Hack Music Theory

Life in a ‘90s Grunge Band. Comparing the music world of 1996 to 2026.  It’s 9pm. Friday night. December 20th, 1996. Cape Town, South Africa. I walk out on stage. The air is thick with smoke from the fog machine and cigarettes, and probably something else too. A bright spotlight is in my face. The light’s hot. The weather’s hot. That middle-of-an-African-summer kinda hot. All I can see beyond the spotlight is a sea of people. The venue is sold out. In fact, it’s probably over capacity. We’re opening for South Africa’s biggest rock band, Springbok Nude Girls, who’d just signed a major label deal with Sony. But my band ROYD wasn’t far behind them, all thanks to the support of legendary DJ Barney Simon, who hosted the only rock show on national radio. His heavy rotation of our debut single led to it climbing up the national rock chart until it reached No. 1 just a few weeks before. To get there, we beat out Nirvana and Smashing Pumpkins. Recalling this makes it feel like a distant dream, but it was in fact, reality. And I was only a teenager. This was truly a dream come true.   The roar of the crowd intensifies with every step I take towards the microphone. I swing my long hair to the side of my face and pretend I’m about to speak into the mic. The crowd quietens. In this silence, without warning, we launch into the heavy opening riff of our No. 1 single “Impression X”. They. Go. Crazy! The dancefloor instantly erupts into a dangerous (yet friendly) pit of hair-windmills, body-slams, and flying flannel shirts. Welcome to life in the ‘90s. Subscribe to get the latest posts in your inbox. Fast forward 29 years to December 2025. I get an email from the bassist, my best friend Rob Krammer, who now lives in Austria: “Dude, we should totally do something special next year to celebrate the 30-year anniversary of our debut release”. After the initial shock of realizing that three decades had somehow flown by, we decided that it would be awesome to get all our recordings re-mastered and re-released as one epic album. We excitedly emailed the drummer, my brother Tony Holroyd, who now lives in Japan. He’s one of those people who doesn’t show his excitement, though, or maybe he just doesn’t get excited, I don’t know. But after he revealed a sliver of enthusiasm, we knew we were onto a great idea! ROYD was formed in 1995 (out of the remains of a previous band) and broke up in 1999, when I moved to Los Angeles to study at Musicians Institute. In our four years together, we recorded one demo and four EPs. We went to record at Paris Studios once each year. And no, unfortunately it wasn’t in Paris. That was the name of the owner. But he was great, so we didn’t mind the fact that Paris was just down the road. Subscribe to get the latest posts in your inbox. Back to December 2025. So I got in touch with my favourite mastering engineer, Tony Lindgren, over at Fascination Street Studios in Sweden, to see if he was up for the job. He was, and his genius has not only revived these dusty old ‘90s recordings, but he’s masterfully brought them up-to-date with the big, loud, modern music industry, without compromising their old-school character though. You can hear the results for yourself on Spotify, Apple, or any other streaming platform, just search for ROYD - The ‘90s Recordings. Or if you’d like to download the album for free, then head on over to HackMusicTheory.com/Royd. ROYD • The ‘90s RecordingsCover art hand-drawn in 1996 by Ben Ludik and his ballpoint pen  So coming back to the title of this post. What was life like in a ‘90s grunge band? In other words, how does the music industry of 30 years ago compare to now? Instead of focusing on all the obvious things, like recording to tape in the studio, or running a newsletter and fan club using snail mail, or selling CDs at shows, or playing in front of people who were actually looking at us (not their phones), instead of all that, I’m going to focus on the feeling that us musicians felt about life in the music industry back in the ‘90s. And what feeling was that? Hope. You see, the music industry back then was a hopeful place to be, because every year it was getting bigger and better as music continued to become a bigger part of our shared culture. The future was not only hopeful, it was expansive. Opportunities were increasing with every passing year. There was a shared belief that music was a vital part of our daily life. Subscribe to get the latest posts in your inbox. If you didn’t live through this era, then watch the movie “Singles” from 1992. It perfectly captures how important music was in our lives back then. And it’s a really good rom-com, too! And if you prefer your movies a bit sillier, then watch “Airheads” from 1994. It’s silly, yes, but it totally embodies that feeling of hope we all had back then. The future was bright. And music was arguably the biggest shared cultural experience that people bonded over. It was a significant part of people’s lives, and it took up a significant amount of our time. We would spend hours every day listening to music. Recorded music and live music. And the music wasn’t in the background. It was the main event. ROYD • Paris Studios • 1999Tony Holroyd (drums), Rob Krammer (bass), Ray Harmony (vocals, guitar)  The music industry in 2026 is the opposite. Hardly anyone listens to music as the main event nowadays. Music is almost always a soundtrack to something else: working, studying, driving, walking, exercising, cleaning, cooking, etc. Yes, people listen to lots of music in 2026. Maybe even more than we did 30 years ago, because everyone has a phone that plays music now. But, music has been relegated to the background. It’s pretty much never the main event, and if it is, it’s usually just a song here or there, not a full album followed by another one, and on and on, which is how we used to listen to music back in the ‘90s. While music was a bonding experience back then, it’s now an isolating one. There are numerous reasons for this shift, which we don’t need to get into here, but the evidence for this change can be seen on Spotify or Apple or whatever streaming platform you use. Look at the biggest artists in the world, with tens of millions of monthly listeners. Forget about the artists who are no longer with us, like Michael Jackson, just look at the living artists. How many of these massive artists have you never heard of? A lot, right? Another way this can be seen is by looking at the artists playing the arena in your city. How many haven’t you heard of? A lot, again. Right? Subscribe to get the latest posts in your inbox. That never happened in the ‘90s. We all knew the big artists in every genre, even if we didn’t listen to that genre. This was largely due to radio being the main source of most people’s music. That level of gatekeeping has an obvious downside, which is actually what the “Airheads” move is about, but the gatekeeping is precisely how the shared culture was created and sustained. So, despite the frustration that us musicians felt back then from trying to somehow claw our way through the gate, I think it was worth it. Because we now know what happens when the floodgates are opened. Yes, everyone can release music to the world nowadays, but the price we paid for that privilege is the loss of our shared culture. If you’re a Gen Xer like me, or perhaps you’re a Boomer, what do you think? You’ve experienced both worlds. Was it worth it? Let me know in the comments, I’d love to hear your perspective. Paris (owner, engineer) waiting for the tape to rewind.Studios in the ‘90s never had computers, they were reserved for boring office workers!  While there are many other differences between the pre-internet music industry and the industry we’re living in now, the main difference (by far!) is generative-AI. This isn’t so much a difference as a demolition. I’ve said a lot about this topic in other posts, so check those out if you’re interested, but suffice it to say that AI has single-handedly killed the hope for a bright future. Generative-AI is narrowing the future. Every month there are fewer opportunities in the music industry. And while I’m a proud old-man luddite shouting at the AI clouds, this is not my opinion. It’s a fact. The AI narrative that mainstream media outlets and all the big YouTubers and podcasters are pushing (in a suspiciously co-ordinated fashion) is that everyone loves generative-AI and everyone’s using it. But, if you do some digging, you’ll quickly hit a very different level of reality, where young people are rebelling against AI because it’s robbing them of a future. To learn more about this rebellion and how it’s developing, I highly recommend subscribing to Brian Merchant’s brilliant subtack Blood in the Machine. These youngsters pushing back against AI fill me with that ‘90s hope once again, and remind me that it’s worth boycotting generative-AI. It’s not too late. And we owe it to the younger generations. Subscribe to get the latest posts in your inbox. I’ve had my time in the spotlight, literally, but if we don’t boycott generative-AI, these young musicians will never get their time in the spotlight. And it’s already happening. All the biggest artists in the world are mostly dead, and if they’re not dead, their band broke up decades ago. The Beatles. Elvis. Michael Jackson. Queen. Frank Sinatra. On and on. Read the legendary Ted Gioia’s recent post on this bizarre phenomenon. And don’t get me wrong. I love old music by dead people. In fact, my favourite artist of all time died in 1750. But, every Friday I listen to the new releases in search of new gems. The treasure hunt is thrilling! We can’t give up on new music and young musicians, otherwise the music world dies. ROYD • Live in Cape Town • 1998  And remember to look in your local community too, and please get out there and support the young musicians playing live in your area. They need and deserve your support more than anyone in the entire music industry! And please make an effort to speak to them face-to-face afterwards and share your appreciation. It will mean the absolute world to them. Most musicians nowadays are struggling with an array of self-doubt and anxiety about the future of the industry, so a kind and supportive word is your most valuable currency. Having said that, though, if you’ve got a few spare bucks, give them a tip or buy their merch, cos unfortunately landlords don’t accept compliments as rent payments. Subscribe to get the latest posts in your inbox. And speaking of paying the rent. If you want to help me put money in my landlord’s pocket on the 1st of next month, please consider becoming a paid subscriber (or make a one-off donation), or perhaps buying something on my website. If you can’t afford to at the moment, though, no problem. You can give Hack Music Theory a 5-star rating in your podcast app, that supports my work too. And if you’re feeling nostalgic for the ‘90s, check out the new, old ROYD album. Or is that the old, new album? I don’t know, but just search for ROYD - The ‘90s Recordings on whatever streaming platform you use, and enjoy some old-school ‘90s vibes. Thanks for being here, my friend, you are very much appreciated! Ray Harmony :)     Donate. Help keep the Songwriter's Ark afloat.    Photo by Mart Production       About.   Ray Harmony is a multi award-winning music lecturer who’s made music with Serj Tankian (System Of A Down), Tom Morello (Rage Against The Machine), Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree), Devin Townsend (Strapping Young Lad), Ihsahn (Emperor), Kool Keith (Ultramagnetic MCs), Madchild (Swollen Members), and more. Ray is also the founder of Hack Music Theory, a YouTube channel with over 10 million views and over 255,000 subscribers learning the fast, easy and fun way to make music without using AI, cos it ain’t no fun getting a robot to write “your” songs! Everything here is 100% Human and 0% AI.     Tony Holroyd, Paris Studios         Outro music by Ray Harmony, based on the music theory from GoGo Penguin "Everything Is Going to Be OK".       Podcast. Listen below, or on any podcast app.

Creating Calm Through Song Structure.  How to make a sonic sanctuary, like Tamikrest.  My favourite Saharan rock band Tamikrest just released their new album “Assikel”, and I’ve had it on repeat this week. Why? Well firstly, this is a mesmerizing collection of songs that make me feel good. I can sense the warmth emanating from their laidback desert grooves. And considering it’s the middle of May and we’ve just had more snow here in Alberta, I’m well up for their hot Saharan vibes! Another reason I love this album is that it was recorded live in the studio, to analogue tape. That’s what I’m talkin’ about! It’s the only way to capture the magical synergy that’s created when a great band performs together. It’s been a rare method of recording since the 1950s, when multitrack recorders became common in studios. So for this reason alone, Tamikrest’s new album is worth a listen. But my favourite thing about “Assikel” is the unusual song structures. And that’s something we can all learn from this band. Their songs are not structured like regular songs, which switch back and forth between verse and chorus sections. When it’s done well, that switching is stimulating. But, the downside of being stimulated is that it’s the opposite of being relaxed. There’s nothing wrong with a coffee in the morning. But a coffee before bed? Well, that’s a very different story. Subscribe to get the latest posts in your inbox. And as our fast-paced modern world speeds up exponentially, the calm that Tamikrest’s non-switching song structures create is a sonic sanctuary. In the sizzling Sahara, it’s far too hot for stimulation. The wisdom of the desert invites us to sit in the shade. This shifts our attention to stillness, and awakens an idea that maybe we don’t need anything out there. Maybe it’s perfect right here in the shade. I was born and raised in South Africa, and I remember that feeling of being so hot that you’re forced to sit as still as possible, because any movement creates heat in your body, and that’s the last thing you need. So you sit still. Sweating and contemplating. Contemplating and sweating. Until the need for water outweighs the need for stillness, so you stretch out your arm, slowly, and reach for the drink. So here’s the songwriting hack that we can all learn from Tamikrest: Songs don’t always have to be journeys through different sections, they can instead be contemplative explorations of one section.Stillness is a sonic sanctuary. For all these reasons and more, I’ve got Tamikrest “Assikel” on repeat. I’d love to know what you have on repeat this week, so please let me know in the comments. And thanks for listening, my friend, you are very much appreciated here. Ray Harmony :)        Donate. Help keep the Songwriter's Ark afloat.   Photo by Mart Production       About.   Ray Harmony is a multi award-winning music lecturer, who’s made music with Serj Tankian (System Of A Down), Tom Morello (Rage Against The Machine), Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree), Devin Townsend (Strapping Young Lad), Ihsahn (Emperor), Kool Keith (Ultramagnetic MCs), Madchild (Swollen Members), and more.   Ray is also the founder of Hack Music Theory, a YouTube channel with over 10 million views and over 250,000 subscribers learning the fast, easy and fun way to make music without using AI, cos it ain’t no fun getting a robot to write “your” songs!          Outro music by Ray Harmony, based on the music theory from GoGo Penguin "Everything Is Going to Be OK".       Podcast. Listen below, or on any podcast app.

A Couplet a Day, Keeps Insanity Away.  Daily creative habits for better mental health.  We’ve just moved. Again. For more than a decade now, Kate and I have been averaging about one move per year. Last year we moved twice, but our record is an impressive three moves in one year! The reasons for moving so often are numerous. Sometimes it’s our decision, sometimes it’s not (like the move we just made). The owner of the property we were renting sold it, so we had no choice. Time to pack up our lives. And move. Again. Psychologists say that moving is one of the most stressful events in life. Having immigrated twice, having lived in four countries, and having moved so many times that I stopped counting when the number of places got to the mid-20s. I agree. Moving is stressful! And for creatives like us, one of the worst things about moving is the loss of our routine. We work so hard to carve out a little “me time” in our calendars for making art, and then we work so hard to protect that precious time against the countless encroachments. But once our creative routine is established, it’s life-changing. We’re better humans when we’re being creative. Creating is not a luxury. It’s a necessity. Our bodies need to consume air, water, and food. Our souls need to create art. And for the record, when I say art, I mean anything original that we make. Yes it could be a song or an oil painting, but it could also be a flower arrangement or a loaf of bread. I have my own soda bread recipe that I’ve been honing for years, and making it puts me in the flowstate. Subscribe to get the latest posts in your inbox. But when we have to pack up our lives and move, making music and baking bread both come to an abrupt stop. This sudden cessation of creativity is devastating to our mental health. That’s why I began a new creative habit on January 1st this year. It’s a daily habit, and I haven’t missed a day, despite all the time-consuming activities that were added to my schedule over the last few months, like house hunting, packing, moving, and now unpacking. It’s for that reason that I started this new creative habit. Over the last few years my creative output has been dwindling, mainly due to depression, but that’s a story for another day. Back in December last year, I knew we were probably going to move again this year, and I also knew that there never seems to be enough time in the day to justify spending some of it making art, so I knew I needed a daily creative habit that could be sustained through all the inevitable disruptions. I actually got the idea from our daily yoga habit. Kate and I have been doing yoga every day for many years. Every morning, seven days a week, we do yoga. If we’re busy, we do less (on moving day, it was only 10 minutes). And when we’re not busy, we do up to an hour. But every day we do yoga. No excuses. It’s been life-changing, and I think it’s one of the few ways we’re hanging on to a tiny bit of sanity through these mad times! Subscribe to get the latest posts in your inbox. So, here’s my new daily creative habit: writing a couplet. If you aren’t familiar with couplets, they’re simply two-line poems. And no, they don’t need to rhyme, unless you want them to. So every night in bed, I reflect on my day and think of the most important lesson I’ve learned. Then I write a couplet about it. And inspired by Wendell Berry, I write these with pen and paper. I love the limit of having to say everything I want in only two lines. It’s similar to a haiku. That strict limit forces us to think more creatively. It’s counterintuitive, but the more limits we have on our creativity, the more creative we need to be in order to express ourselves. Also, the concise nature of couplets means that we always have time to create one. We’re never too busy to write two lines. And the habit is working. It’s stuck. We’re in May now, and I haven’t missed a day. It’s also pretty cool to see my notebook filling up with creations. I’ve already got over 130 couplets. Subscribe to get the latest posts in your inbox. The last thing to mention about my new daily creative habit is that I decided before starting that I would not publish any of them. They’re like a journal. Personal. For my eyes only. I’m not even sharing them with Kate. The reason for this is to allow myself complete and utter freedom. As soon as we know that we’re making something that will be shared with other people, we start restricting ourselves. Sometimes that’s good. For example, if you want to start a band and play live shows, it is kinda essential that your songs are enjoyable to at least some people, otherwise you won’t get many gigs. On the other hand, if you’re making music exclusively for yourself with no intention of sharing it, then you can do whatever you want. Anything goes! And that’s liberating. So this is my invitation to you to start a daily creative habit. Today. And… make it small enough that even on your busiest days, you can still find a few minutes to do it. make it simple enough that you can do it even if you’re away from home.  Yes we can (and should) still write songs and paint canvases and make all kinds of other creations, but all those bigger projects require more time and more equipment than just a few minutes spent with a pen and paper. So do both. A small daily creation, which is sustainable. And then larger projects that are ongoing. Subscribe to get the latest posts in your inbox. I’m interested to know if you have a daily creative habit, and what it is. And if not, are you feeling inspired to begin one? Drop a comment below, I’d love to hear from you! And if you’re looking for help with your creativity, then I’ve got you covered. From beginner to advanced, there are loads of free resources for you on my website. If you’re a beginner, start by reading my free book 12 Music Theory Hacks to Learn Scales & Chords. It only takes about half an hour to read, then you’ll have a solid foundation of the basics. If you’re already making music, though, you can work your way through 30 free PDF tutorials. They’re step-by-step musical “recipes” you follow to instantly make better music. All genres are there, too. Electronic to hip-hop, classical to metal, and everything in between. Enjoy! On top of the free book, 30 free PDFs, and over 220 free YouTube tutorials, I don’t paywall any of these posts either. I don’t want to exclude anyone. But, if you’re enjoying all these free offerings and want me to make more, please support my work by becoming a paid subscriber. It’s only about the cost of one coffee per month, but if enough people join, then I can pay the rent and keep doing this work. To sign up, please visit HackMusicTheory.com/Join. If you can’t afford to at the moment, though, no problem. You can give Hack Music Theory a 5-star rating in your podcast app, that supports my work too. Either way, thank you so much! And welcome aboard the Songwriter’s Ark, where all the music making skills are being preserved through this global AI flood. The flood shall pass. The skills will last. Ray Harmony :)    Donate. Help keep the Songwriter's Ark afloat.   Photo by Mart Production       About.   Ray Harmony is a multi award-winning music lecturer, who’s made music with Serj Tankian (System Of A Down), Tom Morello (Rage Against The Machine), Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree), Devin Townsend (Strapping Young Lad), Ihsahn (Emperor), Kool Keith (Ultramagnetic MCs), Madchild (Swollen Members), and more.   Ray is also the founder of Hack Music Theory, a YouTube channel with over 10 million views and over 250,000 subscribers learning the fast, easy and fun way to make music without using AI, cos it ain’t no fun getting a robot to write “your” songs!    Photo by Tirachard Kumtanom       Outro music by Ray Harmony, based on the music theory from GoGo Penguin "Everything Is Going to Be OK".       Podcast. Listen below, or on any podcast app.

  Forget Meditation, Listen to Music. Meditating isn’t effective enough anymore.  As people become more addicted to their phones, society’s obsession with mindfulness meditation grows. I think that’s because the collective unconscious knows that we desperately need to take back control of our minds, as our lives are being wasted through endless hours of meaningless scrolling. There are only 24 hours in a day, and despite the fact that most people (including myself) don’t sleep nearly enough, we do still sleep some of those 24 hours away. Then the remaining time each day seems to disappear in a blur, and suddenly it’s bedtime again. So we close our eyes. The alarm rings. And we do it all again. I think it’s safe to say that no kid dreams of spending their one precious life this way. The people who viscerally sense this horror of modernity usually end up turning to some form of meditation as a path back to reality. And for the record, I meditate every morning, so I encourage this practice. However, I’ve come to think that meditation alone is no longer a powerful enough method in this modern world. Subscribe to get the latest posts in your inbox. It’s easy for us to forget that throughout the ages, the people who meditated were living in a completely different world. Not only did they not have social media and smart phones, but their pace of life was unimaginably slow compared to ours. Think about it, a hundred years ago most people still walked everywhere they needed to go. Now there are cars that drive themselves! And progress just keeps speeding up. So when people in the old-world meditated, it wasn’t for stress-relief or relaxation. It was mainly for religious reasons. Different meditation practices were used for different functions, but none of them were designed for improving mental health in the age of social media, smart phones, and AI. Once again, I encourage people to meditate, just remember that these practices were not designed as a technique for coping with our modern world. If you’re looking for help with that, there’s a far more effective method: listening to music! You see, actively listening to music not only helps to focus our minds, just like mindfulness meditation does, but music also resonates with our hearts and makes us feel. It instantly changes our emotions, which instantly changes our energy. If there was a pill that could do that, it would be the best-selling drug on the market. But all drugs have negative side-effects, whereas listening to music doesn’t. Subscribe to get the latest posts in your inbox. Also, when we sit in silent meditation, we might get a break from outside stimulation, but if you’re an introverted intuitive like me, then this practice usually results in our thoughts getting even faster and louder in this silent, empty space. But if we actively listen to great music, like Bach or Vivaldi, it doesn’t allow our minds to wander. The music acts as a tether to our minds. And for people with obsessive thinking patterns like me, this mind-tether provides a deeply welcome break from our thoughts. And not only that, as I mentioned earlier, the music also tugs at our heartstrings and activates our emotions, which further helps our minds relax. So the opportunity cost of doing silent mindfulness meditation is expensive, because we could be listening to music instead. And if we choose the music wisely, and listen actively with our eyes closed, the music will literally change our physiology, and therefore our mood. Better moods lead to better days. And better days lead to better lives. This serves as my invitation to you to start practising music meditation today. If you’re not sure what music to choose, my favourite is an 18-minute long EP of Vivaldi’s Stabat Mater by the phenomenal Polish countertenor Jakub Józef Orliński. Subscribe to get the latest posts in your inbox. Now, the only thing more magical than listening to music, is creating your own music. So if you need help making music, I’ve got you covered. From beginner to advanced, there are free resources for you on my website. If you’re a beginner, start by reading my free book 12 Music Theory Hacks to Learn Scales & Chords. It only takes about half an hour to read, then you’ll have a solid foundation of the basics. If you’re already making music, though, you can work your way through 30 free PDF tutorials. They’re step-by-step musical “recipes” you follow to instantly make better music. All genres are there, too. Electronic to hip-hop, classical to metal, and everything in between. Enjoy! On top of the free book, 30 free PDFs, and over 220 free YouTube tutorials, I don’t paywall any of these posts either. I don’t want to exclude anyone. But, if you’re enjoying all these free offerings and want me to make more, please support my work by becoming a paid subscriber. It’s only about the cost of one coffee per month, but if enough people join, then I can pay the rent and keep doing this work. To sign up, please visit HackMusicTheory.com/Join. If you can’t afford to at the moment, though, no problem. You can give Hack Music Theory a 5-star rating in your podcast app, that supports my work too. Either way, thank you so much! And welcome aboard the Songwriter’s Ark, where all the music making skills are being preserved through this global AI flood. The flood shall pass. The skills will last. Ray Harmony :)    Donate. Help keep the Songwriter's Ark afloat.     Photo by Mart Production         About.   Ray Harmony is a multi award-winning music lecturer, who’s made music with Serj Tankian (System Of A Down), Tom Morello (Rage Against The Machine), Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree), Devin Townsend (Strapping Young Lad), Ihsahn (Emperor), Kool Keith (Ultramagnetic MCs), Madchild (Swollen Members), and more.   Ray is also the founder of Hack Music Theory, a YouTube channel with over 10 million views and over 250,000 subscribers learning the fast, easy and fun way to make music without using AI, cos it ain’t no fun getting a robot to write “your” songs!    Photo by cottonbro studio       Outro music by Ray Harmony, based on the music theory from GoGo Penguin "Everything Is Going to Be OK".       Podcast. Listen below, or on any podcast app.

  Writers & Readers Against AI. If you’re pro-human, join Paul Kingsnorth’s campaign.  The brilliant English writer Paul Kingsnorth recently launched a campaign for everyone who loves humans and human creativity. So if you also miss the good ol’ days when you could read, listen or watch something and know that a human made it, then please join this campaign. And please do it today. This is urgent! Due to generative-AI, humanity is at a vital fork in the road. In all honesty, I think it’s probably too late to save human-made art, but if we don’t try, we’ll never know (and we'll always regret not trying, too!). And if you’re a Gen Xer like me, or a Boomer, then we seriously owe it to the kids, because we know how life-changing real music was to our childhood development. The term “life-changing” is thrown around a lot nowadays, but music literally changed our lives when we were growing up in the ‘70s, ‘80s and early ‘90s. It’s heartbreaking to think that kids are no longer experiencing that deep and profound meaning that music gave to our lives. Those bands that we lived for (and couldn’t stop thinking about) not only made us who we are, but they helped us to cope with a screwed-up world that just keeps getting more screwed up! This is why we owe it to the kids to try our best to wake people up to the consequences of generative-AI. And that process begins by having conversations like this with our friends and family. On that note, please share this post with any open-minded person willing to listen. Subscribe to get the latest posts in your inbox. Here’s an example of the reality we’re living in with AI. So the other day I was listening to the new album by Icelandic singer-songwriter Ásgeir. It’s breathtakingly beautiful. But while I was halfway through the title-track “Julia”, a thought popped into my head: “He could’ve used AI to write this!” I really hope he didn’t, but we’ll never know. And that’s what most non-musicians still don’t seem to understand about generative-AI. It’s ubiquitous. It’s being used in most new songs. In fact, when asked off-the-record, a shocking number of professional songwriters and producers admit to using generative-AI when making music. This has been confirmed by well-connected industry insiders like journalist Kristin Robinson, who’s a Senior Correspondent for Billboard, and writes their “Machine Learnings” newsletter that covers the rapid impact of AI and other emerging tech on the music industry. And just a quick sidenote. If you wanna learn my fast, easy and fun method for making music, then visit my website. From beginner to advanced, there’s something for you there. And most of them are free, so enjoy! If you’re a beginner, start by reading my free book 12 Music Theory Hacks to Learn Scales & Chords. It only takes about half an hour to read, then you’ll have a solid foundation of the basics. If you’re already making music, though, you can work your way through my 30 free PDF tutorials. They’re step-by-step musical “recipes” that you follow to instantly make better music. All genres are there, too. Electronic to hip-hop, classical to metal, and everything in between. Have fun cookin’ up some new tunes! Then on top of the free book, 30 free PDFs, and over 220 free YouTube tutorials, I don’t paywall any of these posts either, as I don’t want to exclude anyone. But, if you’re enjoying all my free offerings and want me to make more, please support my work by becoming a paid subscriber. It’s only about the cost of one coffee per month, but if enough people join, then I can pay the rent and keep doing this work. To sign up, please visit HackMusicTheory.com/Join. If you can’t afford to at the moment, though, no problem. You can give Hack Music Theory a 5-star rating in your podcast app, that supports my work too. Either way, thank you so much, and let’s get back to the topic at hand… Subscribe to get the latest posts in your inbox. So, even old-school garage bands that record directly to vinyl could still be using generative-AI in the writing process. Most of the band members would not even know. This disturbing fact is what we need to help people understand. You see, every time I speak out against AI, people leave comments saying that they’re not fooled by AI-generated songs and that they can tell the difference. For now, let’s forget about Deezer’s recent survey that found 97% of people can’t tell the difference between fully AI-generated songs and human-made songs. So putting that data to the side for now, here’s the bigger problem, and I’ll illustrate it with an example. When the new Foo Fighters album “Your Favorite Toy” is released in a few weeks, how will we know that Dave Grohl didn’t use generative-AI in the writing process? We can’t. That’s the short answer. Because, he could easily have used AI secretly at home while writing the songs. The other band members wouldn’t even know. From what I’ve read it sounds like the album was recorded in Dave’s usual old-school way, and with his preference of analogue gear. That’s all great, but the fact remains. He could have used generative-AI to help him write the songs. I really hope he didn’t, but we’ll never know. That’s the problem. That’s what we need to help non-musicians understand. Subscribe to get the latest posts in your inbox. So when people say that they can tell the difference between AI-generated songs and human-made songs, they’re just uneducated on the way that generative-AI can be used in the writing process. This is our reality. Right now. And it’s been like this for the last couple years. To be clear. There’s literally no way that anyone can know if a new song was written by a human, by AI, or by a combination of the two. If we want to be guaranteed that the music we’re listening to is 100% human-made, then our only option is to stick with old recordings. I recommend albums from before 1997, because that way you also avoid Auto-Tuned vocals. Yes, the transhuman music agenda has been underway for decades! If you want a short history of this, check out my previous post, titled: AI Human vs Human AI.Logo designed by Justin Clark  Now, back to Paul Kingsnorth’s vital new campaign: Writers Against AI. The first thing to know is that it’s actually for writers and readers. So even if you’re not currently writing anything, you can join as a reader. Having said that, though, I definitely encourage you to start a daily writing practice, but that’s a topic for another post. For now, all you have to do is make three pledges and you’re in. Here they are, in Paul’s words: “To support the campaign, a writer must make three pledges:  I will not use AI in my work as a writer. I will not support writers who use AI in their work. I will support writers, illustrators, editors and others in related fields whose work is entirely human-made.  The first of these points draws a line for our own creative work. We say, as storytellers: we will remain human. With the second, we refuse to lend our voices or our money to anyone who uses this technology to replace human creativity. Finally, we commit to doing something positive: supporting, financially and morally, other creators who are drawing the line too, and refusing to be dehumanised. If you are a writer who agrees with these pledges and who wants to sign up to this campaign - well, that agreement is all it takes.” Subscribe to get the latest posts in your inbox. So if you’re feeling inspired to get involved, head on over to WritersAgainstAI.net today and download the logo, then use it on your website and social media to let your audience know that your creations are 100% human-made. And if you’re a reader, you can download a “Readers Against AI” logo and post that on your social media and anywhere else that you can. Let the world know that you’re pro-human, and that you support human creativity! And please, do this today. Time is of the essence.Logo designed by Justin Clark  A heartfelt thank-you for reading/listening, and welcome aboard the Songwriter’s Ark, where all the music making skills are being preserved through this global AI flood. The flood shall pass. The skills will last. Ray Harmony :)     Donate. Help keep the Songwriter's Ark afloat.   Photo by Mart Production         About.   Ray Harmony is a multi award-winning music lecturer, who’s made music with Serj Tankian (System Of A Down), Tom Morello (Rage Against The Machine), Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree), Devin Townsend (Strapping Young Lad), Ihsahn (Emperor), Kool Keith (Ultramagnetic MCs), Madchild (Swollen Members), and more.   Ray is also the founder of Hack Music Theory, a YouTube channel with over 10 million views and over 250,000 subscribers learning the fast, easy and fun way to make music without using AI, cos it ain’t no fun getting a robot to write “your” songs!  Photo by cottonbro studio       Outro music by Ray Harmony, based on the music theory from GoGo Penguin "Everything Is Going to Be OK".       Podcast. Listen below, or on any podcast app.

