+ Welcome to Soundfly! We help curious musicians meet their goals with creative online courses. Whatever you want to learn, whenever you need to learn it. Subscribe now to start learning on the ’Fly. “Less is more! Einstein proved it! Less is more! Einstein proved it!” my old boss, Dave, used to say on repeat. This was at the pizzeria I…
+ Welcome to Soundfly! We help curious musicians meet their goals with creative online courses. Whatever you want to learn, whenever you need to learn it. Subscribe now to start learning on the ’Fly. The 12-bar blues is the most important structural element in the history of American popular music. Musicians from Louis Armstrong to The White Stripes have used the…
+ Learning to record and mix at home? Check out Soundfly’s acclaimed online courses on mixing, production, beat making and more — Subscribe for access. By Julie Kathryn a.k.a. I AM SNOW ANGEL I’m an artist, songwriter and producer. I produce my own material, as well as tracks for other artists. This means I have the pleasure of shaping…
Sometimes what makes a song really stand out isn’t so much the writing, per se — it’s the arrangement of the instruments on the recording or performance. The different combinations of sounds and varied dynamic ranges of certain instruments can change a cliché chord progression or melody line into a stand-out moment. When used as a…
Radiohead’s new release “Burn the Witch” marks the end of a long period of silence from the band. It is a patient, driving piece with an engaging form that seamlessly incorporates orchestral string instruments into the music. Often when rock songs use strings, they feel like an extra topping daubed on at the end of…
By Dave Marcello Let’s face it; you’re pretty biased when it comes to evaluating your own music. You may think it’s the most soul-filled, genre-busting art the world has ever heard, or you might view it as a trash-filled trash bag that belongs out in the trash with the rest of the trash. Either way,…
While playing chords on a bass is nothing new, the practice has long been considered a little taboo. But now that players like Thundercat are making chordal playing more prominent, it may be time for you to get your chord chops in shape. In this article I’m going to outline some of my favorite voicings on the four-string…
With Soundfly Mainstage, you’ll get personalized mentor support and feedback on your work over a six-week course session, whether you’re looking to write music for a string quartet, improve your understanding of composition, or insert more climactic emotion into your harmony, and more! Introducing irregular time signatures into your compositional practice can be a liberating…
This video is an excerpt of our free course “Music Theory for Beginner Pianists.” The piano is an astounding instrument. It offers players the opportunity to experiment with a nearly endless range of textures, dynamics, and even timbres. Of course, being faced with all those options can be pretty overwhelming, especially for those who are…
By Matt O’ Donnell and Steve Paix Creativity is an important part of mental health and well-being. Having a way to process thoughts and feelings through music is useful because it allows you to be comfortable with a level of abstraction: you don’t have to spell everything out. In this way, writing music becomes an…
