Music theory lessons
Harmony, scales and modes, counterpoint, form, composition, rhythm, arranging, choirs, sound design, mixing and mastering. Each lesson explains the concept, where it comes from and how to use it, with tables and examples.
Theory
- Abbreviations, repeats and repeat signs in the scoreBeginner
- Accidentals: sharps, flats, double accidentals, and naturalsBeginner
- Agogics and tempo markings (Largo, Andante, Allegro, rubato)Beginner
- Articulations: staccato, legato, accents and instrumental techniquesBeginner
- Chord symbols: jazz, pop, classical and Italian conventionsBeginner
- Circle of fifths and closely related keysBeginner
- Dots, double dots, ties, and irregular groupsBeginner
- Dynamics: markings, gradations and translation into MIDIBeginner
- Expression and character terms: dolce, cantabile, con brio, and their modifiersBeginner
- Fermata, caesura, breath mark and general pause: the signs of suspensionBeginner
- Functional listening and scale-degree recognitionBeginner
- Intervals and their inversionsBeginner
- Key signatures: order, reading and relative keysBeginner
- Music engraving: stems, beams and grouping of notes within the barBeginner
- Note names and octave numbering (Do3, C4, C5)Beginner
- Note values and restsBeginner
- Origins of notation: neumes, Guido of Arezzo, hexachords and mensural notationBeginner
- Pentatonic scales and the blues scaleBeginner
- Scale degrees and functional namesBeginner
- Seventh chordsBeginner
- Simple and compound intervalsBeginner
- Solfège: spoken, sung, fixed do and movable doBeginner
- Sound and pitch: frequency, tuning pitch, and MIDI numbersBeginner
- The major scale and the minor scalesBeginner
- The staff and clefs: treble, bass, and C clefsBeginner
- Time signatures: simple and compound metersBeginner
- Triads and inversions: quick construction and recognitionBeginner
- Triads: qualities and diatonic chordsBeginner
- Acciaccatura and appoggiatura: differences, duration, and performanceIntermediate
- Arpeggio, glissando, and portamento: signs and performance on instrumentsIntermediate
- Augmented and diminished intervals: classification, calculation and resolutionIntermediate
- Consonance and dissonanceIntermediate
- Enharmony: enharmonic notes, intervals, keys and chordsIntermediate
- Equal temperament and centsIntermediate
- Inversion figures in harmonic analysis (6, 6/4, 6/5, 4/3, 4/2)Intermediate
- Irregular, asymmetric and mixed meters (5/4, 7/8, aksak)Intermediate
- Mordent and turn: signs, variants, and performanceIntermediate
- Musical dictation: rhythmic, melodic and harmonicIntermediate
- Ninth chords: maj9, 9, m9, b9, #9, add9Intermediate
- Ornaments: trill, mordent, turn, acciaccatura and appoggiaturaIntermediate
- Performance markings in the score: divisi, a 2, tutti, mute, pizz., 8va, and pedalIntermediate
- Pythagorean tuning and the Pythagorean commaIntermediate
- Roman numerals in analysis: classical, jazz and pop systemsIntermediate
- Seventh chord qualities: a complete catalogIntermediate
- Sixth chords: 6, m6, 6/9 and the added sixthIntermediate
- Symmetrical scales: whole-tone and diminishedIntermediate
- Tetrachords: building scales and modes from four-note blocksIntermediate
- The harmonic series and timbreIntermediate
- The modes of the major scaleIntermediate
- The trill: start, termination, and performance by periodIntermediate
- Transposition and transposing instrumentsIntermediate
- Altered chords: b5, #5, b9, #9, #11, b13 and the alt chordAdvanced
- Just intonation, meantone and well temperamentsAdvanced
- Reading the orchestral scoreAdvanced
- Set theory (1): pitch classes, interval classes and operationsAdvanced