  AI Human vs Human AI. A brief history of transhuman music.  Most AI-generated songs now sound more human than most human-made songs. How did music go so horribly wrong? It all happened so fast, too! If you’re a Gen Xer like me, you’ve witnessed this whole process unfold from start to finish in just a few decades. As a kid I remember the first time I saw Depeche Mode performing live on some TV show. I was so confused. I heard drums, but I didn’t see a drummer!? What kind of sorcery was this? Remember, this was before the internet, so I had no way of finding out how they did that. Then a year or so later, I saw these little black boxes in my local music instrument store. “What kind of instrument is that?” I asked the long-haired store clerk, who was rather busy air-guitaring along to some ‘80s shred album. “It’s a drum machine,” he told me. “How does it play the drums?” I asked, with even more curiosity than before. He laughed, and then explained how it doesn’t physically play drums, it’s a computer that replicates the sound of a drummer. I was shocked! “But then bands won’t need drummers anymore?” I said, hoping that he would tell me I’d misunderstood his explanation. But no. He confirmed that the future indeed did not look good for drummers. “Are you a drummer?” he asked. “No, I play piano and guitar,” I replied. “Well you’ve got nothing to worry about then!” he assured me, trying to put my young prophetic mind at ease. But the writing was on the wall, and it was obvious to all with eyes to see. Subscribe to get the latest posts in your inbox. The release of drum machines did two things, which together formed the catalyst for the death of music. Firstly, a lot of drummers lost their gigs. You see, the fewer people in a band, the more money each member makes. And remember, for working-class musicians like us who are just trying to scrape by, that increase can be the difference between paying rent and being homeless. So I’m not judging any bands that replaced their drummers with drum machines. I know the struggle. The drummer in my band was my brother. So who knows, if it was someone else, I may have done that too. The second consequence of replacing drummers with drum machines was that all the drummers who still had bands, like my brother, were now being compared to drum machines. No matter how tight their playing, it was never as tight as the machine. This destroyed most drummers’ confidence, and it began the false idea that having everything perfectly on the MIDI grid was the best way. This is a lie. The feel of a great drummer is exclusively due to them not hitting everything on the grid. A well-played soul groove that’s slightly behind the beat feels a million times better than a drum machine. And a well-played punk groove that’s slightly ahead of the beat feels so intense compared to a drum machine. There’s nothing perfect about playing perfectly on the grid. It just feels dead. Like the machine. Also, the slight variations that you get from a human drummer throughout each song is priceless, and breathes life into every single bar. Now, the next stage in the death of music occurred in 1997, with the release of Auto-Tune. This was the first time that the pitch of vocals could be corrected. It was dark sorcery, too. I remember the first time I experienced this. I had just walked into the beautiful Metropolis Studios building in London, and my engineer friend Rohan Onraet met me with an excited “Dude, you gotta see this!” as he quickly ushered me into Studio C where he was working on a mix. He sat me down and proceeded to play a Before and After version of a vocal track. I still remember who the band was, but I won’t mention them, as the first rule of Studio Club is: You don’t talk about what happens in the studio! The difference between his Before and After versions of the vocals was shocking. The singer was not very good, but after my friend had auto-tuned him, he sounded just as good as anyone else. I could not believe it. “That’s cheating” I protested. “Yep” he agreed. And after a dramatic pause, he added: “This changes everything.” Turns out he was far more prophetic than he realized. Subscribe to get the latest posts in your inbox. By the early 2000s, pitch correction software had been adapted to be able to tune any and all instruments, including guitar. Around the same time, rhythmic correction software was also developed. Now it was possible to record a live drummer, but then using software like Beat Detective, every hit could be perfectly aligned to the MIDI grid. This is why the drums on most recordings from 2001 onwards start sounding like drum machines, despite often being human drummers. So 20 years ago, singers were already sounding like robots, and drummers were sounding like drum machines. And many bass guitarists had already been replaced with synthesizers by then, and the bassists that remained, were heavily edited as well. For a brief period, us guitarists were the last musicians standing. But that didn’t last long, as not only did pitch and rhythmic correction software start making guitarists sound like robots too, but then virtual guitars started appearing. And as with all virtual instruments, they sounded terrible at first. However, it didn’t take long for them to start sounding convincingly realistic. And eventually, they would also become indistinguishable from the real thing. And that concludes the bizarre story of how human musicians turned themselves into robots, long before AI turned up. So by the time AI-generated songs began to infiltrate the airwaves in 2022, music already sounded robotic. But now in 2026, AI is able to replicate old recordings, so it’s sounding more human than the humans. In fact, a recent study by Deezer found that 97% of people can’t tell the difference between fully AI-generated songs and human-made songs. They also discovered that around 50,000 fully AI-generated songs are now uploaded to streaming platforms every day, accounting for 34% of all daily deliveries. That’s utterly horrifying! In my view, there is literally only one good thing that could come from generative-AI, and it’s the fact that AI is working relentlessly to sound human. That should be a huge wake-up call for us! Think about it. If sounding like a robot was ideal, then AI wouldn’t be constantly learning how to sound more human. Subscribe to get the latest posts in your inbox. There’s hardly anything that we can do without any effort whatsoever. But sounding human is one of them. So please, embrace your human imperfections. It’s precisely those imperfections that bring your music to life and make it soulful. So this is my invitation to start being human again. If you’re a musician, don’t edit your recordings. Those little pitch or timing issues are the magic that makes you unique. And if you’re a producer, then I encourage you to get a MIDI keyboard and start practising. Even if you can only learn to play your drum beats and bass lines on the keyboard, that will still add a significant human feel to your recordings. On that note, if you need some help with your music, I’ve got you covered. From beginner to advanced, there’s something for you on my website. If you’re a beginner, start by reading my free book 12 Music Theory Hacks to Learn Scales & Chords. It only takes about half an hour to read, then you’ll have a solid foundation of the basics. If you’re already making music, though, you can work your way through 30 free PDF tutorials. They’re step-by-step musical “recipes” you follow to instantly make better music. All genres are there, too. Electronic to hip-hop, classical to metal, and everything in between. Enjoy! On top of the free book, 30 free PDFs, and over 220 free YouTube tutorials, I don’t paywall any of these posts either. I don’t want to exclude anyone. But, if you’re enjoying all these free offerings and want me to make more, please support my work by becoming a paid subscriber. It’s only about the cost of one coffee per month, but if enough people join, then I can pay the rent and keep doing this work. To sign up, please visit HackMusicTheory.com/Join. If you can’t afford to at the moment, though, no problem. You can give Hack Music Theory a 5-star rating in your podcast app, that supports my work too. Either way, thank you so much! And welcome aboard the Songwriter’s Ark, where all the music making skills are being preserved through this global AI flood. The flood shall pass. The skills will last. Ray Harmony :)       Donate. Help keep the Songwriter's Ark afloat.     Photo by Mart Production         About.     Ray Harmony is a multi award-winning music lecturer, who’s made music with Serj Tankian (System Of A Down), Tom Morello (Rage Against The Machine), Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree), Devin Townsend (Strapping Young Lad), Ihsahn (Emperor), Kool Keith (Ultramagnetic MCs), Madchild (Swollen Members), and more.   Ray is also the founder of Hack Music Theory, a YouTube channel with over 10 million views and over 250,000 subscribers learning the fast, easy and fun way to make music without using AI, cos it ain’t no fun getting a robot to write “your” songs!    Photo by Magda Ehlers         Outro music by Ray Harmony, based on the music theory from GoGo Penguin "Everything Is Going to Be OK".         Podcast. Listen below, or on any podcast app.

  Musical Heroes in the AI Age. Nø Førmat! You need to know about this record label.  Nø Førmat! is an independent record label based in Paris. They’ve been around for over 20 years, and they’re one of my favourite labels. I love so many of their releases, but my current favourite is the album “Synthetic Hearts” by South African duo Msaki & Tubatsi. It’s a masterpiece! I’ve got a soft spot for South African music because I was born and raised there, but they’ve got artists from all over the world on their label. I’m confident that you’ll find an artist of theirs that resonates with you. And for the record, I don’t know anyone at this label, so this is not a promo for them. I’m just a fan of theirs. Another one of my favorites is the album “Our Calling” by the English singer-songwriter Piers Faccini and the Malian kora-player Ballake Sissoko. It’s a truly unique collaboration. The beauty is heartwarming, and the catchy melodies will have you joyfully singing along. Do yourself a favour, and spend some time checking out the artists on this heroic record label. So why are they heroic? Because they’re one of the very few labels in the music industry who are brave enough (and awake enough) to be rejecting generative AI. Here’s a quote from a recent newsletter of theirs about this topic: “We refuse to let what artists have spent a lifetime mastering be melted into billions of data points and regurgitated as artificial music by Udio, Suno or others. We refuse to let music, and more broadly, art, be reduced to robotic excrement, just to fatten a tech unicorn.” Subscribe to get the latest posts in your inbox. Now you can see why I love this label! And there’s more. They continue: “This is not the world we want. Not for our children, not for all the world’s children, who dream of one day learning to play a couple of notes on a guitar. Because, how, in such a world, can we transmit the teaching, the effort, composition techniques, the love of practicing music and the social bonds it creates?” If it sounds like they’re exaggerating, they’re not. I’ve been teaching music for 31 years, and I can confirm that interest in music education has almost entirely disappeared. The numbers don’t lie. It’s crystal clear: hardly anyone nowadays is willing to put in the work it takes to learn music. The sales of my online courses and PDFs have fallen by over 80% since the release of generative AI to the public. And for music teachers like me, who are trying to survive on less than 20% of our previous income (which was low to start with), we’re no longer able to pay the rent. So unless people start choosing humans over robots soon, all the music making skills that have been passed on for centuries will be lost, because music teachers all over the world are having to find other work. And with no music teachers, the tiny amount of people who still want to learn music and can concentrate long enough to do it, will have no other choice but to learn from AI. If you have kids, please think about this, because it’s happening right now. This will be your children’s reality within the next year or two, because when music teachers can make significantly more money stocking shelves in their local grocery store, what choice do we have? The rent won’t pay itself. Subscribe to get the latest posts in your inbox. Right, back to Nø Førmat!’s newsletter now. So they continue: “We believe in the power of artists over our imagination, our way of interacting with the world, our well-being and mental health. We believe in the profound impact of their work on our lives, and we want to continue nurturing this work. We believe that creation, -and the technique inherent to it, is a human miracle that must be fiercely protected and passed on to future generations. We therefore refuse any use of our catalog to train AI.” As with everything in the world. If there’s demand for something, people will supply it. The people and corporations who are responsible for making the AI that’s killing our art (and a lot more too) are only doing it because it’s what the masses want. If the masses didn’t want AI, these corporations would’ve already moved on to something else. I think this is one of the (many) times where we can learn a lot from the Amish. Every new technology that comes to market is assessed by the elders in each Amish community. If they decide the technology will deepen their relationships with each other and with God, then they welcome it. If it won’t, they reject it. This is the nuanced approach that we all need to take when it comes to new technology. Our choices matter, because whatever we want, corporations will make it and sell it to us. They don’t care if it’s bad for us, our families, our communities, and our surroundings. So please, think about AI. Deeply ponder it. Ask yourself this question: By using AI, am I creating the world I want for myself and the kids? Subscribe to get the latest posts in your inbox. Think about how much the world has already changed since ChatGPT was launched in November 2022. That was just over three years ago. Mad times! I remember listening to songs from the first wave of AI-generated music a couple years ago. They sounded super fake and robotic. But now AI songs sound more real and organic than most human-made songs. That’s because humans are using auto-tune and a bunch of other editing tools, which iron out every crease of imperfection, and therefore every trace of humanity. Meanwhile, AI-generated music is doing the exact opposite, and as a result, it’s sounding way more human. On that note. If you’re not okay with this transhuman agenda, then head on over to www.NoFormat.net and check out the artists on this heroic record label. They need your support! And if you make music, or if you want to start making music, then check out my website afterwards. There’s tons of free resources there that were all made by a human. Me! Whether you’re beginner, intermediate, or advanced, I’ve got something for you. If you’re a beginner, start by reading my free book 12 Music Theory Hacks to Learn Scales & Chords. It only takes about half an hour to read, then you’ll have a solid foundation of the basics. If you’re already making music, you can work your way through 30 free PDF tutorials. They’re step-by-step musical “recipes” you follow to instantly make better music. All genres are there, too. Electronic to hip-hop, classical to metal, and everything in between. Enjoy! On top of the free book, 30 free PDFs, and over 220 free YouTube tutorials, I don’t paywall any of these posts either. I don’t want to exclude anyone. But, if you’re enjoying all these free offerings and want me to make more, please support my work by becoming a paid subscriber. It’s only about the cost of one coffee per month, but if enough people join, then I can pay the rent and keep doing this work. To sign up, please visit HackMusicTheory.com/Join. If you can’t afford to at the moment, though, no problem. You can give Hack Music Theory a 5-star rating in your podcast app, that supports my work too. Either way, thank you so much! And welcome aboard the Songwriter’s Ark, where all the music making skills are being preserved through this global AI flood. The flood shall pass. The skills will last. Ray Harmony :)         Donate. Help keep the Songwriter's Ark afloat.     Photo by Mart Production         About.     Ray Harmony is a multi award-winning music lecturer, who’s made music with Serj Tankian (System Of A Down), Tom Morello (Rage Against The Machine), Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree), Devin Townsend (Strapping Young Lad), Ihsahn (Emperor), Kool Keith (Ultramagnetic MCs), Madchild (Swollen Members), and more.   Ray is also the founder of Hack Music Theory, a YouTube channel with over 10 million views and over 250,000 subscribers learning the fast, easy and fun way to make music without using AI, cos it ain’t no fun getting a robot to write “your” songs!    Artwork by Jérôme Witz. Nø Førmat!’s graphic designer since 2004.       Outro music by Ray Harmony, based on the music theory from GoGo Penguin "Everything Is Going to Be OK".         Podcast. Listen below, or on any podcast app.

  We Are the Orchid Children. A call to highly sensitive musicians.  “Dandelion” children are those resilient and healthy kids who can survive and thrive under most circumstances. “Orchid” children, on the other hand, are those sensitive and fragile kids who need the right kind of support in order to survive and thrive. This is according to four decades of research by the world-renowned pediatrician Dr. W. Thomas Boyce, who coined the terms “dandelion” and “orchid” in reference to how sensitive a child is. When orchid kids don’t get the gentle childhoods they need, they go adrift. Drugs, delinquency, depression, and all kinds of other dark forces descend upon them. The silver lining of this cloud, though, is that orchid kids often turn to creativity as a way of trying to make sense of a world that seems upside-down. That’s because the world is made by dandelions, for dandelions. If you’re a dandelion, you’re lucky, you naturally fit into society. Enjoy it! This post, however, is for the orchids. Why? Well, because I’m an orchid. And to be sure, the researchers tell us about all the advantages of being an orchid, and that we’re lucky too, just for different reasons. But, most days it really doesn’t feel like we’re lucky. A quick sidebar. As with all categorizations, in reality this is more of a spectrum. In fact, further research identified “tulip” children. They’re the group in the middle. Not as robust as dandelions, but not as sensitive as orchids. Tulips apparently make up the largest portion of the population, at 40%. The low-sensitivity dandelions account for 30%, and us highly-sensitive orchids are the other 30%. Subscribe to get the latest posts in your inbox. This breakdown is slightly different to the research done by one of the other pioneers in this field, the psychologist Dr. Elaine Aron. Her data shows that about 20 to 30% of the population are Highly Sensitive Persons, or HSPs, a term she coined. Either way, the exact percentage doesn’t matter, what matters is that we’re not alone. About one in four or five people are also orchids, like us. Let’s remember that next time we’re doing our grocery shopping and feeling overwhelmed by the intensity of noise, lights, smells, and most overwhelming of all, the frantic energy of other people. At that moment, look around. If you can see at least 10 people, then one of them is probably also an orchid. See if you can spot them. It’s pretty easy. They’ll be the one who looks as uncomfortable as you feel. By the way, if you’re not sure whether you’re an orchid, you can take Dr. Aron’s online test for high sensitivity over at hsperson.com. And to be clear, orchids and HSPs are referring to the same group of highly sensitive people, they’re just different terms coined by different doctors. Now, I mentioned earlier that orchids often turn to creativity as a way to cope with a world made by dandelions. This is why HSPs are over-represented in all of the arts. In fact, if you scroll through your personal music library, most of the artists in there will probably be fellow orchids. That brings me to one of the most important takeaways from the research in this field: Orchids are not failed dandelions! Yes, the world is an overwhelming place for us orchids, but our high sensitivity is to everything. Bad stuff, yes. But good stuff, too. That’s why beautiful music can move us to mystical experiences. And fun music can lift our spirits within seconds. When we listen to music, it saturates our souls. We become the music. Subscribe to get the latest posts in your inbox. I’ve mainly been listening to soothing instrumental music lately. I discuss the reason for this in a previous post, titled This Is The Only Pure Music. One of the many reasons, though, is for music therapy. You see, mental health problems like anxiety and OCD are common in orchids. That’s because childhood traumas imprint themselves far more deeply into the unconscious patterns of orchid kids. Many of those traumatic events occurred before we learned to talk. Therefore, we weren’t able to process them in a rational way. Instrumental music has a magical ability to reach right back into our pre-talking baby brains and sooth them. Maybe that’s the reason why God gave us music? Music heals. So if you’re a fellow orchid kid, this is my invitation to you. Start listening to soothing instrumental music today. And listen when you’re safe and sound at home, with headphones, and your eyes closed. If you’re not sure what to choose, I recommend John Field’s Nocturnes. My favourite recording is by Elizabeth Joy Roe. And if you’re feeling inspired to play a more active role in your healing, and you’d like to actually create your own soothing music, then I’ve got you covered. From beginner to advanced, there are tons of helpful resources for you over on my website. If you’re a beginner, start by reading my free book 12 Music Theory Hacks to Learn Scales & Chords. It only takes about half an hour to read, then you’ll have a solid foundation of the basics. Next, you can work your way through 30 free PDF tutorials. They’re step-by-step musical “recipes” that you can follow to instantly make music in any genre. Electronic to hip-hop, classical to metal, and everything in between. It’s all there. Enjoy! On top of the free book, 30 free PDFs, and over 220 free YouTube tutorials, I don’t paywall any of these posts either. I don’t want to exclude anyone. But, if you’re enjoying all these free offerings and want me to make more, please support my work by becoming a paid subscriber. It’s only about the cost of one coffee per month, but if enough people join, then I can pay the rent and keep doing this work. To sign up, please visit HackMusicTheory.com/Join. If you can’t afford to at the moment, though, no problem. You can give Hack Music Theory a 5-star rating in your podcast app, that supports my work too. Either way, thank you so much! And welcome aboard the Songwriter’s Ark, where all the music making skills are being preserved through this global AI flood. The flood shall pass. The skills will last. Ray Harmony :)        Donate. Help keep the Songwriter's Ark afloat.     Photo by Mart Production         About.     Ray Harmony is a multi award-winning music lecturer, who’s made music with Serj Tankian (System Of A Down), Tom Morello (Rage Against The Machine), Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree), Devin Townsend (Strapping Young Lad), Ihsahn (Emperor), Kool Keith (Ultramagnetic MCs), Madchild (Swollen Members), and more.   Ray is also the founder of Hack Music Theory, a YouTube channel with over 10 million views and over 250,000 subscribers learning the fast, easy and fun way to make music without using AI, cos it ain’t no fun getting a robot to write “your” songs!   Photo by itschansy      Outro music by Ray Harmony, based on the music theory from GoGo Penguin "Everything Is Going to Be OK".         Podcast. Listen below, or on any podcast app.

  The Music Theory of Fun. These two things make songs feel good…  In my previous essay Who Killed the Fun, Fun, Fun? I told the story of how music was intentionally transformed from a fun and communal activity into fear propaganda that’s consumed alone. All within a few decades. I concluded with an invitation to make something fun, and then to share it with the world. We need it! The most revolutionary thing we can do in this age of consumption is to create. But, there’s a caveat. If our creations add to the fear and division, then the world is better off without them. That’s why it’s essential that what we make adds love and unity to society. And arguably the best way to do that is to spread light-hearted fun. Fun, and I mean healthy fun, is the antithesis of fear. Now, when it comes to music, there’s generally two characteristics that make a song fun. These two characteristics map onto the two elements of music: pitch, and rhythm. The first characteristic of fun music is an uplifting vibe. That’s the pitch element. The second characteristic is a dancey groove. That’s the rhythmic element. So in this essay we’ll be taking a look at what specific features make music uplifting and dancey. Subscribe to get the latest posts in your inbox. When it comes to uplifting songs, they tend to be in major keys, and inspire us to sing along. As this characteristic falls into the pitch category, what we’re talking about here in practical terms is melody and harmony. In most songs, the main melody will be the vocal line, and the harmony will be the accompanying chords, usually played on a guitar or synth. So, put simply: singing a melody in a major scale makes us feel good.  And by the way, if you’re new to music and you want to understand scales and chords, you can learn all the basics in my Free Book 12 Music Theory Hacks to Learn Scales & Chords. Now let’s look at the second characteristic, danceability, which falls into the rhythm category. Songs with dancey grooves tend to have a backbeat snare drum on the 2 and 4, and often include a syncopated rhythm played on the kick drum and/or bass guitar. This moves us to dance along. And by the way, if you’re new to syncopation, it’s just the fancy word for accenting an off-beat. To learn about this and everything else you need to know about drums, read my Hack Drum Beats PDF. It’s worth mentioning here that the classic four-on-the-flour kick drum pattern, which pretty much every song in the Dance genre uses, is also a great way to get people moving. However, unless a syncopated rhythm is added to it (perhaps in the bass line), it gets really boring, really quickly! Subscribe to get the latest posts in your inbox. Okay so let’s bring this music theory to life with a couple examples. For uplifting music, listen to “Don’t Worry Baby” by The Beach Boys. You’ll instantly feel that  this song is in a major key. It’s almost impossible not to sing along, and it feels so good when you do. Go on, I dare you, just surrender and sing along! And for an example of dancey music, check out “Get Up, Get Into It, Get Involved” by James Brown. It’s almost impossible not to move to that groove. And don’t resist. Resistance is futile. Let your body dance, you know you want to! Now, while the Beach Boys song is obviously in a major key, the James Brown song is actually in a minor key, which is normally considered to sound sad. But, in the context of a super funky groove, minor keys can feel super fun, especially when they’re using the minor pentatonic scale, like in this song. If you’re new to pentatonic scales, the minor pentatonic is simply the natural minor scale without its second and sixth notes. This scale is a funk favourite, along with its even funkier sister: the blues scale. To learn my hacks for these scales, as well as all the modes, check out my Songwriting & Producing PDF. Subscribe to get the latest posts in your inbox. This James Brown song is a great example of how fun music doesn’t need to have both characteristics. You can either use a major key to create an uplifting vibe, or you can use a backbeat snare and syncopated rhythm to create a dancey groove. However, while you don’t need to use both characteristics, please feel free to do so if you want double the fun! Lastly, if you’re interested in reading my free book or any of the PDFs I mentioned, you can download them from my website. There’s also 30 free PDF tutorials over there, which are step-by-step musical “recipes” you can follow to instantly make music in any genre. Electronic to hip-hop, classical to metal, and everything in between. They also cover all the instruments, from piano to synth to vocals to bass to drums. It’s all there. Enjoy! On top of the free book, 30 free PDFs, and over 220 free YouTube tutorials, I don’t paywall any of these essays either. I don’t want to exclude anyone. But, if you’re enjoying all these free offerings and want me to make more, please support my work by becoming a paid subscriber. It’s only about the cost of one coffee per month, but if enough people join, then I can pay the rent and keep doing this work. To sign up, please visit HackMusicTheory.com/Join. If you can’t afford to at the moment, though, no problem. You can give Hack Music Theory a 5-star rating in your podcast app, that supports my work too. Either way, thank you so much! And welcome aboard the Songwriter’s Ark, where all the music making skills are being preserved through this global AI flood. The flood shall pass. The skills will last. Ray Harmony :)         Donate. Help keep the Songwriter's Ark afloat.     Photo by Mart Production         About.     Ray Harmony is a multi award-winning music lecturer, who’s made music with Serj Tankian (System Of A Down), Tom Morello (Rage Against The Machine), Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree), Devin Townsend (Strapping Young Lad), Ihsahn (Emperor), Kool Keith (Ultramagnetic MCs), Madchild (Swollen Members), and more.   Ray is also the founder of Hack Music Theory, a YouTube channel with over 10 million views and over 250,000 subscribers learning the fast, easy and fun way to make music without using AI, cos it ain’t no fun getting a robot to write “your” songs!   Photo by Andrea Piacquadio        Outro music by Ray Harmony, based on the music theory from GoGo Penguin "Everything Is Going to Be OK".         Podcast. Listen below, or on any podcast app.

  Who Killed the Fun, Fun, Fun? Music used to be our greatest joy, then this happened…  1964. Fun, Fun, Fun. That was a song on the album “Shut Down, Volume 2” by my childhood heroes, The Beach Boys. Go have a quick listen, the song is only two minutes long. But they’re two minutes of pure joy! “Fun, Fun, Fun” was released 62 years ago. So now I’d like you to compare it to any new single from 2026 in the New Music Friday playlist. What do you notice? Yep! Somewhere between the mid-1960s and the mid-2020s it seems we lost all the fun. In six decades we’ve gone from musicians playing real instruments while their fans dance together, to AI-generated songs that are consumed alone via earphones. Wow! It’s no wonder so many people are depressed nowadays. This is the story of who killed the fun, fun, fun in music. And more importantly… Why? Subscribe to get the latest posts in your inbox. The first thing we need to understand is that music is only one piece of the puzzle. Take a quick look at the new releases on Netflix, and compare those to the movies from the mid ‘60s. Then take a quick look at the new books on Amazon, and compare those to the ones from the mid ‘60s. It won’t take long to see the pattern. The majority of media being pumped out to the masses nowadays is designed to cause fear. Whether it’s nonfiction books about climate change, fiction books about the end of the world (and to be honest, it’s almost impossible to tell those two apart), or whether it’s movies about pandemics, TV shows about serial killers, YouTube videos about alien invasions, or Substack essays on global financial collapse. It’s obvious to anyone with eyes to see that the Fun, Fun, Fun has been thoroughly replaced with Fear, Fear, Fear. Welcome to the future. And yes, there have always been fear narratives in human civilizations. It’s how emperors control the masses. But, what’s vastly different now is the ubiquity of media. In the past, if an emperor wanted to pump out a new fear narrative to the people, it took years to circulate. And even then, vast areas of the empire were utterly oblivious to what they were supposed to be scared of. Nowadays, though, thanks to social media. When the emperor decides to circulate a new fear narrative, within hours it’s implanted into the consciousness of the masses all around the world. If it’s an extremely scary narrative, it can be global within minutes. These are the conditions we’re living in today. Once again, it’s hardly surprising that the majority of people are suffering from mental and physical health problems. So what’s the solution? You guessed it! Fun, fun, fun :) Subscribe to get the latest posts in your inbox. Sadly, though, with the fear propaganda constantly attacking us from every angle, it’s become extremely difficult to have fun. And for the record, when I say fun, I mean healthy enjoyment, not self-medicating. If you’re also a highly sensitive person (HSP) like me, then you’ll feel everyone else’s emotions as if they’re your own. So even if you’re staying offline and away from screens, you still absorb that fearful energy from other people. Therefore, the first step in this process is to snap ourselves out of the fear trance. And the best way to do that is to laugh. Whatever it takes to make you laugh. Do it every day, as a matter of utmost importance. For me, a short YouTube video of dogs eating peanut butter does the trick. Even just thinking about them makes me smile. And now that we’ve broken the spell of fear, the next step is to create something from this place of light-hearted energy. Being a music teacher, obviously I’d love it if you felt inspired to make music, but that doesn’t matter. What matters is that you bring something joyful into the world. A song, a drawing, a dance, a flower arrangement, a story, a joke, a cake, whatever you feel like creating in the moment. As long as you’re having fun making it. That’s the sole purpose! Enjoy every moment of the process. You’re creating something that wasn’t there before. It’s magic. How cool is that?! Then when you’re done. Share it. If you can, share it with someone in person. If not, that’s okay, share it online. But if you do that, be prepared for some trolling, as the internet doesn’t much appreciate cheerful things. This is how change happens, though. Because fun, like fear, is contagious. The more fun we share, the more positive the world becomes (including us). And the change will be exponential. We know that’s true, because it’s exactly how fear was spread over the last few years. Subscribe to get the latest posts in your inbox. If you’re still reading this, you obviously care deeply about the world. We need you. We need your fun creations. So please make something light-hearted this week, and share it with as many as possible. And please share it here in the comments too, so we can all enjoy your positivity. On that note, if you need some help writing music, I’ve got you covered. From beginner to advanced, there’s something for you on my website! If you’re a beginner, start by reading my free book 12 Music Theory Hacks to Learn Scales & Chords. It only takes about half an hour to read, then you’ll have a solid foundation of the basics. Next, you can work your way through 30 free PDF tutorials. They’re step-by-step musical “recipes” that you can follow to instantly make music in any genre. Electronic to hip-hop, classical to metal, and everything in between. It’s all there. Enjoy! On top of the free book, 30 free PDFs, and over 220 free YouTube tutorials, I don’t paywall any of these essays either. I don’t want to exclude anyone. But, if you’re enjoying all these free offerings and want me to make more, please support my work by becoming a paid subscriber. It’s only about the cost of one coffee per month, but if enough people join, then I can pay the rent and keep doing this work. To sign up, please visit HackMusicTheory.com/Join. If you can’t afford to at the moment, though, no problem. You can give Hack Music Theory a 5-star rating in your podcast app, that supports my work too. Either way, thank you so much! And welcome aboard the Songwriter’s Ark, where all the music making skills are being preserved through this global AI flood. The flood shall pass. The skills will last. Ray Harmony :)        Donate. Help keep the Songwriter's Ark afloat.     Photo by Mart Production         About.     Ray Harmony is a multi award-winning music lecturer, who’s made music with Serj Tankian (System Of A Down), Tom Morello (Rage Against The Machine), Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree), Devin Townsend (Strapping Young Lad), Ihsahn (Emperor), Kool Keith (Ultramagnetic MCs), Madchild (Swollen Members), and more.   Ray is also the founder of Hack Music Theory, a YouTube channel with over 10 million views and over 250,000 subscribers learning the fast, easy and fun way to make music without using AI, cos it ain’t no fun getting a robot to write “your” songs!   Photo by Pixabay         Outro music by Ray Harmony, based on the music theory from GoGo Penguin "Everything Is Going to Be OK".         Podcast. Listen below, or on any podcast app.

  Musical Memoirs & Sonic Scrapbooks. How to find purpose, passion, and meaning in your life.  Okay so what’s a musical memoir? Well, the Oxford Dictionary defines a memoir as “an account written by somebody about their life and experiences”. So a musical memoir is a musical account written by somebody about their life and experiences. This is an idea that’s been on my mind for a while, so I’d like to share it with you in this essay with the hope that you may find it inspiring. It’s a totally different way of approaching music, which we desperately need in this new AI age. Depending on the person, music is usually considered to be in one of the following six categories. And obviously this list is not exhaustive, but these are the most common ways of approaching music: Artistic, where the focus is on creativity and originality. Entertainment, where the focus is on performance and enjoyment. Social, where the focus is on community cohesion and bonding. Spiritual, where the focus is on connecting with the divine and worshipping. Soundtrack, where the focus is on enhancing and/or manipulating emotions. And for some, business, where the focus is on profit and revenue growth. So those are the conventional categories: artistic, entertainment, social, spiritual, soundtrack, and business. But as AI-generated music steals more and more work from all of these categories, we’re facing a meaning crisis as musicians. When the world doesn’t want our gifts any more, what do we do? And where do we find meaning and purpose in our lives now? Subscribe to get the latest posts in your inbox. That’s where my “musical memoir” idea comes in. I suggest we start approaching music in the same way that we approach photos. Most people have a smart phone in their pocket nowadays, so they tend to document their daily lives through pictures. Like a photographic memoir. These captured memories then get uploaded to an online gallery, which is the modern equivalent of those dusty old-school photo albums that used to fill our shelves. On a side note. Don’t you think it’s weird that so many people share their online galleries with the public? Any stranger can look at them. How creepy is that?! Back in the day, photo albums were private. Only family members got to look at them, and even that was embarrassing. I don’t remember ever letting any of my friends open my photo albums. No way! They were strictly family-only. What does it say about our modern culture that people are so willing to share their photos with strangers? Interesting times. But I digress. So I’m sure you can see where I’m going with this. I’m proposing that we start capturing our memories in sound as well, by making autobiographical music. In other words, music as a memoir. And in between creating our musical memoir, we can constantly be working on our sonic scrapbooks. A sonic scrapbook is where we can keep all our musical ideas, which may or may not be turned into songs later. There’s no need to turn every idea into a song. Sometimes ideas are perfectly happy exactly the way they are. If you write a beautiful melody or chord progression or whatever, and you never feel the desire to turn it into anything more, then it’s complete. It has served its purpose. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. When Picasso did a pencil sketch and left it at that, it was complete. If he’d wanted to turn it into a painting, he would have. That’s what our sonic scrapbooks should be: A place where all our ideas are collected. They form a vital part of our musical journey, even if they don’t make it into the final narrative. Subscribe to get the latest posts in your inbox. The reason I feel so excited about this new approach to music, is that the work and its meaning can’t be stolen by AI. Remember, a memoir is “an account written by somebody about their life and experiences”. Let that sink in. AI will never be able to do that. Because, a memoir must be written by the person it’s about, as it’s an account of their life and experiences. AI will never know what it’s like to be you. Therefore, AI can never steal this work and its meaning from you. So if you’re like me, and AI has stolen over 80% of your work and over 80% of your income (and yes, that’s true), then I offer you this idea as a way to rebuild your musical life from the devastation of this global AI flood. Then at the end of your life you’ll have a one-of-a-kind musical memoir to show for your time here. How meaningful is that? Now that’s what I call a life well lived! On that note, if you’re feeling inspired to begin your musical memoir and sonic scrapbook, I invite you to join my online apprenticeship course. Through a series of in-depth videos, you’ll learn my Song-Whispering method. It’s an intuitive way of writing, where you let the music guide you from blank screen to finished song. If you’re new to music, though, no problem. You can start your journey right now by reading my free book 12 Music Theory Hacks to Learn Scales & Chords. It only takes about half an hour to read, then you’ll have a solid foundation of the basics. Next, you can work your way through my 30 free PDF tutorials. They’re step-by-step musical “recipes” that you can follow to instantly make music. All genres are covered, from electronic to hip-hop, classical to metal, and everything in between! And on top of the free book, 30 free PDFs, and over 220 free YouTube tutorials, I don’t paywall any of these essays either. I don’t want to exclude anyone. But, if you’re enjoying all these free offerings and want me to make more, please support my work by becoming a paid subscriber. It’s only about the cost of one coffee per month, but if enough people join, then I can pay the rent and keep doing this work. To sign up, please visit HackMusicTheory.com/Join. If you can’t afford to at the moment, though, no problem. You can give Hack Music Theory a 5-star rating in your podcast app, that supports my work too. Either way, thank you so much! And welcome aboard the Songwriter’s Ark, where all the music making skills are being preserved through this global AI flood. The flood shall pass. The skills will last. Ray Harmony :)        Donate. Help keep the Songwriter's Ark afloat.     Photo by Mart Production         About.     Ray Harmony is a multi award-winning music lecturer, who’s made music with Serj Tankian (System Of A Down), Tom Morello (Rage Against The Machine), Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree), Devin Townsend (Strapping Young Lad), Ihsahn (Emperor), Kool Keith (Ultramagnetic MCs), Madchild (Swollen Members), and more.   Ray is also the founder of Hack Music Theory, a YouTube channel with over 10 million views and over 250,000 subscribers learning the fast, easy and fun way to make music without using AI, cos it ain’t no fun getting a robot to write “your” songs!   Photo by Pixabay         Outro music by Ray Harmony, based on the music theory from GoGo Penguin "Everything Is Going to Be OK".         Podcast. Listen below, or on any podcast app.

