How D’Angelo Uses Funky Dominant Sevenths in “Sugah Daddy”
In this short analysis, we break down the source of D’Angelo’s funky sound, his impeccable use of dominant sevenths in spread voicings.
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A Harmonic Analysis of Radiohead’s “Weird Fishes/Arpeggi”
Let’s revisit one of Radiohead’s most propulsive and intricately layered songs, to deconstruct all the elements at play and how they function.
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A Harmonic Analysis of Michael Jackson’s Protest Song “They Don’t Care About Us”
Through means of Dancehall rhythms, modal interchange, and ostinato, Michael Jackson gives us glimpses of Black American heritage in his protest song.
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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.
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3 Scale Modes That Will Deepen the Emotions of Your Pop Song
If you’re looking to impart a sinister, mysterious, bittersweet, or jazzy quality into your songwriting, do it using scale modes! Here’s how.
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Why Producers Need to Learn to Analyze Common Pop Song Structures
As a producer, it’s essential to have a knack for songwriting structures and forms so your music doesn’t feel aimless.
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Exploring Tonal Hierarchies in Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance with Somebody”
In his ongoing attempts to seek out the answers to why we like the music we like, Hunter Farris has uncovered a melodic hierarchy via Whitney Houston.
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The Most Poetic Lyrics We Heard in Pop Music in 2018
We’ve compiled some of our favorite lyrics to hit the Billboard pop charts last year and isolated them to give them the attention they deserve.
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What Makes a Song “Catchy?”
This article looks at some of the psychological explanations around why songs are considered catchy and how they get stuck in our heads.
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St. Vincent’s “Los Ageless” – a Song or a Production?
As an example of a song that could be called both a “production” and a “song”, we look at St. Vincent’s “Los Ageless” to break down those differences.
