Arrested Development has an incredibly unique use of music. In fact, they couldn't have actually told the story without the music. Music is an important part of a TV show. But, in Arrested Development, it's not just a background layer -...

Music is an important part of a TV show. But, in Arrested Development, it's not just a background layer - it's almost just as important as one of the characters in the show. It's practically a character of its own. Let's look at how...

Discover how Alberti Bass works and how useful it is in breathing energy into accompaniments. Often composers write a successful melody but the accompaniment is limited to block chords. Using Alberti Bass is one way of liberating the...

Many composers and students of harmony worry about harmonising repeated notes in a melody. Repeated notes can make for melodic stagnation and the remedy is often to create harmonic interest but how is this achieved? This music theory...

Have you ever watched a movie with the sound muted? It doesn’t really seem as impactful, even though the acting on screen is the same. It turns out that audio, and specifically music, plays a hugely important role in creating film as we...

Movies are really good at making us feel. Happy, sad, excited, etc... Part of that is because they use so many different types of media all at once. Photography, music, performance, and editing all play into their ability to communicate...

Vincent Moon travels the world with a backpack and a camera, filming astonishing music and ritual the world rarely sees -- from a powerful Sufi ritual in Chechnya to an ayahuasca journey in Peru. He hopes his films can help people see...

How to use sequence as a compositional tool to expand a musical idea. This music composition begins with a simple four note idea. It then shows you how to build these four notes into a 16 bar piece using melodic and harmonic sequence....

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...

Learn all about the plagal cadence, also known as the amen cadence, which chords it uses and how it sounds. Do you want to know about the plagal cadence? What is a plagal cadence? Where would you use a plagal cadence? How can you hear a...

Learn all about the interrupted cadence, also known as the deceptive cadence, which chords it uses and how it sounds. Would you like to write an interrupted cadence? Would you like to be able to hear interrupted cadences? Cadences...

This music composition lesson presents four bars of repeated notes at the top and bottom of the texture. He then explains how to harmonise all the repeated notes, generating an engaging range of harmonic colour and well structured...

What is meant by the terms conjunct and disjunct in relation to melody writing? We listen to and look at one melody written entirely using conjunct movement and consider its merits & weaknesses. We then do the same in relation to a...

How well do you know the circle of fifths? Test your knowledge with this short quiz. The Circle of Fifths tells you everything you need to know about major keys, minor keys, and key signatures. This music theory lesson presents a...

Why do so many horror film scores today sound similar to The Exorcist from 1973? A lot of that is thanks to Krzysztof Penderecki, a Polish composer whose music was used by director William Friedkin to score The Exorcist. Penderecki's...

South by Southwest started as a weekend music festival, but it has grown to become a 10-day event. Learn about it has evolved into a multi-faceted event featuring conferences, panels, workshops, film screenings, and performances by both...

Inclusion Films, started by veteran filmmaker Joey Travolta (brother of actor John Travolta) in 2007, is a teaching studio for aspiring filmmakers with developmental disabilities.

Students build sets, edit footage, act in...

Some say that theater is dead, and that’s probably because most playhouses the world over are closed at the moment owing to a worldwide pandemic. and yet the musical lives on… on Disney plus -- as the nation has been rapt with a filmed...

In this video we look at this question: Quel genre de musique ou de film préfères-tu ? - What kind of music or movie do you prefer? (AQA Theme 1 - Identity and culture, Topic 3 - Media and free time)

Students learning music often think of music theory as a waste of time, they think it’s boring, and something they’ll never actually need. We explain why you should learn music theory in order to become a better musician. Plenty of...

What can music offer to economists? Ed Pavlić, Distinguished Research Professor of English and African American Studies at the University of Georgia, explains how music offered a powerful lyrical companion to the social scientific...

How do you know which chord you could use next? We share our very own minor chord progression chart that will help get you started in figuring out which chord comes next. Musicians often wonder which is the best way to progress from one...

How do you know which chord you could use next? We share our very own major chord progression chart that will help get you started in figuring out which chord comes next. Musicians often wonder which is the best way to progress from one...

In this video we look at this question: Quel est le dernier film que tu as vu au cinéma ? - What is the last film you saw at the cinema? (AQA Theme 1 - Identity and culture, Topic 3 - Media and free time)