  An Effortless New Year’s Resolution. One simple question that will change your future.  New year’s resolutions don’t work. All the studies on them reveal this same finding. Yet every January 1st, millions of people make them. Again. Knowing that they’ve never worked before. In fact, the only thing that works about a new year’s resolution is its ability to make people feel bad about themselves. Because when they inevitably fail, they need a way to numb that pain. And whatever that involves, it usually ends up with them in a worse state than they were in before they started. One step forward, two steps back. If new year’s resolutions work for you, great. Keep on keeping on! If they don’t, though, then this essay is for you. I’m offering a completely different approach. And the best thing of all is that it requires no effort. So have you ever picked up your phone for a quick scroll, and then after what seems like a few minutes, you look at the time and realise you’ve been scrolling for an hour? This is what happens when we stop being aware. We shift into autopilot. There are many techniques available to help with this problem. But once we’re on autopilot it’s already too late, because even if we can become aware, it requires a huge amount of will power to snap ourselves out of this type of trance state. A far easier way, which requires no will power, is to simply ask yourself this one question before you begin any activity: What is the opportunity cost of doing this? Subscribe to get the latest posts in your inbox. If you don’t know what an opportunity cost is, let me explain. Whenever you choose to do something (like scrolling on your phone), you’re sacrificing all the other activities that you could be doing instead (like making music). But more importantly, you’re sacrificing all the benefits that you’d get from doing the other activity. In this example, the opportunity cost is the benefit you would have got from making music. That’s the true price you’re paying when you choose to scroll. And the longer you scroll, the higher the price you pay. If you scroll for one hour every day, that’s 365 hours this year that you could have been making music. And even if you forget about all the health benefits you’ll enjoy from making music, that’s still a heavy price to pay. Because imagine how many songs you could write in 365 hours. And sadly, most people scroll a lot more than one hour a day. So there you go. That’s my effortless alternative to the usual new year’s resolution! Before embarking on any activity, ask yourself: What’s the opportunity cost of doing this? Then consciously decide if you’re happy to miss out on the benefits you’d gain from doing that other activity. Those lost benefits add up really quickly, too. Imagine two versions of yourself, one that chooses to scroll for an hour every day, and one that chooses to make music instead. Due to the compound effect, the difference between these two versions of you will be vast by the end of this year. Which one do you want to be? Subscribe to get the latest posts in your inbox. Remember, the trick is to ask yourself about the opportunity cost before you begin an activity. If you need to, write “Opportunity Cost?” on your hand every morning. Do whatever it takes to ask this question before you start doing something, especially if that thing involves looking at a screen. Screens hypnotize us. Literally. So before you give the screen that control over your mind, ask the big question! Even if you ask this question and then decide that scrolling is worth it, by asking it you’ve created some cognitive dissonance. This will bother your unconscious mind. And as this builds over time, you’ll find that you start choosing healthier activities simply to relieve your cognitive dissonance. Now, if you’re ready to begin your musical journey, you can start right now by reading my free book 12 Music Theory Hacks to Learn Scales & Chords. It only takes about half an hour to read, then you’ll have a solid foundation of the basics. And if you’re already making music but want to improve, then I’ve got 30 free PDF tutorials for you. They’re step-by-step musical “recipes” that you can follow to instantly make better music. And on top of the free book, 30 free PDFs, and over 220 free YouTube tutorials, I don’t paywall any of these essays either. I don’t want to exclude anyone. But, if you’re enjoying all these free offerings and want me to make more, please support my work by becoming a paid subscriber. It’s only about the cost of one coffee per month, but if enough people join, then I can pay the rent and keep doing this work. To sign up, please visit HackMusicTheory.com/Join. If you can’t afford to at the moment, though, no problem. You can give Hack Music Theory a 5-star rating in your podcast app, that supports my work too. Either way, thank you so much. Happy New Year! And welcome aboard the Songwriter’s Ark, where all the music making skills are being preserved through this global AI flood. The flood shall pass. The skills will last. Ray Harmony :)        Donate. Help keep the Songwriter's Ark afloat.     Photo by Mart Production         About.     Ray Harmony is a multi award-winning music lecturer, who’s made music with Serj Tankian (System Of A Down), Tom Morello (Rage Against The Machine), Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree), Devin Townsend (Strapping Young Lad), Ihsahn (Emperor), Kool Keith (Ultramagnetic MCs), Madchild (Swollen Members), and more.   Ray is also the founder of Hack Music Theory, a YouTube channel with over 10 million views and over 250,000 subscribers learning the fast, easy and fun way to make music without using AI, cos it ain’t no fun getting a robot to write “your” songs!   Photo by Nick Kwan.       Outro music by Ray Harmony, based on the music theory from GoGo Penguin "Everything Is Going to Be OK".         Podcast. Listen below, or on any podcast app.

  The Best Music Is Behind Us. But that’s a good thing! Here’s why…  This essay began as a “Best Album of 2025” post, where I was going to share my favourite album of the year and what I loved about it. As you would have noticed from the title, though, it grew into something entirely different. Why? Well, according to Spotify’s Wrapped analytics, my favourite artist of 2025 (who I listened to for 5,495 minutes) has been dead for 275 years. Yep! The genius of geniuses J.S. Bach is my favourite artist of the year. In fact, Spotify tells me I’m a top 0.07% global fan of Bach. That’s my new claim to fame! And my favourite Bach pieces of 2025 are the Goldberg Variations, which were published in 1741. So my favourite music of this year is almost 300 years old. My favourite recording of this masterpiece is by Trevor Pinnock and the Royal Academy of Music Soloists Ensemble. This album is new, but it’s not from 2025 either. It’s five years old. So now you can see why my “Best Album of 2025” essay morphed into this post, which will be a reflection on the state of music. And unsurprisingly, my conclusion is that the best music is old. Very old. But (and it’s a big but), that’s a good thing. Very good. Let me explain why… Subscribe to get the latest posts in your inbox. The great composers of the past, like Bach, reached a level that we can’t comprehend. It’s like the architecture of ancient civilizations, which we can’t even recreate nowadays, let alone surpass. Exactly how this level of genius was achieved is beyond the scope of the present essay, though it is a fascinating question with many fascinating hypotheses. For now, though, it’s enough to simply acknowledge the fact that we can’t reach Bach’s level nowadays, let alone surpass it. “So how’s that a good thing?”, I hear you asking. Well, there are two answers. One from a listener’s perspective. And one from a songwriter’s perspective. For the modern-day listener, who’s being bombarded by hundreds of thousands of new songs uploaded to Spotify and Apple every day, the fact that the best music is behind us should come as a monumental relief! We can all rest assured that nothing new is ever going to come close to the great composers, so we can let go of our FOMO (fear of missing out). By all means, listen to some new music here and there, if you want. I do. And I enjoy a lot of it, too. For example, I’m absolutely loving the new Chronixx album titled “Exile”. But, let’s all continually remind ourselves that while some new music is good and enjoyable, when we compare its level of composition to Bach and the other great composers, it doesn’t come close. Subscribe to get the latest posts in your inbox. In other words, instead of going down the bottomless rabbit-hole of new music, find your favourite handful of Bach albums (or Mozart, or whichever of the great composers resonates most with you), and get to know their music intimately. And we can all do this relaxed in the knowledge that we could not be listening to anything better. On that note, I’d love to know which of the great composers is your favourite, so please let me know in the comments. Also, I don’t paywall any of these essays as I don’t want to exclude anyone. If you’re enjoying this and want me to make more, please support my work by becoming a paid subscriber. It’s only about the cost of one coffee per month, but if enough people join, then I can pay the rent and keep doing this work. To sign up, please visit HackMusicTheory.com/Join. If you can’t afford to at the moment, though, no problem. You can give Hack Music Theory a 5-star rating in your podcast app, that supports my work too. Either way, thank you so much! Right, now back to the topic at hand… In addition to ridding us of the fear of missing out, this minimalist approach to listening (i.e. focusing on the great composers) also decreases the stress and anxiety we feel from trying to keep up with new music. Living in this day and age of infinite music is overwhelming. It’s impossible to keep up, like trying to drink from a firehose. Yet we feel that we should try. The only thing this accomplishes, though, is turning joyful activities (like listening to music) into stressful chores. Subscribe to get the latest posts in your inbox. Now, why is the fact that the best music is in the past a good thing from a songwriter’s perspective? Because, it takes all the pressure off us. Hallelujah! We’ll never be as good as Bach, or Mozart, or any of the other great composers (of which there are hundreds). But nobody else will be as good as them either. None of us will even come close to their level. So there’s no competition. What a monumental relief, right? In this extremely competitive world we’re living in, it’s liberating to know that this competition is closed. The winner has been announced. It’s over. So, we can all let go of our competitive tendencies, and just make music for the sheer joy of it. What a wonderful gift Bach and Mozart and all the other great composers have given us. And it gets even better than that. There’s also a never-ending list of health benefits we get from making music. If you’re interested in learning more about that, check out my essay titled Making Music is Hard. Why Bother?. Subscribe to get the latest posts in your inbox. And if you’re ready to begin your musical journey, you can start right now by reading my free book 12 Music Theory Hacks to Learn Scales & Chords. It only takes about half an hour to read, then you’ll have a solid foundation of the basics. Next, you can take my Songwriting & Producing “crash course”. It’s only 1-hour long, and consists of 12 short videos. You’ll learn how to write great lead melodies, backing melodies, chord progressions, bass lines, drum beats, vocals and lyrics. It also includes my bestselling Songwriting & Producing PDF and my Hack Music Theory, Part 1 eBook. A heartfelt thank-you for being here. And welcome aboard the Songwriter’s Ark, where all the music making skills are being preserved through this global AI flood. The flood shall pass. The skills will last. Ray Harmony :)         Donate. Help keep the Songwriter's Ark afloat.     Photo by Mart Production         About.     Ray Harmony is a multi award-winning music lecturer, who’s made music with Serj Tankian (System Of A Down), Tom Morello (Rage Against The Machine), Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree), Devin Townsend (Strapping Young Lad), Ihsahn (Emperor), Kool Keith (Ultramagnetic MCs), Madchild (Swollen Members), and more.   Ray is also the founder of Hack Music Theory, a YouTube channel with over 10 million views and over 250,000 subscribers learning the fast, easy and fun way to make music without using AI, cos it ain’t no fun getting a robot to write “your” songs!   Portrait of J.S. Bach (1746) by Elias Gottlob Haussmann       Outro music by Ray Harmony, based on the music theory from GoGo Penguin "Everything Is Going to Be OK".         Podcast. Listen below, or on any podcast app.

  The Geography of Musical Scales. Finding peace in pentatonic places.  It’s thought that pentatonic scales are the most ancient of all the musical scales. Regardless of whether that’s true or not, it’s worth paying attention to these five-note scales because of their unique consonance. You see, they contain two fewer notes than the scales we’re used to hearing, so they have a spaciousness that no other scales have. It’s that characteristic which makes pentatonic scales sound so peaceful. Those two extra notes we use in seven-note scales create semitone intervals, which cause tension. But it’s precisely those tense semitones that add the excitement, which we love. So as you can see, there are pros and cons to both. Five-note scales are peaceful, but lack excitement. Seven-note scales are exciting, but lack peace. And by the way, if intervals are new to you, read my free book to learn all the basics. What got me thinking about this topic is a brilliant book that I just finished reading. It’s called The Geography of Thought: How Asians and Westerners Think Differently... and Why by the psychologist Dr Richard E. Nisbett. It’s one of the most insightful books I’ve ever read. It’s full of fascinating psychological studies jointly conducted by American and Chinese researchers. The results are extremely nuanced, obviously, but I’ll oversimplify them here for the purpose of brevity. The “eastern” mind is built on a cultural foundation of collectivism, which originated in Confucianism. The “western” mind is built on a cultural foundation of individualism, which originated in Ancient Greek philosophy. Over the last two and a half thousand years, these two geographical areas developed vastly different mindsets, which in turn created vastly different societies. Before I continue, though. It’s vital to acknowledge that both mindsets have pros and cons. The book is crystal clear on that, as well as what those pros and cons are. That’s why you should read the book for yourself. Subscribe to get the latest posts in your inbox. Now, when it comes to the music that these two different mindsets invented, things get even more interesting. In the west, our music has traditionally been more complex. The scales have more notes, and therefore more tension. Western musicians also invented counterpoint, where individual melodies are played simultaneously. While these layered melodies create harmony, which is beautiful, they also create tension. How perfectly does that reflect western individualism? And in the east, their music has traditionally been simpler. The scales are pentatonic, so they have fewer notes, and therefore less tension. Not only that, but they don’t layer melodies either, as that would create competition between them. If two musicians play together, they play the same melody, or very similar melodies. How perfectly does that reflect eastern collectivism? You can think of these two different approaches in terms of a choir. In the east, they would all sing the same (or similar) pentatonic melody. In the west, the choir would be divided up into different ranges, and each group would sing a different melody. For a breathtakingly beautiful example of this, listen to the Renaissance composer, Palestrina. And for an equally beautiful example of the eastern mind’s music, listen to the album Emerging Lotus by the pipa player, Liu Fang. Subscribe to get the latest posts in your inbox. In these stressful times we’re living in, I invite you to find peace in pentatonic places by making music using the major or minor pentatonic scales. For the major, if you begin on C as your root, the scale is C, D, E, G, and A. For the minor, if you begin on A as your root, the scale is A, C, D, E, and G. As soon as you start playing around with these pentatonic scales, you’ll feel in your body exactly how peaceful they are. And for extra peace, keep your song instrumental. If you want to know why, check out my previous essay titled This Is The Only Pure Music.  And if you’re not making music yet, then you can begin your journey right now by reading my free book 12 Music Theory Hacks to Learn Scales & Chords. It only takes about half an hour to read, then you’ll have a solid foundation of the basics. And if you’re already making music but wanna improve, then I’ve got 30 free PDF tutorials for you. They’re step-by-step musical “recipes” that you can follow to instantly make better music. Lastly, I don’t paywall any of these essays. I don’t want to exclude anyone. But if you enjoy my work and want me to keep doing this, please support me by heading over to HackMusicTheory.com/Join. Becoming a paid subscriber is only about the cost of one coffee per month for you, but if enough people join, then I can pay the rent and keep helping you every week. A heartfelt thank-you for being here. And welcome aboard the Songwriter’s Ark, where all the music making skills are being preserved through this global AI flood. The flood shall pass. The skills will last. Ray Harmony :)         Donate. Help keep the Songwriter's Ark afloat.     Photo by Mart Production         About.     Ray Harmony is a multi award-winning music lecturer, who’s made music with Serj Tankian (System Of A Down), Tom Morello (Rage Against The Machine), Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree), Devin Townsend (Strapping Young Lad), Ihsahn (Emperor), Kool Keith (Ultramagnetic MCs), Madchild (Swollen Members), and more.   Ray is also the founder of Hack Music Theory, a YouTube channel with over 10 million views and over 250,000 subscribers learning the fast, easy and fun way to make music without using AI, cos it ain’t no fun getting a robot to write “your” songs!   Photo by SAM LIM       Outro music by Ray Harmony, based on the music theory from GoGo Penguin "Everything Is Going to Be OK".         Podcast. Listen below, or on any podcast app.

  Music is Mind Control. Lyrics are little Derren Brown’s in your brain.  Do we have free will? That ancient question actually misses the point, because the concept of free will implies that we’re free to act on our desires. Okay. That’s fine. But where do our desires come from? That’s the real question! For example, if you get home from work and you’re trying to decide whether to go for a run or lie down on the couch. The concept of free will says that you have the freedom to choose. But whichever choice you make, underneath that decision is a desire. In this example, it’s the desire to be healthy versus the desire to relax. The strongest desire wins. Always. Because, whatever you end up doing, the desire to do that was obviously stronger than the desire not to. Otherwise you wouldn’t have done it. Think about it. Let’s say you decide to lie down on the couch, but then after 10 minutes of chilling you start feeling guilty. You wriggle around for a few minutes, and then muttering some distasteful words to yourself, you get up, put on your running shoes, and head out the door. It was the desire to be healthy that ended up overpowering the desire to relax, despite the fact that you would have preferred to be chilling on the couch. But clearly, if the desire to chill was stronger, you’d still be on the couch. So, the free will debate is pointless. Desire is the real issue here. And that’s where things get interesting. Very interesting. You’ve probably seen videos of Derren Brown, right? He can get people to do anything, literally. The scariest thing, though, is that he never makes them do it. They use their free will and choose to do the most horrific things. Of course, they don’t actually do them in real life, it’s all a set-up for the TV show. However, the people genuinely believe they’re doing these things. And more importantly, they believe it was their own conscious choice. But we, the viewers, know better. Derren Brown’s method is simple, yet extremely effective. All he does is implant a desire into people’s minds. That’s it. Then he stands back and lets free will do its thing. Derren Brown perfectly demonstrates how easy mind control is. And whoever controls the people’s desires, controls their thoughts and their actions, and therefore, their life. What do we think of free will now? Subscribe to get the latest posts in your inbox. We’ve seen this playout in the real world over the last few years. Seemingly “normal” people say and do crazy things nowadays! But they’re saying and doing them because of the social media, TV, movies, and music they’re letting into their minds every day. That’s what is programming their desires. Even the desire to allow that pollution into their minds in the first place has been programmed. For example, does scrolling on social media make people happier? No, obviously not. So why do they do it? Because they’ve been programmed with the desire to scroll. I know this is true, because I deleted all my social media accounts over 10 years ago, and ever since, I’ve had absolutely no desire to scroll. In fact, I have no desire to reach for my phone at all, because I don’t have any apps on it other than Spotify. My phone is a telephone and a music player combined. Nothing more. And while it’s far more difficult to control the desires of people who are not on social media and don’t watch TV shows or movies, it is still possible. And that brings me to the point of this essay. Music is arguably the most powerful mind control there is. Yes, even more powerful than Derren Brown. You see, song lyrics find their way directly into our unconscious mind through an unguarded backdoor. That’s because music manipulates our emotions, which gives our critical thinking mind a break. We’re feeling creatures, so feelings always win our attention. It feels so good to just feel. It’s like a mini-holiday from thinking. And we all need these breaks on a daily basis. They’re a positive thing, when the music causing the emotion is positive. But when it’s not, that’s dangerous territory! Subscribe to get the latest posts in your inbox.  In my last essay, titled This Is the Only Pure Music, I sang the praises of absolute music, which is instrumental music but without any conceptual ideas attached to it. Not even song titles. Check out that essay for more on the benefits of listening to absolute music, and the benefits of making it too. For now, though, it’s worth noting that listening exclusively to absolute music is the easiest way to avoid being brainwashed by lyrics. No lyrics, no problem. But as always, reality is nuanced, and there’s a positive side to mind control. The best example of this is hypnotism. To witness exactly how positive the effects of this can be, watch some videos on the brilliant hypnotist Paul McKenna’s official YouTube channel. I highly recommend reading his books, too. They’re life-changing. So while Derren Brown is waking us up to the dangers of mind control, Paul McKenna is inspiring us to use its healing powers. Mind control is a neutral technique, which can be used for good or for bad. So, if there’s an artist who writes positive and loving lyrics, then by all means, let them program your mind. Remember, though, all lyrics that find their way into your ears will program your mind. There’s no way around this. You’ve only got two choices: Avoid lyrics completely (by listening to absolute music), or consciously select songs with lyrics that align with the future you want to create for yourself and the world. Choosing the lyric option requires research, though, so unless you’re willing to do that, stick with absolute music. Subscribe to get the latest posts in your inbox. On that note. If you’re feeling inspired to write your own songs with positive lyrics, but you need some help, please don’t turn to AI. The world does not need any more soulless AI lyrics. The world needs your unique soul to express itself through words from your unique mind. So if you need help writing lyrics yourself, then read my Songwriting & Producing PDF. It contains all my techniques for writing great lyrics, as well as melodies, harmonies, chords, bass lines, and more. And if you’re not writing songs yet, but you want to learn how, then read my free book 12 Music Theory Hacks to Learn Scales & Chords. It only takes about half an hour to read, then you’ll have a solid foundation of the basics. Once you’ve worked your way through that, then you’ll be ready to read the Songwriting & Producing PDF and to begin your musical journey. Lastly, I don’t paywall any of these essays, as I don’t want to exclude anyone. So if you can spare a few bucks, please consider becoming a paid subscriber. It’s only about the cost of one coffee per month for you, but if enough people join, then I can pay the rent and keep helping you every week. So if you enjoy my work and want me to keep doing this, please support me by heading over to HackMusicTheory.com/Join. A heartfelt thank-you for being here. And welcome aboard the Songwriter’s Ark, where all the music making skills are being preserved through this global AI flood. The flood shall pass. The skills will last. Ray Harmony :)        Donate. Help keep the Songwriter's Ark afloat.     Photo by Mart Production         About.     Ray Harmony is a multi award-winning music lecturer, who’s made music with Serj Tankian (System Of A Down), Tom Morello (Rage Against The Machine), Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree), Devin Townsend (Strapping Young Lad), Ihsahn (Emperor), Kool Keith (Ultramagnetic MCs), Madchild (Swollen Members), and more.   Ray is also the founder of Hack Music Theory, a YouTube channel with over 10 million views and over 250,000 subscribers learning the fast, easy and fun way to make music without using AI, cos it ain’t no fun getting a robot to write “your” songs!   Photo by cottonbro studio       Outro music by Ray Harmony, based on the music theory from GoGo Penguin "Everything Is Going to Be OK".         Podcast. Listen below, or on any podcast app.

  This Is The Only Pure Music. A celebration of non-classical absolute music.  Music has united people for millennia, but nowadays it’s been weaponized to divide us. I’ve personally experienced its uniting effects, though, so I know what’s possible. You see, I was born and raised in apartheid South Africa. I lived there until 1999, leaving a few months after Mandela’s presidency ended. I loved Mandela, and he probably did everything in his power to unite the country. However, the story you don’t often hear is that musicians were more successful in bringing the people together. Two of these musical heroes were Lucky Dube and Johnny Clegg. Their crossover appeal resulted in audiences that consisted of fans who would never have come together under any other circumstances. It was magical! That’s the power of music. But it wasn’t only their music that united the previously divided nation, it was their lyrics too. While they didn’t sugarcoat the situation, they did choose to focus on a positive future vision where South Africans were united. As a result, their songs created that more united country they had envisioned. Now, when I listen to the new releases on Spotify every Friday, I don’t hear much in the way of positive lyrics that were written to unite people. In fact, it’s rather obvious that most lyrics were written with the exact opposite intention. But as Thumper said: “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say nothing at all.” The legendary rabbit uttered that wisdom over 80 years ago. It’s time we start living by this rabbit wisdom, which is why I’m sharing my musical method for doing this. Subscribe to get the latest posts in your inbox. In the celebrity culture we live in, most music has vocals because popular music tends to be all about the vocalists. They’re the stars. They’re the main attractions. It’s not about the song, it’s about the celebrity singing it. That is wrong for so many reasons, but that’s a topic for another essay. What concerns us here is something I called “pure music” in the title, but the formal term is “absolute music”. What is absolute music? It’s instrumental music, but at its purest. What do I mean by purest? Music that is presented without any preconceived concepts. In other words, music without a conceptual title. Arguably the best example of this is Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 14 in C-sharp minor. Beethoven composed this as absolute music. The listener could enjoy it with no preconceived ideas about what the music represented. Their imagination could conjure up whatever images it wanted. However, after Beethoven’s death, this sonata was given a nickname by a music critic. And for almost 200 years now, this breathtakingly beautiful piano piece has been painting pictures of moonlight in its listeners’ minds. How could it not? It is after all the Moonlight Sonata. But, what did listeners imagine before it was given that nickname? We’ll never know. We only know what one man imagined. This piece perfectly highlights the power of words. Even one word. And with that one word, every listener ever since has been primed to imagine moonlight when the piece is played. Words are powerful. Words shape our reality. Subscribe to get the latest posts in your inbox. And that brings me to my main point. Songs convey their songwriters’ worldviews, but it’s precisely our differing worldviews that divide us nowadays. Up until a few years ago, it was perfectly normal to be friends with people who had different worldviews. In fact, that’s what used to make friendships interesting. Who wants to hang out with another version of themself? No thank you! I want open-minded friends who are totally different from me, with totally different worldviews from mine. That makes for fascinating conversations. Thanks to social media, though, the masses have been programmed into thinking that we need to surround ourselves with people who believe exactly the same things we believe. These online echo chambers fuel narrow-mindedness and intolerance. While I deleted all my social media accounts over 10 years ago, I know it’s futile trying to convince people to do the same. It’s by far the best solution, but another good solution is this: Stop listening to music with lyrics, and start listening to absolute music instead. And if you’re a songwriter, I encourage you to live by that rabbit wisdom: “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say nothing at all.” I appreciate that lyrics can be an outlet for expressing our disapproval at the “other side”. But there are better ways to do that, which don’t harm others (like journaling, for example). And until we realize that this ancient idea of the “other side” was invented by empires as a method for dividing and conquering the people, it’s best if we hold our tongues and say nothing at all. And yes, as songwriters, holding our tongues means writing absolute music. But hey, as a consolation, this will save you countless days of your life, because writing lyrics and recording vocals is extremely time-consuming. And with regards to the music we listen to, if our audio diet exclusively contains absolute music, our minds and hearts will be healthier, kinder, and more tolerant. Everybody wins. Subscribe to get the latest posts in your inbox. Finally, when it comes to finding absolute music to listen to, that’s easy in the classical genres, but there’s not much of it in the popular genres. Here’s a hack that I use to solve this problem. When I find an instrumental album that I enjoy, I don’t read the titles of the tracks. For example, I love Bonobo, so I don’t pay any attention to the song titles, and I exclude the few tracks on each album with vocals. Also, on Spotify (and probably all the other platforms too) there are instrumental playlists in most popular music genres. These are great places for discovering artists who make instrumental music. And if you have any recommendations for artists making great instrumental music, please leave them in the comments so everyone can check them out. Sadly, there are not many absolute artists, so we need to support them. And hopefully this essay has inspired you to join their mission, too. On that note. If you’re interested in learning songwriting (or improving your skills) but you don’t want to spend loads of time doing it, then I invite you to visit our website and help yourself to the many free downloads. If you’re a beginner, start with my Free Book 12 Music Theory Hacks to Learn Scales & Chords. It only takes about half an hour to read, then you’ll have a solid foundation of the basics. And if you’re intermediate or advanced, download the Free PDF tutorials. They’re step-by-step musical “recipes” that you can follow to make better music. If you’re ready to go deeper, though, then I invite you to enroll in my online apprenticeship course, where you’ll learn one method to write unlimited songs in any genre. This method guides you through every step of the music making process, from blank screen to finished song. And lastly, I don’t paywall any of these essays, as I don’t want to exclude anyone. So if you can spare a few bucks, please consider becoming a paid subscriber. It’s only about the cost of one coffee per month for you, but if enough people join, then I can pay the rent and keep helping you every week. So if you’d like to see my work continue, head on over to HackMusicTheory.com/Join. A heartfelt thank-you for being here. And welcome aboard the Songwriter’s Ark, where all the music making skills are being preserved through this global AI flood. The flood shall pass. The skills will last. Ray Harmony :)        Donate. Help keep the Songwriter's Ark afloat.     Photo by Mart Production         About.     Ray Harmony is a multi award-winning music lecturer, who’s made music with Serj Tankian (System Of A Down), Tom Morello (Rage Against The Machine), Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree), Devin Townsend (Strapping Young Lad), Ihsahn (Emperor), Kool Keith (Ultramagnetic MCs), Madchild (Swollen Members), and more.   Ray is also the founder of Hack Music Theory, a YouTube channel with over 10 million views and over 250,000 subscribers learning the fast, easy and fun way to make music without using AI, cos it ain’t no fun getting a robot to write “your” songs!   Photo by Pavel Danilyuk       Outro music by Ray Harmony, based on the music theory from GoGo Penguin "Everything Is Going to Be OK".         Podcast. Listen below, or on any podcast app.

  Don’t Lie! You Listen to AI Songs.  There’s no way to avoid them, unless you do this…  I’ve been speaking out against AI-generated music for a while now, but people keep telling me (proudly) that they don’t listen to songs made by AI. They also keep telling me (proudly) that AI songs are crap. Sadly, the only thing these comments tell me is that those people don’t understand that AI has a hidden presence in music. It doesn’t matter if you listen to jazz or classical or world or whatever genre (or artist) you think is not using AI, if it’s new music, they’re probably using AI. But not in the way you think. They’re not prompting it to make their whole album. That type of AI usage is relatively easy to spot. For now. Mark my words, though, before the end of 2026, it will be indistinguishable from the real thing. But we’ll cross that bridge when we get there. In the meantime, here’s what you need to know. Subscribe to get the latest posts in your inbox. Almost all music makers are using AI. Some are proud of it, some are not. The ones who are not proud of it, are using it in secret. Sometimes they only use it to come up with an idea, sometimes to help them finish a melody they’re struggling with, sometimes to write a whole chorus, and yes, sometimes to write a whole song. You’ll never know, because it’s being used in the writing process, and that’s always carried out behind closed doors. In secret. So even if the band records their new album live, you have no way of knowing if AI was used in the writing process. If you want to know all the ways that songwriters and producers are using AI in music, watch the YouTube video titled The AI Music Race is Over by the brilliant Rick Beato. Also, there’s an essay of mine titled AI Is Killing Music! This Is How We Save It., which offers a method for artists to write new songs and guarantee their fans that they’re 100% human-made, so check that out too. Now, here’s the takeaway message from this essay: If you listen to new music, you’re listening to AI. And yes, you guessed it, the only way to be guaranteed that you’re listening to 100% human-made songs is to listen to older recordings (from before AI was commercially available). In other words, albums from before the 2020s. One of my favourite collections of 100% human-made music is the MTV Unplugged series from the ‘90s. Oh man, it does not get more real than that! These recordings are infinitely more valuable than diamonds. Cherish them, please. Alice in Chains is probably my favourite one in the series, but Pearl Jam is a close second. These albums still give me goosebumps 30 years later. That’s human magic. AI will never be able to do that. AI can’t express the human experience. AI cannot ever be in the same category as Layne Staley. Subscribe to get the latest posts in your inbox. Right, now go and listen to the Alice in Chains “Unplugged” album, and be prepared for your spine to tingle, as you’re about to be touched by true human magic. Just before you go, though. If you’re interested in learning how to make magic yourself, or if you’re already making magic but want to improve, then I invite you to help yourself to the many free downloads here. If you’re a beginner, start with my FREE BOOK 12 Music Theory Hacks to Learn Scales & Chords. It only takes about half an hour to read, then you’ll have a solid foundation of the basics. And if you’re intermediate or advanced, download the Free PDF Tutorials, which teach you how to make great music in all different genres. And lastly, I don’t paywall any of these essays, as I don’t want to exclude anyone. So if you can spare a few bucks, please consider becoming a paid subscriber. It’s only about the cost of one coffee per month for you, but if enough people join, then I can pay the rent and keep helping you every week. So if you’d like to see my work continue, head on over to HackMusicTheory.com/Join. A heartfelt thank-you for being here. And welcome aboard the Songwriter’s Ark, where all the music making skills are being preserved through this global AI flood. The flood shall pass. The skills will last. Ray Harmony :)        Donate. Help keep the Songwriter's Ark afloat.     Photo by Mart Production         About.     Ray Harmony is a multi award-winning music lecturer, who’s made music with Serj Tankian (System Of A Down), Tom Morello (Rage Against The Machine), Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree), Devin Townsend (Strapping Young Lad), Ihsahn (Emperor), Kool Keith (Ultramagnetic MCs), Madchild (Swollen Members), and more.   Ray is also the founder of Hack Music Theory, a YouTube channel with over 10 million views and over 250,000 subscribers learning the fast, easy and fun way to make music without using AI, cos it ain’t no fun getting a robot to write “your” songs!    Photo by Ayşe İpek       Outro music by Ray Harmony, based on the music theory from GoGo Penguin "Everything Is Going to Be OK".         Podcast. Listen below, or on any podcast app.