- Set theory (2): normal form, prime form and interval vectorAdvanced
- Transposition by changing clef: reading a part in another keyAdvanced
Scales and modes
- Aeolian mode (natural minor)Beginner
- Blues scales: minor blues, major blues, hexatonic forms and blue notesBeginner
- Chromatic scale: spelling, functions and useBeginner
- Dorian modeBeginner
- Ionian mode (the major scale as a mode)Beginner
- Mixolydian modeBeginner
- Pentatonic scales: major, minor and the five modesBeginner
- Bebop scales: dominant, major, minor and DorianIntermediate
- Chord-scale theory: how to choose the scale over a chordIntermediate
- Church modes (Gregorian): authentic, plagal, finalis, and reciting toneIntermediate
- Church modes: finals, ambitus, authentic and plagal modesIntermediate
- Double harmonic scale (Byzantine, Arabic) and its modesIntermediate
- Harmonic minor scale and its modesIntermediate
- Japanese pentatonic scales: hirajoshi, in (miyako-bushi), in-sen, iwato, yo, kumoiIntermediate
- Locrian modeIntermediate
- Lydian dominant (acoustic scale): 4th mode of melodic minorIntermediate
- Lydian modeIntermediate
- Melodic minor scale (jazz minor) and its modesIntermediate
- Phrygian dominant (freygish, hijaz, Spanish): 5th mode of harmonic minorIntermediate
- Phrygian modeIntermediate
- Scales for film music: Lydian, harmonic minor, Dorian and other colorsIntermediate
- Whole-tone scaleIntermediate
- Augmented scale (symmetrical hexatonic 3-1)Advanced
- Diminished (octatonic) scale: whole-half and half-wholeAdvanced
- Dorian #4 (Ukrainian Dorian, misheberakh): 4th mode of harmonic minorAdvanced
- Dorian b2 (Phrygian ♮6): 2nd mode of melodic minorAdvanced
- Enigmatic scale (Crescentini, Verdi)Advanced
- George Russell’s Lydian Chromatic ConceptAdvanced
- Harmonic major scale and its modesAdvanced
- Hungarian scales: Hungarian minor and Hungarian majorAdvanced
- Ionian #5 (Ionian augmented): 3rd mode of harmonic minorAdvanced
- Locrian #2 (half-diminished): 6th mode of melodic minorAdvanced
- Locrian #6: 2nd mode of harmonic minorAdvanced
- Lydian #2: 6th mode of harmonic minorAdvanced
- Lydian augmented: 3rd mode of melodic minorAdvanced
- Maqam: introduction (Rast, Bayati, Hijaz, Saba)Advanced
- Messiaen’s modes of limited transpositionAdvanced
- Mixolydian b6 (Aeolian dominant): 5th mode of melodic minorAdvanced
- Neapolitan scales: Neapolitan major and Neapolitan minorAdvanced
- Raga: introduction (Bhairav, Yaman, Kafi)Advanced
- Super Locrian (altered scale): 7th mode of melodic minorAdvanced
- Super Locrian bb7 (ultra Locrian): 7th mode of harmonic minorAdvanced
Harmony
- Axis progression: I – V – vi – IV and its rotationsBeginner
- CadencesBeginner
- Diatonic functions: tonic, subdominant, dominantBeginner
- Passing tones and neighbor tones: accented, unaccented, double, and chromaticBeginner
- Perfect and imperfect authentic cadence: position, inversions, and closing strengthBeginner
- Picardy third (major ending in a minor key)Beginner
- Pop progressions and loopsBeginner
- The 50s progression (doo-wop): I – vi – IV – VBeginner
- The blues: 12-bar form and harmonyBeginner
- The Pachelbel Canon progressionBeginner
- Aeolian and Locrian harmony: minor loops without a leading tone, and the unstable modeIntermediate
- Andalusian cadence (i – bVII – bVI – V)Intermediate
- Appoggiatura, escape tone, anticipation and cambiataIntermediate
- Augmented chords and how to use themIntermediate
- Backdoor progression (ivm7 – bVII7 – I)Intermediate
- Chord inversions and six-three and six-four chordsIntermediate
- Chord-scale theory and avoid notesIntermediate
- Chromatic, direct, and “truck driver” modulation (key changes in pop)Intermediate
