How to Write a Prog Melody
using the Major-Minor scale, aka Mixolydian ♭6
There aren’t many melodies that stand out nowadays. In an era where most musicians are trying to sound like the popular musicians in their genre, the result…
Read moreSep 22 2023
There aren’t many melodies that stand out nowadays. In an era where most musicians are trying to sound like the popular musicians in their genre, the result…
Read moreSep 14 2023
Almost all popular music (in every genre and subgenre) is made using the major scale or the natural minor scale. That’s a vast ocean of music from only two…
Read moreSep 7 2023
There are 7 elements that create a beautiful melody. In our new PDF tutorial (download link below), you'll learn what they are and how to use them!
When I recently heard “Ray Of Solar”…
Read moreAug 25 2023
If you play all the notes of a chord simultaneously, you’ll create an instant emotion in your listener. This is a powerful technique, and the most common way to play chords. While allowing a chord…
Read moreAug 18 2023
EDM producers didn’t invent the bass drop, but it’s easy to argue they perfected it!
Having said that, though, the bass drop has long since gone stale. After becoming so popular, it was…
Read moreAug 11 2023
One of the most common mistakes producers make when writing chord progressions is focusing exclusively on the notes (i.e. the harmony). Now, it obviously goes without saying that the notes are a vital…
Read moreAug 4 2023
I’m just old enough that I got in my Grade 1 to 12 school years before computers and the internet took over. If you’re a Gen X like me, and there wasn’t a computer…
Read moreJul 28 2023
Humans are walking paradoxes! You know those times when you’re feeling two contradicting emotions at the same time? Like when you’re in a difficult situation but you feel hopeful about the future, while…
Read moreJul 21 2023
Music in a major key is uplifting, but the downside is that it often sounds childlike.
This is because the major scale is the most predictable scale. Predictable things are comforting and reassuring, so…
Read moreJul 14 2023
Within seconds of hearing the opening chords in Portishead “Roads”, you can feel your cortisol levels dropping and your body’s tension releasing. This intro has to be one of the most calming moments in…
Read moreJul 6 2023
A standout drum beat can make or break a song. Want proof? Listen to the new Aphex Twin single “Blackbox Life Recorder 21f”.
He’s actually reversed the roles of the instruments in this song, as…
Read moreJun 30 2023
I remember the first time I heard “Closer” by Nine Inch Nails in a club back in the ‘90s. I’d never before seen people literally running to the dance floor. Running!
My…
Read moreJun 11 2023
Set 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…
Read moreJun 4 2023
Set 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…
Read moreMay 28 2023
Set 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…
Read moreMay 22 2023
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…
Read moreMay 14 2023
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…
Read moreMay 7 2023
There 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…
Read moreApr 23 2023
FREE: Download This Tutorial as PDF
Includes multitrack MIDI example
Set your grid to 1/16 notes and your tempo to 97 BPM. You’re gonna start by writing a creative pattern using…
Read moreApr 9 2023
There are two types of catchy melodies: annoyingly repetitive ones you can’t stop singing but actually hate, and awesome ones that…
Read moreApr 2 2023
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…
Read moreMar 20 2023
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 …
Read moreMar 9 2023
The 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…
Read moreMar 1 2023
The 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…
Read moreFeb 17 2023
Includes 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…
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