  Music Is Dead. Good Riddance! AI killed the recording star. Now what?  Have you heard AI-generated music? It’s better than most of the music that humans are making nowadays. Even worse than that, though, is the fact that music generated by machines ironically sounds more human than most music made by people. But that’s nothing new. There’s been a dehumanizing trend in music ever since the drum machine became popular in the 1980s. That trend was turbocharged by the invention of Auto-Tune in the late ‘90s. Remember that awful hit-single from ‘98 with the robot-style singing? Yeah, you know the one. Well, that song kicked off the penultimate chapter of this dehumanizing story of music. So it’s important to remember that decades before AI-generated music began to flood the airwaves, human-made music was already beginning to sound like it was being generated by robots. Now I’ll be honest with you, I do love a good conspiracy theory! And to my mind, the inverse correlation between human-made music becoming increasingly robotic-sounding (i.e. less human), while robot-generated music became increasingly human-sounding (i.e. more human), is rather suspicious in light of the transhumanism agenda. Just saying. Anyway, moving along… Subscribe to get the latest posts in your inbox. With the vast majority of people embracing AI-generated music, it’s safe to say that human-made music is dying out rapidly. In fact, I’d argue that it’s already dead, because there’s no way to know if AI was used in the making of a song. Even if a song was recorded live, AI could have been used in the writing process. Either way, based on the current definition of music, it’s pretty much dead. That definition has changed numerous times, though, but if you want to know that story, read my essay AI Can’t Make Music. The last definition change, which is not much older than a hundred years, brainwashed most people into believing that recordings were music. But they’re not. Music is music, and recordings of music are just that: recordings of music. Two totally different things. It’s the same with videos. If you watch a video of someone talking, that’s not a person talking, that’s a video recording of a person talking. Two totally different things. But now with AI-generated music, it’s not even a recording. So the way we’ve previously been brainwashed into thinking of music as recordings is outdated. AI has killed the recording star. And there’s a brand new definition of music spreading through the mainstream consciousness. Music is now something AI generates within seconds, based on a prompt. And it won’t take long for prompts to be obsolete, too. So, music as we know it is dead. But you know what? Good riddance, as music was already transhuman decades ago. It’s time to take it back. Let’s rehumanize music! Subscribe to get the latest posts in your inbox. From the ashes, music is reborn. New. Untainted. This rebirth is an invitation to redefine. What is music to you? And what is its purpose in your life? Please think about these two questions. And answer them. Your answers matter. A lot! So we’re not mourning music here, we’re celebrating its rehumanization and our own personal redefinition. How exciting is that?! I’ll share my answers as an example, but don’t use mine, as they almost certainly won’t be right for you. Okay, so what is music? For me, music has become my medicine. I play music to change the way I feel. If I’m feeling anxious, I listen to Palestrina. That calms me. If I’m feeling drained, I listen to Mozart. That energizes me. If I’m feeling down, I listen to Haydn. That uplifts me. If I’m feeling unimaginative, I listen to Bach. That inspires me. In fact, I’m listening to Bach as I write these words. I always listen to Bach while writing each week’s essay. I rely on Bach. If he didn’t turn up for work every day, I don’t think I’d get much written. He gets my creative juices flowing, and then sustains them and keeps me focused. So my music library is now my medicine cabinet. There’s a recording in there for every issue. I only recently realized that’s what I’d been unconsciously doing for a while. Since this realization, though, I’ve been intentional about what I listen to and consciously aware of how it makes me feel. As a result, I’m able to navigate each day far better. And that’s all thanks to my new definition of music, and its purpose in my life. Subscribe to get the latest posts in your inbox. On that note. I now invite you to redefine music for yourself, as well as deciding what its purpose is in your life. If you feel like sharing your two answers, please write a comment, as I’d love to know what music means to you. And if you’re interested in learning how to make music yourself, or if you’re already making music but want to improve, then I invite you to visit my website and help yourself to the many free downloads. If you’re a beginner, start with my FREE BOOK 12 Music Theory Hacks to Learn Scales & Chords. It only takes about half an hour to read, then you’ll have a solid foundation of the basics. And if you’re intermediate or advanced, download the Free PDF Tutorials, which teach you how to make great music in all genres. Lastly, I don’t paywall any of these posts, as I don’t want to exclude anyone. So if you can spare a few bucks, please consider becoming a paid subscriber. It’s only about the cost of one coffee per month for you, but if enough people join, then I can pay the rent and keep helping you every week. So if you’d like my work to continue, head on over to HackMusicTheory.com/Join. A heartfelt thank-you for being here. And welcome aboard the Songwriter’s Ark, where all the music making skills are being preserved through this global AI flood. The flood shall pass. The skills will last. Ray Harmony :)        Donate. Help keep the Songwriter's Ark afloat.       Photo by Mart Production         About.     Ray Harmony is a multi award-winning music lecturer, who’s made music with Serj Tankian (System Of A Down), Tom Morello (Rage Against The Machine), Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree), Devin Townsend (Strapping Young Lad), Ihsahn (Emperor), Kool Keith (Ultramagnetic MCs), Madchild (Swollen Members), and more.   Ray is also the founder of Hack Music Theory, a YouTube channel with over 10 million views and over 250,000 subscribers learning the fast, easy and fun way to make music without using AI, cos it ain’t no fun getting a robot to write “your” songs!    Photo by cottonbro studio       Outro music by Ray Harmony, based on the music theory from GoGo Penguin "Everything Is Going to Be OK".         Podcast. Listen below, or on any podcast app.

  You vs Phone.Who Will Win?  A musical method to take your attention back!  How many seconds can you sit still and focus on your breathing, without your mind wandering? If you’re like most people nowadays, your answer to that question is somewhere under 10 seconds. Seriously. And that’s the “new normal”. Ever since the neolithic revolution, when humans first began to live in an unnatural way, we’ve had restless minds. Buddhists call this the monkey-mind, but I think we can update that to the scrolling-mind. While short attention spans have been a problem for a long time, the issue has gotten exponentially worse since the invention of smart phones. It’s horrifying how addicted most people are to their phones! And nobody’s talking about this, because it’s the “new normal”. But it’s not normal, and we need to stop pretending that it’s okay to waste our one precious life staring at screens. Nobody on their death bed will ever wish they spent more time scrolling on their phone. Perhaps you’re thinking: What I spend my time doing is my business! On the surface, that sounds fair enough. But when we explore this issue at a deeper level, we realize that phone addiction is not only ruining our lives, it’s ruining our societies, too. When we can’t focus for more than a few seconds, we can’t create anything worthwhile. And you can see where this is heading… Most people are addicted to consuming content on their phones, which means most people can’t focus long enough to create anything. So what happens when there’s a never-ending demand for new content, but there’s nobody to create it. No problem, says AI. Yep, we’re about to enter a new reality where robots are the “creators”, and humans are the consumers. How screwed up is that?! And then, what happens next? Subscribe to get the latest posts in your inbox. Phone addiction is such a recent phenomenon that we have absolutely no idea what the world will be like after another decade of this. Whatever that future looks like, though, it’s not good. But we’re not there yet! If we all start taking our attention back today, we can avoid that dystopian future. And there’s an easy (and fun!) way to do this, which I’ll share with you next. But first, we need to understand the problem. There are many interwoven causes behind phone addiction, but essentially people are distracting themselves to death. The precise reasons why each person uses their phone to keep themselves distracted is unique to them, and discovering those unconscious reasons is the next step in our healing process. However, we can’t do that without first taking our attention back. There’s a general awareness that we’re struggling to focus nowadays, which is why the internet is flooded with mindfulness practices. And everyone’s trying to sell you their meditation app. But if mindfulness and meditation worked, then why is almost everyone still addicted to their phones? I think it’s because the addiction is too powerful, so people aren’t able to meditate properly. Just because we sit on a cushion and close our eyes for half an hour, doesn’t mean that we’re meditating for half an hour. It’s like going to the gym for 30 minutes but only doing 3 minutes of exercise. The total time is irrelevant. The only time that counts is when we’re actually exercising. Subscribe to get the latest posts in your inbox. If we’re sitting with our eyes closed while our minds wander for half an hour, that’s not meditating. Every single time our attention strays, we need to bring it back to the breath. That’s exhausting, though, and that’s why most people give up, or don’t even bother trying in the first place. But fear not, because that’s exactly why I created my new meditation app! No I’m just kidding, apps are part of the problem, not the solution. The real solution is Music. Music has a power that nothing else has. Music can focus our minds, and music can heal us. If we surrender to music, mindfulness becomes effortless. What’s unique about music is that when we listen to it, we’re not consuming, we’re communing. To commune is “to share your emotions and feelings with somebody/something without speaking” (according to the Oxford English Dictionary). How deep is that? To share your emotions without speaking! There’s no better description of our relationship with music than that. Communing. When we open ourselves up to music, we’re in a mutually-resonating relationship with it. Without a human, music is nothing more than vibrations in the air. With a human, though, music comes to life. We bring music to life by listening to it, and when music is alive, its life-force energy is within us. And don’t worry, this is not woo-woo speculation. Music has life-changing psychological and physiological effects, which the music therapy field has been scientifically measuring for decades. Subscribe to get the latest posts in your inbox. So, sometime today, and every day from now on, do the following: Go somewhere private (even if it’s the bathroom), load up a piece of beautiful music, get your earphones in, put your phone on flight mode (that’s essential!), hit play, close your eyes, and surrender to the music. You can listen to whatever you want, as long as it’s mesmerizingly beautiful. I recommend the EP Vivaldi: Stabat Mater by Jakub Józef Orliński. When I listen to this record, I can feel the chemistry in my body changing within seconds, literally. It’s miraculous. Try it for yourself, and expect miracles. The first movement is just under three minutes, so start your communing with just that one track. It’s so beautiful and captivating, though, you’ll struggle to stop after it. Feel free to commune with the second movement, too. But then stop. It’s better to leave yourself wanting more. There are nine movements, and the whole piece is only 18 minutes long, so work your way up to communing with all nine tracks. Do this exercise every day, and it will change your life. There’s no comparison between meditating for 18 minutes and communing with this music for 18 minutes. Music is a force of nature. Let it move you. Let it change you. But remember, this is communing, not consuming. And it’s not meditation either. All you have to do is relax and let the music do the work. If you surrender, it will hold your attention. If you surrender, it will heal you. Simply surrender, and expect miracles. Subscribe to get the latest posts in your inbox. And now that you’re taking your attention back, if you’re feeling inspired to learn how to make music yourself, or if you’re already making music but want to improve, then I invite you to help yourself to our many free downloads. If you’re a beginner, start with my FREE Book 12 Music Theory Hacks to Learn Scales & Chords. It only takes about half an hour to read, then you’ll have a solid foundation of the basics. And if you’re intermediate or advanced, download the Free PDF Tutorials, which teach you how to make great music in all genres. Lastly, I don’t paywall any of these posts, as I don’t want to exclude anyone. So if you can spare a few bucks, please consider becoming a paid subscriber. It’s only about the cost of one coffee per month for you, but if enough people join, I can pay the rent and keep helping you. If you’d prefer to make a one-off donation, though, that’s awesome too. I’m deeply grateful either way! To get involved, head on over to HackMusicTheory.com/Join. A heartfelt thank-you for your support, and welcome aboard the Songwriter’s Ark, where all the music making skills are being preserved through this global AI flood. The flood shall pass. The skills will last. Ray Harmony :)        Donate. Help keep the Songwriter's Ark afloat.      Photo by Mart Production         About.     Ray Harmony is a multi award-winning music lecturer, who’s made music with Serj Tankian (System Of A Down), Tom Morello (Rage Against The Machine), Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree), Devin Townsend (Strapping Young Lad), Ihsahn (Emperor), Kool Keith (Ultramagnetic MCs), Madchild (Swollen Members), and more.   Ray is also the founder of Hack Music Theory, a YouTube channel with over 10 million views and over 250,000 subscribers learning the fast, easy and fun way to make music without using AI, cos it ain’t no fun getting a robot to write “your” songs!    Cartoon by Jerm for UKColumn       Outro music by Ray Harmony, based on the music theory from GoGo Penguin "Everything Is Going to Be OK".         Podcast. Listen below, or on any podcast app.

  The Uglification of Music.  Can a return to beauty save music?  Okay I know you’ve just started reading this, but please stop (temporarily), then go and listen to the second movement of J.S. Bach’s Orchestral Suite No. 3 in D major. Its nickname is “Air on a G String”, so just search for that. Even if you know this piece, please go and listen to it again. Then come back. I’ll wait… So how do you feel now? Calm and cleansed, right? It’s like a warm, relaxing, musical bath. That, my friend, is the power of beauty! It’s only about five minutes of music, but it literally changes our body’s chemistry, which in turn improves our mental and physical health. In five minutes! And all we have to do is close our eyes and listen. If you’re like me, you’ll now have two questions on your mind. Firstly, if five minutes of beautiful music can make us feel that good, then why don’t we listen to more beautiful music? And secondly, why is almost all music nowadays so ugly? The answer to the first question of why we don’t listen to more beautiful music is that we live in a culture of non-stop stimulation, so the peace that emanates from beautiful things feels boring to us. That’s why most people prefer looking at screens rather than trees, and listening to podcasts rather than birds. This need for constant stimulation is why the world is overrun with phone zombies, or phombies, as I like to call them. When I was growing up in the ‘80s, people were told to stop and smell the roses because the pace of life was getting faster and faster. Nobody seemed to have time for the simple pleasures anymore, like enjoying the beautiful scent of a flower. In those days people at least saw the roses, even if they didn’t stop to smell them. However, these days the only roses most people see are in their social media feeds. The non-stop stimulation from phones is addictive. Beauty doesn’t stand a chance! Subscribe to get the latest posts in your inbox. Now, the answer to the second question is that most music is ugly nowadays because it’s way easier to grab and hold people’s attention with shocking things. So, it’s inevitable that in this age of never-ending content for people to consume, songwriters and producers will use shock tactics to get noticed. That’s why new songs are filled with jarring sounds, abrupt rhythms, and extremely crude lyrics that are programmed into the listeners’ minds via hypnotically repetitive melodies. So while beautiful music may be able to momentarily catch some people’s attention, the magic of that fleeting moment quickly fades, and their scrolling resumes. And even if they keep listening to the music, it’s relegated to a background soundtrack. And for the record, I’m not saying that all music should be beautiful. I started my first metal band way back in 1991, so I’ve been making ugly music for decades. Having said that, though, ugly music can (and should) be creative and well written. Also, not all classical music is beautiful. Try listening to the first movement of Schoenberg’s Pierrot Lunaire. It’s less than two minutes, but you need endurance to get through it. I love Schoenberg, and that piece is genius. But beautiful? Definitely not! So while I do acknowledge that there’s a time and a place for ugly music, it’s obvious from listening to the new releases on Spotify every Friday that modern music has a big ugly problem. The same way it’s obvious from looking at most cities in the world that we’ve got an ugly architecture problem, too. As the world continues to get uglier, we need to listen to more beautiful music as an antidote. Subscribe to get the latest posts in your inbox. Here’s where things get nuanced, though. I’m making the case that we need to save music from uglification by restoring its beauty. But, before civilizations developed and made the world ugly, music was not created to be beautiful, it was created to dance to. I don’t mean dancing like we think of it today, I mean dancing as a means to enter a trance. Once the shamans entered this state, they’d communicate with the spirits, heal their tribe members, and do other spiritual work. It’s interesting to note that most hunter-gatherer cultures don’t even have separate words for music and dance. They’re inseparable. They’re one activity. Therefore, the music of hunter-gatherers is mainly focused on rhythm. The melodies are usually simple, and harmony is usually non-existent. This fascinates me, as these are humans living naturally, the way we’re all supposed to be living. So why is their music not focused on beauty? Here’s my current hypothesis: They’re living in nature, permanently immersed in natural beauty made by the Creator, therefore they don’t need any more beauty, especially not inferior man-made beauty. Hunter-gatherers are humans in the wild. City dwellers are humans in a zoo. We’ve imprisoned ourselves in an artificial environment, and we can feel it. It’s an unconscious awareness for most people, but we all know it. Hence why so many of us living in zoos, sorry, I mean… cities, tend to be anxious, stressed, lonely, and depressed. Just like zoo animals will never be as happy and healthy as wild animals, we will never be as happy and healthy as hunter-gatherers. Because they’re living naturally, they don’t need to relieve stress and anxiety by closing their eyes and listening to Bach’s Air on a G String. Unless they’re being chased by a hungry animal, they’re always calm and relaxed. By the way, if you’re interested in learning more about this topic, I highly recommend reading Civilized to Death: The Price of Progress by the psychologist Dr. Christopher Ryan. As with all books, I don’t agree with everything in it, but this is one of my top 5 all-time favourite books, and I’ve read mountains of books! If I was rich, I’d buy thousands of copies of this book to give to everyone I meet. Subscribe to get the latest posts in your inbox. Anyway, while it’s far more fun talking about hunter-gatherers than talking about ugly modern music, it is to this regrettable topic that we must now return. So, in order for civilized humans to be happy and healthy, we need to make our human zoos (i.e. cities) as beautiful as possible. Attractive architecture, tree-lined streets, and green parks in every neighbourhood are ways to visually improve a city’s beauty. But even with all those improvements, they’re still noisy. And city noise is ugly. Very ugly! Psychologists tell us that all humans are born with only two fears: the fear of falling, and the fear of loud noises. We forget this, though. And as a result, noise is probably the most underrated cause of stress and anxiety for us zoo humans, sorry, I mean… city dwellers. Also, it’s not just outside noise that causes stress and anxiety, it’s all the inside noise, too. The humming fridges, furnaces, boilers, heaters, air conditioners, computers, and all the other buzzing appliances that all come together to make a constant noise that unconsciously distresses us. I know this is the second time I’m asking you to stop reading (which can’t be good for business), but nonetheless, please stop for a moment and listen to the noise wherever you are. It’s shocking how noisy our inside environments are, right? Then on top of all that inside noise, we also hear all the outside noise from vehicles and aeroplanes. It’s no wonder we’re stressed and anxious all the time! And that’s why I’m inviting you to start listening to more beautiful music. We can’t control most of the noise in our environment, but if we fill the air with beautiful music, it transcends the noise and transforms the energy in our space. And remember, music changes our actual bodies. The physiological enhancements we experience are as real as those we get from exercising or eating healthy foods. Filling an environment with beautiful music works outside, too. I remember when I was living in London, there were experiments being done where they played classical music in and around a few train stations that had high crime rates. It ended up being so effective at lowering crime that they rolled it out to 64 stations. And this technique went on to be copied around the country by other rail networks. Subscribe to get the latest posts in your inbox. All of this makes me wonder if there’s a correlation between the world’s ugliness and music’s beauty. In other words, as the world became more industrialized, did people start making music (and art) that was more beautiful as a way to counter the uglification of the world? If we look at the music being made through the first industrial revolution, which began roughly in the mid-18th century and lasted until roughly the mid-19th century, I would argue that it’s by far the most beautiful music ever made! For example, Mozart’s entire life fits neatly into this period. This was the time when our ancestors went from living and farming in the beautiful countryside, to working in ugly factories in ugly cities. They gave up their peace and fresh air for stress and smog. And this total transformation happened within a few decades. Eventually city-living became the new normal, though, and that’s probably why music became less beautiful. You see, our ancestors who lived through that destruction knew that beautiful music was the antidote to industrialization and its resulting uglification. But after a few generations, the old way of life was forgotten. And when we don’t see the ugliness anymore, we don’t seek out an antidote to it. Now more than ever, it’s essential that we bring as much beauty as possible into our daily life. And the only thing better than listening to beautiful music, is writing beautiful music. The feeling we get from making something beautiful is second to none! So it goes without saying, but in these mad times it’s worth saying again and again: getting AI to regurgitate a song for you (that it’s Frankensteined together from existing music) will not nourish your soul. Create your own beauty! So, I offer you a free PDF that will teach you how to write a beautiful (and relaxing) piano piece. It’s like a musical recipe. You simply follow my 7-step method, and by the end of the PDF, you’ll have your very own piano piece. Free PDF Download. Also, you don’t need to play the piano, you just need a digital audio workstation. If you’re new to making music and you don’t have one yet, you can get started now by downloading a free version. Lastly, I don’t paywall any of these posts, as I don’t want to exclude anyone. So if you can spare a few bucks, please consider becoming a paid subscriber. It’s only the cost of one coffee per month for you, but if enough people join, I can pay the rent and keep helping you. If you’d prefer to make a one-off donation, though, that’s awesome too. I’m deeply grateful either way! To get involved, head on over to HackMusicTheory.com/Join. A heartfelt thank-you for your support, and welcome aboard the Songwriter’s Ark, where all the music making skills are being preserved through this global AI flood. The flood shall pass. The skills will last. Ray Harmony :)        Donate. Help keep the Songwriter's Ark afloat.     Photo by Mart Production         About.     Ray Harmony is a multi award-winning music lecturer, who’s made music with Serj Tankian (System Of A Down), Tom Morello (Rage Against The Machine), Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree), Devin Townsend (Strapping Young Lad), Ihsahn (Emperor), Kool Keith (Ultramagnetic MCs), Madchild (Swollen Members), and more.   Ray is also the founder of Hack Music Theory, a YouTube channel with over 10 million views and over 250,000 subscribers learning the fast, easy and fun way to make music without using AI, cos it ain’t no fun getting a robot to write “your” songs!    Photo by Pixabay     Outro music by Ray Harmony, based on the music theory from GoGo Penguin "Everything Is Going to Be OK".         Podcast. Listen below, or on any podcast app.

  Don’t Trust Me,I’m an Expert. Confessions of an INFJ. I’m a multi award-winning music lecturer with over 30 years of teaching experience, 10 of those years being at one of the UK’s largest colleges. I studied classical guitar, piano, and music theory (all to the highest grade) at the world-renowned Royal Schools of Music. Then I moved to Los Angeles to study contemporary guitar and vocals at the world-renowned Musicians Institute. On top of that, I’ve made music with Grammy winners and multiplatinum artists, including Serj Tankian (System Of A Down) and Tom Morello (Rage Against The Machine). So with regards to making music and teaching music, it’s safe to say that I’m an expert. But if you want to learn how to make music, don’t trust me! Wait… What?! Let me explain. But first, we need to take a little detour. On average, people can be divided into 16 personality types. This is known as the Myers-Briggs (or MBTI) system, and it’s based on Carl Jung’s model of the eight cognitive functions. It’s an utterly brilliant system that will change your life, if you take the time to learn it. You can start by simply discovering what your personality type is. To do this, I recommend Dr. Dario Nardi’s free online test, which you can take at: keys2cognition.com. Invite your friends and family to do it, too. Then, if you want to learn about the 16 personality types, I recommend going to the source and reading the book “Gifts Differing” by Isabel Briggs Myers and Peter B. Myers. Okay, the detour’s over. So now, what’s personality type got to do with not trusting me? Everything! That’s the short answer. The slightly longer answer is this: Personality type has everything to do with everything! And that’s not hyperbole. Subscribe to get the latest posts in your inbox. If you’re like me, then you’re also constantly looking around wondering why we can’t all just get along by respecting each other’s differences and beliefs. In fact, one of the countless reasons I deleted all my social media accounts 10 years ago, was that I couldn’t take any more angry arguments. Just look at any social media thread, and you’ll see how obvious it is that those people are talking (or shouting) past each other. That’s because they have very different personality types, and therefore, very different perspectives. They’re never going to agree. They can’t. And arguing over which perspective is correct is in actual fact arguing over which personality type is correct. But that’s a meaningless pursuit, because no one personality type is better than any other. Each type has its unique gifts. And each type has its unique perspectives. The only discussion worth having is which perspective is best suited for each personality type. A healthy society needs all the personality types and their differing perspectives, otherwise it loses its balance and harmony. And then descends into intolerance. Now, here’s the life-changing conclusion you reach when you learn about personality types. Are you ready? You might want to sit down for this. Okay, here it is: Every perspective will always be wrong for 15 out of the 16 personality types. In other words, every perspective you have on every topic will be 94% wrong according to all the personality types. If there’s only one thing you take away from this post, please let it be that. Every perspective you have is 94% wrong. And every perspective I have is 94% wrong. Subscribe to get the latest posts in your inbox. With this realization comes a whole truckload of humility! Because, how could I possibly think that my perspective is right for you? Especially considering that my personality type, INFJ, is the rarest of all the types. Okay, here’s a broader way of looking at it. Half the personality types have the cognitive function of intuition in their top two preferences, while the other half have sensing. But, intuition is far more rare than sensing. It’s estimated that only 30% of the population are intuitive personality types, while 70% are sensing personality types. So if you’re wanting to learn how to make music, my unique Song-Whispering method will deeply resonate with you if you’re an intuitive type, but if you’re a sensing type, then it probably won’t. And let me be clear, the method will work for everyone, but it will seem very strange to the 70% of people who are sensing types. And this is true for everything. There’s literally no topic that you can’t find equally qualified experts with diametrically opposed perspectives. Even when they agree on the same data points, their interpretations lead them to polar opposite conclusions. And I’m not exaggerating. Even topics we think are settled, are not. For example, did you know that there are medical doctors who say DNA does not exist? Or, did you know that there are physicists who say atoms and subatomic particles don’t exist. These things are supposed to be the building blocks of life and the universe, but doctors and scientists can’t even agree if they exist! So, when it comes to music, good luck trying to find a consensus as to how it should be made and taught! Subscribe to get the latest posts in your inbox. Having said all that, it’s absolutely vital to understand that this is not a problem. This is the beauty of diversity. Whatever experts say who have the same personality type as you (or a compatible type), will probably resonate with you. And whatever experts say who have incompatible personality types, will probably not resonate with you, no matter how much evidence they can present to support their claims. On that note, I invite you to visit HackMusicTheory.com and see if my approach to music resonates with you. If it does, then you can help yourself to a free download of my book 12 Music Theory Hacks to Learn Scales & Chords. It only takes about half an hour to read, then you’ll have a solid foundation of the basics. If you’re ready to go deeper, though, then I invite you to enroll in my online apprenticeship course, where you’ll learn one method to write unlimited songs in any genre. And yes, that’s the intuitive Song-Whispering I mentioned earlier. This method guides you through every step of the music making process, from blank screen to finished song. It’s truly life-changing – if you’re an intuitive type, like me! Lastly, I don’t paywall any of these posts, as I don’t want to exclude anyone. So if you can spare a few bucks, please consider becoming a paid subscriber. It’s only the cost of one coffee per month for you, but if enough people join, I can pay the rent and keep helping you. If you’d prefer to make a one-off donation, though, that’s awesome too. I’m deeply grateful either way! To get involved, head on over to HackMusicTheory.com/Join. A heartfelt thank-you for your support. Happy learning, and welcome aboard the Songwriter’s Ark*.   Ray Harmony :)   *I visualize Hack Music Theory as a Songwriter’s Ark, where all the music making skills are being preserved through this global AI flood. The flood shall pass. The skills will last.         Donate. Help keep the Songwriter's Ark afloat.         Photo by Mart Production         About.     Ray Harmony is a multi award-winning music lecturer, who’s made music with Serj Tankian (System Of A Down), Tom Morello (Rage Against The Machine), Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree), Devin Townsend (Strapping Young Lad), Ihsahn (Emperor), Kool Keith (Ultramagnetic MCs), Madchild (Swollen Members), and more.   Ray is also the founder of Hack Music Theory, a YouTube channel with over 10 million views and over 250,000 subscribers learning the fast, easy and fun way to make music without using AI, cos it ain’t no fun getting a robot to write “your” songs!    Photo by Marek Kupiec     Outro music by Ray Harmony, based on the music theory from GoGo Penguin "Everything Is Going to Be OK".         Podcast. Listen below, or on any podcast app.

  You Can’t Make Music without Using Theory.  “I don’t use music theory, because rules limit my creativity.” If I had a dollar for every time I heard someone say that in my 30 years of teaching music theory, I wouldn’t be living in a rented one-bedroom apartment, that’s for sure! The Oxford dictionary defines language as a “system of communication.” We can’t communicate through speech without using words, and we can’t communicate through music without using notes. The system of communicating with words is called grammar. The system of communicating with notes is called music theory. If you’re using notes, you’re using music theory. Therefore, it’s impossible to make music without using theory. The only choice songwriters have is whether to use it consciously or unconsciously. In other words, do we want to express ourselves consciously and therefore eloquently, or do we want to express ourselves unconsciously and therefore like two-year-olds? When I listen to a song made by someone who claims to not use music theory, I hear the equivalent of a musical two-year-old expressing themselves. There’s nothing wrong with that, if that’s your thing. After all, two-year-olds certainly have a unique way of conveying their emotions. Nobody would argue with that! However, if you prefer a maturer form of expression, then you’ll want to listen to someone with a deeper and more nuanced understanding of language. Subscribe to get the latest posts in your inbox. When it comes to speaking in our first language, we don’t have to consciously think about the system underlying our communication. That’s because we learned the language from such a young age. It’s second nature. Most babies say their first word around the age of 12 months. Imagine if we started music around that age, too. It would also be second nature by the time we’re five, which is when Mozart composed his first piece. For the rest of us, though, we have to learn music theory like we learn vocabulary and grammar of a second language. If someone thinks they can eloquently express themselves in a language they don’t know by simply using their ear, good luck to them, but even with luck on their side they’re still going to sound like a two-year-old. It’s the same when it comes to expressing oneself musically. If we want to make good music, we need to learn music theory. In other words, we need to learn the rules. That’s a dirty word nowadays, but rules can be good. For example, I live close to an elementary school, so the speed limit on the roads here is slow enough that grannies on bicycles overtake me. Is that rule bad? Of course not! If a kid runs out into the road, which they tend to do, they’re far more likely to get hit by a cycling granny than by my car. Rules can be good. And when it comes to music, the rules make our songs sound good. So if you’re still relatively inexperienced at making music, why wouldn’t you want to follow them? In the future, you can (and should) break the rules. But not yet. Subscribe to get the latest posts in your inbox. Also, it’s worth remembering that when we first start driving, learning all the rules and remembering to follow them demands much of our energy and attention. After a few years of driving, though, it becomes rather natural. And after a few decades of driving, it becomes instinctual. Same with music theory. I can’t remember the last time I felt limited by the rules. Maybe about 32 or 33 years ago. It’s also worth mentioning a common and excruciatingly embarrassing situation many songwriters find themselves in, which is claiming that their music breaks the rules, when in actual fact it obeys them. I’ve come across countless examples of this, and it makes me cringe every time! Think about how obvious this problem is. How can anyone say they’re breaking the rules, unless they know the rules? Don’t be that songwriter who tries to act cool by saying they don’t use music theory. That’s not a choice anyone has. The only choice is whether to use it consciously or unconsciously. You decide. And on that note, if you’re new to making music (or if you want a refresher), I offer you a free download of my book 12 Music Theory Hacks to Learn Scales & Chords. It only takes about half an hour to read, then you’ll have a solid foundation of the basics. If you’re ready to go deeper, though, then I invite you to enroll in my online apprentice course, where you’ll learn one method to write unlimited songs in any genre. This method guides you through every step of the music making process, from blank screen to finished song. Happy learning, and welcome aboard the Songwriter’s Ark*.  Ray Harmony :)   *I visualize Hack Music Theory as a Songwriter’s Ark, where all the music making skills are being preserved through this global AI flood. The flood shall pass. The skills will last.         Donate. Help keep the Songwriter's Ark afloat.       Photo by Mart Production         About.   Ray Harmony is a multi award-winning music lecturer, who’s made music with Serj Tankian (System Of A Down), Tom Morello (Rage Against The Machine), Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree), Devin Townsend (Strapping Young Lad), Ihsahn (Emperor), Kool Keith (Ultramagnetic MCs), Madchild (Swollen Members), and more.   Ray is also the founder of Hack Music Theory, a YouTube channel with over 250,000 subscribers learning the fast, easy and fun way to make music without using AI, cos it ain’t no fun getting a robot to write “your” songs!    Photo by Arzella BEKTAŞ     Outro music by Ray Harmony, based on the music theory from GoGo Penguin "Everything Is Going to Be OK".         Podcast. Listen below, or on any podcast app.