- Cinematic Lydian: #4, the major II, and a sense of wonderIntermediate
- Clusters: chords built in secondsIntermediate
- Deceptive cadence and variants (V–vi, V–bVI, V–IV6…)Intermediate
- Diatonic substitution (by function and by common tones)Intermediate
- Dominant seventh chord: inversions and regular resolutionsIntermediate
- Extensions and tensions (9, 11, 13)Intermediate
- Figured bass (basso continuo)Intermediate
- Folia, Romanesca and passamezzo: the ground basses of the Renaissance and BaroqueIntermediate
- Funk and R&B harmony: vamps, ninth dominants and seventh chordsIntermediate
- Gospel harmony: fundamentals, voicings and progressionsIntermediate
- Half cadence and Phrygian cadenceIntermediate
- Half-diminished seventh chord: viiø7 in major and iiø7 in minorIntermediate
- Harmonic rhythmIntermediate
- Harmonic sequences and progression by fifthsIntermediate
- Harmonizing a melody: step-by-step methodsIntermediate
- Harmony for film music: minor-major, mediants, and the “Zimmer sound”Intermediate
- Harmony in metal: power chords, chromaticism, the tritone and dark modesIntermediate
- Harmony in minor keysIntermediate
- Jazz harmonic analysis: method and symbolsIntermediate
- Jazz standards and harmonic forms: AABA, ABAC, blues and contrafactsIntermediate
- K-pop and modern pop progressionsIntermediate
- Line cliché: chromatic inner lines over a chordIntermediate
- Mixolydian in rock: bVII, the double plagal, and riffsIntermediate
- Modal interchange (borrowed chords)Intermediate
- Modulation by common chord (pivot chord) and closely related keysIntermediate
- Modulation techniquesIntermediate
- Neo-soul harmony: maj9, m11, “Dilla” chords and voicingsIntermediate
- Non-chord tonesIntermediate
- Passing, auxiliary, and neighbor diminished chordsIntermediate
- Pedal and ostinatoIntermediate
- Phrygian: flamenco, Phrygian dominant, and metalIntermediate
- Plagal cadence and minor plagal (IV–I, iv–I, and variants)Intermediate
- Planing and constant structures (parallel chords)Intermediate
- Related ii–V and secondary ii–VIntermediate
- Rhythm changes (I Got Rhythm)Intermediate
- Root motion: strong and weak progressions and the table of usual successionsIntermediate
- Royal Road (王道進行): the J-pop IVmaj7 – V7 – iii7 – viIntermediate
- Secondary (non-dominant) sevenths: ii7, IV7, vi7, Imaj7, iii7, and their preparationIntermediate
- Secondary dominants and extended dominantsIntermediate
- Secondary leading-tone chords: vii°/x, vii°7/x, and viiø7/xIntermediate
- Slash chords and inversions in pop: walking bassesIntermediate
- Sus, add, slash and hybrid chordsIntermediate
- The “Creep” progression: I – III – IV – ivIntermediate
- The “Just the Two of Us” progression (丸サ進行)Intermediate
- The diminished seventh chord and its usesIntermediate
- The Dorian vamp: harmony and arranging in the Dorian modeIntermediate
- The first inversion (six chord): doublings, functions, and chains of sixthsIntermediate
- The jazz blues: 12-bar form with ii–V and substitutionsIntermediate
- The jazz ii–V–IIntermediate
- The minor blues: form, variants, and tunesIntermediate
- The six-four chord: cadential, passing, neighbor, and arpeggiatedIntermediate
- Tonicization: making a chord the tonic without modulatingIntermediate
- Tritone substitutionIntermediate
- Advanced harmonic rhythm: accelerations, anticipations, and hypermeterAdvanced
- Advanced pedal point: tonic, dominant, upper, and double pedalsAdvanced
- Advanced quartal harmony: the So What chord and McCoy Tyner voicingsAdvanced
- Advanced reharmonization: techniques and complete examplesAdvanced
- Altered chords in classical harmony: augmented dominant, lowered fifth and altered IIAdvanced
- Augmented sixth chords (Italian, French, German)Advanced
