Why Do Birds (Actually) Sing?
In this lengthy explainer learn why and how bird songs vary in their purpose, how birds customize their calls to their environment, and more.
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How The Weeknd’s “Blinding Lights” Takes Beethoven’s Ideas to #1
In this analysis, pop music theorist Ben Morss shows how The Weeknd’s “Blinding Lights” is built from four-note scale segments.
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On Decoda’s ‘Music For Transformation’ – A Collaborative Songwriting Program
Read about an incredible project that pairs a NYC string quartet with inmates at a South Carolina prison, where the results and changes go both ways.
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Memorize Common Descending Intervals Easily with This Handy Guide
Here’s a super handy cheat sheet for remembering descending note intervals, using some of the most familiar melodies in music history!
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Finish What You Started! Using Cadences in Composition (Video)
Though it may seem daunting from afar, venturing into the world of music theory doesn’t require an IQ of 160 or even a teacher in a classroom. In fact, just a little familiarity with some key harmonic concepts can provide any composer, producer, or songwriter with the tools to create more emotionally impactful music. And…
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5 Musical Geniuses Who Overcame Disabilities to Achieve Powerful Legacies
Whether it’s writing a song or learning how to read music, becoming a serious musician comes with its fair share of hardship and challenges, already. Everything — from the time and patience it takes to build up your chops on a new instrument, to coughing up enough cash to purchase equipment — is a pain.…
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The Music Inside Haruki Murakami’s Literary World
Haruki Murakami is not (quite) a musician, but he has a greater command of music as an art form than most musicians I know, myself included. How is that possible? Read on. Murakami is considered by many to be Japan’s finest contemporary author. He burst onto the scene in 1979 with his gritty novella, Hear the…
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Where Have All the V Chords Gone? The Decline of ‘Functional’ Harmony in Pop
+ 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. So there I was, doing research on topics such as “summer 2017 songwriting trends,” when it hit me. You guys, this is getting ridiculous — where did…
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Off Notes: Unexpected Sounds
Happy Friday! Can you 3D print music? What does a Wikipedia update sound like? What does Bowie’s “Life on Mars” look like? This week we found answers to all these questions and more. Hearing music in the distinctly non-musical is a fascinating source of inspiration and has led to some stunning creations. Also, we have David Hasselhoff’s latest hit…
