Tag: Aretha Franklin

  • The Aretha Franklin Songs That Inspired Us and Touched Our Lives

    The Aretha Franklin Songs That Inspired Us and Touched Our Lives

    Singer, songwriter, pianist, inspiration, Aretha Franklin, known to many as the Queen of Soul, passed away Thursday. She was 76 years old. In the last 24 hours, as we assume will continue for days, weeks, perhaps years, many artists and people of all walks of life have been sharing stories of how Franklin’s music and…

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  • One Chord to Rule Them All

    One Chord to Rule Them All

    When Bob Marley toured New Zealand for the first and only time in 1979 (he died in 1981), I’d never heard music like it. His visit was so significant that he was a lead item on the nation’s main TV channel’s prime time news. He left a significant impression on our own musical culture, from…

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  • Are You Talking to Me? Using Conversation in Lyrics

    Are You Talking to Me? Using Conversation in Lyrics

    + 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. Whenever songwriters use ordinary conversation in lyrics, the song quickly becomes very direct and very personal. It’s a profoundly effective technique, despite its simplicity. Conversational lyric allows…

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  • Philip Tagg’s Everyday Tonality

    Philip Tagg’s Everyday Tonality

    This article originally appeared on The Ethan Hein Blog. I complain a lot on my blog about the traditional teaching of music theory. Fortunately, a better alternative exists: Everyday Tonality by Philip Tagg. Don’t be put off by the DIY look of the website; the book is the single best explanation I know of for how harmony works across…

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