian scale (includes my song Pascal's Prison):youtu.be/RhKXolkwyDMLike this video? Thank my Patreon subscribers for sponsoring these lessons! They're the reason you don't see ads or sponsorships in the middle of my videos. You can join them here:www.patreon.com/signalsmusicstudio00:00 The Red Room00:48 Backmasking02:29 Backwards Reverb03:50 Better Backwards Reverb06:34 Lynchian Backwards Talk07:23 Slowing it Down08:17 Slowdown + Reverse09:55 Outro
The BEST Way To Learn Rhythm, Counting + Strumming! Signals Music Studio 2021-10-04 | Get the rhythm course here! signalsmusicstudio.com/product/signals-rhythm-courseThe course contains 52 videos and teaches the basics and advanced concepts of rhythm, counting, strumming, and meter. It is taught on guitar, but you only need basic guitar skills (ability to play chords) to begin the course. As the course advances in rhythmic complexity, more guitar skills are introduced and taught with many exercises. If you play banjo, mandolin, or ukelele, you should STILL take the course! Just replace the chords and picking/strumming techniques with those that are specific to your instrument. This stuff isn't always taught. After making this course, it's clear to me why! It's very difficult to organize in a linear fashion that is practical, understandable, and efficient. I hope I've achieved that with the Signals Rhythm Training for Guitar Course (that's it's official name!)A billion thanks to my Patreon subscribers for keeping me going in my YouTube absence! You can join them at www.patreon.com/signalsmusicstudio . They also get credit for error-checking and beta testing most of this course over the last month.Now that this is done you can expect I'll start uploading to YouTube again. No promises on how quickly I get things done but I promise you I have some fun ideas that I'm excited to share....Here's what's in the course:Beats + Tempo8th notesAccentsDownbeats Upbeats SyncopationUse Your HandsPalm MutesUpstrokes + Strumming TechniqueFaster ChangesRHYTHM GRIDAlternate Strumming TechniqueTiesDotted NotesSyncopated Chord Changes Rests Anacrusis, Staccato, CrescendoArpeggiosPlaying Chord SheetsExercise - Playing Chord SheetsPlaying off Chords + LyricsRhythm For LeadSixteenth NotesDotted Eighth Notes + TresilloSixteenth Note PermutationsBarre Chords Tips + AdviceMuted StrumsFUNKAcoustic Strumming 3/4 and 6/8 Time SignaturesRhythmic Relativity / Tempo Markings8th Note TripletsShuffle Feel and 12/8Compound Meters / Simple Meters Poymeter and 3 against 4Odd TimesAlternative Counting + KonnakolParsing RhythmSlow TripletsPolyrhythmTuplets32nd NotesMetric ModulationTruncated PolymeterPlaying To A Drummer
Whats Going On With Signals Music? Signals Music Studio 2021-07-11 | My pro theory + songwriting course: bit.ly/2J2NctnEnroll in my Rhythm Training Course at ANY price! bit.ly/3wDacU4Thank you to my Patreon subscribers for sponsoring these lessons! They're the reason you don't see ads or sponsorships in the middle of my videos. You can join them here:www.patreon.com/signalsmusicstudioJake Lizzio Channel: youtube.com/channel/UC6A2N-wLpFHC2drJZuxMdtgThanks yall!
Musical Drones and Pedal Tones [Theory and Songwriting] Signals Music Studio 2021-06-02 | My pro theory + songwriting course: bit.ly/2J2NctnEnroll in my Rhythm Training Course at ANY price! bit.ly/3wDacU4patreon.com/signalsmusicstudioDroning sounds simple right? Welp, yeah, but it can be way complex too! The pedal tone opens up a whole door of amazingly weird progressions and effects, and this lesson should walk you through what those might feel, sound, and look like.TAKE NOTE- When I say "Western Mainstream", I'm speaking from an American Pop Music perspective. There are more styles of drone music than those from India- I did not mention the Hurdy Gurdy or the Bagpipes, two heavyweights in the world of droning. The bagpipes themselves drone on a single note while the rest of the pipes are tuned to a mixolydian scale relative to the drone. This is the second time I have likely offended the Scots, and twice now I must beg their forgiveness. I also did not mention the importance of pedal tones as they apply to metal, since I went over that topic in my video on the Metallica Scale youtu.be/UuqvZDDm_bk and also in my video on Mixolydian Rock youtu.be/39iZqrZf66o.Wanna jam over the same note for 10 minutes, you weirdo? Well so do I. Here's the track. https://signalsmusicstudio.com/harmon...If you run into one of my patreon subscribers, give them a big hug for me. If you are one of my patreon subscribers, THANK YOU!00:00 INTRO00:30 A Brief History Of Drone04:45 Guitar Drones and Modern Acoustic Songs06:29 Bass Pedal Tones10:42 Writing with a Melody Pedal Tone14:52 Infinite Scale Possibilities16:50 6 Scales 1 Drone18:30 Pedal Point
Demonstrating The Modes of Harmonic Minor [MUSIC THEORY / SCALES] Signals Music Studio 2021-05-07 | My pro theory + songwriting course: bit.ly/2J2NctnEnroll in my Rhythm Training Course at ANY price! bit.ly/3wDacU4GET THE FREE CHARTS AND MP3s: signalsmusicstudio.com/harmonic-minor-modesThe modes of harmonic minor are seldom explored and often misunderstood, but they contain an entire universe of abstract harmonies. Although the 1st and 5th modes are fairly common, I think more attention should be given to some of the others as they can create truly unique sounds. If you want my new Harmonic Minor Poster you can click this link - there are versions in A and in C. signals-shop.creator-spring.comMOST USEFUL, RANKED (in my opinion)Harmonic Minor (mode 1)Phrygian Dominant (mode 5)Dorian #4 (mode 4)Ionain #5 (mode 3)Lydian #2 (mode 6)Locrian Natural 6 (mode 2)Ultralocrian (mode 7)Jens Larsen's channel: youtube.com/user/jenslarsen02NOTE- Quist does a good job of jamming with Ultralocrian in his jam track! I wish I had listened to his solo first, it would have given me some good ideas lol. Here's his track: youtu.be/ufif3rob_VoAt 8:00 I forgot to include the flat signs after the E's when talking about A Dim chordsAt 10:18 I should have said "A Augmented Major Seventh", not A Augmented Seventh.If you're confused, you'll want to watch my videos on Harmonic Minor here: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTR7Cy9Sv2845ykqmNpmeGFq_v9yKZ_3ASpecial thanks to my Patreon Supporters for sponsoring these videos. This one took a while. If you enjoy the charts, you should thank them :)www.patreon.com/signalsmusicstudioTable Of Contents00:00 Intro01:18 Harmonic Minor Chords05:40 DEMO Harmonic Minor06:24 The Second Mode08:41 DEMO Locrian Natural Six09:10 The Third Mode10:20 DEMO Ionian Sharp Five10:56 The Fourth Mode12:10 DEMO Dorian Sharp Four13:44 The Fifth Mode15:12 DEMO Phyrgian Dominant15:57 The Sixth Mode17:37 DEMO Lydian Sharp Two18:21 The Seventh Mode19:28 DEMO ULTRA LOCRIAN DO NOT LISTEN
Why Electric + Acoustic Guitars Get Double Tracked (and NOT copy pasted) Signals Music Studio 2021-03-25 | My pro theory + songwriting course: bit.ly/2J2NctnEnroll in my Rhythm Training Course at ANY price! bit.ly/3wDacU4There was some confusion over stuff I said in my last video (my fault, should have explained it!) so I figured I'd try to clear things up here. I'm not used to teaching production concepts, but am very experienced teaching music and theory, so when I do touch on production I think I am not quite in tune with what the average student is aware of like I am with my regular lessons. Thanks to the comment section though, I realized the principle of double tracking is not very well understood, so in this video I demonstrate the difference between a "fake" double tracked guitar and a real double tracked guitar. This way you can draw your own conclusions on when and where you should single track vs double track. TAKE NOTE!-When I double track, I OFTEN record the second part on a different amp, guitar, impulse, or pickup selection. Not always, but often. It's nice to have some differences between the L + R as you can hear in the last part of the "fake double track" which sounds pretty good and could have use in some tracks.-While there is no "wrong" or "right", I can confidently say that you need to double track your guitars (and not copy paste them) if you want to achieve a modern rock/metal sound for rhythm parts. I've yet to encounter a vst or effect that can replicate the effect for me. I have used Vocal Doublers on acoustic guitars for a fun fake-double-track but it's not quite the same (not better-not worse-just not the same)-Phasing is cool, that is why the Phaser effect exists. It's easier to put a phaser on a track than it is to duplicate and offset like shown. Experiment with doubled guitar tracks, each with their own phaser dialed in with its own settings!-Anyone can double track a lead these days with studio tools and edits. I still don't like the effect that much, and it's still much easier to just slap some sort of effect on there (i'd suggest phaser or chorus)-My rock example falls a bit flat mainly cause it's programmed drums. Beardstank will be back soon!-You can quad track, 8 track, etc. I don't ever find a use for more than 4 on the same part.-This video is not about guitar LAYERING. That's a whole nother topic, though I did touch on it with the electric layer-If you're not good enough to double track your part, I think you're better off trying to make a single track work. But the goal for ANY performing musician is to be able to play accurately and on time, and nothing builds that skill faster than studio work. So grab your metronome and start tapping your foot + counting :)Thank you to my Patreon supporters for making these videos possible!!!00:00 Intro00:59 Recording in Mono01:52 "Fake" Double Tracking05:53 Real Double Tracking08:47 Acoustic Guitars13:27 Why you should double track
15 Mistakes That Can RUIN Your Studio Recording Sessions Signals Music Studio 2021-03-17 | My pro theory + songwriting course: bit.ly/2J2NctnEnroll in my Rhythm Training Course at ANY price! bit.ly/3wDacU4I'm no big-time producer, but I've tracked enough singles and albums with locals to know what brings down a session and what keeps things on pace. This is, in my opinion, a brief exploration of some of the pitfalls that live performers may not be aware of until they get into the studio. Hopefully, by reviewing this list, you'll be better prepared for your own studio sessions, either as a player or producer!A few notes- When double tracking guitars, there is sometimes a good reason to NOT do the identical part. This is to create interest and variance in the stereo field. However, these elements are usually crafted with intention, not just randomly thrown in. Although the accidental mistake in a double-track can sometimes result in some very cool effects, the skill of accurately recreating your playing is one that is pretty much required as a modern day rock guitarist looking to record. In my examples on bass, you won't hear ANYTHING if you're just listening through your phone/tablet! Also, my example of arrangement isn't the best, mixing it in a way that allows you to hear it and also not hear it at the same time was difficult. A good concrete example would be the bass part in Metropolis Pt 1 by Dream Theater, which has a bass-tapping section that is nearly inaudible and therefore I transcribed incorrectly in my video on the song. The producer himself for that album complained often about the young and inexperienced band's ability to properly arrange parts (and Mike Portnoy's dynamics!) so it's not just a personal gripe. Thanks to my Patreon supporters for sponsoring these vids :) I don't do often do advice-style videos but this one I do think can save people a lot of time, energy, and money. www.patreon.com/signalsmusicstudioTable of Contents:00:00 Intro00:42 General Advice for ALL Musicians04:26 Advice for Guitarists07:03 Advice for Bassists09:03 Advice for Drummers10:12 Advice for Vocalists12:24 Advice for Key Players
Seventeen Days - Jake Lizzio [Lo Fi Jazz Hip Hop] Signals Music Studio 2021-03-08 | Streaming links (will be auto updated): distrokid.com/hyperfollow/jakelizzio/seventeen-daysHow I made this song: youtu.be/cTO1KsC4OnoMy music theory + songwriting course: bit.ly/2J2Nctn#LoFiHighStakesAdditional credits:Mark Kahovec - SaxMike Muggli - KeysJeff Schwertfeger - SamplesHuge thank you to my Patreon subscribers for sponsoring my videos. I owe them!
