Music Matters
Anticipation Notes (Non-Harmonic Tones) - Music Theory
Improve your melody writing and learn all about anticipation notes and non-harmonic tones. When melody notes fit the prevailing chord we refer to them as harmony notes. When they do not fit the chord they should belong to one of the...
Two Minute Music Theory
Music and the Protestant Reformation - Part II: France
Martin Luther wasn't the only one leading reformations in Europe. Today we look at what was going on in France - lead by reformer John Calvin, who had a very interesting view on music in the church.
Music Matters
Using Scalic Bass Lines - Inside the Mind of Bach
Bach loves to use scalic bass lines within his chorales as a solid foundation for building the harmonic structure. Often the bass lines interact with the other parts within the texture to create a conversational type of movement. Let's...
Music Matters
Reading Bass Clef Ledger Lines - Music Theory
How well do you know your bass clef ledger lines above and below the stave? You may be fairly new to reading music or you may have been a musician for years but many musicians get caught out when it comes to reading notes on ledger...
Music Matters
The Mannheim School of Composers - Music History
The Mannheim school of composers, led by Stamitz, steered significant musical developments during the second half of the eighteenth century. This music history lesson explains some of their most significant innovations and explains the...
Music Matters
Improve Your Harmony - Music Composition
Improve your harmony with advanced chords and learn how to write more dramatic chord progressions with this music composition tip. In this music composition lesson we analyse the harmony of the opening section of Bach’s C Minor Partita,...
Music Matters
How to Improve your Piano Accompaniments - Music Performance
How to improve your piano accompaniments. This music performance lesson explores how to bring piano accompaniments to life when you simply have a set of chords to read. When piano and other keyboard players read a melody from a lead...
Music Matters
Can You Beam Correctly in 6/8 Compound Time? - Music Theory
Can you figure out what the correct beaming of notes should be within this short piece of music written in 6/8 compound time? It’s one thing to be able to compose rhythms but how secure do you feel about beaming or joining notes together...
Odd Quartet
Music Theory - Order Of Flats
This video looks at the order of flats BEADGCF - and how they're used in music.
Music Matters
4 Ways to Harmonize the Same Melody - Music Composition
How to harmonize a melody in four different ways. This music composition lesson begins by using diatonic chords to present two possible alternative harmonisations. We then move on to two further harmonisations using chromatic chords and...
Music Matters
Decoding David Bowie's Harmonic Language - Composer Insights
Is There Life On Mars? A harmonic analysis of one of Bowie's best. We delve into the mind of the composer and explore what makes David Bowie’s “Life on Mars” such an original and iconic song. The main focus is on the harmonic content of...
Music Matters
Serial Style - Composing for the Piano
In this episode of composing for the piano, we explore how to present the Music Matters theme in Serial style. Serialism is not to everyone’s taste but this video begins with an explanation of the Serial technique and how it has been...
Music Matters
How to Come Up With a Motif - Music Composition
How to come up with a motif. Motifs need a musical identity, which is created through melodic design, rhythmic character, and articulation. All the notes within the motif need to be either harmony notes or inessential notes. The process...
Odd Quartet
Music Theory - Counting Music
We look at the different types of sixteenth note and triplet rhythms in music and how to count them.
Odd Quartet
Music Theory - The Three Flavors Of Minor Music Scales
Why are there three different kinds of minor music scales, what do they sound like and how are they different from one another? I try to answer all of those questions in today's Music Theory Crash Course.
Music Matters
Writing Counterpoint from a Chord Scheme - Music Composition
How to write counterpoint from a chord scheme. If you are working with a progression of chords and want to learn how to write contrapuntally around that harmonic scheme then this is the video for you. If you are analysing contrapuntal...
Music Matters
Identifying Double Major Thirds - Music Composition
What is doubling the major third? How do you know if its a major third? Can you double thirds? Why is doubling a major third bad? This music composition lesson explains one of the rules of writing four-part harmony, namely the advice to...
Music Matters
Fluid Basslines - Inside the Mind of Bach
Join us as we examine the choice of harmony, chromatic chords, secondary dominants, borrowed chords. and modulation, the part writing, the use of inessential notes and suspensions, plus other features of the Bach Chorale style. Useful...
Two Minute Music Theory
How Do Clefs Work?
What is a clef and how does it work? Why do we need multiple clefs?
Odd Quartet
Music Theory - Order Of Sharps
In this video we review the order of sharps. The order of sharps is used when writing key signatures that have sharps. Let me know if you have any questions in the comments.
Two Minute Music Theory
Tritone Substitution vs Augmented 6 Chords - Q&A #3
Today's question is about the difference between the Tritone Substitution and the Augmented 6 Chord. Is there a difference? Are they the same thing? Will a fight break out in the comments section? Does the Australian Augmented 6 actually...
Two Minute Music Theory
Q&A #1 - Why Do We Need Double Sharps? - TWO MINUTE MUSIC THEORY
A question that comes up a lot: Why do we need double sharps and double flats? Where would we possibly use them? Also, does E# or B# exist? Where would we use that? Find out today on the first ever Two Minute Music Theory Q&A!
Two Minute Music Theory
Major Scale vs. Ionian Mode - TWO MINUTE MUSIC THEORY #29
The Major scale and the Ionian mode share a lot. Pitch collection, home note, key signature. So, are they the same? We find out today on Two Minute Music Theory. Season 3, Episode 8
Two Minute Music Theory
Building Major and Minor Chords - TWO MINUTE MUSIC THEORY #39
Season 3, Episode 19 - Two Minute Music Theory Today we begin a series on Building Chords. Starting with the two most common types of chords in western music: The Major and Minor Chords.