  Hearing Music from the Future.  Materialist science tells us that we hear with our ears, and see with our eyes. But if that’s true, then how do we explain extra-ocular vision? If you haven’t come across this jaw-dropping phenomenon where blind (or blind-folded) people can see, look it up, and be prepared to have your worldview flipped. If you don’t know where to start, I recommend the work of theoretical physicist Dr. Àlex Gómez-Marín. Clearly the mainstream scientific explanation of how we see is sorely in need of an update. I suggest the same is true for hearing. And I appreciate that this topic is challenging for my materialist friends, but I invite you to research the scientific community’s dirty little secret, known as the replication crisis. This will open your eyes to the possibility that there’s more going on than we’ve been led to believe. My current working hypothesis for how we hear is something like this. When music is created, it’s stored in what I call God’s great library in the sky. You might call this the quantum field, if you’re scientifically-minded. Or the collective unconscious, if you’re psychologically-minded. Or the Akashic records, if you’re spiritually-minded. Whatever you call it, though, I believe it’s where human creations are eternally stored. When we hear music, its true source is the great sky library. And yes, most of the time this hearing is done through our ears. They sense vibrations in the air and transfer that information to our brain, where it’s transformed into music. But, that physical process can’t explain how it’s possible to hear music that isn’t there. For example, when people hear music during near-death experiences. Or when artists hear music in their dreams, which doesn’t exist in this world (yet), and then they wake up and record it. This brings the song into existence, which is how it ended up in God’s library in the first place. Subscribe to get the latest posts in your inbox. There’s many examples of songs that came to artists in this way. The most famous is probably “Yesterday” by The Beatles. Paul McCartney tells the story of how he woke up with that tune in his head, and couldn’t stop singing it throughout the day. He assumed it was a song he’d heard somewhere, so he kept singing it to people and asking them what song it was. But nobody recognized it. Eventually he realised that it wasn’t anyone else’s song, and excitedly got to work recording it. If my hypothesis is correct, what happened here is that Paul McCartney entered God’s sky library in his dreams and heard his own song from the future. The reason that’s possible is because this great library in the sky (aka the quantum field, or whatever you want to call it) is fundamental reality. Space and time emerge out of this foundational field. Therefore, all human creations from the past and the future already exist there. If we can enter God’s library, we can hear our unwritten songs from the future. We can then record them here and now, which in turn secures their place in the future. It’s a magical loophole. So, how do we enter God’s great sky library? Shhh... That’s how we enter. Silence. We enter by listening. Even if this whole hypothesis is completely and utterly false, it’s life-changingly useful. Seriously. As artists, we have big imaginations. So let’s imagine that our unwritten songs already exist in the quantum field. Our role is simply to attract them into our consciousness, and record them so other people can hear them, too. This removes all stress and anxiety from songwriting. Making music is no longer a painful birthing process, it’s now an exciting journey of discovery. It’s like going on vacation to a beautiful place you’ve never visited. You’re not worried about finding it. You’re not worried about travelling for ages only to realise the destination doesn’t exist. That’s because there’s no such thing as “destination block”. If you’re driving, you just follow the map. Or if you’re taking a bus, train or plane, you just get onboard and relax, or even go to sleep. Your destination will find you! Subscribe to get the latest posts in your inbox. Same with music. We can learn how to let our unwritten songs from the future find us. I call this song-whispering. I teach my method for doing this in my online apprenticeship course, but you can come up with your own way of doing it, too. It’s paradigm-shifting, and will forever change your relationship with songwriting. When you surrender to the knowledge that all your unwritten songs already exist in the field, you instantly feel a deep sense of calm and confidence. Also, you’ll begin to thoroughly enjoy the process of fishing for your future music in the quantum field! Lastly, if you’re new to making music (or if you want a refresher), I offer you a free download of my book 12 Music Theory Hacks to Learn Scales & Chords. It only takes about half an hour to read, then you’ll have a solid foundation of the basics. Understanding the language of music (aka music theory) is vital in becoming a fisher of future music. In order to write down and record the songs you’ll receive from the field, you need to speak the language of music. Happy learning, and welcome aboard the Songwriter’s Ark*. Ray Harmony :) *I visualize Hack Music Theory as a Songwriter’s Ark, where all the music making skills are being preserved through this global AI flood. The flood shall pass. The skills will last.     Donate. Help keep the Songwriter's Ark afloat.   Photo by Mart Production         About. Ray Harmony is a multi award-winning music lecturer, who’s made music with Serj Tankian (System Of A Down), Tom Morello (Rage Against The Machine), Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree), Devin Townsend (Strapping Young Lad), Ihsahn (Emperor), Kool Keith (Ultramagnetic MCs), Madchild (Swollen Members), and more. Ray is also the co-founder of Hack Music Theory, a YouTube channel with over 250,000 subscribers learning the fast, easy and fun way to make music without using AI, cos it ain’t no fun getting a robot to write “your” songs!    Photo by Michael D Beckwith     Outro music by Ray Harmony, based on the music theory from GoGo Penguin "Everything Is Going to Be OK".         Podcast. Listen below, or on any podcast app.

  You’re Listening to Music Wrong.  You’re Listening to Music Wrong. I am, too. We all are. It’s tragic, but we can fix it. Over the last 20 years, music has been devalued and demoted. It used to be the hero. Now it’s the sidekick. The soundtrack for working or socialising or whatever. However, if you’re a Gen Xer like me, you’ll remember spending countless hours sitting in front of your hifi captivated by great records, which physically spun around on your player. We listened with all our attention, doing nothing else. Just listening. Back then, listening to records was considered a hobby. Listening was an activity, because it was active. That’s the key word. Active. But as our attention got stolen away from us by smart phones, listening to records became passive. Music was no longer the main attraction. No, that was reserved for looking at our phones. Without us ever consciously choosing to do so, we relegated music to soundtrack status. That’s one of countless reasons why both myself and Kate (my wife) deleted all our personal and professional social media accounts back in 2015. We’re now celebrating our 10-year anniversary of not being on social media. It’s been one of the best decisions of our lives, by far! In fact, next month I’m celebrating my 19-year anniversary of being sober, and honestly, I rank these two celebrations as equals. But despite not being on social media, Kate and I are still listening to music wrong. And it’s not because of our phones. My phone is a decade old, so most apps won’t work on it. I’m not buying another smart phone, though, so when this phone stops working, I’ll be returning to a dumb phone. I’m much happier being a luddite. For now, at least, I’m still a smart phone owner, but the only app I use is Spotify. However, Spotify alone is enough to pull my attention in too many directions, and as a result, I almost never actively listen all the way through albums anymore. Don’t get me wrong, I listen to albums every day, but it’s while I’m working, exercising, reading, or eating. Music is never the main event, it’s the soundtrack. That’s depressing. That needs to change. Subscribe to get the latest posts in your inbox. Every night I read for two to three hours. I love books! That’s why I only ever read paper books. Focusing on a non-fiction book for hours every day has been invaluable for maintaining my attention span. And I’ve been reading like this for many years. But despite being able to focus on an academic book for three hours, when I’m finished reading for the night and I open Spotify for my dedicated two-hour listening session, my focus instantly scatters. My attention span vanishes. It’s like a magic trick! What did Spotify do to my ability to focus? I’m sure all music streaming apps are the same, but as I use Spotify, I’ll be talking specifically about that app. So I first started using Spotify the month it launched in Canada back in 2014. It was life-changing! It was a music library beyond anyone’s wildest dreams. Like many Gen X teenagers in the ‘80s and ‘90s, I had a dream of one day having a whole room filled with records, floor to ceiling on every wall. Forget about that, though, now I had almost every record ever made in the palm of my hand. What sorcery was this? I loved it! I spent hours every day listening to albums that I’d always wanted to own, but buying records ain’t cheap, so my wallet had always been significantly smaller than my appetite for music. Spotify was my key to gaining access to the world’s biggest music library for a few bucks a month. It seemed too good to be true. And it kinda was, because after a few years, it all began to change. When I opened the Spotify app one day, I was suddenly confronted with all these podcasts. Podcasts!? They’re great, yes, but not in a music library. They’re a distraction from the artists and their albums. Against my better judgment, though, I tried a few podcasts. I was curious. Then  the next day when I opened Spotify, I was confronted with new episodes from the podcasts I’d listened to, as well as other podcasts that were similar to the ones I’d listened to. They all looked fascinating, but how was I supposed to listen to all those podcasts and still have time for listening to albums? Then one day I opened Spotify and they’d added videos. Videos!? But I signed up for a music library! Subscribe to get the latest posts in your inbox. As if all that wasn’t bad enough, Spotify then added audiobooks. For a booklover, this was (and still is) something I absolutely cannot say no to. Included in my Spotify plan, I get 15 hours of audiobook listening time every month. I have to use those hours, I can’t help myself. But that’s about half an hour a day that I used to spend listening to albums that I’m now spending listening to audiobooks. And these days when I open Spotify, I get new audiobook recommendations based on what I’ve listened to. That’s on top of all the new episodes from podcasts I listen to, as well as recommended podcasts that I haven’t listened to. And then there’s also all the new releases from artists I’ve listened to, as well as recommended artists that I haven’t listened to. Yet there are still only 24 hours in the day! So despite not being on social media, despite having a barely functional 10-year-old phone with only the Spotify app on it, and despite having an attention span that can focus on reading an academic textbook for three hours, I can’t stay focused when I open Spotify. There’s simply too many choices. It’s overwhelming. I feel like I’m trying to drink from a fire hose! That feeling reminds me of when I lived in London and I used to frequent this amazing Chinese vegan restaurant in Camden. It had an all-you-can-eat buffet, and every dish was delicious. I don’t think I ever left that place not feeling sick! That’s how I feel after my two hours of dedicated listening every night. Spotify is an all-you-can-listen-to buffet, and I leave afterwards having listened to part of an audiobook, a couple podcasts, and only a few songs from random artists that were recommended. I feel stuffed. And exhausted. It’s far from the dream-come-true music library I originally signed up for back in 2014. If you’re on social media and/or you have more than one app on your phone, I feel for you. I really do. I can’t imagine how stuffed and exhausted you must feel! It’s impossible to keep up, and trying is futile. So, I’ve designed a plan that will (hopefully) enable me to enter the daily all-you-can-listen-to buffet and exit two hours later, feeling nourished and rejuvenated. Subscribe to get the latest posts in your inbox. Here’s the plan in a nutshell. Every night when I open Spotify for my two-hour session, I’m going to start by actively listening to one album all the way through. Simple plan, but this will protect my sacred music time. Also, another bad habit I’ve picked up in Spotify is reading the artist’s biography while listening to their album. And after that, I’ll usually look at their other albums, or worse, go down the rabbit-hole of similar artists. Not anymore, though. I’m going to put my headphones on, push play, put my phone down, close my eyes, and listen with all my attention. Just like the old days. By the way, if you feel inspired to try my plan for your listening sessions too, I recommend downloading the album, and then putting your phone on flight mode so you’re not disturbed by notifications. My phone is almost always on flightmode anyway, because I try to minimise the EMFs in my environment. The less EMFs, the less stress on our bodies and minds. Also, something I’ve been working on for a while is minimising the albums in my saved library. I’ve found that I get overexcited about saving albums, but then every time I go into my saved library I’m overwhelmed with all the options, and end up listening to a song here and a song there, but never going deep into one album. So, I’m trying to think of that space as my Desert Island Discs collection. It’s my own personal Hall of Fame. I’ve currently got around 80 albums saved, but it’s getting smaller every month. When I notice an album that I haven’t listened to in a while, I remove it from my saved library. The fewer albums there, the deeper I can explore each one. My goal is to get down to my Top 40 albums, and then I’ll use a “one in, one out” policy to maintain that size. It’s been a surprisingly fun project to whittle down these albums to my all-time favourites. I’ve also noticed that the fewer albums in my saved library, the more I value and appreciate each one. Interestingly, I have no albums saved from my childhood or teenage years. All my favourite albums have been ones I’ve discovered over the last few years. Not sure what that says about me, psychologically speaking, but hey, that’s a story for another day. And it’s not that I only listen to new music, it’s just that the recordings tend to be new. For example, my favourite recording of Bach’s Goldberg Variations is from 2020. It’s performed by the Royal Academy of Music Soloists Ensemble, and conducted by Trevor Pinnock. Old music, but a new recording. This album is easily in my Top 10 all-time favourites. And speaking of great new albums. Yes, searching for these gems is like a treasure hunt. It’s thrilling! I love doing that. But it’s also one of the main reasons for my scattered focus. So, I’m designating a little time in every session for treasure hunting, but only after I’ve actively listened to one of my saved albums all the way through. Subscribe to get the latest posts in your inbox. Back in the ‘80s and ‘90s, we used to listen to the same album hundreds of times. We’d know all the lyrics, all the melodies, all the riffs, all the drum beats, and even a lot of the drum fills too. It wasn’t uncommon for a Gen X teenager to be able to air-drum the fills while listening to their favourite albums. I miss knowing albums that intimately, and I miss the way that knowledge deepened our appreciation. Even more importantly, though, it deepened our enjoyment of the songs. It’s essential that we come up with ways to avoid succumbing to the temptation of drinking from the always-expanding fire hose of content. We need to take our attention back, and we need to elevate music back to its rightful place as the hero. Great music is magical. Great music is ineffable. And great albums are not content. So let’s not group them into that category. When we open Spotify and we’re faced with the choice of a great album or a great podcast, it creates the illusion that they’re both content to be consumed. That’s not true. No matter how great a podcast is, listening to someone talk is not the same as listening to someone play music. Our mind, body, and soul react entirely differently to music. Music and talking are not in the same category. That’s why listening to an energetic album while exercising gives us way more energy than listening to our favourite motivational podcast. And that’s why listening to a beautiful piece of music can make us cry. And why sublime music can evoke mystical experiences. Great albums are not content, they’re magical portals. Let’s start treating them like that again. Are you in? Let me know in the comments, and also let me know what strategies you use to avoid drinking from the fire hose. Lastly, if you’re new to making music (or if you want a refresher), I offer you my free book 12 Music Theory Hacks to Learn Scales & Chords. It only takes about half an hour to read, then you’ll have a solid foundation of the basics. Understanding the language of music (aka music theory) will deepen your listening experience like nothing else, which will in turn inspire you like nothing else. And if you’re ready to go deeper, then I invite you to join my online apprenticeship course. You’ll learn every step of the music making process, from blank screen to finished song. Happy learning, and welcome aboard the Songwriter’s Ark*. Ray Harmony :) *I visualize Hack Music Theory as a Songwriter’s Ark, where all the music making skills are being preserved through this global AI flood. The flood shall pass. The skills will last.     Donate. Help keep the Songwriter's Ark afloat.   Photo by Mart Production         About. Ray Harmony is a multi award-winning music lecturer, who’s made music with Serj Tankian (System Of A Down), Tom Morello (Rage Against The Machine), Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree), Devin Townsend (Strapping Young Lad), Ihsahn (Emperor), Kool Keith (Ultramagnetic MCs), Madchild (Swollen Members), and more. Ray is also the co-founder of Hack Music Theory, a YouTube channel with over 250,000 subscribers learning the fast, easy and fun way to make music without using AI, cos it ain’t no fun getting a robot to write “your” songs!     Photo by NEOSiAM  2024+     Outro music by Ray Harmony, based on the music theory from GoGo Penguin "Everything Is Going to Be OK".         Podcast. Listen below, or on any podcast app.

  The 4 Types of Artist. Which Are You?  Every song is born from an idea. So where do ideas come from? In other words: What or who is the cause of your imagination? Your answer to this question is tied to your worldview, and that determines what type of artist you are. The first type of artist believes that ideas come from the brain, and are a result of firing neurons. If you believe this, you’re what I call a natural artist. The second type of artist believes that ideas evolve from other ideas, and are a result of inspiration from other artists’ work. If you believe this, you’re what I call a humane artist. The third type of artist believes that ideas come from an impersonal universal mind, and are a result of connecting to this unified field. If you believe this, you’re what I call a quantum artist. The fourth type of artist believes that ideas come from a personal God (or gods), and are a gift from his spirit (or the spirits). If you believe this, you’re what I call a supernatural artist. Subscribe to get the latest posts in your inbox. Each worldview encompasses vast diversity, but artists within each type have a common belief of where their ideas come from. For example, the supernatural category includes Christians and hunter-gathers. On the surface they seem drastically different, but a deeper look reveals that both groups are living in a supernatural reality. On that note. It may come as a surprise to artists in the other three categories, but up until very recently in human history, everyone was in the supernatural group. If you’re interested in learning about this fascinating topic, I recommend the excellent book The New Science of the Enchanted Universe: An Anthropology of Most of Humanity by the late, great anthropologist Marshall Sahlins (1930–2021). Also, I appreciate that grouping all artists into these four worldviews neglects some other beliefs. For example, maybe ideas come from people in the future who’ve invented technology that transmits them back to us. Or, perhaps ideas are beamed down to us from ancient aliens living above the firmament. Or, maybe ideas float to us on the air breathed out by an advanced race living beyond the icewall. I could go on, but you get the idea. These are all valid hypotheses, and should not be discounted unless they can be disproven. However, for the sake of brevity, I’ll limit this to the four broad worldviews: natural, humane, quantum, and supernatural. Hopefully one of these will resonate with you. Subscribe to get the latest posts in your inbox. Also, each artist type can include the worldview of the previous type(s). For instance, a humane artist can also believe what a natural artist believes. This worldview sees ideas as a result of neurons firing in the brain, but that firing was due to an interaction with other artists’ work. If you believe this, you’re still a humane artist, you’ve simply included the natural artist’s worldview. And for the record, no type is better than any other. That would be like saying the marathoner Eliud Kipchoge is a better runner than Usain Bolt, because Bolt stops after he’s run a hundred meters. That’s ridiculous! They’re two of the greatest runners of all time. They’re running different races, though, so it’s pointless to compare them as runners. Same with artists. Their worldviews do not determine how good their art is. Their ideas determine that! It’s all about ideas. And that’s exactly why typing ourselves is important. Once we know what type of artist we are, we can know how to live up to the potential of our type. This will result in better ideas, and better ideas give birth to better songs. So which type of artist are you: natural, humane, quantum, or supernatural? Now that you’ve typed yourself, here’s how to live up to your artistic potential. Subscribe to get the latest posts in your inbox. If you’re a natural artist, you need to prioritise the nurturing of your brain. You can do this by sleeping enough, exercising daily, eating healthy food, drinking plenty of filtered water, getting fresh air and sunshine, grounding and minimizing EMFs in your environment, and daydreaming in a park (with your phone turned off). If you’re a humane artist, you need to prioritise the nurturing of relationships with other artists. You can do this by meeting up with creative people face-to-face on a weekly basis and sharing ideas, or even better, collaborating. But, you can also be inspired by reading biographies of your favourite artists, both living and dead. If you’re a quantum artist, you need to prioritise the nurturing of transcendence. You can do this by cultivating a daily meditation ritual, practising yoga and/or qigong, chanting, and listening to sublime music with headphones on and your eyes closed. I recommend the breathtaking album Vivaldi: Stabat Mater by Jakub Józef Orliński. If you’re a supernatural artist, you need to prioritise the nurturing of worship. You can do this by praying throughout the day, giving thanks for all your blessings, singing praises, contemplating God (or the gods), reading scripture and other books in your tradition, listening to sacred music, dancing, and doing pilgrimages. So, whatever type of artist you are, I encourage you to include some (or all) of these practices in your daily routine. And let me know in the comments what type you are, and which practices resonate with you. Subscribe to get the latest posts in your inbox. Lastly, please note that using AI to get ideas is not suggested for any of the types, because outsourcing your thinking never ends well. If you’re struggling to make music, the solution is not AI, it’s music theory. Music theory is the language of music, so when you learn how to use it, you can easily express yourself through melodies, harmonies, and rhythm. And it’s fun too, when you know how to do it! If you’re new to music (or if you want a refresher), I offer you my free book 12 Music Theory Hacks to Learn Scales & Chords. It takes about half an hour to read, then you’ll have a solid foundation of the basics. And if you’re inspired to go deeper, then I invite you to join my online apprenticeship course. You’ll learn every step of the music making process, from blank screen to finished song. Happy learning, and welcome aboard the Songwriter’s Ark*. Ray Harmony :) *I visualize Hack Music Theory as a Songwriter’s Ark, where all the music making skills are being preserved through this global AI flood. The flood shall pass. The skills will last.     Donate. Help keep the Songwriter's Ark afloat.  Photo by Mart Production     About. Ray Harmony is a multi award-winning music lecturer, who’s made music with Serj Tankian (System Of A Down), Tom Morello (Rage Against The Machine), Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree), Devin Townsend (Strapping Young Lad), Ihsahn (Emperor), Kool Keith (Ultramagnetic MCs), Madchild (Swollen Members), and more. Ray is also the co-founder of Hack Music Theory, a YouTube channel with over 250,000 subscribers learning the fast, easy and fun way to make music without using AI, cos it ain’t no fun getting a robot to write “your” songs!  Photo by Pixabay  Outro music by Ray Harmony, based on the music theory from GoGo Penguin "Everything Is Going to Be OK".     Podcast. Listen below, or on any podcast app.

  AI Is Not a Tool. Stop Calling It That.  I’ve tattooed myself. Three times! You know what? It hurts a whole lot more when you do it to yourself. You know what else? It looks terrible, too. Why? Because a tattoo machine is a tool that an artist uses to create images in the skin. I had the tool, and I even had the imagination to come up with a creative idea for the image, but I did not have the skill. So, when I drew it, it was a mess. And when I tattooed it, it was a painful mess! It was a thoroughly fascinating experience, though, and I did it under the supervision of a world-class tattooer. But, because I had not learned the skills and spent thousands of hours practicing, there was no hope of creating a good tattoo. Throughout human history, tools were useless without the accompanying skills. And I’m going to argue here that they still are. If you’ve been paying attention, you’ll have noticed how the definitions of words are changing at a rapid rate nowadays, so you need to keep your wits about you. The Oxford Dictionary defines a tool as “a thing that helps you to do your job or to achieve something.” The key word in that definition is “helps”. Whether someone uses AI to generate a whole song or only the initial idea, AI is not helping them, it’s doing the skilled work for them. A tattoo machine is a tool that helps the artist put their image in the skin. If the machine draws and tattoos the image on its own, then it’s not helping the tattooer, it’s replacing them. The skills are now in the machine, not the human. By definition, that machine is no longer a tool, it is the tattooer. Subscribe to get the latest posts in your inbox. Same with music. If a songwriter uses a digital audio workstation (DAW) on their computer to express their imagination and capture their ideas, then it’s a tool. If you use this software, you’ll know that when you open it, you’re greeted by a blank screen. Same for authors. When they open a new document in their word processor, they don’t find ideas for their next story, they find a blank screen. That’s because word processors and digital audio workstations are tools. They help. Nothing more. All the ideas and skills are exclusively in the humans. It’s a common defence from AI users that they only use it to get the initial idea, and then they write the song themselves. But, using our imagination to come up with that initial idea is probably the most difficult part of the songwriting process. So using AI to get the initial idea is cheating. And more importantly, every time a songwriter does this, they’re cheating themselves out of their own imagination. If we don’t exercise our imagination, we lose it. When a generation of people lose their imaginations, and then go on to have children who are born into a reality without imagination, it’s a very different world. Is that a world you want? Now, if someone chooses to use AI instead of their imagination, that’s up to them. But it’s a lie to say that AI is a tool that helps them come up with ideas. No, it’s not a tool. It’s a replacement for their imagination. That’s a whole lot more than a tool! Subscribe to get the latest posts in your inbox. Also, songwriters need to have the skills (and perseverance) to develop their initial idea into a full song. There are countless skills involved in going from a blank screen to a finished song. Even just that one skill alone of knowing when a song is finished, is difficult to learn. A tool, like a digital audio workstation or a guitar, helps us express our imaginations. By definition, if it comes up with the ideas or does the skilled work for us, then it’s not a tool, it’s the songwriter. So the next time you hear a songwriter (or anyone in the creative arts) saying: “AI is just a tool”, please correct them. AI is not a tool, it’s The Great Reset of Skills & Ideas. And the more this “AI is a tool” narrative is pushed, the more vital it is that we hold on to original definitions. If we lose touch with those, we lose touch with reality. If this has inspired you to learn the skills so you can express your ideas, then I offer you my free book 12 Music Theory Hacks to Learn Scales & Chords. It only takes about half an hour to read, then you’ll have a solid foundation to start making music. And if you’re already a songwriter but you’re frustrated because your music isn’t as good as you know it can be, then I invite you to join my online apprenticeship course. You’ll learn every single skill you need to go from a blank screen to a finished song. Happy learning, and welcome aboard the Songwriter’s Ark*. Ray Harmony :) *I visualize Hack Music Theory as a Songwriter’s Ark, where all the music making skills are being preserved through this global AI flood. The flood shall pass. The skills will last.     Donate. Help keep the Songwriter's Ark afloat.  Photo by Mart Production     About. Ray Harmony is a multi award-winning music lecturer, who’s made music with Serj Tankian (System Of A Down), Tom Morello (Rage Against The Machine), Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree), Devin Townsend (Strapping Young Lad), Ihsahn (Emperor), Kool Keith (Ultramagnetic MCs), Madchild (Swollen Members), and more. Ray is also the co-founder of Hack Music Theory, a YouTube channel with over 250,000 subscribers learning the fast, easy and fun way to make music without using AI, cos it ain’t no fun getting a robot to write “your” songs!  Photo by barış erkin  Outro music by Ray Harmony, based on the music theory from GoGo Penguin "Everything Is Going to Be OK".     Podcast. Listen below, or on any podcast app.

  AI Is Killing Music! This Is How We Save It.  Hardly anything is real anymore! And that includes most people. They walk around staring at their phones with earbuds in, ignoring the reality all around them and instead choosing to live in their screen’s virtual reality. Regardless of what their senses tell them, if their screen says it’s real, then it’s real. If their screen says it’s true, then it’s true. On top of all the propaganda made by humans, the internet is also overflowing with AI misinformation and deepfake videos of people who are not themselves saying things they never said. And now, music streaming services are full of AI-generated songs by artists who didn’t write them, because the artists don’t even exist. Yet every day more and more humans choose virtual over real, screens over trees, and AI over elders. If you’re like me, and you’re also horrified by this brave new AI world, it’s easy to get overwhelmed with grief for the loss of our old world where humanity mattered. But focusing on the past and everything we’ve lost makes us feel bad. And focusing on the future and how robots are gonna steal our humanity (and our jobs!), makes us feel worse. So what do we do? We continue to bring awareness to this problem, while simultaneously creating solutions in the form of a parallel system. So let’s roll up our sleeves and get to work right here in the present. How? We make music real again.  Subscribe to get the latest posts in your inbox.  That’s no easy task, though, because all new music cannot and should not be trusted. It’s similar to how the singing on recordings could no longer be trusted after the release of auto-tune in 1997. If you hear a recording from before ‘97 and the singer sounds good, then you know they’re actually a good singer. Unless it’s a Milli Vanilli lip-syncing type thing, but still, there were good singers on those recordings, it just wasn’t Milli Vanilli. And obviously not every singer used auto-tune on their recordings after ‘97. However, I personally know studio engineers who secretly tuned vocals overnight, so when the singer arrived back in the studio the next morning, they wouldn’t even know their vocals had been tuned. They’d just be thinking: Wow, I nailed that! So if the singers don’t always know they’ve been tuned, how can we? Now in the 2020s, we’re dealing with the songwriting version of this. If you hear a good song from before the ‘20s, then you know it was written by good (human) songwriters. Even if it was written by ghost writers, they’re good (human) songwriters. But now we can no longer trust the songwriting behind recordings. And that goes for new albums by old-school Gen X bands, too. They could just as easily have gotten AI to write the songs, and then learned how to play them afterwards. Or perhaps the songwriter in the band was under immense pressure to write new songs that would become modern classics, so at home in secrecy they got AI to write the songs and the lyrics. The rest of the band wouldn’t even know they were AI-generated songs, so how can we possibly know? By now you might be thinking: Why does it matter? If the song is good and I enjoy it, what’s wrong with it being AI-generated? Everything is wrong with that, because every time we choose AI over humans, we take another step into transhumanism. This is about a lot more than music! Even small choices make a difference, like choosing a check-out in the grocery store with a human clerk instead of self-checkout, and looking them in the eyes, smiling, and saying: Hello friend, how are you? Human connection is the only way to maintain our humanity. Music is one of the most powerful ways for humans to connect. Every time we listen to an AI-generated song, instead of connecting with humans, we’re being connected to the machine. And yes, doing the research to ensure we’re listening to real music requires time and effort, but it’s worth it, just like it’s worth researching what we eat in order to ensure that it’s real food and not full of chemicals.  Subscribe to get the latest posts in your inbox.  So how on earth can we make music real again? Well I’m glad you asked, because I’ve had an idea! The only way to save music is to re-establish the trust that has been lost. And the only way to do that is to verify and certify songs that are human-made, in the same way old-school farmers get their food verified and certified as organic. That process is so expensive, though, that many organic farmers can’t afford it and so their food can’t be certified. Therefore, I suggest we use fan verification instead. As opposed to losing artists money, this would actually create a new income source for them. Here’s how I envision the process unfolding. Seeing is believing, so in order to know that a song was made by humans, we need to see them writing it from start to finish. I’ve actually done this twice before in my online apprenticeship courses. Every minute of the songwriting process was filmed. This is not an edited behind-the-scenes documentary, it’s the entire warts-and-all songwriting process, from blank screen to finished song. This video footage is proof that I wrote those songs. But with AI’s deepfake capabilities, video evidence can no longer be trusted either. In order for fans to know that a song is human-made, the artist needs to write it live in front of them. This would be nothing like a concert, though, it would be more like a weekend workshop. The event would be filmed, and the fans would sign a document verifying that it was real and not deepfaked. The artist could even do this as a songwriting tour, which would establish eyewitnesses in many different cities. The creative process is magic, so having fans sharing in this would be the most thrilling gift artists have ever offered their fans. And as this would be such a momentous opportunity for the fans, the cost of a ticket could be a significant sum. Think about it. How much would you pay to watch your favourite artist writing their new album live, right in front of you. It’s a priceless offer! And to write a full album, an artist would obviously need many of these live songwriting sessions. This will not only form intimate artist-fan relationships like never before, but it will also create a new and lucrative income stream. Fans who buy tickets to songwriting sessions will inevitably be superfans, and therefore willing to pay handsomely for the privilege of witnessing the magic unfold live. Usually when writing an album artists hide themselves away for months, while their income dwindles as a result of not performing live. However, with these live songwriting sessions, artists would get paid not only for performing, but for writing too. And most importantly, they’d end up with an album full of songs that have each been verified and certified as human-made. The final part of the process would involve rehearsing and recording the songs. Then the album would be released in tandem with the video footage of all the live songwriting sessions, as well as the fan-certified documents. Next, the artist would shift into performing mode and take to the stage, where they would be greeted by trusting fans who are confident in the knowledge that the songs are human-made.  Subscribe to get the latest posts in your inbox.  Now let’s address the elephant in the room. If you’re a songwriter, the idea of having to write in front of an audience is probably filling you with dread. I get it, I’ve done this twice before on live webinars. Know this, though, the fear disappears as soon as you get in the flow, and then the energy and excitement is utterly exhilarating! If you want to feel truly alive, write a song live. Yes it takes courage, but all the best things in life do. And remember, writing music is simply expressing ourselves. That’s not scary. We do it all the time in conversations. If you talk to someone in your first language, you feel comfortable expressing yourself. But, if you try communicating in a language you’re not fluent in, then it’s an anxious and frustrating process. That’s where music theory comes to our rescue. If we understand the language of music, then writing songs is simply a case of expressing ourselves using that language. So if you want to learn the language of music, then I offer you my free book 12 Music Theory Hacks to Learn Scales & Chords. You can read it in about half an hour, then you’ll have a solid foundation. Even if you’re not interested in writing your own songs, this book will help you appreciate music in a far more meaningful way. And if you’re looking to become fluent in the language of music, then I invite you to join my online apprenticeship course. That’s where you’ll watch the videos of me writing two whole songs from start to finish, while also teaching every step of the process, so you can learn and use my method in your own original way. Happy learning, and welcome aboard the Songwriter’s Ark*. Ray Harmony :) *I visualize Hack Music Theory as a Songwriter’s Ark, where all the music making skills are being preserved through this global AI flood. The flood shall pass. The skills will last.      Donate. Help keep the Songwriter's Ark afloat.   Photo by Mart Production     About. Ray Harmony is a multi award-winning music lecturer, who’s made music with Serj Tankian (System Of A Down), Tom Morello (Rage Against The Machine), Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree), Devin Townsend (Strapping Young Lad), Ihsahn (Emperor), Kool Keith (Ultramagnetic MCs), Madchild (Swollen Members), and more. Ray is also the co-founder of Hack Music Theory, a YouTube channel with over 250,000 subscribers learning the fast, easy and fun way to make music without using AI, cos it ain’t no fun getting a robot to write “your” songs!  Photo by Nano Erdozain  Outro music by Ray Harmony, based on the music theory from GoGo Penguin "Everything Is Going to Be OK".     Podcast. Listen below, or on any podcast app.