Writing + Producing Jazzy Lo-Fi Hip-Hop Beats (the HARD way!) Signals Music Studio 2021-03-08 | My pro theory + songwriting course: bit.ly/2J2NctnEnroll in my Rhythm Training Course at ANY price! bit.ly/3wDacU4The whole song/music video is here: youtu.be/CR01l2THDOUThis video is a guided tutorial through writing and producing a lofi hiphop beat to study chill or smoke to. I say it's jazzy cause it has saxophone and some extended chords :P It actually can be thought of as 33/32 though I wouldn't notate it like that - you'll hear how and why it came together that way as the song progresses. Special thanks to my Patreon subscribers, they are my favorite people on the whole planet and this video wouldn't exist without them. Additional thanks goes to Mike Muggli (Moog Lee) for his added keyboard line, Mark Kahovec for his Government Subsidized Saxophone, and Jeff Schwertfeger for sending me a bunch of random clips. www.patreon.com/signalsmusicstudioIf you were confused at the theory in this video you should check out these other lessons I did:Writing with 7th chords: youtu.be/3JizNRwHYNYMotifs and chords: youtu.be/z3Dy6Mnp5OgHemiola: youtu.be/HhODahQ-U4UTable of contents:00:00 Intro00:48 The Sloppiest Rhythm Ever05:25 Writing a Melodic Theme09:02 Adding Vocals09:46 SAX10:38 Creating Ambience and Atmosphere11:34 Production Notes13:40 The FINAL step to LoFi Goodness15:06 Music Video "Seventeen Days"18:06 Final Comments
Why is the 9/8 time signature so confusing? Signals Music Studio 2021-03-01 | My Theory + Songwriting Course: bit.ly/2J2NctnEnroll in my Rhythm Training Course at ANY price! bit.ly/3wDacU4This is a giant exploration of rhythmic concepts for songwriters, and the confusion surrounding the 9/8 time signature as well as all other compound meters. There is a good solid rant in here that gets to the heart of a topic I’d like to explore more, which is the outdated and relic teaching methods still used by modern music educators in professional academic settings.Liked this video? You’ll probably enjoy these other rhythmically related videos:Polymeter- youtu.be/MqyrPzvN3Zc3:4 Polyrhythms- youtu.be/c1pejTgLuhASextuplets- youtu.be/3CjeZDUQUwMTruncated Polymeter- youtu.be/o3LypkzywIwA few things to mention- when converting 9/8 to 3/4 with triplets, it’s important to remember that the tempo markings must indicate the correct beat. If I’m doing 3/4 with triplets, my quarter note pulse is the one I’d be using for my metronome, while in compound triple meter, I’d write my tempo marker as a dotted quarter note.Also, the graphics during one part of the animation show the wrong beaming of 8th notes. Minor detail but still, it should represent the underlying pulse (as I specifically state!).Here’s the songs I mentioned:Francisco Tarrega Etude in Em NOT CARCASSI! tab):classtab.org/tarrega_etude_in_em.txtTwista – Get Me youtu.be/gCV01atcDz8?t=99Dream Theater- Voices youtu.be/JDGSvbpB9KgLike this video? Thank my Patreon subscribers for sponsoring these lessons! They're the reason you don't see ads or sponsorships in the middle of my videos. You can join them here:My Patreon! patreon.com/signalsmusicstudioTable of Contents00:00 Intro00:42 Demonstrating Basic 9/802:30 Making a 9/8 Groove07:14 The Traditional Approach09:04 An Example from Francisco Tarrega11:14 rant12:36 Polymeter, Triplets, and Twista
Making Music with Pascals Triangle + the LOCRIAN scale [RIFFING WITH MODES #7] Signals Music Studio 2021-02-01 | My pro theory + songwriting course: bit.ly/2J2NctnEnroll in my Rhythm Training Course at ANY price! bit.ly/3wDacU4Every Episode of RIFFING WITH MODES: bit.ly/3r9oR5EAt long last, the seventh and final (?) episode of Riffing With Modes. I did not anticipate this series to take so long, as I expected to make most of the videos short little efficient lessons with quick-tips on riff writing. Instead I took this series as a personal excuse to write music to my heart’s content- starting from Rush style rock riffs in Major, to Dad Rock Dorian. Then crushing Phrygian morse code metal, followed by progressive Lydian vibes. An entire 80s rock single and music video for Mixolydian, and 3 different mini-songs for Minor. And now, Locrian. I won’t lie- the mode hath bested me. I began writing this song in SEPTEMBER 2020 and it’s now January 2021. The music was done surprisingly early, but the video had many hurdles to overcome and technical screw-ups that I had to pay the temporal price for. But the battle is over, the dragon is slain, and here lies Locrian madness in all of its glory. Hopefully by watching this video, you’ll see that you can make interesting and moving music even without the harmonic tools like “good notes” and “good chords” and “good melodies”. This entire piece is influenced from random algorithmically generated sequences, and still maintains a sense of groove at times, only to be fractured at others. I hope you find the piece interesting even if it isn’t your cup of tea, and more importantly, I hope you discover some useful songwriting, production, or arrangement techniques that can help you in your music making.IMPORTANT LINKS BELOW!Byzantine Pi Math Metal - youtu.be/6tNxfx2tetA“Adore”-Faustas Udrenas (Produced by me!) - youtu.be/ILug0hqhD5UNumberphile – Pascal’s Triangle - youtu.be/0iMtlus-afo David Bennet Piano- A Song In Locrian - youtu.be/Q6JBsOzOFaQAdam Neely (and friends) – Making Locrian Sound Good - youtu.be/el1ZhkN85McPascal's Triangle Code : pastebin.com/w71ZePzU - Note that neither me nor Faustas are actual software engineers, so there is a LOT of room for improvement on this simple + quickly written program. I'd welcome someone to modify the code to allow for bigger triangles (currently an integer overflow error prevents inputs over 34) and also size/space the triangle better, or even enable midi-output/ sound! If you decide to improve on this let me know so I can repost the link here and share it with everyone else. ADDITIONAL Pascal's Triangle code from a friend! pastebin.com/v39uhxpGAn outrageous amount of gratitude is owed to my Patreon supporters who have decided to fund my free lessons and videos. They’re the greatest folks on the planet, if you want to join them you can for live Q+A’s, special videos, and more. https://www.Patreon.com/signalsmusicstudioTABLE OF CONTENTS00:00- Why Locrian is Clumsy02:07- Locrian Inspiration + Pascal's Triangle05:07- Turning Chaos Into Groove06:55- Arranging a random motif09:11- Writing a Locrian Melody12:38- MUSIC VIDEO: "Pascal's Prison"15:50- Closing Thoughts
How To Write A Sea Shanty Song or Pirate Music Signals Music Studio 2021-01-16 | My pro theory + songwriting course: bit.ly/2J2NctnEnroll in my Rhythm Training Course at ANY price! bit.ly/3wDacU4Recently there’s been an upswell of interest in sea shanties, specifically the song The Wellerman (see here: youtu.be/-KO7cofMJH0). Since I’ve long planned for doing a video about pirate music, I figured now would be as good a time as any.One important note I neglected to mention in the rhythm part of this video! If you DO decide to write in regular 4/4 (with no shuffle or swing) then I HIGHLY recommend you utilize the GALLOP. An eighth note followed by two sixteenth notes. This pattern works very fine for that oceanic rhythmic motion without relying on triple meter or swing. If this lesson was confusing to you, try these other lessons I’ve done first:The Minor Scale + Chords: youtu.be/j-j4g0ktPGwThe Dorian Scale + Chords: youtu.be/hyZPcYf1Pe4Here’s a link to my favorite Korpiklaani song, Wooden Pints! youtu.be/QjZ1B897TukA huge thank you to my Patreon supporters for sponsoring these videos. The reason you don't see me doing ads in the middle of my videos is thanks to them!My Patreon: patreon.com/signalsmusicstudioTable of Contents:00:00– A Self-Referencing Shanty00:42- Intro01:21- Rhythmic Suggestions02:51- Scale Suggestions04:56- Orchestration06:40- Chord Changes08:37- Hear The Dorian Difference!09:50- Additional Aspects
A Christmas Song That No One Wants To Hear Signals Music Studio 2020-12-24 | My pro theory + songwriting course: bit.ly/2J2NctnEnroll in my Rhythm Training Course at ANY price! bit.ly/3wDacU4Fun things in this song- The F/G chord is the lamest and cheesiest chord I've ever found. It just screams out 90's family sitcom. I've been carrying that chord around for years but never had any use for it until now. There's quite a bit of the cadencial 6/4 movement going about in one form or another, and a classic abrupt half-step modulation in the style of a theater tune. The ending section uses a lot of borrowed chords from the parallel minor, just to head into another cadencial 6/4 to resolve. I should have started this project earlier but I began on it right as soon as the last video posted so it was a rush to get it done in time before Christmas. Hope you get a kick out of it!Music and lyrics by Jake LizzioPiano arrangement by Mike MuggliFirst Verse and Choir by Joe WatychowiczSki Instructor Choir led by Jeff SchwertfegerAll my videos are sponsored by the amazing people who signed up to my Patreon. They're the best. patreon.com/signalsmusicstudioMy site- signalsmusicstudio.com
43 Music Theory Concepts That EVERY Modern Composer Should Master [The Music Theory Map] Signals Music Studio 2020-12-19 | My pro theory + songwriting course: bit.ly/2J2NctnEnroll in my Rhythm Training Course at ANY price! bit.ly/3wDacU4Download the PDF:bit.ly/2J2NctnCheck out NODA! http://noda.ioThis is a tour of music theory for the modern composer. I think these concepts are very important to learn, and in this order specifically! This doesn't encapsulate all of music, but it is a very solid foundation. Knowing these topics will enable a songwriter to easily approach new advanced music theory topics with ease.Sorry it's been so long since I've posted - I was working all day shifts to finish this course. I started it last year actually but gave up since it was so much work. Fortunately I found the motivation after my last video to wrap it up - I honestly think it's the greatest course available on the internet, and I think the price is great for the amount of content you get compared to actual guitar lessons. Now that my course is done, I can start working on YT again. Expect the Locrian video soon, along with some surprises....THANK YOU TO MY PATREON SUPPORTERS. Without them, there would be no YT channel or course!www.patreon.com/signalsmusicstudioTable of Contents:00:00 - Intro01:58 - Begin the Tour25:33 - "Composers"
How To Produce PITCH PERFECT Acapella (when youre bad at singing) [Vocal Production + Mixing] Signals Music Studio 2020-10-14 | My pro theory + songwriting course: bit.ly/2J2NctnEnroll in my Rhythm Training Course at ANY price! bit.ly/3wDacU4I've posted a PDF of the 4-part harmony on my Patreon: patreon.com/posts/42733607Producing modern vocals that sound crisp and clean is pretty easy these days if you have access to pitch correction software. Even without programs like Melodyne, Autotune, Wavetunes, or Nectar, you can still make your vocal mix sound WAY better just by using some common sense mixing principles like panning, doubletracking, compression, and EQ.Most of my videos are theory based- this one breezes past the theory and writing to jump straight to production. In my opinion, the modern musician MUST consider production when writing his/her music, unless they strictly intend on only performing the music live. The more production knowledge a composer has, the more easily their songs can realize into the actual world without any hiccups. It also gives you a lot of confidence as a songwriter, knowing the sort of production techniques you intend to use when writing that can create certain sounds or cover up certain deficiencies. Note- there are some strange audio glitches during the demonstration part of the video that really only pop up because of the way I filmed this. In the final rendered version that you hear at the beginning of the video, none of those strange glitches (clips and autotune freakouts) are audible (to me at least!). Also, if you have some criticisms on my arrangement, I'm game for a public call-out on what I did "wrong". If you liked this video, definitely be on the lookout for the following folks and thank them for the generous support!Adam GrangerBillyshesBradley BowerBrandon CombsBuzzWasHereChristopher SwansonCrippleMonkeyDaniel DanciuDarrin GorenDonal BotkinDon Dachenhausen IIIDon WattersErik LangeJared YeltonJoe BuoteJohn Arnoldjon reddishKip IngramLinas OrentasLord of the Chords Live on Indiegogo Now!Marc BulandrMarek PawlowskiMarkos ZouganelisMartinMichael GalliMorgan M.Nick WhitePatrick RyanPhilip SharpStumannSophie SKGStephen MarzTyler SherkinTable of Contents:00:00 "The Magic of Pitch Correction"01:27 Intro02:36 Writing and Arranging06:52 Recording07:48 Mixing without effects14:23 Pitch Correction21:43 Compression and EQ25:53 Reverb27:23 Summary
