The Essentials of Functional Harmony
The key concepts that are essential to understand functional harmony and how these can be used in music, no matter what genre you are working in.
General
The Music Creation Process
It is safe to assume that inspiration doesn’t come out of nowhere. With that said, we need to prepare and plan for creativity, be it musical or related to any other activity.
Chords or Melody, What Comes First?
Considering that melody and chords are one of the great building blocks of songwriting, one can wonder where to start first: chords or melody? Each approach can bring something different to the table so, read on: Melody-First Approach A melody-first… Read More »Chords or Melody, What Comes First?
How to Create Tension in Music
In this post I’ll be looking at some ways that you can use to create tension in music by using harmony, rhythm or form and how controlling tension and release cycles can greatly contribute to music expressiveness. Some of them… Read More »How to Create Tension in Music
Arrangement Planning Tips For Songwriters
Knowing how to go from a melody with chords played on the guitar or piano to a full song arrangement can be daunting. How do you go about this process? In this post I will try to give you some… Read More »Arrangement Planning Tips For Songwriters
How Much Music Theory Do You Need to Start Making Music?
To start making music, you shouldn’t have to wait until you have graduated from music university and know all about music theory inside out. In fact, it is quite possible, and highly advisable, to start making your own music with… Read More »How Much Music Theory Do You Need to Start Making Music?
The Basics of Song Form
When we talk about form in music, we are referring to the song structure. Or in other words, the different sections that make up the whole song. Each section usually pertains to a moment in your storytelling and that is… Read More »The Basics of Song Form
Stimulating Your Innate Creativity
Creativity is Built-in Some people may say that they are not the creative type or that they are not “feeling it” or are “uninspired”. But what we have to come to terms with is that we are all creative. We… Read More »Stimulating Your Innate Creativity
Creative Tips For Starting to Compose Music
Making a song from scratch may sound like a daunting task if you consider all the things that go into making music. But if you follow some of the tips I will be suggesting in this post, you will find… Read More »Creative Tips For Starting to Compose Music
Where Do Musical Ideas Come From?
This is probably a question that will always be open for debate as each and every one of us listens to and thinks about music differently. Nonetheless, all boils down to a musician’s ability of hearing sounds in its head.… Read More »Where Do Musical Ideas Come From?
Why Copy and Steal From Music?
In this post I will be making the distinction between the act of copying or stealing from another artist as tool in the creative process and, along the way, give you some suggestions of what to look for in… Read More »Why Copy and Steal From Music?
Post-Tonal Harmony
In the beginning of the twentieth century, the tonal system was already falling apart due to the extreme use of chromaticism and post-tonal is a term that is used for music that doesn’t follow the traditional conventions of tonal harmony.… Read More »Post-Tonal Harmony
Atonality
The chromaticism of the nineteenth century diluted the tonal system in such a way that it was only natural that the system would eventually be abandoned altogether. This new music without a tonal center, that was weakened or lost, eventually… Read More »Atonality
What Are Key Centers?
In tonal music, a key center is the pitch or chord around which the music revolves, like a home base where you want to return to. It is important to distinguish that being in the key of C major doesn’t… Read More »What Are Key Centers?
Twelve-Tone Music
Also known as Dodecaphony, the twelve-tone technique is a method of musical composition devised by Austrian composer Arnold Schoenberg, as an aftermath of “free atonality”, as a way to replace the structural differentiations present in the tonal system. The core… Read More »Twelve-Tone Music
Tonality
Simply put, tonality is a system of musical organization using the same set of notes and chords in which there are perceived relationships with the pitches or chords from within the same group of notes – stabilities, attractions and… Read More »Tonality
Microform as a Low Level Organizational Structure
To lower-level organizational structures I call them Microform and these decisions are related to materials inside a given section or how to prepare to go to the next section. At this point, I am referring to rhythmic parts, melodies, harmony… Read More »Microform as a Low Level Organizational Structure
Form – Common Structures and Macroform
A commonly accepted definition is that music is organized sound and to do so, we use the musical elements. Any of the presented materials, thus far, would not make much sense if they were not combined and organized in such… Read More »Form – Common Structures and Macroform
Texture
It can be related to how many instruments are playing at a given time and it can be thick or dense (lots of instruments); light or sparse (fewer instruments). But it is also related to other elements of music, such… Read More »Texture
Dynamics
Dynamics refers to how loud or soft a musician needs to play a particular musical passage. Being one the expressive elements of music, using dynamics in a piece of music may help sustain the interest, avoid boredom by adding variety… Read More »Dynamics