I’m Not Saying Aliens Wrote This “House of Cards” Cue, But…
We break down the super hip “fourthi-fifthiness” sounding interval leap in this downright gorgeous cue from the “House of Cards” score.
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Is “If I Fell” The Beatles’ Hippest Pre-Revolver Tune?
What’s going on in this subtly sophisticated pop hit? Turns out… a lot! Let’s break down this romantic ballad off of “A Hard Day’s Night.”
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What Does “Diatonic” Actually Mean?
Are all major and minor scales diatonic? Did Pythagoras invent chromaticism? What’s up and what’s down with diatonicism… Find out here!
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How to Spice Up a Mundane Melody With Jazz Chords
Looking at Nile Rodgers’ famous arrangements for David Bowie and Sister Sledge, let’s talk about how to turn pop into funk and so much more!
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Crying in the Club: Songs Within Songs and Intertextuality in Pop Music
A lengthy, in-depth look at the self-referential nature of pop music and what that means for legality and creativity in music.
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Why Joker’s Score Makes It a Prequel
An analysis of how Hildur Guðnadóttir’s score for Joker helps anchor the narrative and characters in both their story and their timeline.
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Isn’t It Iconic? (Nirvana, That Is.)
What happens when a computer decides what makes popular songs formulaic versus iconic? Total controversy. But let’s take a deeper look…
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Thundercat Chord Theory
In this post, courtesy of Reverb Machine’s Dan Carr, we break down the chord progressions of Thundercat’s most beloved jazz-inspired songs.
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On Chord Fragments and Nuanced Embellishments in Talking Heads’ “Slippery People”
A quick and fun breakdown of one of David Byrne’s most slippery songs from the Talking Heads catalog, and why it works so well…
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An Intermediate Guide to Chord Tones and Tensions
Thinking about how chords relate to the notes in your melody is an important aspect of voice leading with intention — here’s a quick guide.