Analyzing The Chords of John Lennons Imagine - Perfect Progressions #4 Signals Music Studio 2020-10-05 | My pro theory + songwriting course: bit.ly/2J2NctnEnroll in my Rhythm Training Course at ANY price! bit.ly/3wDacU4This video deeply analyzes John Lennon's Imagine, specifically the chord progressions used to make up the song. In addition, we take a look at the arrangement, production, and other musical choices that all sum up this iconic composition.Music theory is simply a way to describe what songwriter's have done. All of the composing tricks used in this song were clearly in John Lennon's vocabulary, whether he used their proper academic name (secondary dominant / pedal tone / etc.) is not relevent. What matters is understanding why this composition feels the way it does, and use that knowledge to our own benefit as composers!Take note- this song was written on piano. Even if you're a lousy key player, you should be able to take these chords to the piano and see how simple of a song it really is. You'll also see how the geometry of the piano itself probably played a giant part in why the song was written the way it was. It falls very easly on the hands.Special thanks to my Patreon subscribers for making these videos possible! Especially these groovy folks:Adam GrangerBillyshesBradley BowerBrandon CombsBuzzWasHereChristopher SwansonCrippleMonkeyDaniel DanciuDarrin GorenDonal BotkinDon Dachenhausen IIIDon WattersErik LangeJared YeltonJoe BuoteJohn Arnoldjon reddishKip IngramLinas OrentasLord of the Chords Live on Indiegogo Now!Marc BulandrMarek PawlowskiMarkos ZouganelisMartinMichael GalliMorgan M.Nick WhitePatrick RyanPhilip SharpStumannSophie SKGStephen MarzTyler SherkinMy Patreon: patreon.com/signalsmusicstudioIn This Video:00:00 Intro00:35 Verse Chords03:00 Why Voicings Matter04:15 Creating Melody Within Chords06:25 Mystery Ninth07:34 Double Tracking08:16 Chorus Chords10:44 Refrain13:31 Summary
How to Sound Like Daft Punk, Tool, or EVERY Rock Band using Minor/Aeolian [Riffing With Modes #6] Signals Music Studio 2020-09-04 | My pro theory + songwriting course: bit.ly/2J2NctnEnroll in my Rhythm Training Course at ANY price! bit.ly/3wDacU4Mp3s at my Patreon: patreon.com/signalsmusicstudioThank you to Klos! klosguitars.com/pages/feature-pageThis is the sixth video in a series on how to write riffs using the modes of major. Being the sixth in the episode, this lesson focuses on the Aeolian mode, which is identical to the natural minor scale. There is an argument to be made that there is a difference between Aeolian tonality and Minor tonality, which I touch on at the end. The first style is a dancey funk song in the style of Daft Punk or Chromeo. In addition to basic music theory and songwriting advice, quite a bit of detail is mentioned on the audio production itself. Next, the riff is transformed into a Tool style crushing riff. Then lastly, a classic acoustic rock style intro that sounds all too recognizable. Some videos you should have seen to be able to follow this one-Minor Scale and Chords: youtu.be/j-j4g0ktPGwSeventh Chords: youtu.be/3JizNRwHYNY3+3+3+3+4: youtu.be/QFVS7y_zGRwA few details I forgot to mention or want to clarify--ANY interval can funk in proper context. It’s purely subjective- please don’t pretend I’m citing fact when I say the flat seventh is the funkiest. -The minor chords played in the background were inevitably going to become minor sevenths since I was writing funk. I don’t know how or why I neglected to mention this!-If Aeolian had a signature sound, it would be the minor fifth chord (v). I’m slightly disappointed I didn’t feature it, since it is a unique sound of Aeolian. It’s very sad, and still usable. I may just make a video on the v chord so it doesn’t get ignored, but it really should have made an appearance here. -I have met educated teachers who consider the fifth chord of a minor key to be major, even though it contains the leading tone which is out of the key signature. A lot of confusion about aeolian vs minor occurs because traditionally, the minor key is NOT thought of as a strict diatonic collection of only seven notes. Though clearly, if one were to build triads from the natural minor scale and not include the natural seventh, the fifth chord would be minor. There is only one more Riffing with Modes lesson left – Locrian. It’s going to be weird.Until then, thank my amazing patreon subscribers for making these lessons and videos possible! Joining there means monthly live Q+A lessons, exclusive videos, and lots of charts and mp3s. The following members deserve special thanks:Adam GrangerBillyshesBradley BowerBrandon CombsBuzzWasHereChristopher SwansonCrippleMonkeyDaniel DanciuDarrin GorenDonal BotkinDon Dachenhausen IIIDon WattersErik LangeJoe BuoteJohn Arnoldjon reddishKip IngramLinas OrentasLord of the Chords Live on Indiegogo Now!Marc BulandrMarek PawlowskiMarkos ZouganelisMartinMichael GalliMorgan M.Nick WhitePatrick RyanPhilip SharpStumannStephen MarzTyler SherkinTable of contents:00:00 Intro00:32 Writing a Funk Riff08:52 Adding Vocals10:20 Musical Pockets12:55 DANCE / FUNK SONG 13:46 Writing Tool Riffs18:29 TOOL SONG19:30 Writing Acoustic Intros24:28 EVERY ROCK SONG26:24 Aeolian vs Minor
The Bizarre World of Augmented Chords Signals Music Studio 2020-08-10 | My pro theory + songwriting course: bit.ly/2J2NctnEnroll in my Rhythm Training Course at ANY price! bit.ly/3wDacU4PDFs+MP3's for this lesson at my Patreon: patreon.com/posts/40293305Augmented chords are awkward, weird, and can seem useless. It took me a while to eventually grasp on what aug chords are capable of- as well as aug7 (or +7) chords. They're certainly a unique sounding chord, and in this lesson we go over the basics behind how the triad is built, but also how it can be used in musical settings. Depending on your knowledge of music theory, this lesson may get too advanced near the end, but it should be simple to follow for the first half at least. Here's how Mike Muggli made the ragtime piano bit: youtu.be/TJ_m_6KczlIIn this video:00:00 Intro00:29 Augmented Triad Basics02:20 Swapping V for V+04:37 Adding Sevenths05:48 Voice Leading08:21 Augment Symmetry + Composing10:54 Lydian Augmented12:29 MinMaj7 RelationshipsI made a mistake when walking through my "ragtime piano chords" piece. I accidentally played a B7 (and said V/ii) instead of a B+ (V+ / ii). Hope you'll forgive me! Thanks to my outstanding Patreon subscribers for sponsoring these lessons. If you learned something from this video, your appreciation should go to them. Especially the following fine folks!Adam GrangerBillyshesBradley BowerBrandon CombsBuzzWasHereChristopher SwansonCrippleMonkeyDaniel DanciuDarrin GorenDonal BotkinDon Dachenhausen IIIDon WattersErik LangeJoe BuoteJohn Arnoldjon reddishKip IngramLinas OrentasLord of the Chords Live on Indiegogo Now!Marc BulandrMarek PawlowskiMarkos ZouganelisMartinMichael GalliMorgan M.Nick WhitePatrick RyanPhilip SharpStumannStephen MarzTyler Sherkin
Learn AND Apply Two Hand Tapping: Technique + Theory [GUITAR LESSON] Signals Music Studio 2020-07-17 | My pro theory + songwriting course: bit.ly/2J2NctnEnroll in my Rhythm Training Course at ANY price! bit.ly/3wDacU4My Patreon: patreon.com/signalsmusicstudioThis lesson is a detailed guide to get you started on learning the two-handed tapping technique for guitar. There are two important skills that must be learned first: left hand legato, and the right hand tap. After that, we will break down the most common tapping pattern (heard in Van Halen’s “Eruption,” Metallica’s “One,” and countless other tracks) into three simple steps.After learning how to synch up our practice with a metronome, we will then explore different patterns of varying difficulty, including 4-note sixteenth note patterns, 5 note quintuplet patterns, and 6-note sextuplet patterns. A small amount of music theory will also be taught relating to minor and major arpeggios, which are the most common way to perform tapping sequences. However, you are encouraged to EXPERIMENT with new shapes, patterns, strings, etc.Included with this lesson is a backing track using the chords Em-G-A-C. Try using the skills taught in this lesson to create a tapped arpeggio sequence that matches each chord. Also included is a 2 page PDF detailing the steps to tapping, arpeggio theory, and tabs/music for the tapping patterns. These lessons are sponsored by my incredible Patreon supporters. They deserve my appreciation, and if you enjoy these lessons, yours as well!Shout out to the following heros:Adam GrangerBillyshesBradley BowerBrandon CombsBuzzWasHereChristopher SwansonCrippleMonkeyDaniel DanciuDarrin GorenDonal BotkinDon Dachenhausen IIIDon WattersErik LangeJoe BuoteJohn Arnoldjon reddishKip IngramLinas OrentasLord of the Chords Live on Indiegogo Now!Marc BulandrMarek PawlowskiMarkos ZouganelisMartinMichael GalliMorgan M.Nick WhitePatrick RyanPhilip SharpStumannStephen MarzTyler Sherkin00:00 Intro00:50 Getting Started04:42 Three Steps To Tapping07:23 Technique advice09:11 Descending Threes10:22 Metronome Practice12:11 Beyond Triplets13:53 Tapped Arpeggio Music Theory17:23 Arpeggio Passages18:54 Advanced concepts21:28 Practice Advice
6 Ways To Solo Over 4 Simple Chords [Dorian + Minor Modal Mixture] Signals Music Studio 2020-06-25 | My pro theory + songwriting course: bit.ly/2J2NctnEnroll in my Rhythm Training Course at ANY price! bit.ly/3wDacU4Get the PDF + MP3 here: bit.ly/2BD1E7mThis lesson explores modal interchange AKA modal mixture between Dorian and Minor. Specifically with the tonal center of E. The four chords we are working with are Em – G – A and C, and these do not fit conveniently into a single mode of major. Therefore switching between scales is a valid and helpful approach to writing melodies or leads over these chords.We explore several different varieties of scale-blending, arpeggios, and voice leading to discover new ways to solo over a set of chords without just repeating the same licks over and over. If you’re interested in recording/production, you can watch my 1 hour tutorial on how I mixed and made the backing track for this video: youtu.be/OaXcTchsmssIf you’re confused about this lesson I recommend you watch the following videos:Minor Scale: youtube.com/watch?v=j-j4g0ktPGwDorian Scale: youtube.com/watch?v=_r6ftqp1bkAModal Mixture: youtube.com/watch?v=RyR98UEtt18Arpeggio Basics: youtube.com/watch?v=tnwCnkYHv9U&t=232sSpecial thanks to my Patreon subscribers who sponsor these videos. I post special goodies there for all members, including mp3s, pdfs, and lesson videos.A big shoutout to the following folks:Adam GrangerBillyshesBradley BowerBrandon CombsBuzzWasHereChristopher SwansonCrippleMonkeyDaniel DanciuDarrin GorenDonal BotkinDon Dachenhausen IIIDon WattersErik LangeJoe BuoteJohn Arnoldjon reddishKip IngramLinas OrentasLord of the Chords Live on Indiegogo Now!Marc BulandrMarek PawlowskiMarkos ZouganelisMartinMorgan M.Nick WhitePatrick RyanPhilip SharpStephen MarzTyler SherkinYou can join them here: www.patreon.com/signalsmusicstudioTable of Contents:00:00 Intro00:45 Method #1: Pentatonic Minor Scale02:11 Method #2: Using the Minor Scale While Borrowing from Dorian04:10 Method #3: Pentatonic Minor + Natural Sixth05:19 Method #4: Using the Dorian Scale While Borrowing From Minor06:41 Method #5: Using Arpeggios09:19 Method #6.1: Finding and Highlighting Harmonic Movement10:45 Method #6.1: Using Harmonic Movement Inside Licks and Phrases11:59 Wrap-Up