- Barry Harris: the diminished sixth scale and the “6 – dim” chordsAdvanced
- Bird blues (Blues for Alice)Advanced
- Chromatic harmony: linear chromaticism, lament bass and chromatic passing chordsAdvanced
- Chromatic mediants (chromatic third relations)Advanced
- Chromatic substitution, approach chords, and side-slippingAdvanced
- Chromatic voice leading between chords (parsimonious voice leading)Advanced
- Coltrane changes and Giant StepsAdvanced
- Dominant eleventh and thirteenth chords in tonal harmonyAdvanced
- Enharmonic modulation (diminished seventh, German sixth, augmented)Advanced
- Extended tonal functions (Riemann): T, S, D, parallels, and counter-chordsAdvanced
- Extended tritone substitution: chains, ii–subV, and related chordsAdvanced
- Gospel: passing chords, moving tritones and the gospel “2-5-1”Advanced
- Hindemith’s harmony: Series 1, Series 2, and harmonic fluctuationAdvanced
- Hybrid chords and polychordsAdvanced
- Impressionist harmony: Debussy and RavelAdvanced
- Irregular resolutions of the dominant and of secondary dominantsAdvanced
- Modal harmony and modal loopsAdvanced
- Neapolitan sixthAdvanced
- Negative harmony: applications and reharmonization examplesAdvanced
- Negative harmony: complete mapping of notes, chords, and scalesAdvanced
- Negative harmony: principle, axis, and history (Levy, Coleman, Collier)Advanced
- Neo-Riemannian theory: the P, L, R transformationsAdvanced
- Pandiatonicism: the scale without hierarchiesAdvanced
- Polytonality and bitonalityAdvanced
- Prolongation: how a chord lasts longer than its notes (Schenker)Advanced
- Quartal and quintal harmonyAdvanced
- ReharmonizationAdvanced
- Schoenberg: from extended tonality to atonality and twelve-tone technique (introduction)Advanced
- Substitution by thirds: diatonic, chromatic, and cycles of thirdsAdvanced
- Sus chords as dominants and polymodality (Maiden Voyage)Advanced
- The dominant ninth chord in harmonic writing: major, minor and incompleteAdvanced
- The omnibus progression (chromatic exchange of the outer voices)Advanced
- The Tonnetz: the map of chords and harmonic pathsAdvanced
- The Tristan chord and Wagnerian chromaticismAdvanced
- Tonal and modulating sequences: harmonic sequences that stay in or change keyAdvanced
- Upper structure triadsAdvanced
Counterpoint and voice leading
- Connecting root-position triads: common tones, contrary motion, and doublingsBeginner
- Perfect, imperfect and dissonant intervals in strict counterpoint (the case of the fourth)Beginner
- The four motions and Fux's four fundamental rulesBeginner
- The melodic line in strict counterpoint: leaps, climax and compensationBeginner
- Voice leading in pop, pads and synthsBeginner
- Voice-leading rulesBeginner
- Canon and imitationIntermediate
- Cross-relation (chromatic relation between different voices)Intermediate
- First species in three voices: the complete triad, the 6/3 and cadencesIntermediate
- First-species counterpoint (note against note)Intermediate
- Four-part SATB writingIntermediate
- Fourth-species counterpoint (syncopation and suspensions)Intermediate
- Fux's Gradus ad Parnassum: method, dialogue and the path through the speciesIntermediate
- Guide tone linesIntermediate
- Harmonizing a chorale step by stepIntermediate
- Harmonizing a given bass (unfigured bass)Intermediate
- Imitation: strict and free, at intervals, by contrary motion, augmentation and diminutionIntermediate
- Inner voices and hidden lines (latent polyphony)Intermediate
- Modal clausulae and cadences: cantizans, tenorizans, bassizans and the Phrygian cadenceIntermediate
- Modal first species in two voices: a complete procedure in D DorianIntermediate
