Music Matters
What Can You Write Before an Augmented 6th Chord - Music Composition
Which are the most common approach chords? We consider the reasons why these chords work better than other options, examining voice leading, the smooth progression of parts, and the avoidance of parallels & false relations. This music...
Music Matters
Using the Circle of Fifths on Piano - Music Theory
Learn the quickest and most efficient methods of modulating from one key to the next on the circle of 5ths. The first part of the video is devoted to movement from key to key moving left around the circle of 5ths, then the second part is...
Music Matters
Improving a Bass Line - Music Composition
How to take a plain bass line and turn it into something much more interesting. By using quavers and eighth notes this music composition lesson works through how to use extra chord tones, harmony notes and non-chord tones, inessential...
Music Matters
Hallmarks of Chopin's Poetic Style - Composer Insights
Chopin’s E minor Prelude is one of his most popular and most beautiful Preludes. What makes the impact of this piece so poetic? This composer insights lesson begins by examining the melodic line in the right hand. Through much of the...
Music Matters
Composing Twelve-Tone Music - Implications of Tonality in Serialism
How to approach constructing a note row that also incorporates a sense of tonality. The music composition lesson explores how to build in some implication of a key within a twelve-tone serial piece and explains how to achieve a...
Music Matters
Writing a Rising Sequence - Music Composition
Learn how to evolve a rising sequence above a bass line employing a series of 4-3 suspensions alternating in the upper parts. We explore a Baroque technique that has broader application for harmonic writing, giving ideas for developing...
Music Matters
Using Alberti Bass as a Compositional Technique - Music Composition
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...
Music Matters
Upside Down 7th Chords - Music Composition
A clever little music composition technique for you to try in your next piece. This music composition lesson begins with a reminder of how to extend triads to 7th chords in the conventional manner. It then goes on to consider an...
Music Matters
Turning Chords into Arpeggios - Music Composition
This music composition lesson demonstrates how to take a succession of block chords and turn them into melodic lines with arpeggiated accompaniment. The chord sequence is analysed then organised as a melodic line at the top of the...
Music Matters
How to Vary the Harmony for Repeated Notes - Music Theory
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...
Music Matters
How to Approach a Flat II Chord - Music Composition
Some examples of chords that would work well approaching a Neapolitan flat two chord. This music composition lesson begins with a reminder of how to form a major chord on the flattened supertonic, otherwise known as a Neapolitan chord....
Music Matters
Creating a Moving Bass Line - Music Composition
Discover how to transform a piece of music that is using block chords into a much more engaging presentation with a moving bass line. Taking the opening of the British National Anthem this music composition lesson demonstrates how to...
Music Matters
Bach Goes Wacky - Inside the Mind Bach
The key movement is fast and chords do not always resolve as expected. In particular, we discover how Bach uses a number of unresolved dominant 7ths back to back, making this a radical approach for Baroque times. Discover what Bach is...
Music Matters
Classical Melody Writing Tricks - Music Composition
Classical melody writing tricks and music composition techniques. We begin with an exploration of how melody notes must either belong to the harmony or be identified as inessential notes. We then move on to consider how conjunct and...
KnowMo
Circle Theorems Extension: Intersecting Chords and Beyond
This video is a comprehensive lesson on circle theorems, including an extension on the topic. The presenter covers the key four circle theorems that students should know, including the arrow shape, bow shape, quadrilateral, and...
Music Matters
Extreme Modulation Using Chromatic Harmony - Music Theory
Harmonizing a melody using chromatic chords and advanced harmonic techniques to effect modulation to extreme keys. The melody to be harmonized includes an extreme modulation from Eb to B major before travelling back to Eb major. This...
Let's Tute
Some Stupid Math Mistakes #16
This video gives us an quick revision on 'Circle' from our interesting series 'Some Stupid Math Mistakes'
Music Matters
Minor Key Harmony - Music Theory
Minor key harmony can be very complicated. Many people are reasonably happy about choosing chords to harmonize a melody in a major key but minor keys present particular challenges, especially when trying to figure out your way around the...
Music Matters
How to Recognize Written Chords in Sheet Music - Music Theory
How to recognize written chords in sheet music. This music theory lesson will help you understand how to look at a chord and know what chord is written. By the end of this lesson, you will have a good understanding of how to identify...
Two Minute Music Theory
How To Use The Circle of Fifths - TWO MINUTE MUSIC THEORY #19
Now that we've built the circle, how do we use it? What all can we do with the Circle of Fifths?
Music Matters
The Best Chords to Follow Chord III (in Minor Keys) - Music Composition
Are you struggling to get started in writing a chord progression? If you want to use chord III what are the best options for chords to follow? This music composition lesson gives you plenty of options for chords that progress well from...
Music Matters
Choosing the Right Chords in Minor Keys - Music Composition
How do we go about choosing chords and how can you be sure if you've got the right for a given situation? A lot of people are happier doing this in major keys than they are in minor keys so in this music composition lesson we're going to...
Music Matters
Roman Numeral Chord Notation - Music Theory
Learn about the two systems for labelling chords in the Roman Numeral system, namely Basic Roman and Extended Roman. In this music theory lesson the construction of diatonic chords is explained, followed by the labelling of those chords....
Music Matters
Writing & Developing a Melody Line - Music Composition
How to develop a melodic idea and write more interesting music. You may have some good melodic ideas but you’re not sure how to develop them or you may be preparing for a music theory exam in which you need to extend a given opening into...