How To Write Solos That SHRED! Signals Music Studio 2020-06-10 | My pro theory + songwriting course: bit.ly/2J2NctnEnroll in my Rhythm Training Course at ANY price! bit.ly/3wDacU4 ShredMaster Scott’s Modal Lesson: youtube.com/watch?v=DfMmP9vb2WAWriting shredding and fast lead lines is tough business. Too many notes and it gets repetitive and robotic, too few and the kids won’t think you’re cool. But by combining simple melodic techniques with fast scale passages and arpeggios, as well as sufficient practice, you can compose an impressive technical solo on any instrument.Throughout the video I refer to the chords as A and B. To be more specific, the B chord is played as a B/A, so the bass remains unchanged, and stays playing an A over the B chord. SHREDDIAN RESOURCES- Videos that are mentioned or are related to this one-The Lydian Mode:Lydian Basics: youtube.com/watch?v=Ou_Z9ol8r0IMaj7 Arpeggios: youtube.com/watch?v=geGr0c-qwoAEconomy Picking: youtube.com/watch?v=c0tq2PNpbokSextuplets: youtube.com/watch?v=3CjeZDUQUwM3 notes per string: youtube.com/watch?v=ZORL0JBBscYComposing Lydian Prog: youtube.com/watch?v=i7X4YAoHEowSweeping: youtube.com/watch?v=gChLdrC57hwA big giant huge wonderful thank you to my Patreon supporters. They’re the reason these videos continue to get made, and the following folks deserve a special bit of recognition:Adam GrangerBillyshesBradley BowerBrandon CombsBuzzWasHereChristopher SwansonCrippleMonkeyDaniel DanciuDarrin GorenDonal BotkinDon Dachenhausen IIIDon WattersErik LangeJoe BuoteJohn Arnoldjon reddishKip IngramLinas OrentasLord of the Chords Live on Indiegogo Now!Marc BulandrMarek PawlowskiMarkos ZouganelisMartinMorgan M.Nick WhitePatrick RyanPhilip SharpStephen MarzTyler SherkinMy Patreon: patreon.com/signalsmusicstudio
The BEST Way to Learn Scales and Make Music [Composing with Bebop Dominant] Signals Music Studio 2020-05-26 | My pro theory + songwriting course: bit.ly/2J2NctnEnroll in my Rhythm Training Course at ANY price! bit.ly/3wDacU4FRETASTIC is free, no downloads! fretastic.comI can’t wait to share with you all the absolute best way to learn scales and shapes on the guitar, and it’s totally free- I swear this isn’t an ad!!! It’s just literally the best resource I’ve found for guitarists who are into learning scales and shapes (hope you are!) and should actually save you quite a bit of cash on paper charts and books.In addition to showing you all how I use and practice with Fretastic, I demonstrate how easily your scale practicing can turn into a real song, by walking through the process of finding a scale, choosing it’s accompanying chords, and adding other instruments like bass, drums, and keys. I composed and produced the music in Ableton 10 and Reason 11, and as I mention, there were quite a few technical difficulties that needed to be overcome. Regardless, with patience and persistence I was able to get back on track, and even film a music video for the concept. If I were to finish this track into a whole song, it would take way more time than I am comfortable with just to upload it for this video. So instead, I’ll be completing this song on my own time and will upload it to Spotify when it’s done – I’ll let you all know when that happens!Huge thank you to Gary Simon from DesignCourse. He’s a fan of the channel, and if it weren’t for him, we wouldn’t have this awesome resource to learn with. Here’s his channel on web design:youtube.com/user/DesignCourseAnd his guitar channel as well!youtube.com/channel/UCZbZKXvxqvBeRY0F6gDwv6wAnd most of all, thank you to my Patreon Supporters for making these lessons possible. Since I don’t do ads, they’re the real sponsors. Join them here: www.patreon.com/signalsmusicstudioThe following Patreon members get special recognition for their gratitude!Adam GrangerBillyshesBradley BowerBrandon CombsBuzzWasHereChristopher SwansonCrippleMonkeyDaniel DanciuDarrin GorenDonal BotkinDon Dachenhausen IIIDon WattersErik LangeJoe BuoteJohn Arnoldjon reddishKip IngramLinas OrentasLord of the Chords Live on Indiegogo Now!Marc BulandrMarek PawlowskiMarkos ZouganelisMartinMorgan M.Nick WhitePatrick RyanPhilip SharpStephen MarzTyler SherkinTable of Contents00:00 Intro01:23- Lesson begins 06:19- Bebop Composition 11:58- New song!
Jake Lizzio / Kerry Devine - Whats Comin To Ya [Classic Rock / 80s Hair Metal Genre] Signals Music Studio 2020-05-09 | My Complete Theory and Songwriting course is NOW OUT! bit.ly/38fs0sx See how I made this song: youtu.be/39iZqrZf66oGet the song on spotify / itunes, etc: bit.ly/3coZQwkFor my fifth episode of Riffing With The Modes, I decided to write an entire 80's rock single to demonstrate the power of Mixolydian. Kerry Devine performed vocals and Jeff Schwertfeger played drums. The video was filmed at a tiny suburban concert venue during quarantine, and then I filmed some greenscreen shots later on. The effects are all stock premiere effects- lots of color adjustments, channel blur, and automated zooms. Plus fake shakey cam when needed!Hope you enjoy this one, it's the sort of song I would love to hear on the radio once a year and not much more than that, lolTHANK YOU TO MY PATREON SUBSCRIBERS FOR SUPPORTING MY VIDEOSwww.patreon.com/signalsmusicstudio
How To Make A Classic Rock Hit Single 35 Years Late [RIFFING WITH MODES #5 - MIXOLYDIAN] Signals Music Studio 2020-05-05 | My pro theory + songwriting course: bit.ly/2J2NctnEnroll in my Rhythm Training Course at ANY price! bit.ly/3wDacU4Guitar tabs at my Patreon: patreon.com/posts/36780106This giant lesson is essentially a mini documentary on how to create a classic rock 80s metal hit track. Of course it's several decades late, but I certainly don't mind- there's so much to learn through out this process, from wielding music theory to collaborating with other musicians, and I believe this lesson does a good job of demonstrating that entire process and what it can lead to.It also features the one and only Kerry Devine as a guest vocalist to guide us through the twists and turns of melodies in the fifth mode. His work can be found here:Rockstar Roadshow (National Act): rockstarroadshow.comLAVA Rock (Chicagoland Area): lavarockband.com/homeAll of this was done to highlight how to use the Mixolydian scale/mode but I got a bit carried away. Once I realized I was having a vocalist help, I felt obligated to turn it into a full single instead of a little musical tidbit as I've made in my other Riffing With The Modes videos. It takes me a TON of time to finish a single like this, well over 100hrs was spent just on the song for recording, tracking, editing, mixing, mastering, tweaking. The lesson video was nearly as taxing, but I did elicit some help in editing the basic parts of my music video so thanks to Joe Watychowicz for filming some of those fun 80s shots for the video and doing some basic editing work. What's really weird, is Ben Eller happened to post a video describing 80's hair metal pedal tone riffing on the exact same day as I posted this video. Check out his video here to understand the concept in MUCH more detail! youtu.be/B4lWLqp0U6gThe song will post separately as a music video here in a few days once the track is up on spotify. To be quite honest, I could talk for another 40 minutes about obscure and tiny decisions that HAD to have been made when producing this song but I had to reign it in somewhere, so if you're interested in a part two let me know!Videos mentioned or referenced this one:ACDC + Mixolydian: youtu.be/5kYsVpLtOmcMetallica Scale: youtu.be/UuqvZDDm_bkBlues Lead lesson with microbends: youtu.be/roVM2n2BX14An incredible earnest thank you goes to my Patreon subscribers who sponsored this lesson. Without them I'd be doing review videos and jewelry ads instead of making music and lessons. A special shoutout to the following fine folks:Adam GrangerBillyshesBradley BowerBrandon CombsBuzzWasHereChristopher SwansonCrippleMonkeyDaniel DanciuDarrin GorenDonal BotkinDon Dachenhausen IIIDon WattersErik LangeJoe BuoteJohn Arnoldjon reddishKip IngramLinas OrentasLord of the Chords Live on Indiegogo Now!Marc BulandrMarek PawlowskiMarkos ZouganelisMartinMorgan M.Nick WhitePatrick RyanPhilip SharpStephen MarzMy Patreon: www.patreon.com/signalsmusicstudioTable of Contents:00:00 Intro00:37 Mixolydian Vibe + Inspiration02:55 Writing An Intro Riff06:49 Recording and Producing an Intro09:23 Bass Guitar Options12:00 Intonation Issues with Major Thirds14:35 Writing a Verse with Movable Thirds17:09 Writing a Prechorus20:22 Writing a Chorus22:17 Using the Neutral Third25:50 Crafting a Solo Section17:32 Writing a Bridge29:48 Extra elements of a song31:52 WHAT'S COMIN' TO YA?25:48 Composing with Intent37:37 Succesful Collaborations
Does The Diminished viiº Chord Even Exist? Signals Music Studio 2020-04-07 | My pro theory + songwriting course: bit.ly/2J2NctnEnroll in my Rhythm Training Course at ANY price! bit.ly/3wDacU4PDF at my Patreon: bit.ly/2UQnhbrThx to KLOS for the carbon fiber acoustic! klosguitars.comThis is a deep lesson, not for the faint of heart. To sweeten the burden of all this knowledge I’ve made a silly intro that I hope you enjoy. If I get demonetized, so be it, I think its worth it cause its still cracking me up and I’ve watched in a hundred times already. Long story short - the diatonic seven chord is diminished, everyone knows that. But what does that actually mean, and is it even helpful to think of viiº , the simple triad, as its own independent chord? This video demonstrates several of its relationships with other chords, in particular the dominant chord V7 and its variations. The goal of this lesson is to have more options, possibilities, and techniques to working with a viiº chord. If you’re confused about secondary dominants, check my video here: youtu.be/py4HaueW50QAnd to know more about using dim7 chords, check my videos here:Using Diminished Chords: youtu.be/koulaYcijEEDiminished Portals: youtu.be/olSSi6GOKZ8Harmonized Diminished 7th: youtu.be/0VJHqvtz12cLike this video? Thank my Patreon subscribers for sponsoring these lessons! They're the reason you don't see ads or sponsorships in the middle of my videos. Especially the following folks: Adam GrangerBillyshesBradley BowerBrandon CombsBuzzWasHereChristopher SwansonCrippleMonkeyDaniel DanciuDarrin GorenDonal BotkinDon Dachenhausen IIIDon WattersErik LangeJoe BuoteJohn Arnoldjon reddishKip IngramLinas OrentasLord of the Chords Live on Indiegogo Now!Marc BulandrMarek PawlowskiMarkos ZouganelisMartinMorgan M.Nick WhitePatrick RyanPhilip SharpStephen MarzYou can join them here: www.patreon.com/signalsmusicstudioTable of Contents:00:00 Secrets Of The Seven Chord 00:57 Intro01:30 Dominant Function02:57 Advantages Of V Over viiº03:40 How To Arrive At viiº04:15 Half-Diminished Chords05:22 Treating the Half-Diminished Chord as V906:13 What About viiº7?07:56 How to use viiº709:20 Context and The Art Of Using vii Chords11:33 Conclusion
Live Quarantine Lessons - Blues Guitar Day 5 [Band Arrangement] Signals Music Studio 2020-03-27 | Graduation day! You can download the lesson resources for free (many pdfs, and mp3s) at my website, all you need is an email. signalsmusicstudio.com/home/signupThis lesson was livestreamed on 3/27/2020. Thank my Patreon supporters for making this free course possible!www.patreon.com/signalsmusicstudio
Live Quarantine Lessons - Blues Guitar Day 4 [Minor Blues] Signals Music Studio 2020-03-26 | Note- I did edit out a mistake in this video since it made the presentation confusing. I alude to the mistake later on in case you're wondering. You can download the lesson resources for free (many pdfs, and mp3s) at my website, all you need is an email. signalsmusicstudio.com/home/signupThis lesson was livestreamed on 3/26/2020. Tomorrow I'll be wrapping up this course (as long as my internet doesn't die on me like it did today!) Thank my Patreon supporters for making this free course possible!www.patreon.com/signalsmusicstudio