- Modal second species: the passing dissonance and fifths on downbeatsIntermediate
- Modal third species: four notes against one, passing notes and neighbor notesIntermediate
- Musica ficta in modal counterpoint: the leading tone at the cadence, Bb and the tritoneIntermediate
- Outer-voice counterpoint: melody and bassIntermediate
- Parallel, hidden and contrary-motion fifths and octavesIntermediate
- Rule of the octaveIntermediate
- Second-species counterpoint (two notes against one)Intermediate
- Suspension chains 7-6, 4-3, 2-3 and 9-8: from counterpoint to popIntermediate
- Suspensions: 4-3, 7-6, 9-8, 2-3, and ornamented suspensionsIntermediate
- The Bach chorale: style and characteristicsIntermediate
- The cantus firmus: construction, Fux's six melodies and treatment above and belowIntermediate
- Third-species counterpoint (four notes against one)Intermediate
- Three-part counterpointIntermediate
- Two-part invention (Bach)Intermediate
- Voice leading in jazz: sevenths and rootless voicingsIntermediate
- Episodes in the fugue: construction and modulation techniquesAdvanced
- Fifth-species counterpoint (florid)Advanced
- First species in four voices: doublings, spacing and permitted freedomsAdvanced
- Florid species in four voices and mixed counterpointAdvanced
- Four-part counterpointAdvanced
- Fugue in the modes: modal answer and division of the octaveAdvanced
- Fugue: countersubject, codettas and episodesAdvanced
- Fugue: stretto, pedal point and contrapuntal devicesAdvanced
- Fugue: subject, real answer and tonal answerAdvanced
- Galant schemata (Gjerdingen) 1: openings and repliesAdvanced
- Galant schemata (Gjerdingen) 2: sequences, prolongations and cadencesAdvanced
- Invertible counterpoint at the octave (double counterpoint)Advanced
- Invertible counterpoint at the tenth and twelfthAdvanced
- Invertible counterpoint by contrary motion and mirror writingAdvanced
- Modal fifth species: florid counterpoint, eighth notes and ornamented resolutionsAdvanced
- Modal fourth species: preparation, percussion and resolution of the suspensionAdvanced
- Partimento and the Neapolitan schoolAdvanced
- Schenker (introduction): Ursatz, Urlinie and structural levelsAdvanced
- Second, third, fourth and fifth species in three voicesAdvanced
- Stretto: how to check it, types and the grand strettoAdvanced
- The fugue subject: head, tail, range and characterAdvanced
- The nota cambiata (Fuxian cambiata) and double neighbor figuresAdvanced
- Tonal answer and mutation: where and how the subject is modifiedAdvanced
- Triple and quadruple counterpoint (invertible in several voices)Advanced
- Types of canon: at intervals, by contrary motion, crab, by augmentation, perpetual, spiral and enigmaticAdvanced
- Writing a countersubject: double counterpoint, rhythmic contrast and multiple countersubjectsAdvanced
Form and analysis
- Bernstein: "What Is a Mode?" (Young People's Concerts, 1966)Beginner
- Bernstein: "What Is Melody?" (Young People's Concerts, 1962)Beginner
- Bernstein: "What Is Orchestration?" (Young People's Concerts, 1958)Beginner
- Bernstein: "What Is Sonata Form?" (Young People's Concerts, 1964)Beginner
- Binary, ternary and AABA formBeginner
- Blues forms: 12-, 8- and 16-bar blues, AAB lyrics, intro, turnaround and endingsBeginner
- Electronic music forms: intro, build, drop, breakdown, outroBeginner
- Head–solos–head: the form of the jazz arrangementBeginner
- Hip hop forms: 16-bar verses, hook, bridge and beat switchBeginner
- Minuet and trioBeginner
- Roman numeral harmonic analysis step by stepBeginner
- The 32-bar American song form (AABA and ABAC)Beginner
- The march: form, meter and variants (military, funeral, concert, film)Beginner
