In this edition of Soundfly Basics, we run down the usefulness and potential applications of utilizing tension in your chord progressions.
Tag: beginner theory
Articles with entry-level theory. Use for courses on guitar, piano, reading music.
The Hidden Grammar of Music
What a music theory book at age 13 taught me about how to look at chords, chord progressions and the emotions they’re capable of manifesting.
How to Use Borrowed Chords
A handy guide for using borrowed chords in parallel scales and modes, to make your chord progressions more refreshing and unpredictable.
How Secondary Dominants Can Make Your Chord Progressions Less Boring
It’s not hard to break out of predictable chord patterns with a new mindset on harmony, and a bit of easy help from secondary dominants, too.
How to Make Chords From Scales
Learning to read or write music? Here’s a quick guide to making chords within the various scales and modes you might encounter in music theory.
How Do Key Signatures Work?
Learning to read or write music? Here’s a quick-yet-deep primer on how key signatures work across major, minor, modal, blues and other tonalities.
Why Leon Bridges’ Powerful New Song “Sweeter” Works on Every… Single… Level
We break down the devices that help Leon Bridges and Terrace Martin’s song, “Sweeter,” function on every level, musically, poetically, and emotionally.
5 Free Online Resources for Learning Music Theory (Plus a Bonus)
We’ve scowered the web to find these five great websites where you can improve your knowledge and grasp of music theory concepts entirely for free!
Announcing NYU MusED Lab’s Theory aQWERTYon
NYU MusED Lab’s famed web-based music toy, the aQWERTYon, just got a reboot. Now you can play with it and learn theory and chords. Enjoy!
Scale Mode Cheat Sheet: How to Remember Each and Every Mode
Modes and Key Signatures have a variety of different characteristics and are great for outside-the-box songwriting. Here’s a cheat sheet to remember them!