Live Quarantine Lessons - Blues Guitar Day 3 [Lead Playing] Signals Music Studio 2020-03-25 | Download the lesson resources for free (many pdfs, and mp3s) at my website signalsmusicstudio.com/courses/5-day-bluesThis lesson was livestreamed on 3/25/2020. Every day this week I'll be live streaming the remainder of this course at 2PM CST, and then will upload the video afterwards. Thank my Patreon supporters for making this free course possible!www.patreon.com/signalsmusicstudio
Live Quarantine Lessons - Blues Guitar day 2 Signals Music Studio 2020-03-24 | Download the lesson resources for free (many pdfs, and mp3s) at my website signalsmusicstudio.com/courses/5-day-bluesThis lesson was livestreamed on 3/24/2020. Every day this week I'll be live streaming the remainder of this course at 2PM CST, and then will upload the video afterwards. Thank my Patreon supporters for making this free course possible!www.patreon.com/signalsmusicstudio
Quarantine Lessons- Blues Guitar Crash Course 1/5 Signals Music Studio 2020-03-23 | My Complete Theory and Songwriting course is NOW OUT! bit.ly/38fs0sxGet all the PDFs for THIS course here: signalsmusicstudio.com/courses/5-day-bluesThis lesson was livestreamed on 3/23/2020. Every day this week I'll be live streaming the remainder of this course at 2PM CST, and then will upload the video afterwards. Thank my Patreon supporters for making this free course possible!www.patreon.com/signalsmusicstudio
What Makes A BAD Teacher? An Interview with Levi Clay Signals Music Studio 2020-03-09 | My Complete Theory and Songwriting course is NOW OUT! bit.ly/38fs0sx Full Interview at Levi's Channel- youtu.be/YQBhQgG9fskWhat's the deal with crappy teachers? My own traumatic experience of bad instructors is not unique, so I probed the topic with experienced teacher and YouTuber Levi Clay. To get a taste of what Levi is all about, check out this great video on fanned frets:youtube.com/watch?v=LDrwqPgAGF4Or this lesson on Melodic Minor:youtube.com/watch?v=Up8eW107S-0The full conversation can be found on his channel. This video is a shortened down version. Thanks a billion to Levi for contributing his time and thoughts for this video. The Riffing With Modes: Mixolydian video is gonna be wild, and is going to take a long time to get finished so I plan on posting at least one other video before that one is out. This one was a fun opportunity to try something different. I do the occasional podcast for my Patreon subscribers and intend on doing more for YouTube soon, but I'd never done this sort of recorded skype interview. It turned out to be a great project but actually took more time than I anticipated because I'm a total n00b at all things webcam+streaming+interview related. There were a ton of process issues I had to overcome for the first (and hopefully last) time. Fortunately, Levi was willing to put up with my technical issues (he couldn't even see me!) and throughout the process I learned some things. For example, next time around, the video will be in much higher quality as it SHOULD be. I didn't have OBS configured properly (still).Thanks to my patreon supporters for sponsoring these videos. You can join them here - patreon.com/signalsmusicstudioA special thanks is owed to the following folks:Adam GrangerBillyshesBradley BowerBrandon CombsBuzzWasHereChristopher SwansonCrippleMonkeyDaniel DanciuDarrin GorenDon Dachenhausen IIIDon WattersErik LangeJoe BuoteJohn Arnoldjon reddishKip IngramLinas OrentasLord of the Chords Live on Indiegogo Now!Marc BulandrMarek PawlowskiMarkos ZouganelisMartinMorgan M.Nick WhitePatrick RyanPhilip SharpStephen Marz
Lydian + 7/4 = Writing Dreamy Instrumental Prog Rock [RIFFING WITH MODES #4] Signals Music Studio 2020-03-01 | My pro theory + songwriting course: bit.ly/2J2NctnEnroll in my Rhythm Training Course at ANY price! bit.ly/3wDacU4Skip to 19:13 to hear the dreamy lydian grooves. If you like Lydian you will LOVE my ultimate modal poster: bit.ly/2URf0ExMp3 and Tabs at my Patreon: patreon.com/posts/34465055This is a demonstration and lesson on how to exploit the Lydian mode’s properties and features in order to create dreamy prog rock riffs and sections. We explore several ideas outside of Lydian, including writing in 7/4, polymeter, line clichés, and more. To learn the basics of Lydian, check my lesson here: youtu.be/Ou_Z9ol8r0IThis is part four of a series. The other episodes are found here:Ionian: youtu.be/gbNLhx2eCXsDorian: youtu.be/_r6ftqp1bkAPhrygian: youtu.be/cSSAJ0goWiEMy patreon supporters make these videos possible. I post extra lessons for them there, as well as tabs and pdf’s for ALL members. Special thanks to the following:Adam GrangerBillyshesBradley BowerBrandon CombsBuzzWasHereChristopher SwansonCrippleMonkeyDaniel DanciuDarrin GorenDon Dachenhausen IIIDon WattersErik LangeJoe BuoteJohn Arnoldjon reddishKip IngramLinas OrentasLord of the Chords Live on Indiegogo Now!Marc BulandrMarek PawlowskiMarkos ZouganelisMartinMorgan M.Nick WhitePatrick RyanPhilip SharpStephen MarzYou can join them here: www.patreon.com/signalsmusicstudioTable of Contents:00:00 Intro01:05 Doing More With 7/402:01 Finding Your Rhythm, Scale Key and Shape Patterns04:03 Tone and Timbre04:42 Layering: Building the Lydian Cloud07:06 Giant Power Chords07:39 Finding a Motif08:34 Introducing the Riff09:05 Making a Riff From Our Motif09:46 Using a Line Cliche10:44 Supporting the Line Cliche12:30 Bringing In a Lead13:44 Key Modulation15:47 Writing a Solo16:53 Modulating Back To Your Original Key17:53 Composing an Outro19:13 Lotus Latus (Full Composition)21:45 Wrap-Up
Writing Morse Code Math Metal in Phrygian - Riffing with Modes #3 Signals Music Studio 2020-02-15 | My pro theory + songwriting course: bit.ly/2J2NctnEnroll in my Rhythm Training Course at ANY price! bit.ly/3wDacU4Skip to 14:10 to hear "War Monks". Like Phrygian? You’ll LOVE my Ultimate Modal Poster: bit.ly/2URf0ExTabs At My Patreon: patreon.com/posts/34061528Writing and composing riffs with Phrygian is ripe ground for growing dark, doomy, and chaotic metal riffs. This video explores some compositional options, including modulations, odd time signatures, overlapping meters, and poor attempts at choral arrangement. The basis of this song is a rhythm constructed from morse code. A note to the attentive- I did not completely honor or respect the resting pattern, instead, I used the rhythmic pulses to direct the rhythm of my riff. If you were to try to reverse engineer my rhythm just by listening to it, it would be quite difficult considering the rests are smudged a bit.Shout out to Early Music Sources for the inspiration: earlymusicsources.com/youtubeAnd thanks to Mike Muggli aka Moog Lee for adding synth layers: youtube.com/user/Midiman741GIANT thank you to my Patrons, who sponsor these videos! Special thanks to the following:Adam GrangerBillyshesBradley BowerBrandon CombsBuzzWasHereChristopher SwansonCrippleMonkeyDaniel DanciuDarrin GorenDon Dachenhausen IIIDon WattersErik LangeJoe BuoteJohn Arnoldjon reddishKip IngramLinas OrentasLord of the Chords Live on Indiegogo Now!Marc BulandrMarek PawlowskiMarkos ZouganelisMartinMorgan M.Nick WhitePatrick RyanPhilip SharpStephen MarzYou can join them here: www.patreon.com/signalsmusicstudioTable of Contents:00:00 Intro00:51 Phrygian: The Third Mode02:08 Inspiration02:58 Adding Chaotic Rhythms Using Morse Code to Build Your Riff05:23 How To Use Your Rhythm06:21 Adding Chords with Phrygian Flavor08:36 Writing a Phrygian Solo09:19 Adding Something New 10:15 Modulating Between Whole Steps12:52 Adding Variety to Your Main Riff14:10 "War Monks"16:40 Closing Notes
How Inversions and Slash Chords Create Better Progressions [MUSIC THEORY] Signals Music Studio 2020-02-02 | My pro theory + songwriting course: bit.ly/2J2NctnEnroll in my Rhythm Training Course at ANY price! bit.ly/3wDacU4 I've posted a PDF to my Patreon that contains all the info taught in this video. patreon.com/posts/new-video-pdf-33657311Inverted chords are extremely useful. Working with inversions allows us to create better sounding progressions, since the bass is no longer stuck to jumping in parallel with the chord. This video explains the basic music theory of chords in first and second inversion, also called 63 and 64 chords respectively. In addition, we explore slash chord notation and 4 examples in full of how inversions can help us write more interesting and likable progressions.The following videos are referenced in this lesson:Writing Progressions in Major: youtu.be/M8eItITv8QAWriting Progressions in Minor: youtu.be/j-j4g0ktPGwBorrowed Chords: youtu.be/7IdttvJSedgSecondary Dominant:youtu.be/py4HaueW50QAnalyzing George Harrison's "Something": youtu.be/wcG7G1Ixb6EMy song, Generations: youtu.be/5Z5Ljhbp3A0Want to support my channel AND get a cool studying resource? Buy my Ultimate Modal Poster!teespring.com/signals-ultimate-modal-posterYou can also support me through my Patreon: ww.patreon.com/signalsmusicstudio Special recognition to the following members! Without them these videos would not exist:Adam GrangerBillyshesBradley BowerBrandon CombsBuzzWasHereChristopher SwansonCrippleMonkeyDaniel DanciuDarrin GorenDon Dachenhausen IIIDon WattersErik LangeJoe BuoteJohn Arnoldjon reddishKip IngramLinas OrentasLord of the Chords Live on Indiegogo Now!Marc BulandrMarek PawlowskiMarkos ZouganelisMartinMorgan M.Nick WhitePatrick RyanPhilip SharpStephen MarzYou can join them here: www.patreon.com/signalsmusicstudioTable of Contents:00:00 Intro00:40 What Are Inversions?01:23 First Inversion02:23 Using Slash Chords 03:07 Second Inversion 03:58 Minor Chord Inversions04:28 Using Inversions 06:51 Inversions In Action: George Harrison "Something" 08:35 Inversions In Action: Dream Theater "Scene One: Regression"10:20 Inversions In Action: Jake Lizzio "Generations"12:37 Wrapping Up
Writing Powerful Dorian Dad Rock in 6/8 - Riffing with Modes #2 Signals Music Studio 2020-01-18 | My pro theory + songwriting course: bit.ly/2J2NctnEnroll in my Rhythm Training Course at ANY price! bit.ly/3wDacU4Skip to 15:50 to hear the full dorian dad rock demo! Buy the Ultimate Modal Poster: bit.ly/30vHeWc Confused about Dorian? Watch my lesson here: youtu.be/hyZPcYf1Pe4 There is an ERROR here at 13:48, the "bVI - bVII - I" chords are incorrectly labeled - should be "Bb - C - Dm. (thanks icanplaytehdrums)Riffing with Modes part 1 (Ionian) found here: youtu.be/gbNLhx2eCXsDorian is capable of way more than just jazz and funk. This video teaches how to write riffs with the Dorian mode, and also how to arrange those riffs into a full song. We explore a little bit of modal interchange, by borrowing from the parallel minor key, but mostly focus in on the 2nd mode. Don’t take me too seriously when I say that dad rock isn’t “too complicated or insightful”. I’m generalizing, for better or for worse. FAQ:Q: Why does your song sound like “Turn The Page”?A: Because the chord progression for that song is the same- except it is in E dorian instead of D, and this song the chord changes every measure instead of every two. Also he sings the lyric "There I go", and I sing the lyric "There he goes"Q: Why does your song sound like Metallica?A: Because I’m trying to sound like James HetfieldQ: Why does your song sound like Bon Jovi’s “Wanted: Dead or Alive”?A: Because it’s played on an acoustic guitar, the tonal center is D, and I bend the minor third into that twangin territory. Q: Why does your song sound like Bon Jovi’s “You Give Love A Bad Name”?A: Because of that big major IV chord in the prechorus that resolves to the tonic. It’s heard in the prechorus of both songs.Q: Why does your song remind me of “Norweigan Wood” by the Beatles?A: Because the pick-strumma-strumma in 6/8 is similar to the pick-strumma-strumma in that song. This video is brought to you by my patreon subscribers. You can join them here: patreon.com/signalsmusicstudioHUGE THANKS to the following Patreon members! Adam GrangerBillyshesBradley BowerBrandon CombsBuzzWasHereChristopher SwansonCrippleMonkeyDaniel DanciuDarrin GorenDon Dachenhausen IIIDon WattersErik LangeJoe BuoteJohn Arnoldjon reddishKip IngramLinas OrentasLord of the Chords Live on Indiegogo Now!Marc BulandrMarek PawlowskiMarkos ZouganelisMartinMorgan M.Nick WhitePatrick RyanPhilip SharpTable of Contents:00:00 Intro01:44 Picking a Dorian Key02:43 Writing a Dorian Chord Progression 03:31 Using Rhythms in 6/805:51 Writing Riffs 08:55 Applying Guitar Layers10:10 Writing a Verse10:41 Adding a Bassline 11:26 Adding Vocals11:58 Writing a New Chord Progression14:23 Writing a Chorus15:04 Closing the Song15:48 "Willing To Bleed"17:37 Wrapping Up