- The period: antecedent and consequentBeginner
- The rondoBeginner
- The symphony: structure of the movementsBeginner
- Verse–chorus formBeginner
- A method for analyzing a pop songIntermediate
- Analysis of a jazz tune from a lead sheet (complete example: Autumn Leaves)Intermediate
- Analysis of an EDM track: method and worksheetIntermediate
- Baroque opera: recitative, arioso and da capo ariaIntermediate
- Baroque suite: allemande, courante, sarabande, gigue and galanteriesIntermediate
- Binary form: simple, rounded, balanced, continuous, and sectionalIntermediate
- Concerto grossoIntermediate
- Dance break, beat switch and collage form in K-popIntermediate
- Forms of contemporary pop and K-popIntermediate
- History of fugue theory 1: from Zarlino to FuxIntermediate
- History of fugue theory 2: Marpurg, Martini, Albrechtsberger, Cherubini and the French schoolIntermediate
- Motivic analysis: how to follow a motif through a pieceIntermediate
- Passacaglia and chaconne (variations over an ostinato bass)Intermediate
- Ragtime: form, rhythm and harmonyIntermediate
- Rhythm changes as a form: structure, arranging and contrafactIntermediate
- Sacred forms 1: the mass and the motetIntermediate
- Sacred forms 2: cantata, oratorio and PassionIntermediate
- ScherzoIntermediate
- Solo concerto and ritornello formIntermediate
- Sonata formIntermediate
- Sonata form with a slow introductionIntermediate
- Sonata-rondoIntermediate
- The étudeIntermediate
- The Lied: strophic, modified strophic and durchkomponiertIntermediate
- The nocturneIntermediate
- The prelude: from Bach to Chopin, Debussy and the opera preludeIntermediate
- The sentence and phrase structureIntermediate
- Theme and variationsIntermediate
- 20th-century forms: arch, block, moment, open and process formAdvanced
- Ambiguity and expectation (Bernstein)Advanced
- Analysis: Fugue in C major BWV 846 (The Well-Tempered Clavier I)Advanced
- Analysis: Handel's choral fugues (Messiah)Advanced
- Analysis: The Art of Fugue BWV 1080Advanced
- Analyzing an orchestral score: layers, doublings and reductionAdvanced
- Ballade and free Romantic form (fantasia, rhapsody, symphonic poem)Advanced
- Bernstein: The Unanswered Question (Norton Lectures, Harvard 1973)Advanced
- Caplin's formal functions: beginning, middle, end and hybrid themesAdvanced
- Double, triple and quadruple fuguesAdvanced
- Fugue by inversion, augmentation and diminution, counter-fugue and mirror fugueAdvanced
- Fugue: formal plan and how to analyze a fugueAdvanced
- Leitmotif and Wagnerian music dramaAdvanced
- Monothematic sonata form and other variants (sonatina, three keys, no development)Advanced
- Musical phonology, syntax and semantics (Bernstein)Advanced
- Pedal and coda in the fugueAdvanced
- Schenkerian analysis step by step: from surface to graphAdvanced
- Sonata form: Hepokoski and Darcy's Sonata TheoryAdvanced
- The “solita forma” of Italian opera: cantabile, tempo di mezzo and cabalettaAdvanced
- The counter-expositionAdvanced
- The fugue exposition: order of entries, codettas and redundant entriesAdvanced
- The school fugue (fugue d'école): the complete schemeAdvanced
- The Well-Tempered Clavier: overview of the fugues and case studies (BWV 847, 849, 861, 883)Advanced
Composition
- Call and responseBeginner
- Hooks in pop songwritingBeginner
- Melodic writing and contourBeginner
- Motive and motivic developmentBeginner
- The songwriting process: from idea to demoBeginner
- Writing a riffBeginner
- Bass lines in pop, rock, funk and discoIntermediate
- Building the chorusIntermediate
- Composing for Picture: Leitmotif and ThemesIntermediate
- Composing on Modal ProgressionsIntermediate
- Contrast between sectionsIntermediate