  AI Saves Us Time. That’s Bad!  Time is our only non-renewable resource. People talk about “spending” time and “spending” money, but these two types of spending are opposite. We can always make more money, but we can never make more time. Therefore, the greatest, most valuable gift we can give someone is our time. Think about it. No matter how much money you spend on a gift for someone, unconsciously you both know that it’s a renewable resource. But if you spend a full day with that person giving them your full attention (in other words, with your phone turned off), they will feel like the most special person in the world. Here’s another example. If you’re a parent (or a grandparent) of a young child, your fridge door is probably plastered with dodgy drawings. And one of your favourites is almost certainly a picture of yourself, despite the fact that your head is bigger than your torso, your hair looks like it’s been transplanted from the head of Pennywise the clown, and you’re missing a few fingers. But, how much do you love that drawing? More than words. Now imagine a different scenario where your child (or grandchild) gives you a gift of an AI-generated picture of you, which is “perfect”, or so we’re told by the AI-pushers. Which picture do you prefer? The hand-drawn clown you, or the picture-perfect AI you? Exactly. But why do you love the “imperfect” hand-drawn picture instead of the “perfect” AI-generated picture? Because, your child (or grandchild) spent time drawing it for you. And our time is the greatest, most valuable gift we have to offer. So what’s this got to do with music? Whenever someone uses AI in the songwriting process, they’re depriving the world of their greatest gift: time. It’s the equivalent of the kid giving his parents (or grandparents) an AI-generated picture instead of a hand-drawn picture. Every time either of these things happen, a piece of humanity dies.  Subscribe to get the latest posts in your inbox.  So yes, using AI in the songwriting process saves us time, but spending time is the whole point. Music, without time spent making it, is a pointless contribution to the world. It has no value and no worth, and the world is far better off without it. But we’ve been fed the lie of convenience, and the masses have swallowed it hook, line and sinker! Convenience is the new idol. Saving time, the new goal. But saving time does not make our lives better. Spending time in the right way does. Think about it. Let’s say you’ve got a fun day-out planned with your best friend. Now what if I told you that I can save you a full day of your life, which you can get back and then use for something else. You see where I’m going with this, right? So, instead of you going on your fun day-out, I’ll go for you. There, I just saved you a full day. You’re welcome. Wait, you’re not thanking me? But I saved you a full day! As this thought-experiment shows: our lives are not improved by saving time, they’re improved by spending time wisely. We need to embrace meaningful inconveniences, like the process of writing a whole song from start to finish, all on our own. When we do difficult creative projects like this, we become better humans and the world becomes more humane. So, if you’re feeling inspired to embrace the inconvenient and time-consuming act of making music, then you can get started right now by reading my free book 12 Music Theory Hacks to Learn Scales & Chords. And if you wanna learn my secret method of Song-Whispering, which is a way for your song to guide you so it feels like it’s writing itself, then I invite you to join my online apprenticeship course. Happy learning, and welcome aboard the Songwriter’s Ark*. Ray Harmony :) *I visualize Hack Music Theory as a Songwriter’s Ark, where all the music making skills are being preserved through this global AI flood. The flood shall pass. The skills will last.      Donate. Help keep the Songwriter's Ark afloat.  Photo by Mart Production     About. Ray Harmony is a multi award-winning music lecturer, who’s made music with Serj Tankian (System Of A Down), Tom Morello (Rage Against The Machine), Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree), Devin Townsend (Strapping Young Lad), Ihsahn (Emperor), Kool Keith (Ultramagnetic MCs), Madchild (Swollen Members), and more. Ray is also the co-founder of Hack Music Theory, a YouTube channel with over 250,000 subscribers learning the fast, easy and fun way to make music without using AI, cos it ain’t no fun getting a robot to write “your” songs!  Photo by Jordan Benton  Outro music by Ray Harmony, based on the music theory from GoGo Penguin "Everything Is Going to Be OK".     Podcast. Listen below, or on any podcast app.

  AI Can't Make Music.  AI can’t make music. Let me explain… The reason almost everyone thinks AI can make music, is because the definition of music has changed. As a side note, it’s interesting how more and more definitions seem to be changing nowadays, isn’t it? But that’s a story for another day… What’s important to us here is the original definition of music. In other words, what music meant to our hunter-gatherer ancestors. To them, music was an ineffable expression of the human experience, shared through pitched and rhythmic patterns. This was the universal meaning of music from the beginning of humankind. There are mystical elements too, which are vital, but that’s also a story for another day. So, how did the definition of music change? It all began when music was corralled into the concert hall about 300 years ago, which turned it into a performance. And with that, it was no longer something everyone actively participated in. There were now active performers, and passive listeners. This was the fork in the road. From that point on, music was a product that could be monetized through admission fees. This was the first major definition change.  Subscribe to get the latest posts in your inbox.  Now, as with all progress, there are many benefits. However, knowing the costs of those benefits is essential in weighing up the pros and cons of the progress. Yes, there was a long list of benefits from domesticating wild music and transforming it into tame performance art, but the costs were severe. For example, singing used to be something that people did communally. And they did it while moving in unison. Whether it was bushmen singing and dancing around a fire, or baptists singing and swaying in a church, the mental, physical, spiritual, and societal health benefits of this ritual cannot be overstated. And all that was lost when singing became something that the chosen choir did, while everyone else shut their mouths and sat on their asses. Sadly, though, those losses are only the tip of the iceberg. When sound recording was invented less than two hundred years ago, it was the active musicians who were next in line to be disempowered. For the first time in human history, it was now possible to listen to music without anybody making it. It’s impossible for us to imagine how utterly bizarre that must’ve been. There were no musicians playing, yet people were hearing music. Where was it coming from? Mad times! That was the second major definition change. Music had now been corralled into a disc made of resin. And these could be mass-produced and sold. Ka-ching! Instead of having to pay musicians for every concert, they could now be paid for one concert that was recorded, and then that recording could be sold an unlimited amount of times. Once again, a cost-benefit analysis for humanity should have been done. But it wasn’t. As always, the masses rushed headlong into a future that was even more unnatural, without even pausing to think about the repercussions. Sound familiar?  Subscribe to get the latest posts in your inbox.  And it’s worth stating clearly here that a recording of music is not music, it’s a recording. Just like a photo of a car is not the car. Think about it. If you want a new car and I give you a photo of that car, do you now have the car? Obviously not. You have an image of the real thing. Same with music. Think about it. If you want to hear the latest song from your favourite artist, you’ll open your music app and listen to it. But are you actually listening to the song? No. You’re listening to a recording of the song. That idea sounds crazy to us in the 21st century, but that’s only because the definition of music has changed twice already. That brings us to the present, where we’re being told that AI can make music. But hopefully by now you can see why that’s a lie. AI can’t make music, because music is an expression of the human experience. AI can’t have the human experience, therefore AI can’t make music. The robots can do lots of things, yes, but making music is not one of them. And even if you believe AI will become conscious one day, it can never be human, so it will never be able to make music. And yes, animals are conscious, and some species (like birds) have something similar to music. But that’s not music either, for the same reason: birds are not expressing the human experience. So let’s not get our definition of music confused by the mainstream narrative about AI. Music can only be made by humans. End of story. These definition changes have resulted in us giving away our creative power as humans who actively make music. Over the last few centuries, we’ve turned into powerless, passive consumers of recordings. And now we’re not even listening to recordings anymore, we’re consuming soulless AI-generated sonic content. So, if you’re feeling inspired to take your power back and become an active music maker, like all our ancestors were, then you can get started right now by reading my free book 12 Music Theory Hacks to Learn Scales & Chords. And if you’re already making music but you’re frustrated because it’s not as good as you’d like, then I invite you to join my online apprenticeship course. Happy learning, and welcome aboard the Songwriter’s Ark*. Ray Harmony :) *I visualize Hack Music Theory as a Songwriter’s Ark, where all the music making skills are being preserved through this global AI flood. The flood shall pass. The skills will last.     Donate. Help keep the Songwriter's Ark afloat. Photo by Mart Production     About. Ray Harmony is a multi award-winning music lecturer, who’s made music with Serj Tankian (System Of A Down), Tom Morello (Rage Against The Machine), Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree), Devin Townsend (Strapping Young Lad), Ihsahn (Emperor), Kool Keith (Ultramagnetic MCs), Madchild (Swollen Members), and more. Ray is also the co-founder of Hack Music Theory, a YouTube channel with over 250,000 subscribers learning the fast, easy and fun way to make music without using AI, cos it ain’t no fun getting a robot to write “your” songs!  Photo by Pavel Danilyuk  Outro music by Ray Harmony, based on the music theory from GoGo Penguin "Everything Is Going to Be OK".     Podcast. Listen below, or on any podcast app.

  Making Music is Hard. Why Bother?  I never thought this day would come. But here it is. After 30 years of teaching music to thousands of students, I’m facing a previously unimagined challenge: convincing people who want to make music that they should learn how to do it. Never in human history has there been any other option. But now, there are robots that can make “your” music for you. Is it yours if you didn’t write it? No, but the masses embracing AI-generated music don’t seem bothered by that fact. There are only 12 notes in music, so it’s relatively easy to understand. But making music is not as easy. And making good music is rather hard. That’s because there are infinite ways to combine those 12 notes melodically and harmonically. And then there’s the eternal world of rhythm. Infinity x eternity. That’s a lot of options! Yet despite the never-ending options, for a beginner songwriter it usually feels like every combination they choose ends up sounding a bit rubbish. Where are all those great combinations hiding? Only years of exploring will begin to reveal them. Photo by Gerd Altmann And therein lies the problem. In the good ol’ days before AI, if someone wanted to make music, there was only one option: learn how. But in this brave new world, why bother spending years learning and practising, when you can just get a robot to do it for you? No need for learning, practising, or even patience. A complete beginner can use AI to make a song (and the cover art too), then upload it to Spotify. All before breakfast. And that brings me back to my new challenge of convincing people that learning how to make good music is worth the effort. That is my new passion. Because, we know from history that it only takes one generation to lose a skill. If humans can’t be convinced that making music is a skill worth preserving, it will be lost forever. Just another fossil from those less “civilized” people of a bygone era. You know, those poor people who had to walk everywhere, grow their own food, and make their own music. Yeah those people. Wow, sucked to be them! Yes they were much happier and healthier than us, but still, no smart phones? Sucked to be them! Photo by RDNE Stock project So, why bother writing your own music? Because the process is what’s valuable, not the end result. The process of expressing ourselves by making music improves our mental health, our spiritual health, and even our physical health. And sharing our music in-person connects us to our fellow humans in a way that nothing else does. If all that’s not enough, how about this: making music is playful and fun! Remember those things? It’s what we used to do before smart phones were invented.  Subscribe to get the latest posts in your inbox.  There’s one caveat, though. It’s only fun if you know how to do it. If you don’t, then it’s frustrating. And I suspect that’s the main reason why people are turning to AI. But AI is not the solution. The solution is learning and practising. And the more you learn and practice, the more fun the songwriting process becomes. It’s like exercising. When we first start, it’s horrible. Our muscles burn, our lungs burn, and every fibre of our being shouts “STOP!” Sadly, most people do. But for the ones who persevere, something magical happens. Each week the burning gets less, and the shouting gets softer. Then one day right in the middle of an exercise session, we suddenly realize our inner voice is shouting: “GO! GO! GO!” It usually takes a few months to break through that barrier, but when we do, the fun makes it all worthwhile. Photo by Barbara Olsen I want you to enjoy that post-breakthrough fun with your music. There’s no better feeling. But it requires trust. And I’m not asking you to trust me. I’m asking you to trust yourself, and to trust the journey. Until you reach that breakthrough, it’s hard. But if you give up before then, you’ll never reap the health rewards. And you’ll miss out on a ton of fun, too! With this new challenge in mind, I’m now visualizing Hack Music Theory as a Songwriter’s Ark, where all the music making skills are being preserved through this global AI flood. The flood shall pass. The skills will last. So, if you’re feeling inspired to get onboard, I recommend reading my free book 12 Music Theory Hacks to Learn Scales & Chords. And if you’re already making music but it’s not as good as you’d like, I recommend my online apprenticeship course. Happy learning, and welcome aboard the Songwriter’s Ark. Ray Harmony :)     Donate. Help keep the Songwriter's Ark afloat. Photo by Mart Production     About. Ray Harmony is a multi award-winning music lecturer, who’s made music with Serj Tankian (System Of A Down), Tom Morello (Rage Against The Machine), Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree), Devin Townsend (Strapping Young Lad), Ihsahn (Emperor), Kool Keith (Ultramagnetic MCs), Madchild (Swollen Members), and more. Ray is also the co-founder of Hack Music Theory, a YouTube channel with over 250,000 subscribers learning the fast, easy and fun way to make music without using AI, cos it ain’t no fun getting a robot to write “your” songs!  Photo by Wout Nes  Outro music by Ray Harmony, based on the music theory from GoGo Penguin "Everything Is Going to Be OK".     Podcast. Listen below, or on any podcast app.

  How to Write aCatchy Melody.     Free PDF Tutorialincludes multitrack MIDI file   If the link above does not work, paste this into your browser:https://hackmusictheory.com/album/2877864/catchy-melody        Intro.  British band Glass Animals are absolutely massive! At the time of writing this, they’re ranked #257 in the world on Spotify. Most artists as famous as them have achieved their success as a result of an obsessive striving for celebrity. However, Glass Animals seem to be obsessed with making catchy music instead. And not only that, their music is surprisingly creative for a band as successful as them. If you’ve been doing our Hack Music Theory tutorials for a few years, you’ll know that we don’t usually cover “celebrity artists”. The reason for that is because (nowadays) there’s an inverse correlation between the success of an artist and the creativity of their music. For an artist to achieve a fanbase of tens of millions, their music needs to appeal to the masses. And most people (nowadays) want “sugary” ear-candy music that’s pleasantly predictable, i.e. boring, bland background music. So why are we doing a tutorial on such a huge band? Well, Glass Animals’ new single “Creatures in Heaven” is a masterclass in catchy melody writing. The lead melody in their chorus has a whole bunch of creative hacks, as well as a very clever twist in its tale. So, inspired by “Creatures in Heaven”, here’s our 6-step method for writing a great melody that’s catchy enough for the masses. But first… Tea!     Step 1. The Chords  Open your DAW, leave the time signature on 4|4, but change your tempo to 80 BPM. Next, create a four-bar loop on your melody track, with a 1/16 grid. Okay so you may be wondering why the first step in a melody tutorial is… the chords?! Well, all great melodies are written over chords, or implied chords (chords are “implied” when they’re not played separately but their notes are incorporated into the melody instead). The reason it’s best to write a melody over chords is because it gives the melody a harmonic progression. Without this progression, the melody will sound mind-numbingly boring, as it won’t go anywhere harmonically. The difference is night and day. It’s like walking through a beautiful forest along the ocean compared to walking on a treadmill in a stinky gym. There’s no comparison! So let’s get our chord progression written, that way we’ve set ourselves up to write a great melody. Glass Animals are in the key of D major for their chorus (so we’ll use it too), and they use four chords in their progression (so we’ll do that too). D Major (notes) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 D E F♯ G A B C♯  D Major (chords)* 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Dmaj Em F♯m Gmaj Amaj Bm C♯dim   As you probably know (or as you’ll hear if you play it), the diminished chord is crazy dissonant. It’s safe to say that using C♯dim ain’t gonna appeal to the masses, so take that off your menu. But other than that, you can use whatever you want. Glass Animals use all three major chords, and only one minor. Playing three major chords in a major key gives their chorus a wonderfully uplifting vibe. So, think about your balance between major (happy) and minor (sad) chords. Also, think about the order of your chords. Glass Animals play the root chord (Dmaj) second. This detracts attention from it and creates a more fluid atmosphere. We played Dmaj last, though, which creates a more final ending. You can play Dmaj wherever you want, but consider where you want to draw people to the “home” chord. Here’s our progression: Gmaj → Bm → Amaj → Dmaj *If you need help working out the chords in a key, read Hack 10 in our Free Book.  Once you’ve chosen your four chords, draw in the root note of each chord for a full bar (in a low octave). These roots will provide harmonic reference for your melody, which you’re gonna write above. This way you’ll be able to hear the relationship between each note in your melody and its accompanying chord. When you’ve finished writing your melody, mute these low roots. Then, create another track specifically for your progression, and draw in each full chord (i.e. 1, 3, 5). Root note of each chord in progression (key note, D, highlighted)     Step 2. The Drama  Great melodies contain drama, and there’s no better way to bring the drama than by using a big interval.* You see, larger intervals create intensity, while smaller intervals create continuity. You need both. In fact, you need a lot more smaller intervals than bigger intervals. However, if your melody contains only small intervals, it’ll be awfully boring. On the other hand, if your melody contains only big intervals, people will presume you were thoroughly drunk when you wrote it. *New to writing melodies? Use the Melody Checklist in our Songwriting & Producing PDF.  Over your first chord, write a handful of notes that end with a big interval around beat 3. And that big melodic jump should go up, not down (a large descending interval contains only a fraction of the drama of that same interval ascending). Be sure to begin your melody on beat 1, as this will make the most impact, and as this section is the chorus, first impressions matter even more than usual. Use a combination of note values for interest. And remember, if you wanna emphasize a chord’s major (happy) or minor (sad) vibe, then play its 3rd in your melody above. Melody’s opening segment with large interval (highlighted) for drama     Step 3. The Fall  You’re now gonna finish your melody’s first phrase with “the fall”. This is an utterly brilliant technique that Glass Animals use in their melody. And, it makes for a deeply pleasing balance between the drama and the gentle ride down afterwards. Your last note is currently that high note around beat 3, so now you’re gonna write a smooth contour that flows back down to somewhere around where you began. All good melodies have phrasing (i.e. where the melody rests), regardless of whether they’re sung or played on an instrument. This is because the melody itself needs to breathe, not just the singer. These rests also break-up a melody into digestible bits (i.e. phrases), which makes it easier to remember. So, end your first phrase on a longer note, and have at least a 1/16 rest at the end of your first bar (i.e. beat 4a). You can have an 1/8 rest if you prefer, but nothing longer than that, otherwise you’ll lose the momentum. First bar completed with “the fall” (highlighted)  Notice how we didn’t play the chord’s root (G) in our melody. That root will be played in the chords below, so you don’t need to play it unless you actually want to.     Step 4. Rhythmic Variation  Copy and paste your first phrase into bar two, and make sure to also start it on beat 1. Glass Animals use a great hack in their second phrase, which makes it familiar to the listeners while simultaneously freshening it up so it’s not boring. They achieve this by using rhythmic variation. Simple, but massively effective. By only changing a few note values, the phrase is both predictable and unpredictable. First phrase copied and pasted into bar two (highlighted)  Repetition is vital if you wanna appeal to the masses. People love a melody they know. But, too much repetition will make a melody predictable. And as soon as it’s predictable, their attention will move to some other novelty in their environment; probably their phone (it’s a sad reality that music is competing with phones for people’s attention). So it’s essential to repeat your melody for it to get stuck in their heads, and rhythmic variation will prevent it from losing its novelty and appeal. Glass Animals change almost all their note values, but only slightly. Let your ear guide you into the Goldilocks Zone in this step, as too much change will make the phrase sound unfamiliar, while not enough change will make it sound predictable. Lastly, Glass Animals add one new note at the end of their phrase, so it actually finishes on the last beat of the bar. This new note is a 1/16, which is completely unexpected, so it adds to the novelty. We did this too, but you don’t have to. If you don’t, though, then extend your last note so it also finishes at the end of the bar. Second phrase with rhythmic variations (highlighted)     Step 5. The Climb  We’re halfway through our melody now. And after two phrases that “fall”, Glass Animals counters that with a phrase that “climbs”. In the same way that the notes in our “falling” phrase aren’t all descending, the notes in our “climbing” phrase don’t all have to be ascending either. But, there needs to be an overall climbing contour and feel to it. So, you’ll wanna start this phrase slightly lower than your “falling” phrases, and then play around with writing a generally ascending contour. Also, Glass Animals start this phrase on beat 1+, which is another way of adding novelty and interest. We did the same. You don’t have to start there but you do have to start on an off-beat, as your previous phrase ends right at beat 1. And your melody needs a breath there, so your only other options are beat 1e or beat 1a. Before you jump in and begin writing this phrase, there’s one more guideline. After their climb, Glass Animals actually take their melody down a big interval. In fact, it’s the exact same big interval they use in their first phrase, but this time it jumps down instead of up. This provides a clever mirror image, which is utterly brilliant, but most people won’t notice that. What is noticeable, though, is how this low note extends the range (i.e. distance from lowest to highest note) of their melody. Climbing segment of third phrase (highlighted)   Good melodies usually have a range of about an octave. This ending note is the last opportunity to extend your melody’s range to somewhere around an octave. Final note (highlighted) of third phrase, extending melody’s range     Step 6. Melodic Structure  This final step is a game-changer! You see, when we hear Glass Animals’ third phrase (i.e. the “climbing” phrase in Step 5), we obviously perceive it as a new phrase because it’s totally different. This is a common structure used for melodies. It’s known as AABA, where A is the first phrase and B is the second phrase. So in other words, the first phrase is played twice, then there’s a new phrase, and then the first phrase is played again (for the third time). By the way, it’s equally common to hear AAAB, where the first phrase is played three times in a row, followed by the second phrase. Okay, this Glass Animals melody seems normal so far, right? Yes. But (and it’s a BIG “but”), in this fourth bar where everyone will be expecting the return of their first phrase, Glass Animals repeat their second phrase instead. By doing this, they actually transform their second phrase from being a “variation” to being an equally-important main phrase. So, this melody now consists of two main phrases: the first one that’s repeated in bars one and two, and the second phrase that’s repeated in bars three and four. This is known as an AABB structure. This structure is surprisingly rare compared to the far more common AABA or AAAB. When it’s done well, the AABB melodic structure can take the catchiness of a melody to a whole new level. When done wrong, though, it can make a bad melody even worse. That’s because if you want your B phrase to be equal in importance to your A phrase, then it has to be equally well-written. However, most songwriters/producers approach their variations as nothing more than a variation. In other words, they feed you catchy stuff in their A phrase, then give you bland filler junk in their B phrase, and then they quickly bring back their catchy A phrase. You’ve probably noticed this already, but what’s so clever about Glass Animals’ melody is that they balance two “falling” phrases (AA) with two “climbing” phrases (BB). This symmetry is beyond pleasing to our ears. Almost nobody will notice this, but everybody will notice how perfect their melody sounds and feels! Right, let’s get your melody finished. So, copy and paste your B phrase (bar three) into bar four, starting on the same off-beat. This step is the same as Step 4. You’re gonna use rhythmic variation to create a freshened-up version of your B phrase. B phrase copied and pasted into bar four (highlighted)   At the end of bar four, Glass Animals add another note, just like they did at the end of bar two. We actually added two notes (see MIDI below), but do whatever works for your melody, to create a smooth flow when it loops back to bar one. B phrase with rhythmic variations (highlighted) and two new notes at the end (highlighted)   With that, you’re done. Thanks for reading, we appreciate you and hope you had fun. Are you ready to sing along to your mass-appealing melody? Hit play & enjoy! Final melody (highlighted) in AABB structure   Did you enjoy this tutorial? Do you want more “musical recipes” like this one? If so, we can keep you cooking up new music with our library of PDF Tutorials.      Free PDF Tutorial     Lastly, are you new to music theory? Or are you experienced, but you want a refresher? Then download our FREE BOOK (link opens in new tab). It only takes 30 minutes to read, then you’ll have a solid theory foundation that you can instantly apply to your songwriting and producing. Enjoy!     If the FREE BOOK link doesn't work, just visit our BOOKS page:https://hackmusictheory.com/books    

  How to WriteSweeping Arpeggios.     Free PDF Tutorialincludes multitrack MIDI file  If the link above does not work, paste this into your browser:https://hackmusictheory.com/album/2639559/sweeping-arpeggios        Intro.  Do your arpeggios all sound rather similar? It’s a common problem for producers. Arpeggios are when you play a chord one note at a time, and it’s one of the best techniques for making your progressions more interesting. And while it’s definitely more rare to hear arpeggios than “block” chords in popular music genres, most of the arpeggios you do hear are rather boring. Merely playing chords one note at a time is not a foolproof way of making progressions more creative. If you want better arpeggios, you need to write an internal melody within them. Want even better arpeggios? Write two internal melodies, or maybe even three! What are we talking about when we talk about “internal melodies”? Well, the melodies need to be formed from notes within the arpeggios, as opposed to writing a melody over the top of them. There’s obviously nothing wrong with doing that, but it will be heard as a separate melody, not as part of the arpeggios. While there’s an abundance of genius examples of this in classical music, there are sadly not many to be found in popular music genres. If you’re into the rock side of things, Muse has plenty of creative arpeggios. Examples are even rarer on the electronic side of things, though, but Daft Punk comes to the rescue with their song “Motherboard” (check out their new “Drumless Edition” of this song, as it’s easier to hear the arpeggios). At 28 seconds into this track, the most beautiful arpeggios begin to sweep up and down. Despite their fast pace (i.e. 1/16 notes), they’re thoroughly calming due to their smooth, sweeping motion. And it’s not just the fast pace that makes their arpeggios so creative, it’s also their choice of notes. So, inspired by “Motherboard”, here’s our 5-step method for writing sweeping arpeggios, which are guaranteed to stand out from all those boring, clichéd arpeggios. But first… Tea!     Step 1. Chords  As arpeggios are simply broken up chords, the first step is to write a chord progression. So, set your tempo to 103 BPM, then create a four-bar loop and set your grid to 1/16 notes. Daft Punk play their arpeggios on woodwind instruments, but we’ll get to that in the last step. For now, we actually recommend using a piano, for two reasons. Firstly, piano arpeggios are beautiful, so if you want, you can keep them on a piano sound (we did). Secondly, the piano has a much bigger range than any woodwind instrument, so you won’t be held back by not being able to play a note because it’s too high/low for that instrument. Daft Punk’s arpeggios are in the key of E minor, so we’ll use it too:  E natural minor 1 2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7 Em F♯dim Gmaj Am Bm Cmaj Dmaj    Regarding what chords to choose. This PDF is all about arpeggios, so we’re not going to cover the “chord choice” topic. If you need help with writing better chord progressions, we recommend our Songwriting & Producing Course. The only three guidelines we suggest are to choose four chords, avoid the diminished chord, and play the root chord somewhere (you don’t have to start with it, though). Here are the chords we chose for our progression: Cmaj → Gmaj → Dmaj → Em After you’ve chosen your four chords, draw in each chord’s root note for one bar. Root note of each chord in progression     Step 2. Low  Just a heads up, those long root notes are just there for reference, they’re not going to be part of your final arpeggios (you’ll mute them in the last step). Having the root notes there while writing arpeggios is a super helpful hack, because it allows you to hear the interval/harmony between each note in your arpeggio and the root of that chord. This way you can hear if each note is conveying the right emotion. Now, in this step you’re going to write the lower portion of your arpeggios. You see, sweeping arpeggios tend to cover a wide range. That’s what gives them their unique sound. Those boring, clichéd arpeggios that you hear most often usually only cover the range of each chord, which is almost always one octave or less. The range of Daft Punk’s arpeggios is just over two and a half octaves, and the range of ours ended up being just over three octaves. Those are massive ranges! And that’s one of the most notable features of sweeping arpeggios. As we mentioned in Step 1, writing this on the piano is ideal because not all instruments can accommodate huge ranges. We don’t know if this range issue was the inspiration behind Daft Punk dividing up their sweeping arpeggios between the clarinet and flute, but it sure is a beautiful outcome. The clarinet has a lower range than the flute, so their arpeggios start with four lower 1/16 notes on the clarinet, then the flute takes over and plays four higher 1/16 notes. So beautiful! We decided to do three notes for the lower portion of our arpeggios, because it gives us five notes to navigate up to the climactic peak and back down again. However, please feel free to use Daft Punk’s four-and-four formula instead. The lower portion of your arpeggio is going to be the first three (or four) 1/16 notes. So spend some time now experimenting with what notes you want to begin your arpeggios with. You’re going to use the same pattern for each chord, so make sure you really like the notes and their contour. We chose the (shockingly) simple pattern of 1, 2, 3, because we’ve got a trick up our sleeves that we’ll reveal below. Lower portion (highlighted) of Cmaj arpeggio   This lower arpeggio portion needs to anchor it, so playing the root is a must. You don’t have to start on the root, but it’s not a bad idea. Daft Punk do, and so do we. When you’re happy with your three/four notes, copy and paste them into beat 3. And yes, you’re going to sweep up and down twice over each chord. There’s two reasons for this. Firstly, the repetition will help your arpeggios to be more memorable. And secondly, if you only did one sweep up and down in each bar, your range would be absolutely ridiculously gigantic! As we mentioned above, our final arpeggios ended up sweeping across three octaves in a mere two beats, so imagine the GARGANTUAN range you’d end up with if your arpeggios swept over four beats, instead of two. That’s definitely way too much of a good thing! Now, here’s the trick we mentioned above. Instead of playing the same three/four notes in beat 3. Move them to create a variation. For the record, Daft Punk doesn’t do this in their song, it’s our little hack to add more melody into the arpeggios. And to make things even more interesting here, we don’t start this second lower portion on the root note, we start on the 5. We then play the root, and then the 3. Second lower portion (highlighted) of Cmaj arpeggio   When you’re happy with the second lower portion of your arpeggio, play the same pattern over your other three chords. Our lower pattern is: 1, 2, 3 and then 5, 1, 3. Lower portion of Gmaj arpeggio    Lower portion of Dmaj arpeggio    Lower portion of Em arpeggio     Step 3. Peak  Now that the lower part of your arpeggios is complete, it’s time for the upper part. Instead of writing this in one go, though, we’re going to divide it up. This allows us to bring more melody into the upper part, but we’ll get to that in the next step. For now, we’re focusing on the peak, which is where your arpeggios will reach their highest note. After that, they’ll begin their descent. High notes are attention-grabbing, so these peaks will stand out. Therefore, writing them first prevents us from getting distracted by the other high notes that’ll lead up to them. So, choose two (or maybe three) notes that you like over your first chord. Your peak is going to happen in beat 2, and then again in beat 4. But, before you get too attached to the notes you’ve chosen, copy and paste them over the next two chords as well. In other words, you’re going to play the same two/three notes as your peak in bars one through three. That peak has to sound equally good over all three chords. If it doesn’t, try different notes. This is a brilliant hack of Daft Punk’s, as that repetition creates stability through all their fast-paced arpeggios. We used F♯ and G as our peak notes. Over our first chord, Cmaj, the G is 5 and the F♯ is ♯4. Daft Punk plays the F♯ over Cmaj as well. We wanted to do that too, so we could share how clever this note choice is. You see, with their first chord being Cmaj, that ♯4 makes it sound like they’re in the Lydian mode*. This is a super clever and creative illusion, and makes their arpeggios instantly stand out!  *If you’re new to the modes, we recommend taking our Songwriting & Producing Course. Peak notes over Cmaj   Peak notes copied and pasted (highlighted) into bars two and three   So what about the peak notes in your fourth bar? Well, Daft Punk use a double-hack in their fourth bar. They use different peak notes. This creates a variation, which keeps the listener’s attention. And, it becomes the climax of their arpeggios as well. So, your fourth bar is going to contain the highest two/three notes of all your arpeggios. Try to create a satisfying, concluding feeling with them too. Also, while Daft Punk uses the same notes for both peaks in their fourth bar, we used different notes. This adds even more melody into our arpeggios. One thing to consider with your peak notes is to try a combination of harmonic notes (i.e. from the chord) and non-harmonic notes (i.e. not from the chord). If those concepts are new to you, here’s a couple of examples to demonstrate. Over the Cmaj chord, the harmonic notes are C (1), E (3), and G (5), because they’re in the chord. The non-harmonic notes over Cmaj are D (2), F♯ (♯4), A (6), and B (7). If you only use harmonic notes for your peaks, it will sound boring. If you only use non-harmonic notes for your peaks, it will sound like you got lost in your own progression. And yes, as long as you use notes from the scale, they’ll all sound fine, but we’re not going for “fine” here, we’re going for jaw-droppingly beautiful. Lastly, leave space for at least one 1/16 note after each peak (for the next step). Climax of peak notes (highlighted) over root chord, Em, in last bar     Step 4. Middle  Now that we’ve got the top bit of our arpeggios written, as well as the complete lower part, we’re going to write a melody in between them. This middle melody is probably our favourite thing about these arpeggios. Everything in these sweeping ascents and descents is beautiful, but this middle melody is like an extra special gem hidden amongst all that beauty. The reason for that is because you don’t notice it at first, but the more you listen, the more the movement of these middle notes begins to pop out as an independent melody. For the record, this middle melody isn’t in the Daft Punk song, but we saw another opportunity to weave in even more melodic material to our arpeggios, and we just couldn’t help ourselves! So right after your peak notes (in that space you left open in Step 3), you’re going to add a note. Depending on how much space you have there, you may have to add two notes, as this needs to link up to the lower part of your arpeggios. With this step, it’s essential to hear these middle notes as a single melody across the whole four-bar loop. So, start by adding the middle notes over your first chord in bar one. As you move on to each new chord, though, be sure to keep listening to the entire four-bar loop. If you don’t, you’ll lose the context of these middle notes forming an independent melody. It’s a tricky step, because you need to find notes that sound good harmonically over each chord, while also sounding good melodically. Take your time finding these notes. Over Cmaj we chose E and D, which are the 3 and 2 respectively. Over Gmaj we chose D and A, which are the 5 and 2 respectively. Over Dmaj we chose A and G, which are the 5 and 4 respectively. Over Em we chose G and E, which are the ♭3 and 1 respectively. Once again, notice the combination of harmonic and non-harmonic notes. Each chord has one of each, other than our final chord, which is the root, Em. Over that chord we chose two harmonic notes, as we wanted a strong conclusion. Final middle melody (highlighted)     Step 5. Link  Let’s wrap this up. As you can see in your MIDI, the only missing bits in your arpeggios now are in between your lower part and the peaks. So let’s link ‘em up! Depending on how many notes you used in the previous steps, you’ll only need one or two to link them. Once again, use a combo of harmonic and non-harmonic notes. For example, over our first chord, Cmaj, we used C (1) and D (2). While these links are important for creating a smooth and flowing contour, it’s not necessary for them to form an independent melody of their own. Your weave of melodic material is thick already, so these links only need to join everything up. Having said that, though, we don’t like wasting any opportunity to add more beauty, so… As you can see in the MIDI below, we actually managed to create counterpoint* within our linking notes. We used two notes for these links. Each link’s first note forms a descending melody, while each link’s second note forms an ascending melody. This is subtle, but the counterpoint adds a depth that wasn’t there before.  *If you’re new to counterpoint, that’s also covered in our Songwriting & Producing Course. Link notes (highlighted)   Your arpeggios are now complete. All that’s left is to decide how you want to play them. If you’ve fallen in love with them as piano arpeggios (like we did), then simply mute those long root notes at the bottom, and you’re done! Otherwise, if you’d like to play your arpeggios on woodwind instruments like Daft Punk, then duplicate this track a couple times. On the one track, delete the low arpeggios and select a flute to play the remaining high arpeggios (the flute’s range is high). Then on the other track, delete the high arpeggios and select a clarinet to play the remaining low arpeggios (the clarinet’s range is lower than the flute’s).  And with that, you’re done. So sit back, hit play, and enjoy your sweeping arpeggios that are not only jaw-droppingly beautiful, they’re also gonna stand out from all those boring, clichéd arpeggios! Final arpeggios, with low and high parts (highlighted) played on different instruments[long root notes below are muted]     Make Music You LOVE.  I know you want to be a confident producer who finishes songs, and loves the results. In order to become a confident producer, though, you need decades of knowledge and experience. To gain that knowledge, you need a good teacher. To gain that experience, you need decades of practice. That’s overwhelming! I understand that searching for a good teacher is frustrating. Most courses are taught by YouTubers who are not qualified in music, and are not qualified teachers either. The few who are qualified in both, have no industry experience. I feel your pain. Truly. Most of my music teachers were bad. That’s why I studied music and education in order to become a lecturer, and why I created Hack Music Theory. Also, over my 30+ years of composing, I developed a unique method called Song-Whispering, which I’ve used to make music with multiplatinum Grammy winners. In my one-of-a-kind online apprenticeship, you’ll learn my method and turbocharge your music with my decades of knowledge and experience. Enroll Now and stop wasting years of your life learning from bad teachers and trying to get better through trial-and-error. Transform into the confident producer you would be in 10+ years now, and start loving your music! Ray HarmonyMulti award-winning college lecturer, teaching since 1995 “Song-Whispering may be the single greatest concept ever!”–Glynne Owen (Japan) “I followed their YouTube for a while before taking their course. I wish I'd taken it sooner!”–Sagar Saluja (India) “I wrote the first song in my life that I actually like!”–Anastasia Lucas (USA)      Free PDF Tutorial    Lastly, are you new to music theory? Or are you experienced, but you want a refresher? Then download our FREE BOOK (link opens in new tab). It only takes 30 minutes to read, then you’ll have a solid theory foundation that you can instantly apply to your songwriting and producing. Enjoy!    If the FREE BOOK link doesn't work, just visit our BOOKS page:https://hackmusictheory.com/books    