Riffing With Modes #1: Writing with Major/Ionian [Rock/Prog style] Signals Music Studio 2019-12-21 | My pro theory + songwriting course: bit.ly/2J2NctnEnroll in my Rhythm Training Course at ANY price! bit.ly/3wDacU4I posted a video on how I wrote the solo (at 16:52) with tabs at my Patreon: bit.ly/35Ll3x1Riffing with Modes part 2- Dorian Dad Rock:youtu.be/_r6ftqp1bkAThis is the first of a seven part series on how to write riffs. Every guitarist should be able to make a decent riff, and throughout these videos, I’ll be demonstrating the strategies and techniques I use to writing music on the guitar. Each video will focus on a different mode of major, but will not always be totally limited to that key. In the case of this video, we perform a relative modulation by resolving to the vi chord for long enough to make it feel like our new tonal center. In future videos, we’ll build on the skills we learned before and explore new possibilities. To fully understand this video you’ll want to know the following topics-Major Scale + Chords: youtu.be/M8eItITv8QASeventh Chords: youtu.be/3JizNRwHYNYSuspended Chords Pt 1: youtu.be/qu49nYaBfdMThis video is brought to you by an incredible subsection of the human race known as MY PATREON SUBSCRIBERS. I owe them my thanks for their support, and so do you if you learned something from this video! You can join them here:www.patreon.com/signalsmusicstudioSpecial thanks to the following members:Adam GrangerBillyshesBradley BowerBrandon CombsBuzzWasHereChristopher SwansonCrippleMonkeyDaniel DanciuDarrin GorenDon Dachenhausen IIIDon WattersErik LangeJoe BuoteJohn Arnoldjon reddishKip IngramLinas OrentasLord of the Chords Live on Indiegogo Now!Marc BulandrMarek PawlowskiMarkos ZouganelisMartinMorgan M.Nick WhitePatrick RyanPhilip SharpTable of Contents:00:00 Intro01:33 Riffing in Major Basics02:12 Constructing a Major Riff04:15 Expanding your Major Riff06:51 Spicing Up the Rhythm09:35 Next Steps10:20 Repackaging your Major Riff11:06 Adding a B Section14:36 Happy Rhythmic Accidents16:25 Finished Product! 17:23 Closing Notes
PENTATONIC POSSIBILITIES: What Is The Best Scale For Your Solo, Major or Minor? Signals Music Studio 2019-12-07 | My pro theory + songwriting course bit.ly/2J2NctnEnroll in my Rhythm Training Course at ANY price! bit.ly/3wDacU4 If you're signed up to my Patreon at any level (found here - bit.ly/2RrRAUv) I have posted a PDF and 8 mp3s that I made for this video. The pentatonic minor and major scales are really a thing a beauty. They work incredibly well as a lead-playing device, in many different circumstances. This video demonstrates several different chord progressions, keys, and tonalites, and compares the effects of pentatonic major versus minor in them. The result might be unexpected depending on your understanding of theory. Hopefully by the end of this video, you will have a better idea of when you can and can't (or should and shouldn't) be rocking out in one of these scales. A few things to note- when adding a b3 to a major chord like we talk about here, it's best to refer to it as a #9. Chords and keys shouldn't mix thirds, but it's okay to have an augmented ninth or second as a color tone. Also, I'm never happy with my improvising and there's quite a bit of it in this video. But I did really enjoy the way the blues sections came out for this video, I stumbled across just the right settings in my DAW to get a killer tone that has eluded me for a long time. I think that inspired some of the tastier playing I've got to show off on this channel. Thanks to my AMAZING PATREON SUBSCRIBERS for supporting the production of these videos. A special thank you to the following members: Adam GrangerBillyshesBradley BowerBrandon CombsBuzzWasHereChristopher SwansonCrippleMonkeyDaniel DanciuDarrin GorenDon Dachenhausen IIIDon WattersErik LangeJoe BuoteJohn Arnoldjon reddishKip IngramLinas OrentasLord of the Chords Live on Indiegogo Now!Marc BulandrMarek PawlowskiMarkos ZouganelisMartinMorgan M.Nick WhitePatrick RyanPhilip SharpTable of Contents:00:00 Intro00:57 Example 103:28 Example 205:05 Example 307:19 Example 409:37 Example 511:07 Example 613:23 Example 715:18 Wrapping Up
Recreating the Genre I Hate Most - Bro Country [Songwriting + Structure + Arrangement] Signals Music Studio 2019-11-28 | My pro theory + songwriting course bit.ly/2J2NctnEnroll in my Rhythm Training Course at ANY price! bit.ly/3wDacU4I’ve posted the tabs for the solo and the mp3 at my Patreon: bit.ly/35CoYM2 Skip to 11:48 to just hear the full trackIn this video, I show you how to make a modern pop country song, aka BRO COUNTRY. I walk through the arrangement and writing techniques used, from a heavy reliance on pentatonic minor and cookie-cutter song structure to more obscure harmonies and techniques. I hate to be negative, and I don’t want to dismiss this genre outright. But you can’t like everything, and this genre just rubs me the wrong way for reasons that may become obvious in the video. That doesn’t mean it’s bad music though- you like what you like. There’s lots of “good music” in the jazz realm that I can not stand listening to, that doesn’t negate it. Similarly, there’s lots of simple pop that I enjoy regardless of its basic nature. But even though I don’t believe in good music or bad music, I still believe in good natured criticism, and hopefully this video gets the point across- the genre is very easy to write. I believed that before going into this video and wasn’t sure how successful I’d be at recreating this genre, but now that it’s done I give myself a B+ I must say this isn’t my first crack at a writing a country song. A little while back, I produced and wrote a song with a local artist named Cara Jeanne, and we were aiming for a more mature version of a Taylor Swift song before she went full pop mode. If you’d like to hear that song, you can find it here: youtube.com/watch?v=FMzxAc554D0 I actually encourage you to do this sort of thing. It is a great way to build your skills and experience. As a modern professional composer, you don’t always have the luxury of writing in genres you like, so going way outside of your tastes like this is a surefire way to grow and evolve. To expand on what happened with my harmonies- when It was only a parallel third, I liked it. But when I added in 6ths, it worked, but I felt it could be more interesting. Instead, I had the harmonies during the 2nd and 3rd choruses outline little bits of each chord tone as they tried their best to maintain a parallel motion. It didn't always work and I still don't like how they're mixed but it does add an incredible amount of interest to an otherwise simple pentatonic melody. Thanks to my amazing Patreon supporters for sponsoring these videos. They deserve our appreciation, especially the following folks: Joe Buote Nick White Patrick Ryan Christopher Swanson John Arnold Jon Reddish Brandon Combs Sebastian Morgan M. Lord of the Chords BillyshesPhillip Sharp Don WattersBradley BowerMarek Pawlowski BuzzWasHere Kip IngramYou can join them here:www.patreon.com/signalsmusicstudioTable of Contents:00:00 Intro02:02 Writing A Chorus05:59 Writing A Verse 07:26 Writing A Second Verse 07:53 Writing A Second Chorus09:32 Writing A Guitar Solo 10:11 Adding A Quiet Pseudo-Chorus 10:54 The Final Chorus11:48 "TRUK BFF"13:57 Wrapping Up
Analyzing the Perfect Chords from We Are The Champions by Queen Signals Music Studio 2019-11-15 | My pro theory + songwriting course bit.ly/2J2NctnEnroll in my Rhythm Training Course at ANY price! bit.ly/3wDacU4 PDF with chords posted at my Patreon: bit.ly/2KrAUs1Get my Ultimate Modal Poster: bit.ly/2OdYIk4This video is a musical analysis of the chord progression in "We are the Champions" by Queen. We will see things like key changes/modulations, modal mixture, secondary dominants, and secondary leading tone chords. Lots of complex changes for a song that might seem basic on the surface.The following topics are touched upon, and you can go further into any of these topics by watching the lessons I've taught on them:Writing chord progressions in Major: youtu.be/M8eItITv8QAWriting chord progressions in Minor: youtu.be/j-j4g0ktPGwSecondary Dominant Chords: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=py4Ha...Diminished Chord Basics: youtu.be/HQ2pg7D1aksUsing Diminished Chords: youtu.be/koulaYcijEEModal Mixture: youtu.be/RyR98UEtt18Modulations: youtu.be/Vxac3hHrxg8The I - iii change: youtu.be/y97CwPqDQf8Here are my previous videos on Perfect Progressions:Bruno Mars - If I Was Your Man: youtu.be/rD0L-a0gDgkThe Beatles - Something: youtu.be/wcG7G1Ixb6EA few things to note, that did not make it into the video:Many of you may "hear" or "feel" a i - bVII instead of a i - v for the intro like I pointed out. That's fine! There is no ONE way to interpret this chord, and often times, we have to choose a name based on our own experiences. The second half of the verse is Eb - Ab/Eb. I forgot to talk about how nice and soft a I-IV can be when the bass note does not change- in this instance, Eb remains on the bass. It's about as soft and pleasing as two chords can get IMO.This video is brough to you by my AMAZING Patreon supporters, especially the following fine folks: Linas Orentas Joe Buote Nick White Patrick Ryan Christopher Swanson John Arnold Jon Reddish Brandon Combs Sebastian Morgan M. Lord of the Chords BillyshesPhillip Sharp Don WattersBradley BowerMarek Pawlowski BuzzWasHere Kip IngramTable of Contents:00:00 Intro00:29 The Intro Chords06:21 The Chorus Chords 07:00 The Tone of the Chords08:04 The Chorus Continued11:48 Closing Out the Chorus16:18 The Format of the Song17:27 What I Learned From This Progression
THE MARIO CADENCE - How To Use These 3 Majestic Chords [Modal Interchange - Music Theory - Writing] Signals Music Studio 2019-10-30 | My pro theory + songwriting course bit.ly/2J2NctnEnroll in my Rhythm Training Course at ANY price! bit.ly/3wDacU4Tabs/Mp3 for the solo @ 06:32 at my Patreon: bit.ly/2MZxzlzThanks to my good friend Kerry Devine from rockstarroadshow.com for coming by and screaming insane notes for our benefit. This video is a lesson how to write music using the “Mario cadence”, aka the double backdoor cadence. It is thus called due its appearance in Super Mario Bros, upon completing the level and reaching the castle you are greeted to a I – bVI – bVII – I in the key of C. These three chords can not fit into a major or minor key without the use of accidentals, so this video explores what can be done with those chords. They show up in a surprising amount of places, including the following songs that were not mentioned:“I am the Walrus” – The Beatles“Breath Your Name” – Sixpence None the Richer“Losing Time” – Dream TheaterWe also go over the modal mixture opportunities, perpetual Picardy thirds, and other composition techniques.A few things to mention-The name “Mario cadence” is not going to be found in theory text books but has been heard before – I did NOT invent it. Jazz players may refer to this progression as a “double backdoor resolution”, since a Backdoor Resolution is the movement to the tonic from the degree a whole step below (Bb to C). This resolution moves us up a whole step to that tone, Bb, from the note below, Ab, hence the "double backdoor". .There are MORE ways to think about this progression than I mentioned in the video, another common one would be to consider the C and the Bb to be both diatonic to C Mixolydian while just the Ab comes from C minor. The b7 is quite tasty over the C major tonic. At 05:04 I mention that the sequence _ is NOT A SCALE*. In this case I mean that it is not a major scale or minor scale- certainly, any grouping of notes can be called a scale. Whether it is a recognizable or usable one is our concern for this video though. At 08:24 I am playing the C Blues scale but using other notes as well, including the major 2nd and 7th as passing tones. It mainly focuses on the notes of C Pentatonic Minor though, until the Picardy third.Please check out GUIM’s video on these chords here! youtu.be/UJ_Y8EQqerMMy friend Moog Lee, who always helps when I need/want synths: bit.ly/32YnAlZAnd seriously, listen to this song, learn the chords by ear (it's all mario except the modulation and the "key reveal") youtube.com/watch?v=3-Yh6rnOchsThis video, like all of mine, are sponsored by the amazing folks who have subscribed to my Patreon. We owe them a huge thanks, especially the following folks!Linas Orentas Joe Buote Nick White Patrick Ryan Christopher Swanson John Arnold Jon Reddish Brandon Combs Sebastian Morgan M. Lord of the Chords BillyshesPhillip Sharp Don WattersBradley BowerMarek Pawlowski BuzzWasHere Kip IngramThey're the reason you don't see ads or sponsorships in the middle of my videos. You can join them here: www.patreon.com/signalsmusicstudioTable of Contents:00:00 Intro00:50 Song Examples03:08 Using And Abusing The Mario Cadence 04:52 Analyzing The Mario Cadence 06:55 A Different Approach08:44 Seal - "Kissed By A Rose" 10:36 Soloing With Pentatonic Minor11:33 Wrapping Up
The Scariest + Creepiest Chords AND How to Use Them Signals Music Studio 2019-10-18 | My pro theory + songwriting course bit.ly/2J2NctnEnroll in my Rhythm Training Course at ANY price! bit.ly/3wDacU4 To honor the elder gods and undead this Hallowed season, I’m posting the PDF for this video to EVERYONE instead of just my incredible Patreon subscribers: bit.ly/32nJlvqIf you want to join my Patreon you can here: patreon.com/signalsmusicstudio If you're way into the modes, consider getting my Ultimate Modal Poster: teespring.com/signals-ultimate-modal-posterWhat are the scariest chords? Creepiest chords? Well, it’s certainly subjective. But this is a quick list of spooky chords and some advice on how to use them. You’ll notice that the majority of these revolve around a minor triad, and that shouldn’t be a surprise. Minor has a tendency to skew to the evil…If you would like some more info on creepy composition techniques, check out this video I did a while back: youtu.be/CezFEDWth-cAnd here's my video on the MinMaj7 chord: youtu.be/Zr5hjIECFlkThe intro song I made uses every chord I mentioned, in order, with the exception of the AugMaj7 chord. So the progression is Em - EmAdd9 - EmM7 - Emb6 - Em - Bbm - Bclusterf***Theory Note: An E Augmented Triad is composed of a root, a major third, and an augmented 5th. The 5th of E is B, and to augment it would make it a B#. This is enharmonically equivalent to C. The correct spelling of E Aug is E G# B#. Call me a bad instructor, but I intentionally avoid enharmonic confusion when possible. I can honestly care less if a musician spells a chord incorrectly, as I am not a professor and do not care about students passing tests, I care about them making music easily and efficiently. As long as the instructor gives them a footnote to explore further (as I am doing here).SORRY THEORY NERDS!Thanks to Moog Lee for letting me borrow his theremin. His channel: youtube.com/user/Midiman741Special thank you to my Patreon supporters for making my videos possible!Linas Orentas Joe Buote Nick White Patrick Ryan Christopher Swanson John Arnold Jon Reddish Brandon Combs Sebastian Morgan M. Lord of the Chords BillyshesPhillip Sharp Don WattersBradley BowerMarek Pawlowski BuzzWasHere Kip IngramTable of Contents:00:00 Intro00:44 Minor b6 Chords 01:55 Minor Add9/Add2 Chords 03:32 Minor Major 704:06 Augmented Major 705:08 i - bv Chord Progressions06:33 Cluster Chords07:36 Wrapping Up
Sus Chords Pt 2: Advanced Chord Concepts and Suspended Variations [CHORDS + MUSIC THEORY] Signals Music Studio 2019-10-11 | My pro theory + songwriting course bit.ly/2J2NctnEnroll in my Rhythm Training Course at ANY price! bit.ly/3wDacU4Part 1 is here: youtu.be/qu49nYaBfdMI’ve posted 2 Pdf’s with this info + more for all Patreon subscribers: bit.ly/2AZDwbmMy neopolitan funk song- bit.ly/3285LAzBuy my Ultimate Modal Poster: bit.ly/2zhk9JVWhile I call the chromatic cluster at 01:26 “unlistenable," it’s totally acceptable to write “unlistenable” music. Sometimes you want crunchy dissonance. In this instance, it’s not totally horrible, so maybe I exaggerated a bit. However, in a big arrangement with more layers, small things like that can really muddy up a mix. I hesitate to call something “wrong” in music, but to me, singing a G# over a Dsus4 in the key of A major is just “wrong." Also, the melody has the word “keep” notated as a G# but I ended up singing it as an A instead, but that’s just an error and shouldn’t affect the mechanics of the demonstration at all. I am not picky between 4ths and 11ths, while many music teachers and composers are. As a guitarist, sometimes you can’t hit an 11th because your fingers aren’t long and have to instead play the 11th an octave lower as a 4th. Voicings DO matter! It helps to think of 4ths and 11ths as the same, but it's also worth noting that sometimes the addition of the 11th versus the 4th will provide a more “clear” and “vivid” voicing. When the 4th is added instead of the 11th, harsh dissonances can occur due to the small distance between our 4th, and our 3rd or 5th. Same with 2nd’s and 9ths- I consider them to be the same, even though they’re different. The dissonances that occur in a MinAdd2 for example, are very practical and usable - in my experience, the clashing that occurs between the 2nd and minor 3rd of a minAdd2 chord is absolutely lovely in the correct context. CHORD NAMES ARE LIMITED! They tell you the notes of the chord but not always the order that those notes must be played. If voicings are crucial to your compositions, use standard notation or tab instead of just chord symbols. On Maj7sus4 and Maj7sus2- I made a mistake while speaking and unfortunately it confuses an already confusing topic. The chord names Maj7sus2 and Maj7sus4 are sometimes seen, but it's important to recognize that those same notes are often seen with different names. Maj7sus4 chords were supposed to be mentioned in this video but somehow got left out. When we see a Maj7sus4 chord, what are most likely seeing is a dominant 7th chord being played without a 5th and instead being played over its 4th degree. For example, a Cmaj7sus4 is the notes C F G B. This resolves very well back to a regular C major. You can hear it almost sounds like a V-I progression, except the bass note is static. The notes G B and F are the root, third, and flat 7 of a G7 chord. The fifth would be D, which isn't present, but is not necessary to create “dominant tension” to lead us home to C. Therefore, a lot of times you see a chord written as “Cmaj7sus4”, it’s probably functioning as a G7 and should probably be written that way. There are exceptions, and in these cases I think it’s up to the composer to decide which is the best way to notate the chord. G7/C (no fifth) in my opinion would be a much more clarifying title for a Cmaj7sus4, since 9 times out of 10, that group of notes will function as a G7 chord. SORRY ABOUT ALL THATLASTLYI said Sus#4 is not a real name, because in my understanding of traditional theory, a suspended chord must include a NATURAL second or fourth. I believe the “correct” name for an Dsus#4 is just Dadd#4(no third) or Dadd#11(no third), which doesn't feel right to meAnother concept I didn't cover is the susb2 or susb9. Honestly, I'm confused on what really IS a susb2 or a susb9, since many resources claim that a susb9 chord actually contains a minor third, which defies the entire point of suspended chords in my mind. Experimenting with a 1-5-b9 resolving to a 1-3-5 can help create a nice Phrygian dominant tonality, and certainly experiment with that cluster of notes, but I am unfortunately unable to give a clear answer as to what a susb2/susb9 really should be all about. Maybe a friendly jazzmaster in the comment section will give us some clarity?These lessons exists solely through the funding of my Patreon supporters, aka, “the finest humans on this planet”. I especially owe my thanks to these members for their support, as should you if you enjoyed this video!Linas Orentas Joe Buote Nick White Patrick Ryan Christopher Swanson John Arnold Jon Reddish Brandon Combs Sebastian Morgan M. Lord of the Chords BillyshesPhillip Sharp Don WattersBradley BowerMarek Pawlowski BuzzWasHere Kip IngramTable of Contents:00:00 Intro00:45 The Problem 02:01 Solutions 03:35 Classical Harmony04:59 Applications To Funk Music 05:53 Suspended Powerchords06:35 Add9 and Add11 Chords 07:48 7sus2 and 7sus4 09:21 Wrapping Up
Suspended Chords: The Basics + How To Write with Sus2 and Sus4 (Part 1 of 2) Signals Music Studio 2019-09-24 | My pro theory + songwriting course bit.ly/2J2NctnEnroll in my Rhythm Training Course at ANY price! bit.ly/3wDacU4I’ve posted a PDF with charts and more at my Patreon: patreon.com/posts/30192877 Get my Ultimate Modal Poster! bit.ly/2zhk9JVThis is part one of a two part class on suspended chords. We go through the fundamentals of sus2 and sus4 chords, how they are built, how they fit into our keys, and some insight into how we can write music with them. In the next video, we’re going to “break the rules” and suffer the conseqeunces. We’ll also look at other ways of utilizing sus chords, and also explore things that are related to sus chords, like add9 chords.To properly understand this video, you should first know about the major scale and scale degrees: youtu.be/tojM1qapHSUAnd also how to write chords in major keys: youtu.be/M8eItITv8QAThanks to my friend Jeff Schwertfeger AKA BeardStank again for helping me with this one. It always sounds way nicer to have real drums on these tracks when possible. It takes a lot more time to record and produce and mix real drums but it’s good practice and it’s fun work. One nugget of info that I forgot to include in these videos- if you play a sus2 chord in 2nd inversion, it now has the structure of a sus4 chord. Likewise, if you play a sus4 chord in 1st in version, it has the structure of a sus2. These videos are sponsored by my patreon subscribers. They are wonderful folks who we can all thank for making these videos possible. Special thanks to the following Patrons:Linas OrentasJoe BuoteNick WhitePatrick RyanChristopher SwansonJohn ArnoldJon ReddishBrandon CombsSebastianMorgan M.Lord of the ChordsBillyshesPhillip SharpDon WattersBradley BowerMarek PawlowskiBuzzWasHereTable of Contents:00:00 Intro00:16 Suspended Triads02:41 Embellishing Your Tonic03:36 Visualizing Suspended Chords06:56 Writing With Suspended Chords08:43 More Writing With Suspended Chords11:15 Wrapping Up