  How to Write Heavy BASS Lines  Step 1. Syncopated OctavesSet up one bar of 4|4 with your grid on 1/16 notes, and your tempo at 110 BPM. You’re gonna start by using only one note, and the octave of that note. We’re using A in our example. So, draw in every 1/16 note on the low A. Now, play around with moving a handful of them one octave up.These high notes will make accents in your bass line, so you want them to create a cool rhythm all on their own. And one of the best ways to do that is to syncopate most of them. In other words, most of them will not be on the main beats. All that syncopation adds tons of energy! Step 2. High LineYour bass line actually consists of two lines now: a high line, and a low line. So in this step you’re gonna add a melodic element to your high line. A great note to start on is the ♭3 (which is C in our example), as it’s super strong and moody! And by the way, if these flats and numbers confuse you, no problem, just read hack 8 in our free book (link below).Right, so what other notes should you use in your high line? Well, as we’re writing a heavy bass line, you wanna crank up the dissonance, so throw in a ♭2 somewhere (which is B♭ in our example). And if you use the ♭3 and the ♭2, then you could also use the 2, which is the note in between. And feel free to repeat notes. In our example, we played the ♭3 twice, the 2 twice, and the ♭2 once. And a shoutout to local Vancouver BC legends Front Line Assembly, as this lesson is based on the song “Purge” from their 2021 album “Mechanical Soul”.  Free BookAlso, are you new to music theory? Or are you experienced, but you want a refresher? Then download our FREE BOOK (link opens in new tab). It only takes 30 minutes to read, then you’ll have a solid theory foundation that you can instantly apply to your songwriting and producing.  Step 3. Low LineSo as you could hear, the bass line is already sounding good. And to be honest, most producers would think it’s now complete, but not Front Line Assembly! No, they’ve got one more trick up their sleeves, and that’s the dissonance they add to their low line.Most of their low line remains on the root note, however, they’ve moved a few notes down one semitone to the 7 (which is G♯ in our example). Also, at the very end, you could throw in a ♭3 for a little variation. This makes the bass line loop more smoothly as well.Adding this dissonance to your low line is a game-changer, as it’s super subtle (seriously, most people won’t even notice it), but it adds a feeling of heaviness that you simply can’t achieve without it!  PODCASTListen below, or on any podcast app.

  How to Write Advanced DRUMS  Step 1. PatternSet up two bars of 4|4 with your grid set to 1/16 notes, and your tempo at 136 BPM. Now, instead of starting to make your drum beat with the usual kick on beat 1 and snare on the backbeats (like everyone else does!), you’re gonna start by writing your kick and snare pattern on the hi-hats.Wait, what?! I know that seems like a really odd thing to do, but this method is gonna result in a far more creative (and therefore “advanced”) drum beat. Okay, so there are many ways to write a creative pattern, but here’s an easy method. Start by playing every 1/8 note. Then, delete a couple of those. This creates variation. And then, move one or two hits over to the next 1/16 note. This creates surprise.  Step 2. BeatRight, now that you’ve written a creative rhythm, it’s time to turn it into a drum beat. To do that, simply divide up your pattern between the kick and the snare. In other words, move some notes to the kick and others to the snare. But, instead of falling back into the conventional approach of kick on beat 1 and snare on the backbeats, purposefully avoid doing that in the first bar. This unusual approach in your first bar creates a huge amount of interest that grabs the listeners’ attention.But, if you repeat this approach in your second bar, it won’t sound as interesting any more, as they’ll be expecting it. So, in your second bar, you’re purposefully going to switch to a conventional approach with the kick on beat 1 and snare on the backbeats (i.e. beats 2 and 4). This cycling back and forth between an unconventional bar and a conventional bar keeps your listeners constantly engaged.And a shoutout to Royal Blood, and especially their drummer Ben Thatcher, as this lesson is based on his beat from their new single “Mountains at Midnight”. Just before we jump into the next step. If there’s an artist you want us to hack, drop us a comment on YouTube.  Free BookAlso, are you new to music theory? Or are you experienced, but you want a refresher? Then download our FREE BOOK (link opens in new tab). It only takes 30 minutes to read, then you’ll have a solid theory foundation that you can instantly apply to your songwriting and producing.  Step 3. PulseThis is the easy part. Just add an 1/8 note pulse on a cymbal. This simple rhythm glues the complex beat together. Ben actually switches the pulse between the hats for the verses, and the crash for the choruses. And if you need more help with your beats, download our Hack Drum Beats PDF (link opens in new tab). It contains everything you need to know for making great beats, all in one PDF. PODCASTListen below, or on any podcast app.

  How to Write Locrian BASS Lines Step 1. BasicSet up four bars with an 1/8 note grid, and your tempo at 97 BPM. You’re gonna start by writing a basic bass line that plays every 1/8 note. This creates momentum. We’re in B Locrian here, which is just all the white notes from B to B. The Locrian mode is exceptionally dark, and what makes it so dark is the ♭2 (which is C in this example) and the ♭5 (which is F in this example). Now, because those two notes are what make Locrian sound so dark, you wanna be sure to use both of them in your basic bass line. But, start by playing the root note (which is B in this example) for the whole of your first bar, as that anchors it into the key. And by the way, if you find modes confusing, just read the mode hack in our Songwriting & Producing PDF (link opens in new tab). Step 2. EnergyNext, change your grid to 1/16 notes. You’re gonna create some syncopation now, which is when you accent an off-beat. This will pump energy into your rigid sounding basic bass line and bring it to life. You can add syncopation however you want, but here’s an easy method: shorten an 1/8 note to a 1/16 note, then lengthen the note next to it to fill the gap. Add a couple of these to each of your four bars. And a shoutout to fellow Canadian producer Rezz, as this lesson is based on her recent single “Suffer in Silence”. Free BookJust before we jump into the next step. If there’s an artist you want us to hack, drop us a comment on YouTube.Also, are you new to music theory? Or are you experienced, but you want a refresher? Then download our FREE BOOK (link opens in new tab). It only takes 30 minutes to read, then you’ll have a solid theory foundation that you can instantly apply to your songwriting and producing. Step 3. Next LevelBy now your bass line will already be sounding good, but to take it to the next level, you’re gonna add some octaves. Rezz does something really cool here. She moves some of the notes that fall on the backbeat snare, up an octave. This accentuates those backbeats, and adds even more energy to the bass line. However, don’t do this on every backbeat snare, as that will actually lessen its impact. Also, somewhere in your bass line, move one syncopated note up an octave. This keeps your bass line fresh and unpredictable. Lastly, here’s a bonus step. Use a rest somewhere. This gives your bass line space to breathe. Rezz used a rest at the very end of her bass line, so we’ll do the same thing by deleting our last two notes.  PODCASTListen below, or on any podcast app.

  How to Write a Beautiful CHORD Progression  Step 1. Beauty Set your grid to 1/16 notes and your tempo to 113 BPM. We’re in the key of A minor here, which is just all the white notes from A to A.Right, so the first step to writing a beautiful chord progression is finding a beautiful chord. There are many beautiful chords, but a good guideline is to leave space for the harmony to breathe. Think about walking into a beautiful cathedral. The space is as beautiful as the structure.When applying this concept to chords, it’s as simple as not cramming too many notes in. Three notes is enough. But yes of course, you can use more notes if you want, it’s your music. In this example, the first chord contains the root, ♭ 3 and ♭7. And if all these flats and numbers are confusing, read hack 8 in our free book.  Step 2. Chord Beat This is the fun part! You’re now gonna turn your chord into a drum beat. A “chord beat”, if you will. If you’re playing this on a keyboard, you’re gonna play the root note (A) in your left hand, and the other two notes (C and G) in your right hand. Now, pretend your left hand is the kick drum and your right hand is the snare drum, and come up with a cool beat. And if you don’t play the keyboard, no problem, just do this step right here on the MIDI grid.Each hit is only going to be a 1/16 note, so the final result will sound really percussive, like a pitched drum beat. All those rests add rhythmic space to your harmonic space, creating a beautiful simplicity. And a shoutout to Sleep Token, as this lesson is based on their beautiful song “DYWTYLM” from the new album “Take Me Back to Eden”.  Free BookJust before we jump into the next step. If there’s an artist you want us to hack, drop us a comment on YouTube.Also, are you new to music theory? Or are you experienced, but you want a refresher? Then download our FREE BOOK (link opens in new tab). It only takes 30 minutes to read, then you’ll have a solid theory foundation that you can instantly apply to your songwriting and producing.  Step 3. Bass Okay, so we’ve got one beautiful chord played over one bar. Now, let’s turn this into a four-bar chord progression. So, start by copying and pasting your first bar into the remaining three bars. You’re actually going to leave your right-hand notes the same throughout the four bars. This creates unity, which adds to the beauty.Next, spend some time moving your bass note up and down in bar two. Once you’ve found a beautiful place for it, stay there for the whole bar. Then, do the same thing for bars three and four. Sleep Token stays on the same bass note here for the two bars. You can do that, or you can move it, like we did in our example.  PODCASTListen below, or on any podcast app.

  How to Write a BASS Line with Harmony  Step 1. Low Harmony is when two or more notes are played together. And sadly, it’s rare to hear harmony in a bass line. The word “line” is actually used to convey the fact that it’s a melody, not a harmony. That’s how rare harmony is on the bass!You see, most producers think the bass frequencies are too low to play harmony. In other words, if you play two notes together, it’ll sound like a rumbling mess. But, that’s not true. That only happens when the two notes are close to each other. For example, if your root note is a low A, and you play a D above that. It doesn’t sound very nice if you play the D that’s five semitones above the A. But, if you play the D an octave higher, so it’s now 17 semitones above the A, it sounds absolutely beautiful!Alright, so now we know how to successfully add harmony to a bass line, however, we don’t yet have a bass line to add it to. So, step 1 is to write a cool one-bar rhythm on the root note. And we’re using A natural minor. Then, copy and paste that rhythm to three other notes, so you’ve got a four-note bass line over four bars. And feel free to throw in some passing notes to smooth the line out.And a shoutout to the British band GoGo Penguin, and especially their bassist Nick Blacka, as this lesson is based on the title track from their beautiful new album “Everything Is Going to Be OK”.  Free BookJust before we jump into the next step. If there’s an artist you want us to hack, drop us a comment on YouTube.Also, are you new to music theory? Or are you experienced, but you want a refresher? Then download our FREE BOOK (link opens in new tab). It only takes 30 minutes to read, then you’ll have a solid theory foundation that you can instantly apply to your songwriting and producing.  Step 2. High Now it’s time for the fun part: writing another line over the top, so you’ve got two lines playing together. Start this step by choosing what note you want to use for the harmony over your root note. And this is where Nick Blacka was super creative, as he actually used one high note that sounds good over all four bars. You don’t have to do that, but it’s very cool, so we did something similar in our example. We used D as our high note for three bars, then we varied it in the fourth bar.Once you’ve chosen your high note, write a cool rhythm for it over your root note in bar one. Then, copy and paste that rhythm into the remaining three bars. Once you’ve done that, feel free to add some rhythmic and melodic variations to keep things fresh. But you don’t have to do that, if you just wanna keep things simple.  PODCASTListen below, or on any podcast app.

  How to Write a Standout MELODY  Step 1. First ImpressionsThere are many ways to write a standout melody, but it’s difficult to improve on the method PJ Harvey uses in her new single “A Child’s Question, August”. That’s because nothing grabs our attention like a bold first impression. And by first impression, I literally mean the first note of the melody.You see, PJ Harvey starts her melody in the Dorian mode, and the very first note she sings is the major 6th. That’s the one-and-only note that makes Dorian different from the super common scale that we hear all the time: the natural minor. The vast majority of people are not used to hearing a major 6th over a minor chord, so when her melody begins with that unusual note, it instantly stands out.So, in D Dorian, which is all the white notes from D to D, the major 6th is B. When we play B in our melody over a D minor chord, you can hear exactly how powerful that one note is at grabbing our attention. So step 1 in this method is to use that unusual note to begin your melody, then finish the phrase with usual notes.  Free BookJust before we jump into the next step. If there’s an artist you want us to hack, drop us a comment on YouTube.Also, are you new to music theory? Or are you experienced, but you want a refresher? Then download our FREE BOOK (link opens in new tab). It only takes 30 minutes to read, then you’ll have a solid theory foundation that you can instantly apply to your songwriting and producing.  Step 2: Second ImpressionsYour listeners are now familiar with that unusual note, which means that if you play it again, it won’t be unusual any more. In other words, your melody is now at risk of losing its initial impact and therefore losing your listener’s attention. The way PJ Harvey deals with this issue is brilliant!In the second half of her melody, instead of singing the major 6th again, she sings the minor 6th. That’s the usual 6th note in a natural minor scale, which we’re used to hearing. But, after getting our ears used to that unusual note, the usual note now sounds unusual haha. What a brilliant trick!So to maintain your listener’s attention, step 2 of this method is to create a powerful second impression by using the minor 6th (which is B♭) in the second half of your melody. In other words, you’re using the natural minor for this phrase.Just to recap, we’re starting our melody in D Dorian, then switching to D natural minor. So use the major 6th (which is B) as the first note of your melody, then use the minor 6th (which is B♭) in the second half of your melody. And if you need more help writing melodies, just download our Songwriting & Producing PDF (link opens in new tab) and follow the seven guidelines in our Melody Checklist. PODCASTListen below, or on any podcast app.

  How to Write a Locrian RIFF FREE: Download This Tutorial as PDFIncludes multitrack MIDI example  Step 1. OctavesSet your grid to 1/16 notes and your tempo to 97 BPM. You’re gonna start by writing a creative pattern using only octaves. If you’re writing this on guitar, use your low open E string and the E one octave higher. And be sure to play every 1/16 note, as that’s what gives the riff that heavy momentum. At the very end of the riff, though, play four 1/8 notes. That creates variation, and gives the circle pit a few seconds to breathe!Quick shoutout to Metallica, as this lesson is based on their song “Too Far Gone?” from the new album “72 Seasons”. Step 2. ModeNow that you’ve got an outline of your riff, it’s time to start thinking about the melodic element. For this, we’re gonna use the Locrian mode, like Metallica. So, to get the E Locrian mode, which is what they use, start with the E natural minor scale.Now, flatten the 2nd and 5th notes. And “flattening” just means lowering the note by one semitone - or one fret, if you’re on the guitar. So the 2 (which is F♯), becomes a ♭2 (which is F). And the 5 (which is B), becomes a ♭5 (which is B♭). That’s E Locrian! And if all these numbers and flats are confusing, just read hack 8 in our free book. Free BookJust before we jump into the next step. If there’s an artist you want us to hack, drop us a comment on YouTube.Also, are you new to music theory? Or are you experienced, but you want a refresher? Then download our FREE BOOK (link opens in new tab). It only takes 30 minutes to read, then you’ll have a solid theory foundation that you can instantly apply to your songwriting and producing. Step 3. MelodyFinally it’s time to add the melodic element to your riff. Now, you’re not actually going to move any of your low E’s, they’re gonna chug away down there. You’re only gonna move the high E’s. So, have some fun playing around with where you can move those high E’s to.However, be sure to play the notes that make the Locrian mode different to the natural minor scale, as those are the really dark heavy notes. In other words, play F and B♭. Also be sure to play G, as that’s the ♭3, which is a relatively dark note too.Lastly, here’s a quick bonus for my fellow theory nerds. At the end of their riff, Metallica plays some 5ths, which guitarists call “power chords”. What’s interesting about this is that the 5th of the root note E, is B. But, in E Locrian there’s a B♭ not a B. So theoretically that B pushes the riff into Phrygian for a split second. However, because our ears only pay attention to the root note of each power chord, that end part of the riff still sounds like it’s in Locrian.  PODCASTListen below, or on any podcast app.

  How to Write a Catchy MELODY FREE: Download This Tutorial as PDFIncludes multitrack MIDI example  Step 1. ScaleThere are two types of catchy melodies: annoyingly repetitive ones you can’t stop singing but actually hate, and awesome ones that are memorable cos they’re unique.So, to write a catchy melody that isn’t annoying, you need to make it unique somehow. There are numerous ways to do that, and in this example we’ll be using two. The first way is to use an unusual scale. You see, our ears are so used to hearing melodies in the major and minor scales that they often fade into the background. By using a scale that’s more rare, your melody will instantly stand out.In this example, we’re using the Blues scale. So, to get the Blues scale, you start with the natural minor scale. From the root of A, that’s simply all the white notes. Next, you delete the 2nd and 6th notes. This gives you a five-note scale called the minor pentatonic. Now, to turn the minor pentatonic into the Blues scale, you add what’s known as the “blue note”, which is the ♭5. So in the A Blues scale, that’s E♭.And a quick shoutout to Beastie Boys, as this lesson is based on their song “Sure Shot”, which features that much-loved flute melody from Jeremy Steig. Step 2. RhythmAnother great way of making your melody unique is to use an unusual rhythm. And one of the easiest ways to do that, is to use triplets. So, change your grid to 1/16 note triplets. Next, write a cool rhythm on your root note. And to create variety, be sure to use three different note values. Also, use a rest somewhere, which allows your melody to breathe. And by the way, our tempo is 98 BPM.  Free BookJust before we jump into the next step. If there’s an artist you want us to hack, drop us a comment on YouTube.Also, are you new to music theory? Or are you experienced, but you want a refresher? Then download our FREE BOOK (link opens in new tab). It only takes 30 minutes to read, then you’ll have a solid theory foundation that you can instantly apply to your songwriting and producing.  Step 3. ContourFinally, it’s time to create a melodic contour. So, change the pitches now by moving your notes up and down on the grid. And most importantly, remember to play the “blue note” somewhere, which is E♭ in this example. If you don’t play that ♭5, your melody won’t actually be in the Blues scale, it’ll just be in the minor pentatonic. And that’s it!If you need more help writing melodies, download our Songwriting & Producing PDF (link opens in new tab) and follow the seven guidelines in our Melody Checklist.  PODCASTListen below, or on any podcast app.

  How to Write Energetic BASS Lines  Step 1. Rhythmic Energy There’s a super energetic bass line in the new single “No Reason” by The Chemical Brothers. To write a bass line like this, you need a lot of movement. Not just rhythmic movement, but melodic movement too. So, start by writing an energetic 2-bar rhythm for your bass line. Just use one pitch for now. We used A. You see, if you can get your bass sounding cool on one note, imagine how amazing it’s gonna sound when you bring in the melodic movement!Here are three guidelines for writing your rhythm. First, use a combination of 1/8 notes and 1/16 notes. This provides speed and variety. Second, use lots of rests. This allows your bass line to breathe. And third, use a few syncopated notes, which are off-beat accents. This makes it groove! And by the way, the tempo is 128 BPM. Free BookJust before we jump into the next step. If there’s an artist you want us to hack, drop us a comment. Also, are you new to music theory? Or are you experienced, but you want a refresher? Then download our FREE BOOK (link opens in new tab). It only takes 30 minutes to read, then you’ll have a solid theory foundation that you can instantly apply to your songwriting and producing.  Step 2. Melodic Energy Now it’s time to add melody. So, first think about the chord progression you want your bass to outline. We’re in the key of A minor here, which is all the white notes from A to A. And the chord progression we chose to outline is: Gmaj, Fmaj, Am. Next, move some of your notes an octave higher. This hugely increases the energy, because it hugely increases the melodic range.It’s sounding good already, but the bass is still only playing the root note of each chord. So, next you wanna move some notes off the roots. Over the Gmaj, we’re playing F a couple times. That’s the ♭7. This is a funk favourite, so try to use a ♭7 somewhere. Over the Fmaj, we’re playing E a couple times, which is the 7.And by the way, the ♭7 (over G) followed by the 7 (over F) creates a motif. A motif is a short musical idea, which is repeated to give music structure and make it more memorable. Then lastly, over the Am, we played C. That’s the ♭3. This creates some variation. And, the ♭3 is also another funk favourite, so throw one in somewhere if you can!  PODCASTListen below, or on any podcast app.

  How to Write a Lydian MELODY FREE: Download This Tutorial as PDFIncludes multitrack MIDI example Simple music can be great music. Depeche Mode’s lead single “Ghosts Again” from their new album “Memento Mori” is proof. It has a well-written and creative vocal melody in the verses, but it’s really simple. So, here’s a method for writing melodies from a band that’s been going for over 40 years! Step 1. ModeIf you’re going to write a simple melody, it helps to choose an interesting mode. They chose Lydian, which is an uplifting but quirky mode. So, we’ll use F Lydian for our example, which is all the white notes from F to F.Just before we jump into the next step. If there’s an artist you want us to hack, drop us a comment. Also, are you new to music theory? Or are you experienced, but you want a refresher? Then download our FREE Book (link opens in new tab). It only takes 30 minutes to read, then you’ll have a solid theory foundation that you can instantly apply to your songwriting and producing. Step 2: Roots & 3rdsWrite a simple four-bar chord progression, then mute your chords and only play the root note of each chord on your bass. That’s the only thing Depeche Mode plays under the vocal melody in their verse.Right, are you ready for a melody masterclass from Dave Gahan? So, most of his vocal melody consists of only the 1, 3 and 5 of each chord. These are known as harmonic notes, as they form the chord. Over the first two chords, he only sings the 1 and 3 of each chord, and over the third chord he only sings the 1 and 5.But, his melody sounds extra beautiful for two reasons: First, it’s in Lydian, which makes it unusual. And second, there are no chords playing, so his vocal melody is what creates the harmony and therefore the emotion. The 3rd note of each chord is the most emotional note, as it makes a chord either major or minor. And because there are only root notes in your bass, your melody will create that uplifting sound when it plays a major 3rd, and that sad sound when it plays a minor 3rd.Also, in a F Lydian melody we wanna use the note B somewhere, as that’s what makes the mode different to the F major scale, which has a B♭. If you wanna learn about the modes and how to use them, that’s in our Songwriting & Producing PDF (link opens in new tab). Step 3: VariationsOver the last chord in the progression, Dave sings the 2 and 4. These are non-harmonic notes. In other words, they’re not in the chord. This is what makes them sound like they’re floating, as they’re not anchored into the chord. So use a couple of non-harmonic notes at the end of your melody, to avoid it becoming predictable. Then lastly, in the second cycle of their melody, Dave sings a small variation to keep it fresh, so change a few notes when you loop your melody.  PODCASTListen below, or on any podcast app.