Motifs and Chords- The Fast and Easy Way to Make Music! [SONGWRITNG - MUSIC THEORY - LESSON]] Signals Music Studio 2019-09-09 | My pro theory + songwriting course bit.ly/2J2NctnEnroll in my Rhythm Training Course at ANY price! bit.ly/3wDacU4Get the ULTIMATE MODAL POSTER and support this channel!: bit.ly/2zhk9JVMy Patreon: bit.ly/2zFwzOOThis is a lesson on how to write music. There is, of course, no ONE way to write, but this technique is simple, effective, and versatile. At the very worst, you’ll come up with a good starting point off of which to build a piece or song.The stuff you’ll pretty much need to know is linked below:Writing Chords in Major youtu.be/M8eItITv8QAWriting Chords in Minor youtu.be/j-j4g0ktPGwAdditionally, you’ll want to know a bit about borrowed chords to keep up with my rant at the endBorrowed Chords: youtu.be/7IdttvJSedgIf you’d like to hear my song Generations that I discuss, you can watch the video here: youtu.be/5Z5Ljhbp3A0Or listen here: signalsmusicstudio.bandcamp.com/track/generationsIf this video was too simple for you, I suggest expanding on it by studying reharmonization techniques. It’s a fun and productive way to expand past the redundancy of repeating motifs. I don’t have any videos on the topic (yet) but there is plenty of great info out there from Adam Neely and Aimee Nolte. Additional Rants:I didn’t expand on it, but that Bb Augmented chord is basically formed/implied when that melody (E-F#-D) is played on top of a Bb, since Bb-D-F# forms an Aug triad. In the recorded version, the electric guitars play a Bb and an F#, so like an Augmented Powerchord if such a thing exists. The bVI+ itself could be thought of as being borrowed from D Mixolydian b6. It could also easily be assumed as an inverted D Augmented: the voice leading within the chords goes from A to A#/Bb to B, and playing an Aug on the tonic is a good way to move to any chord In the key that has a natural 6th note in it, since the movement from the fifth to the aug fifth will naturally pull the listener to the 6th. At 06:09 I mention the distance between B and C as a minor 2nd. In this arrangement though, the C occurs an octave higher, meaning we’d call it a minor 9th instead. But in my mind, there is not a giant difference between a 9th and a 2nd. A minor 2nd and a minor 9th “feel”, not sound, the same to me and create the same effect. They have a LOT of the same qualities and characteristics and it’s helpful to think of the intervals as “somewhat the same” even across octaves. The main difference between a m9 and a m2 though is the vast distance between the two clashing notes. When they’re close together (m2) the dissonance is overwhelming, but spacing them apart (m9) an octave makes them more digestable. But in my mind, they are still cut from the same cloth thing- the b2, just different aspects of it. Also worth meditating on the general awkwardness yet diatonic versatility of a low 7th (B) paired with the a high (C) and what that COULD be. It COULD be part of an inverted C major 7 chord (unlikely), it could be part of an inverted G with an added 4th/11th, or an inverted Emb6… Take away the key and it could imply much more- B7b9, CmMaj7, Ab7#9…Thanks to my Patreon supporters for making this video possible. I had fun making it and I really am happy with how it turned out, hopefully it gets you writing and shows you a bit more of how easy it can be to get something going. Special thanks to these fine folks for supporting videos like this one:Linas OrentasJoe BuoteNick WhitePatrick RyanChristopher SwansonJohn ArnoldJon ReddishBrandon CombsSebastianMorgan M.Lord of the ChordsBillyshesPhillip SharpDon WattersBradley BowerMarek PawlowskiTable of Contents:00:00 Intro00:47 Motifs 01:45 Writing With Motifs05:13 Modifying The Motif07:25 Reharmonizing The Motif 09:05 Writing an Ostinato12:13 Advanced Applications14:23 Wrapping Up
7 MODES - 7 MUSICIANS - 7 STYLES [DEMO + LESSON] Signals Music Studio 2019-08-24 | My pro theory + songwriting course bit.ly/2J2NctnEnroll in my Rhythm Training Course at ANY price! bit.ly/3wDacU4 All the charts in this video come from my ULTIMATE MODAL POSTER: bit.ly/2zhk9JVIf you want to support this channel on Patreon:bit.ly/2zFwzOOThis video is a lightning-fast tour through all 7 parallel modes of C Major. Your guides will 7 musicians, including:Aimee Nolte- Jazz performer and teacher extraordinaire. Get her lessons and PDF's here aimeenolte.comOr watch her YouTube videos here: youtube.com/user/NolteFamMike Muggli- Music Teacher, Choir Director, Composer, Good Friend and Living Synthesizer. Hear his music here: soundcloud.com/moog-leeand his YT here:bit.ly/2KQdDR6Rob Napholz- Drummer, Bassist, Guitarist, Former student. Hear his projects at soundcloud.com/rabnopz and also facebook.com/willorlykbandJoe Mills- Guitarist, Entrepreneur, Automotive enthusiast. Like cars? Click here! youtube.com/user/PartsProCenters/videosRoger Reupert- Can play anything that is brass. All around class act! http://www.rogerreupert.com/aboutBeardStank - The one and only Jeff Schwertfeger. Check out his tunes as MOIST CLOWN moistclown.bandcamp.com/releasesHe also has the only good instagram account instagram.com/beard_stankIf you like modes, and you like leads, you should enjoy this video. It teaches a bit on how to compose in each mode, and some advice on how to write leads in each of the parallel modes of major. It took me a full month to pull this off. I'm gonna do my best for the next few months to tone down the work load on these video and try to make some more lessons that don't take so much time.I've also posted lots of juicy extras for my Patreon subscribers to reward their infinite patience, including the full mp3 of the song, as well as a version with no leads so you can try it out for yourself. Also the tabs/pdf for the Major solo, and a pdf/music chart for the entire jams rhythm track. For all you freaks out there, I'm sorry the Locrian section is so short!THANKS SO MUCH TO MY PATREON SUBSCRIBERS, including the following AMAZING folks:Linas OrentasJoe BuoteNick WhitePatrick RyanChristopher SwansonJohn ArnoldJon ReddishBrandon CombsSebastianMorgan M.Lord of the ChordsBillyshesPhillip SharpDon WattersBradley BowerMarek Pawlowskiwww.signalsmusicstudio.comTable of Contents:00:00 Intro00:56 Major01:43 Dorian02:50 Phrygian03:31 Lydian04:09 Mixolydian04:59 Minor/Aeolian06:15 Locrian06:47 "Seven Modes, Seven Musicians" 09:43 Wrapping Up
Intro to Modulations and Key Changes [SONGWRITING - MUSIC THEORY] Signals Music Studio 2019-07-25 | My Complete Theory and Songwriting course is NOW OUT! bit.ly/38fs0sx My Patreon: patreon.com/signalsmusicstudioGet the Ultimate Modal Poster! teespring.com/signals-ultimate-modal-poster This video is an introduction to modulations and key changes. We explore many examples of modulations you’ve probably heard before, some which are direct transpositions up from their original key, and others that are more complex. Key changes can be as simple or as difficult as you want them to be. At their heart, they make things sound different, so it can be an effective trick for extending the usability of a section to prevent it being bland, or to brighten it up or darken it by lifting it up or down respectively. The following lessons are HIGHLY recommended if you are confused by anything in this video. Writing in Major Keys: youtu.be/M8eItITv8QAWriting in Minor Keys: youtu.be/j-j4g0ktPGwThe Dominant Chord and Secondary Dominant Chords: youtu.be/py4HaueW50QBorrowed Chords: youtu.be/7IdttvJSedgAnnoying Enharmonic footnote- In this video I refer to the keys of G# major and C# major which are theoretical keys. If I were to write this music out, I would certainly choose a key signature like Ab major and Db major, since double sharps (and B sharps) are a pain for me.However, when referring to a key, the context is important- when we are transposing up from C a half step, we are literally sharping everything in the key of C, and it is helpful to think of that as C# Major. It is not, in my opinion, helpful to NOTATE it like that, which is why I included the key signatures of traditional keys and not the goofy ones with double sharps and what not. I’m only writing this because I know that by saying the words “G# Major” I’m going to receive an influx of comments saying that G# major is not a key, and if you decide to comment on me being wrong for that I'm going to call you pedantic and annoying :)LINKS TO SONGS WITH KEY CHANGES + TIME STAMPS (Links not working as intended- click link then skip to time stamp mentioned!)Half Step Modulations:Michael Jackson- Man In The Mirror 2:52 youtu.be/BbnV1x7cHjs?t=170Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell – Ain’t No Mountain High Enough 1:34youtu.be/Xz-UvQYAmbg?t=90Whole Step Modulations:The Temptations- My Girl 1:44youtu.be/C_CSjcm-z1w?t=94Whitney Houston- I Wanna Dance With Somebody 3:37youtu.be/eH3giaIzONA?t=202Didn’t mention this one in the video, but Whitney again with an incredible wholestep change in I Will Always Love You 3:10youtu.be/3JWTaaS7LdU?t=167Me – Come Back Home 2:41youtu.be/bHwwJihitl0?t=140Larger Modulations:Mr. Big- To Be With You 2:28youtu.be/L6-uJLteKek?t=131Celine Dion – My Heart Will Go On 3:24youtu.be/AjnJDBHmN18?t=204Bon Jovi- Livin’ On A Prayer 3:24youtu.be/lDK9QqIzhwk?t=194Parallel Major/Minor shift-While My Guitar Gently Weeps (between choruses and verses)youtu.be/bI8P6ZSHSvEParallel Mixolydian/Dorian:The Beatles – Norweigan Wood (between choruses and verses) youtube.com/watch?v=Y_V6y1ZCg_8Neighbor Key change-Twenty One Pilots- House Of Gold (Between Verses and Choruses)youtu.be/mDyxykpYeu8Honorable Mentions:The Supremes- I Hear A Symphonyyoutu.be/zcylDkRw7dgJohn Coltrane- Giant Stepsyoutu.be/30FTr6G53VUBonnie Tyler – Total Eclipse Of The Heartyoutu.be/lcOxhH8N3BoToni Braxton – Unbreak My Heartyoutu.be/p2Rch6WvPJEI had to film this video FIVE times before I could start editing it. It was a disaster, first two times the audio was wrecked due to an intermittent low frequency hum that mysteriously started and went away. Third video I forgot to record an entire section (my fault for not working off a script). Fourth time the video was totally out of focus. Finally the fifth time I got it. It was a lot of wasted time and effort and was basically a lot of failure. The only reason I was able to get it right and not rush it out the door is cause my AMAZING PATREON SUPPORTERS are patient enough to fund these lessons and I don’t have to rely on appeasing the youtube algorithm by posting every week whether my videos are in focus or not!So a big thank you to them, especially the following folks:Joe BuoteNick WhitePatrick RyanChristopher SwansonJohn ArnoldJon ReddishBrandon CombsSebastianMorgan M.Lord of the ChordsBillyshesPhillip SharpDon WattersBradley BowerMarek PawlowskiLinas OrentasThis video has been reuploaded since I made a mistake in the first version- I accidentally thought Livin On A Prayer modulated up a half step (that's why it's in that section of the video). Stupid mistake, should have double checked! It's why the editing is a bit wonky there :PAlso this video has been copyright claimed by like 7 companies before it even went live, I find that simultaneously entertaining and disappointing.
The ULTIMATE Modal Chart / Poster Signals Music Studio 2019-07-16 | Click HERE to get the poster: teespring.com/signals-ultimate-modal-posterMy pro theory + songwriting course bit.ly/2J2NctnEnroll in my Rhythm Training Course at ANY price! bit.ly/3wDacU4In this video I talk a bit about my attitude towards sponsored ads, then discuss the chart itself and how it might be used. The music I made for the beginning was done almost entirely with "God Chords" (I explained that in an older video), and turned out hilariously epic beyond my wildest dreams. I finally got a good excuse to use my 7 string, and had a lot of fun layering in too many Reason choirs, i hope you find it as entertaining as I do. The poster itself is an extensive chart of the modes of major, written in relative order but demonstrated in parallel (so they all start on C). The roman numerals are shown, as well as the whole step and half step formulas for building major scales. Some verbal descriptions of the modes, and then best of all, ART. Lots of it! From some friends and local artists. Hopefully this modal chart gives you plenty to study and reference when writing with modes or modal mixture. I hope the poster graces your wall and inspires myriad progressions! If you like the intro music I made, you can download it as a Patreon subscriber: patreon.com/signalsmusicstudioTHANK YOU TO MY PATREON SUPPORTERS!!!!!! Especially these folks-Joe BuoteNick WhitePatrick RyanChristopher SwansonJohn ArnoldJon ReddishBrandon CombsSebastianMorgan M.Lord of the ChordsBillyshesPhillip SharpDon WattersBradley BowerMarek PawlowskiLinas OrentasMartin