  How to Write Polymeter DRUMS Step 1. Kick in 7The new Periphery single “Atropos” (from the album Periphery V: Djent Is Not a Genre) opens with a classic djent polymeter, which we love! Staying true to Meshuggah’s original polymeter recipe, the kick is in odd time while the snare and cymbals are in 4|4. So, start by programming a one-bar kick rhythm in 7|8. And just cos you’re in 7|8, doesn’t mean you have to only use 1/8 notes, so change your grid to 1/16 notes. By the way, the tempo is 80 BPM.Once you’re happy with your kick rhythm, copy and paste it over four bars of 4|4. At the end of your 4-bar loop, you’ll notice that you can’t fit a full bar of 7|8. Don’t worry, that’s part of the fun of playing these polymeters. Simply chop off whatever doesn’t fit of your 7|8 rhythm. In fact, that’s how you get those abrupt-sounding loops that are one of the main characteristics of djent polymeters.Just before we jump into the next step. If there’s an artist you want us to hack, drop us a comment on the YouTube video. Also, are you new to music theory? Or are you experienced, but you want a refresher? Then download our free book (below). It only takes 30 minutes to read, then you’ll have a solid theory foundation that you can instantly apply to your songwriting and producing. Step 2. Snare in 4This is the easy and fun part! Start by playing a crash on every 1/8 note. This keeps the pulse and lays your 4|4 foundation. Then for momentum and to give the djent kids something to shake their heads to, throw in a regular backbeat snare, which is on beat 2 and beat  4. Right, now you’ve got a polymeter! But, there’s more.Periphery’s drummer Matt Halpern does this really cool thing that most people won’t even notice. Where the kick and snare overlap in bar 2 beat 4, he moves that kick a 1/16 note earlier. This tiny variation makes the repeating 7|8 rhythm less obvious, which melts the two time signatures together a little bit. Small tweak, but it’s super creative!Next, throw in some accents on a second crash (or china). You can do whatever you want here as your polymeter is already established. We accented the first beat in every bar of 7|8 with a china, as well as beat 3 in every bar of 4|4. This further melts the two time signatures together. And lastly, a little kick and snare variation at the end of the loop will act as a mini-fill to transition back around to the beginning. Free Book   Wooohooo!!! You’re a mere 30 minutes away from being even smarter than you already are. Just head on over to your inbox now for your free download. There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again.   “The most brilliant, fast, easy & fun music theory book I’ve ever seen!” DEREK SIVERS, CD Baby founder We use this field to detect spam bots. If you fill this in, you will be marked as a spammer. 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  How to Write a Layered Guitar RIFF Step 1. BassThe first thing you notice in the opening riff of “Ego Death” by Polyphia is that there are two layers. There’s a bass line and a lead melody all in one riff, played by one guitar. By adding bass notes below the melody they’re implying chords and creating harmony. This adds a beautiful depth to the riff. And yes, this technique is not new. In fact, it’s hundreds of years old and is common in classical guitar pieces. But, it’s actually rare to hear it in popular music where the guitar usually plays either chords or melody, not both at the same time. So, you’re gonna start by writing a bass line for your riff. You can make this complex, or you can keep it simple and just play the root note of each implied chord. That’s what Polyphia does here, so we’ll do that too. Also, make your bass line at least 4 bars long. We’re in the key of G minor, but whatever you use, start on the root chord to establish your key. Step 2. MelodyNext, you’re gonna write a 2-bar melody over the top. Once you’re happy with this, then copy and paste it over the rest of your bass line. Some of your melodic notes may not sound as good over different bass notes, but just move those ones. And that actually creates some nice variation too. By repeating the melody over different bass notes you create both familiarity and freshness in your riff. It’s a very clever technique, which Polyphia nails in this intro. And by the way, if you need help writing melodies, simply follow the Melody Checklist in our Songwriting & Producing PDF. Step 3. SpiceLastly, to spice up your riff, you’re gonna move one bass note outside the scale. This is called a non-diatonic note. Polyphia’s intro is in the natural minor scale, but then at the end of the riff they use the 7 instead of the ♭7, which temporarily shifts the riff into harmonic minor. So, we did this too, by moving our ♭7 (F) up to the 7 (F♯). And if you find this 7 / ♭7 stuff confusing, no problem, just download our Free Book. It only takes 30 minutes to read, then you’ll have a solid music theory foundation! Okay, so all you need to do now is check if there’s a ♭7 in your melody above the 7 in your bass. If there is, move that ♭7 up to 7 as well, otherwise it will clash. We didn’t have a ♭7 in our melody here, so we didn’t need to change anything. Finally, if you’re playing this on guitar, you can mute a few notes for that percussive sound. Free Book   Wooohooo!!! You’re a mere 30 minutes away from being even smarter than you already are. Just head on over to your inbox now for your free download. There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again.   “The most brilliant, fast, easy & fun music theory book I’ve ever seen!” DEREK SIVERS, CD Baby founder We use this field to detect spam bots. If you fill this in, you will be marked as a spammer. 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  Drum Secrets of Hip-Hop Legends DOWNLOAD This Tutorial as PDFIncludes Bonus Hack, MIDI & WAV file examples Could you hear the missing ingredient in our drum beat? (click play above). If not, don’t worry, that’s because the beat is actually pretty good the way it is. The kick pattern is a two-bar rhythm, which gives the drum beat variety. There’s also some off-beat kicks, which add groove. The hi-hat accents change in the second bar, which creates more variety. And the regular backbeat snare provides momentum. It’s a decent drum beat! So, what’s wrong with it then? Well, it’s a bit stiff and lifeless. And what’s the missing ingredient that will transform this decent beat into a great beat? Hip-Hop! INTROWait, what?! Isn’t hip-hop a genre? Yes, of course! But, as with all genres, there are theoretical characteristics that make music recognizable as hip-hop. And those characteristics can be isolated and applied to other genres to spice them up. Considering hip-hop has been the most popular genre for the last few years, if we want people to connect with our music, then there’s a lot we can learn from hip-hop’s secret formula. As you’ve probably heard in the music news, hip-hop is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2023. In its 50 years, hip-hop has influenced almost every other genre. That fact inspired the idea behind our epic new Genre Project. In this ongoing series, we’ll hack different genres to reveal their secret formulas and how you can use those formulas to make better music in whatever genre you work in. So, if there’s a genre you want us to hack, drop us a comment. And just a quick caveat. Genres are also recognizable by non-theoretical characteristics, like instrumentation, and even some non-musical characteristics, like culture. But, we focus exclusively on melody, harmony, and rhythm. Also, every genre’s characteristics have their roots in earlier genres. However, exploring a genre’s heritage is a rabbit hole! A fun one, but still, we’re not going down there. Alright, let’s jump in! KICKSHip-hop is all about groove, and one of the easiest ways to instantly add groove is to change your grid to 1/16 note triplets. Okay, well you have to do a little more than just change your grid. But, that’s the game-changer right there. Seriously! All you do now is move your kicks onto that new grid. And by the way, the tempo of our example is 84 BPM. Also, depending on where your kicks were before, some of them might sound weird on the new 1/16 triplet grid, but just delete those weird-sounding kicks. The magic hip-hop kick that probably adds the most groove is on the 1/16 note triplet right before beat 3. So, that’s what we played. And you can hear this magic hip-hop kick everywhere, but a classic example is in Wu-Tang Clan’s 1993 track “Cash Rules Everything Around Me”. SNAREHip-hop usually uses a regular backbeat snare, which is on beat 2 and beat 4. There’s obviously nothing unusual about that. But, where hip-hop gets creative with the snare is by adding a syncopated hit to the drum beat. And syncopation just means that it’s played off the beat, in other words, in between the main beats. This snare is often on the 1/16 triplet grid as well, so we added this syncopated snare on the 1/16 note triplet right before our kick that’s on beat 3+. And you can hear this hip-hop snare everywhere, but a classic example is in Ice-T’s 1986 track “6 in the Mornin’”. HATSMany other genres use the hi-hats as the pulse; simply a way of keeping time. Not hip-hop, though. Oh no! Great hip-hop producers never waste an opportunity to be creative, so there’s none of those boring metronome-style hi-hat patterns here. Pretty much anything goes when it comes to the hi-hat, as your groove is already established from your kick, and the momentum is coming from the snare, so you’re free to experiment on the hats. That’s exactly what we did here, creating a similar but different rhythm for bar 1 and bar 2. Both are still using the 1/16 triplet grid. And you can hear those hip-hop hats everywhere, but a classic example is in Dr. Dre’s 1999 track “Forgot About Dre”. A bonus hat hack is to change your grid to 1/32 straight, then add 1/32 note rolls in a few places. We replaced the hats in the beginning of both bars with 1/32 rolls. So, no matter what genre of music you make, whenever your beats are sounding a bit stiff and lifeless, apply these hip-hop hacks and they’ll instantly pump your drums full of energy and groove! Free Book   Wooohooo!!! You’re a mere 30 minutes away from being even smarter than you already are. Just head on over to your inbox now for your free download. There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again.   “The most brilliant, fast, easy & fun music theory book I’ve ever seen!” DEREK SIVERS, CD Baby founder We use this field to detect spam bots. If you fill this in, you will be marked as a spammer. 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    Why You Struggle to Make Music Do you sometimes find yourself staring at a blank screen, with absolutely no ideas? Then we have the solution for preventing that from ever happening again. How can we be so confident that this solution will eliminate writer’s block? Because I’ve been writing music for over 30 years, and I’ve never had writer’s block. Ever!So, what’s this magic solution? Music theory! I know, I know, it’s not the exciting answer you were anticipating, but it’s the truth. A solid knowledge of music theory (and how to creatively apply it) will end your writer’s block forever. How? Well, music is a form of communication, and do you struggle to communicate using your first language? Of course not!If you want to express what you feel, you effortlessly explain it in words. And music theory empowers you to have that same effortless communication, but through music. If you want to communicate musically that you’re feeling joyful, you simply use the notes which express that emotion. And obviously the deeper your knowledge of music theory grows, the more nuanced your communication can be.I’ve actually done a masterclass on how to turn your emotions into music: 5 Steps to Give Writer’s Block the Finger So, you literally only need two things to overcome writer’s block forever: music theory, and feelings!You bring the feelings, and we’ll bring the music theory! On that note, we invite you to download our free book, which will only take you 30 minutes to read. Yep, music theory really is that simple. If you’ve been confused by music theory in the past, it’s not you. You just had a bad teacher. You see, music consists of only 12 notes, and music theory is simply the relationships of those 12 notes. It’s that easy!So, if you wanna learn music theory from Ray Harmony, a multi award-winning college lecturer who’s made music with multiplatinum Grammy-winning artists, then download our free book below. Free Book     Wooohooo!!! You’re a mere 30 minutes away from being even smarter than you already are. Just head on over to your inbox now for your free download. There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again.   “The most brilliant, fast, easy & fun music theory book I’ve ever seen!” DEREK SIVERS, CD Baby founder We use this field to detect spam bots. If you fill this in, you will be marked as a spammer. DOWNLOAD FREE BOOK  /* Layout */ .ck_form { /* divider image */ background: #EAE9EA url(data:image/gif;base64,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) repeat-y center top; font-family: 'Montserrat'; line-height: 1.5em; overflow: hidden; color: #000000; font-size: 16px; border-top: none; border-top-color: #666666; border-bottom: none; border-bottom-color: #3d3d3d; -webkit-box-shadow: none; -moz-box-shadow: none; box-shadow: none; clear: both; margin: 0px 0px; } .ck_form, .ck_form * { -webkit-box-sizing: border-box; -moz-box-sizing: border-box; box-sizing: border-box; } #ck_subscribe_form { clear: both; } /* Element Queries — uses JS */ .ck_form_content, .ck_form_fields { width: 50%; float: left; padding: 5%; } .ck_form.ck_horizontal { } .ck_form_content { border-bottom: none; } .ck_form.ck_vertical { background: #fff; } .ck_vertical .ck_form_content, .ck_vertical .ck_form_fields { padding: 10%; width: 100%; float: none; } .ck_vertical .ck_form_content { border-bottom: 1px dotted #aaa; overflow: hidden; } /* Trigger the vertical layout with media queries as well */ @media all and (max-width: 499px) { .ck_form { background: #fff; } .ck_form_content, .ck_form_fields { padding: 10%; width: 100%; float: none; } .ck_form_content { border-bottom: 1px dotted #aaa; } } /* Content */ .ck_form_content h3 { margin: 0px 0px 0px; font-size: 0px; padding: 0px; } .ck_form_content p { font-size: 14px; } .ck_image { float: left; margin-right: 5px; } /* Form fields */ .ck_errorArea { display: none; } #ck_success_msg { padding: 10px 10px 0px; border: solid 1px #ddd; background: #eee; } .ck_label { font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; } .ck_form input[type="text"] { font-size: 16px; text-align: center; margin-top: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 8px 8px; width: 100%; border: 1px solid #d6d6d6; /* stroke */ -moz-border-radius: 4px; -webkit-border-radius: 4px; border-radius: 30px; /* border radius */ background-color: #fff; /* layer fill content */ height: auto; } .ck_form input[type="email"] { font-size: 16px; text-align: center; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 8px 8px; width: 100%; border: 1px solid #d6d6d6; /* stroke */ -moz-border-radius: 4px; -webkit-border-radius: 4px; border-radius: 30px; /* border radius */ background-color: #fff; /* layer fill content */ height: auto; } .ck_form input[type="text"]:focus, .ck_form input[type="email"]:focus { outline: none; border-color: #aaa; } .ck_checkbox { padding: 10px 0px 10px 20px; display: block; clear: both; } .ck_checkbox input.optIn { margin-left: -20px; margin-top: 0; } .ck_form .ck_opt_in_prompt { margin-left: 4px; } .ck_form .ck_opt_in_prompt p { display: inline; } .ck_form .ck_subscribe_button { width: 100%; color: #fff; margin: 0px 0px 0px; padding: 8px 8px; font-size: 18px; background: #c83232; -moz-border-radius: 4px; -webkit-border-radius: 4px; border-radius: 30px; /* border radius */ cursor: pointer; border: none; text-shadow: none; } .ck_form .ck_guarantee { color: #626262; font-size: 12px; text-align: center; padding: 5px 0px; display: block; } .ck_form .ck_powered_by { display: block; color: #aaa; } .ck_form .ck_powered_by:hover { display: block; color: #444; } .ck_converted_content { display: none; padding: 5%; background: #fff; } /* v6 */ .ck_form_v6 #ck_success_msg { padding: 0px 10px; } @media all and (max-width: 403px) { .ck_form_v6.ck_modal .ck_close_link { top: 30px; } } @media all and (min-width: 404px) and (max-width: 499px) { .ck_form_v6.ck_modal .ck_close_link { top: 57px; } }  PodcastListen below, or on any podcast app.

    Sound Design Is Ruining Your Music   Have you ever opened your digital audio workstation (DAW) because you’re in the mood to make some music, but then you end up spending hours searching for the right bass sound? Then, feeling frustrated because you’ve wasted hours and didn’t even find the right sound, you close your DAW and open Instagram instead. If you’ve ever done that, then we have a huge secret to reveal to you: forget about sound design, it’s probably the worst distraction in the music making process! Now, we’re not saying that you shouldn’t spend hours on designing the perfect sounds. We’re saying that you should not be spending your time trying to design the right bass sound, when you haven’t even written the bass line yet. How could you possibly know what the right sound is for a bass line you haven’t yet written? Working on sound design before you’ve written the music, is like mastering before you’ve mixed. Yes, mastering is essential but it needs to happen after the mixing. Same with sound design. Yes, it’s essential, but it needs to happen after the writing. And of course, the sound you choose will usually affect what you write for it. For example, the line you’d write for a bass guitar will be different to the one you’d write for a bass synth. But (and it’s a BIG but), will the line you’d write for a Fender 4-string bass guitar be different to the one you’d write for a Gibson 4-string bass guitar? No! And that’s exactly why you should use presets when writing. Simply decide if the melody you wanna write is for a bass guitar or a bass synth, then choose a preset that’s kinda close to what you want, and get writing! Then, when you’re happy with your bass line, don’t start sound designing it. Not yet. You’re still in the writing stage, so move on to your drums. And use the same approach here. Do you want a realistic sounding drum kit or an electronic kit? Choose a preset that’s in the ballpark of what you want, then get writing! Then continue on to the next instrument. And the next. Chords. Melody. Counter melody. Then move on to the next section. Keep going! Stay focused. Don’t start sound designing until you’ve completely finished writing. You see, when you’re writing music, you’re in the sublime state known as Flow. This is where time disappears. You and your music are one. In fact, there is no you anymore, just oneness. The flow state is the ultimate high, but it can be lost in a split second. And one of the easiest ways to lose it is to switch tasks. Also, you’re exponentially more creative when you’re in the flow state. So, you can massively improve your creativity and therefore your music, by simply focusing on the writing process exclusively, and avoiding distractions like sound design. However, it’s vital that you actually know the method for writing a song from start to finish. Especially when it comes to how you write a new section for an existing section, how you transition between sections, and how you structure and arrange your song. So, if you wanna learn Ray’s secret method, which he has used to make music with multiplatinum Grammy-winning artists, then enroll in our Video Course.   Free Book     Wooohooo!!! You’re a mere 30 minutes away from being even smarter than you already are. Just head on over to your inbox now for your free download. There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again.   “The most brilliant, fast, easy & fun music theory book I’ve ever seen!” DEREK SIVERS, CD Baby founder We use this field to detect spam bots. If you fill this in, you will be marked as a spammer. DOWNLOAD FREE BOOK /* Layout */ .ck_form { /* divider image */ background: #EAE9EA url(data:image/gif;base64,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) repeat-y center top; font-family: 'Montserrat'; line-height: 1.5em; overflow: hidden; color: #000000; font-size: 16px; border-top: none; border-top-color: #666666; border-bottom: none; border-bottom-color: #3d3d3d; -webkit-box-shadow: none; -moz-box-shadow: none; box-shadow: none; clear: both; margin: 0px 0px; } .ck_form, .ck_form * { -webkit-box-sizing: border-box; -moz-box-sizing: border-box; box-sizing: border-box; } #ck_subscribe_form { clear: both; } /* Element Queries — uses JS */ .ck_form_content, .ck_form_fields { width: 50%; float: left; padding: 5%; } .ck_form.ck_horizontal { } .ck_form_content { border-bottom: none; } .ck_form.ck_vertical { background: #fff; } .ck_vertical .ck_form_content, .ck_vertical .ck_form_fields { padding: 10%; width: 100%; float: none; } .ck_vertical .ck_form_content { border-bottom: 1px dotted #aaa; overflow: hidden; } /* Trigger the vertical layout with media queries as well */ @media all and (max-width: 499px) { .ck_form { background: #fff; } .ck_form_content, .ck_form_fields { padding: 10%; width: 100%; float: none; } .ck_form_content { border-bottom: 1px dotted #aaa; } } /* Content */ .ck_form_content h3 { margin: 0px 0px 0px; font-size: 0px; padding: 0px; } .ck_form_content p { font-size: 14px; } .ck_image { float: left; margin-right: 5px; } /* Form fields */ .ck_errorArea { display: none; } #ck_success_msg { padding: 10px 10px 0px; border: solid 1px #ddd; background: #eee; } .ck_label { font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; } .ck_form input[type="text"] { font-size: 16px; text-align: center; margin-top: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 8px 8px; width: 100%; border: 1px solid #d6d6d6; /* stroke */ -moz-border-radius: 4px; -webkit-border-radius: 4px; border-radius: 30px; /* border radius */ background-color: #fff; /* layer fill content */ height: auto; } .ck_form input[type="email"] { font-size: 16px; text-align: center; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 8px 8px; width: 100%; border: 1px solid #d6d6d6; /* stroke */ -moz-border-radius: 4px; -webkit-border-radius: 4px; border-radius: 30px; /* border radius */ background-color: #fff; /* layer fill content */ height: auto; } .ck_form input[type="text"]:focus, .ck_form input[type="email"]:focus { outline: none; border-color: #aaa; } .ck_checkbox { padding: 10px 0px 10px 20px; display: block; clear: both; } .ck_checkbox input.optIn { margin-left: -20px; margin-top: 0; } .ck_form .ck_opt_in_prompt { margin-left: 4px; } .ck_form .ck_opt_in_prompt p { display: inline; } .ck_form .ck_subscribe_button { width: 100%; color: #fff; margin: 0px 0px 0px; padding: 8px 8px; font-size: 18px; background: #c83232; -moz-border-radius: 4px; -webkit-border-radius: 4px; border-radius: 30px; /* border radius */ cursor: pointer; border: none; text-shadow: none; } .ck_form .ck_guarantee { color: #626262; font-size: 12px; text-align: center; padding: 5px 0px; display: block; } .ck_form .ck_powered_by { display: block; color: #aaa; } .ck_form .ck_powered_by:hover { display: block; color: #444; } .ck_converted_content { display: none; padding: 5%; background: #fff; } /* v6 */ .ck_form_v6 #ck_success_msg { padding: 0px 10px; } @media all and (max-width: 403px) { .ck_form_v6.ck_modal .ck_close_link { top: 30px; } } @media all and (min-width: 404px) and (max-width: 499px) { .ck_form_v6.ck_modal .ck_close_link { top: 57px; } }    Podcast Listen below, or on any podcast app.

    Stop Looping Melodies This Way   DOWNLOAD This Tutorial as PDF (includes MIDI file)   When you loop a melody, do you just copy and paste it? If so, that way of looping could be ruining your melodies! But the good news is that in this lesson you’ll learn a creative way of looping, which will actually make your melodies better than they were before you looped them. Seriously, this looping hack can even make boring melodies kinda interesting. But first, what’s wrong with looping a melody by copying and pasting it? Well, when you do that, the rigid repetition of the melody shortens its lifespan. In other words, even if your melody is really good, it will get stale and boring after a few loops. Remember: repetition kills a melody’s longevity, but variation extends it.   THEORY Our brains are designed to pay attention to things in the environment that change, and filter out those things that stay the same. So, if your melody has been copied and pasted, your listeners will pay attention for the first couple of loops, but then their brains will shift attention away from your music to something in their environment that’s changing (like their Instagram feed). This process will happen automatically and unconsciously in your listener’s mind, well, unless they’re an advanced meditator. So, the best way to hold your listener’s attention is to keep your music changing. And as our attention is usually on the lead melody, by continually varying that, your listeners will be utterly captivated. If you keep varying your melody, though, won’t you end up with a long string of notes that’s impossible for your listeners to remember, resulting in them not wanting to listen to your song again? Well, yes. That’s why you need this looping hack. And for the record, there are ways to vary a melody just enough so that when it repeats, it’s familiar and fresh.   HACK This looping hack bypasses that entire problem, though. It’s a way to create variation in your melody without actually changing any of its notes. I know, it sounds impossible, right? But, it’s not only possible, it’s also easy! Are you ready? Here’s the hack: each time you copy and paste your melody, you rhythmically displace it. What exactly does that mean? Well, it’s easiest to show you with an example, so let’s jump into the practical part of this lesson now.   MUSIC This looping hack is used brilliantly by Björk in her new song “fossora”, so this example is our version that we made using the music theory from that song. Alright, so open your DAW and set the tempo to 100 BPM. Then create a track for your melody, make a six-bar section, and set the grid to 1/8 notes. This example is in the key of G minor, and if you find keys, scales and chords a bit confusing, then download our free book: 12 Music Theory Hacks to Learn Scales & Chords. The link is below. So, start by making a two-bar melody using 1/8 notes. And as this lesson is focused on looping, we’re not gonna cover how to write a good melody here, but if you need help with that, then simply use the Melody Checklist in our Songwriting & Producing PDF. The PDF also contains our other essential music making hacks. Over 10,000 producers around the world use this guide as their studio handbook. So if you’re struggling with your music, this PDF is for you! Right, now it’s time for the juicy part. So, copy and paste your melody into bars three and four. Then, instead of leaving your melody as it is, you’re going to rhythmically displace it by an 1/8 note or a 1/4 note. In other words, move your looped melody a little earlier or later. Björk moves the second repetition of her melody an 1/8 note later, so we did that too. Next, copy and paste your original melody into bars five and six. Then displace that third repetition as well. Björk actually did something even cooler here: she didn’t displace the first half of her melody, only the second half. She did this by moving it a 1/4 note later. We did the same thing, so you can hear how cool it is! Then, to make her music even more creative, when Björk repeats this section later in the song, she actually changes the displacements again. This totally captivates your brain, because even though you’re expecting the displacements in the repetition of that section, they’re not where you expect them to be. Utterly brilliant!   BONUS And here’s a bonus hack from Björk. This section in her song is only six bars, not the usual eight bars. So it actually sounds like it ends too early, which grabs your attention yet again. If you want your music to sound less weird than Björk, which I’m guessing you do, then use eight bars for this section. That will create familiarity. And just a warning. There’s one caveat to rhythmically displacing your melody. If you’ve already written a chord progression and/or bass line below, then you’ll need to make sure that your displaced melody still works over that underlying harmony.   Free Book     Wooohooo!!! You’re a mere 30 minutes away from being even smarter than you already are. Just head on over to your inbox now for your free download. There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again.   “The most brilliant, fast, easy & fun music theory book I’ve ever seen!” DEREK SIVERS, CD Baby founder We use this field to detect spam bots. If you fill this in, you will be marked as a spammer. DOWNLOAD FREE BOOK /* Layout */ .ck_form { /* divider image */ background: #EAE9EA url(data:image/gif;base64,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) repeat-y center top; font-family: 'Montserrat'; line-height: 1.5em; overflow: hidden; color: #000000; font-size: 16px; border-top: none; border-top-color: #666666; border-bottom: none; border-bottom-color: #3d3d3d; -webkit-box-shadow: none; -moz-box-shadow: none; box-shadow: none; clear: both; margin: 0px 0px; } .ck_form, .ck_form * { -webkit-box-sizing: border-box; -moz-box-sizing: border-box; box-sizing: border-box; } #ck_subscribe_form { clear: both; } /* Element Queries — uses JS */ .ck_form_content, .ck_form_fields { width: 50%; float: left; padding: 5%; } .ck_form.ck_horizontal { } .ck_form_content { border-bottom: none; } .ck_form.ck_vertical { background: #fff; } .ck_vertical .ck_form_content, .ck_vertical .ck_form_fields { padding: 10%; width: 100%; float: none; } .ck_vertical .ck_form_content { border-bottom: 1px dotted #aaa; overflow: hidden; } /* Trigger the vertical layout with media queries as well */ @media all and (max-width: 499px) { .ck_form { background: #fff; } .ck_form_content, .ck_form_fields { padding: 10%; width: 100%; float: none; } .ck_form_content { border-bottom: 1px dotted #aaa; } } /* Content */ .ck_form_content h3 { margin: 0px 0px 0px; font-size: 0px; padding: 0px; } .ck_form_content p { font-size: 14px; } .ck_image { float: left; margin-right: 5px; } /* Form fields */ .ck_errorArea { display: none; } #ck_success_msg { padding: 10px 10px 0px; border: solid 1px #ddd; background: #eee; } .ck_label { font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; } .ck_form input[type="text"] { font-size: 16px; text-align: center; margin-top: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 8px 8px; width: 100%; border: 1px solid #d6d6d6; /* stroke */ -moz-border-radius: 4px; -webkit-border-radius: 4px; border-radius: 30px; /* border radius */ background-color: #fff; /* layer fill content */ height: auto; } .ck_form input[type="email"] { font-size: 16px; text-align: center; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 8px 8px; width: 100%; border: 1px solid #d6d6d6; /* stroke */ -moz-border-radius: 4px; -webkit-border-radius: 4px; border-radius: 30px; /* border radius */ background-color: #fff; /* layer fill content */ height: auto; } .ck_form input[type="text"]:focus, .ck_form input[type="email"]:focus { outline: none; border-color: #aaa; } .ck_checkbox { padding: 10px 0px 10px 20px; display: block; clear: both; } .ck_checkbox input.optIn { margin-left: -20px; margin-top: 0; } .ck_form .ck_opt_in_prompt { margin-left: 4px; } .ck_form .ck_opt_in_prompt p { display: inline; } .ck_form .ck_subscribe_button { width: 100%; color: #fff; margin: 0px 0px 0px; padding: 8px 8px; font-size: 18px; background: #c83232; -moz-border-radius: 4px; -webkit-border-radius: 4px; border-radius: 30px; /* border radius */ cursor: pointer; border: none; text-shadow: none; } .ck_form .ck_guarantee { color: #626262; font-size: 12px; text-align: center; padding: 5px 0px; display: block; } .ck_form .ck_powered_by { display: block; color: #aaa; } .ck_form .ck_powered_by:hover { display: block; color: #444; } .ck_converted_content { display: none; padding: 5%; background: #fff; } /* v6 */ .ck_form_v6 #ck_success_msg { padding: 0px 10px; } @media all and (max-width: 403px) { .ck_form_v6.ck_modal .ck_close_link { top: 30px; } } @media all and (min-width: 404px) and (max-width: 499px) { .ck_form_v6.ck_modal .ck_close_link { top: 57px; } }    Podcast Listen below, or on any podcast app.  

    Wrong Notes for Better Chord Progressions   DOWNLOAD This Tutorial as PDF (includes MIDI file)   Can you hear the weakness in this chord progression? It’s a common weakness that you hear in most songs. Did you spot it? If not, here’s the answer: all the chords are in the key! Wait, what?! Isn’t that a good thing? Well, not always… You see, there are only seven chords in a key. That doesn’t give you much choice if you’re trying to make creative music. And to make things worse, one of those seven is the diminished chord, which is super dissonant, so most producers don’t use it. You’ve probably done the maths already, and yes, you’re correct. Most of the music you hear these days is made using only six chords. Six chords! How many songs can you write with the same six chords before they start sounding the same? And I’m afraid it gets even worse than that. Of those six chords, four of them work effortlessly together. In other words, a producer doesn’t need to know any theory to get these four chords sounding good. Sadly though, most modern songs don’t even have progressions with four chords, a lot of them use only three chords, or sometimes even just two! And yes, of course, simple music can be good. But honestly, that was much easier to achieve decades ago when there weren’t tens of thousands of songs being released every day! These days, if you want to write a simple song with only three or four chords, all of which are in the key, then you’re almost certainly going to end up with something that sounds like someone else’s song.   THEORY So, presuming you want to make music that isn’t gonna get you sued for copyright infringement, how on earth do you do that? Easy, you use wrong notes! Well, technically it’s not a wrong note if you actually intended to play it. So that’s what we’re going to do: intentionally play a note that is not in the key. And by the way, notes that are not in the key are called non-diatonic (or chromatic) notes. Once you dip your toe into the thrilling world of notes that are outside of the scale, you open a door of endless possibilities, and you can say goodbye to boring music!   EXAMPLE Alright, so now that you know the hack for making better chord progressions, you’re gonna learn how to actually apply it. So, open your DAW and set the tempo to 95 BPM. Then create a track for your chords and make a two-bar loop. Set the grid to 1/16 notes (or just for fun, you can set it to a 1/16 swing, like we’ve used). The first thing you want to do is write a chord progression using three or four chords that are all in your scale. We used A minor in our example, so that’s all the white notes from A to A. And our chord progression is: Am → Cmaj → Gmaj → Em → Cmaj → Asus4. That sounds like a lot of chords, but it’s only really four, as we just repeated the C and A chords. That’s actually another cool hack you can use to make your chord progressions more interesting in this first step. After you’ve written your chord progression, use inversions to make it flow better, and use an interesting harmonic rhythm to make it more creative. And if you need help with inversions and harmonic rhythm, then simply use the chord progression hacks in our Songwriting & Producing Course. When you enrol, you’ll get all our essential hacks for melodies, chords, bass and drums in 12 step-by-step videos. So, now you’ve got a chord progression that sounds good, even though it still sounds predictable because all the chords are in the key. This is the stage when most producers would click “Save” and reach for their phone to catch up on Instagram, but not you! You’re a true artist. You want to challenge yourself and push your creativity to the next level. That’s why you’re here. So, here’s the hack that’ll make your chord progressions stand out from the crowd: change one chord in your progression from major to minor, or vice versa. Don’t change your root chord, though, as then you’re actually changing the key. And if you need help with knowing the difference between major and minor chords, and how to change one into the other, then that’s all in our free book (link below). This “wrong note” hack is so ridiculously simple, but as you’ll hear, it totally transforms the chord progression! And as a bonus, when you have a standout chord progression, it will inspire you to write a standout melody over the top, and a standout bass line below. And just a quick warning, but it’s actually really important. Remember that some of your chords are inverted, so their notes are in a different order. This means you need to be extra careful that you move the correct note when changing chords from major to minor, or vice versa.   Free Book     Wooohooo!!! You’re a mere 30 minutes away from being even smarter than you already are. Just head on over to your inbox now for your free download. There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again.   “The most brilliant, fast, easy & fun music theory book I’ve ever seen!” DEREK SIVERS, CD Baby founder We use this field to detect spam bots. If you fill this in, you will be marked as a spammer. 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    How to Write a Bass Line like Gorillaz "New Gold"   In the new Gorillaz single “New Gold”, there’s a music theory secret that makes their song feel totally different to the other new releases out this week. That’s what you’ll learn in this lesson, as well as how to use it to write a Gorillaz-style bass line. But first... Tea!   INTRO Hello revolutionary music makers, we are Kate and Ray Harmony (AKA Revolution Harmony), and welcome to Hack Music Theory, the fast, easy and fun way to make music. If you’re new to theory, or if you just want a refresher, then read our free book "12 Music Theory Hacks to Learn Scales & Chords". It’ll give you a super solid music theory foundation in just 30 minutes. The free download is below. Enjoy!   SECRET Alright, so what’s the music theory secret behind this song? Well, it’s in 6|4. The time signature of 6|4 contains six 1/4 notes in a bar, instead of the usual four 1/4 notes in a bar that you get in 4|4. The brilliance of 6|4 is that it doesn’t sound weird, because six is still an even number. Also, you can still nod along to the 1/4 notes, just like you do in 4|4. But, every bar is longer than you’re expecting. And this extended bar makes the music feel more laid back, as it takes longer to loop back around to beat 1. So, you can think of 6|4 as the scenic route, whereas 4|4 is the direct route. To balance out this relaxed vibe, though, Gorillaz use a dancey four-on-the-floor drum beat. Well, it’s actually a six-on-the-floor drum beat, because there are six 1/4 notes in a bar, and each one of those 1/4 notes has a kick drum on it. So that’s their secret: it’s that contrasting combination of the dancey drum beat and the laid-back time signature of 6|4, which creates that unique vibe in this song.   BASS Alright, so now that you know their music theory secret, you’re gonna learn how to use it to make a Gorillaz-style bass line. So, set your time signature to 6|4 and your tempo to 108 BPM, then create a one bar loop on your bass track. Gorillaz use the F♯ natural minor scale in this song, so we’ll use it too: F♯, G♯, A, B, C♯, D, E. The music theory in this song is all about contrast, so that theme continues in their bass line, where they use a contrasting combination of legato and staccato notes. And if those terms are new to you: legato notes are connected to each other, and staccato notes are disconnected from each other. So their bass line is divided into two sections, the first section is legato and the second section is staccato. This results in the first section sounding smooth and chill, and the second section sounding more energetic and funky. For the legato section, use longer notes like 1/8 notes and dotted 1/8 notes. For the staccato section use 1/16 notes with rests in between. Also, their bass has a ton of syncopation (which is an off-beat accent), so be sure to use a bunch of that too.   NEXT If there’s an artist you’d like us to hack in a future lesson, drop us a comment on our latest YouTube video. Also, if you wanna learn our essential hacks for making great melodies, chord progressions, bass lines, drum beats (and more), then watch the 12 step-by-step videos in our Songwriting & Producing course. If you’re feeling frustrated because your music isn’t as good as you want it to be, then this course is for you!   Free Book     Wooohooo!!! You’re a mere 30 minutes away from being even smarter than you already are. Just head on over to your inbox now for your free download. There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again.   “The most brilliant, fast, easy & fun music theory book I’ve ever seen!” DEREK SIVERS, CD Baby founder We use this field to detect spam bots. If you fill this in, you will be marked as a spammer. DOWNLOAD FREE BOOK /* Layout */ .ck_form { /* divider image */ background: #EAE9EA url(data:image/gif;base64,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) repeat-y center top; font-family: 'Montserrat'; line-height: 1.5em; overflow: hidden; color: #000000; font-size: 16px; border-top: none; border-top-color: #666666; border-bottom: none; border-bottom-color: #3d3d3d; -webkit-box-shadow: none; -moz-box-shadow: none; box-shadow: none; clear: both; margin: 0px 0px; } .ck_form, .ck_form * { -webkit-box-sizing: border-box; -moz-box-sizing: border-box; box-sizing: border-box; } #ck_subscribe_form { clear: both; } /* Element Queries — uses JS */ .ck_form_content, .ck_form_fields { width: 50%; float: left; padding: 5%; } .ck_form.ck_horizontal { } .ck_form_content { border-bottom: none; } .ck_form.ck_vertical { background: #fff; } .ck_vertical .ck_form_content, .ck_vertical .ck_form_fields { padding: 10%; width: 100%; float: none; } .ck_vertical .ck_form_content { border-bottom: 1px dotted #aaa; overflow: hidden; } /* Trigger the vertical layout with media queries as well */ @media all and (max-width: 499px) { .ck_form { background: #fff; } .ck_form_content, .ck_form_fields { padding: 10%; width: 100%; float: none; } .ck_form_content { border-bottom: 1px dotted #aaa; } } /* Content */ .ck_form_content h3 { margin: 0px 0px 0px; font-size: 0px; padding: 0px; } .ck_form_content p { font-size: 14px; } .ck_image { float: left; margin-right: 5px; } /* Form fields */ .ck_errorArea { display: none; } #ck_success_msg { padding: 10px 10px 0px; border: solid 1px #ddd; background: #eee; } .ck_label { font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; } .ck_form input[type="text"] { font-size: 16px; text-align: center; margin-top: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 8px 8px; width: 100%; border: 1px solid #d6d6d6; /* stroke */ -moz-border-radius: 4px; -webkit-border-radius: 4px; border-radius: 30px; /* border radius */ background-color: #fff; /* layer fill content */ height: auto; } .ck_form input[type="email"] { font-size: 16px; text-align: center; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 8px 8px; width: 100%; border: 1px solid #d6d6d6; /* stroke */ -moz-border-radius: 4px; -webkit-border-radius: 4px; border-radius: 30px; /* border radius */ background-color: #fff; /* layer fill content */ height: auto; } .ck_form input[type="text"]:focus, .ck_form input[type="email"]:focus { outline: none; border-color: #aaa; } .ck_checkbox { padding: 10px 0px 10px 20px; display: block; clear: both; } .ck_checkbox input.optIn { margin-left: -20px; margin-top: 0; } .ck_form .ck_opt_in_prompt { margin-left: 4px; } .ck_form .ck_opt_in_prompt p { display: inline; } .ck_form .ck_subscribe_button { width: 100%; color: #fff; margin: 0px 0px 0px; padding: 8px 8px; font-size: 18px; background: #c83232; -moz-border-radius: 4px; -webkit-border-radius: 4px; border-radius: 30px; /* border radius */ cursor: pointer; border: none; text-shadow: none; } .ck_form .ck_guarantee { color: #626262; font-size: 12px; text-align: center; padding: 5px 0px; display: block; } .ck_form .ck_powered_by { display: block; color: #aaa; } .ck_form .ck_powered_by:hover { display: block; color: #444; } .ck_converted_content { display: none; padding: 5%; background: #fff; } /* v6 */ .ck_form_v6 #ck_success_msg { padding: 0px 10px; } @media all and (max-width: 403px) { .ck_form_v6.ck_modal .ck_close_link { top: 30px; } } @media all and (min-width: 404px) and (max-width: 499px) { .ck_form_v6.ck_modal .ck_close_link { top: 57px; } }    Podcast Listen below, or on any podcast app.