- Countermelody and counter-vocalIntermediate
- Developing an idea into a complete songIntermediate
- Flow and rhythmic writing in rapIntermediate
- Prosody: words, melody and harmonyIntermediate
- Tension and release in compositionIntermediate
- The fugato: fugue technique inside other forms, from the Classical era to the musicalIntermediate
- Walking bass: building jazz linesIntermediate
- Writing 808 lines: notes, glide and rhythmIntermediate
- Writing drum partsIntermediate
- Writing the toplineIntermediate
- Composing in the Classical Style: Phrase, Period, and DevelopmentAdvanced
- Composing in the K-pop StyleAdvanced
- Composing with Negative HarmonyAdvanced
- Minimalist Composition: Additive Processes and PhasingAdvanced
- Spotting, Hit Points, and Mickey MousingAdvanced
- Video Game Music: Loops and Adaptive MusicAdvanced
Rhythm
- Anacrusis, downbeat and upbeat: how a phrase begins and endsBeginner
- Drum rudiments for programmersBeginner
- Meter, subdivision, half-time and double-timeBeginner
- Metronome and click: practice and recordingBeginner
- Quantization: grid, strength and windowBeginner
- Syncopation and anticipationBeginner
- Brazilian rhythms: samba, bossa nova, baião, partido altoIntermediate
- Clave and tresilloIntermediate
- Clave families: son, rumba, bossa, 6/8 and directionIntermediate
- Drum grooves by genreIntermediate
- Fills and transitionsIntermediate
- Ghost notes and drum dynamicsIntermediate
- Humanize and groove templatesIntermediate
- Indian tala: an introductionIntermediate
- Irregular groupings in simple and compound meters: duplets, triplets, quadruplets, quintuplets, sextupletsIntermediate
- Irregular meters: 5/4, 7/8, 9/8, 11/8 and the aksakIntermediate
- Odd groupings within 4/4: 3+3+2 and 3+3+3+3+4Intermediate
- Rhythm in melody: placement, rhythmic motifs and displacementIntermediate
- Rhythm in rap: the grid, sixteenth-note flow and triplet flowIntermediate
- Shuffle and swing: percentages and programmingIntermediate
- Tempo map, rubato and tempo changesIntermediate
- Triplets and irregular groups in the groove: from triplets to rollsIntermediate
- Advanced half-time and double-timeAdvanced
- African timelines: the 12/8 bell patternAdvanced
- Groove, swing and microtimingAdvanced
- Metric modulationAdvanced
- Polyrhythm, hemiola and polymeterAdvanced
- Polyrhythms 3:2, 4:3, 5:4, 7:4: calculation and how to play themAdvanced
Arranging and orchestration
- Acoustic and Unplugged ArrangingIntermediate
- Arranging an EDM TrackIntermediate
- Arranging for Guitar: CAGED, Triads, and Inversions on the StringsIntermediate
- Arranging for the rhythm sectionIntermediate
- Arranging with Synths: Pads, Plucks, Leads, Arpeggios, BassesIntermediate
- Brass: Ranges, Transpositions, and RegistersIntermediate
- Density and Space in ArrangingIntermediate
- Keyboards in the Orchestra: Piano, Celesta, Harpsichord, OrganIntermediate
- Layering: Arranging by Frequency and StereoIntermediate
- Orchestral Percussion: Pitched and UnpitchedIntermediate
- Orchestration: families, ranges and blendsIntermediate
- Piano Accompaniment PatternsIntermediate
- Pop and Funk Horn Section: Voicings, Unisons, and StabsIntermediate
- String Arranging in PopIntermediate
- String TechniquesIntermediate
- Strings: Ranges, Clefs, Registers, and Section SizesIntermediate
- Voicing: close, open, drop 2, shellIntermediate
- Woodwinds: Ranges, Transpositions, and RegistersIntermediate
- Big Band Arranging: Soli, Shout Choruses, and VoicingsAdvanced
- Harp: Pedals, Range, and WritingAdvanced
- K-pop ArrangingAdvanced
- Orchestral Doublings and BlendsAdvanced
- Orchestration with Virtual Libraries in the DAWAdvanced
- Reductions: From Full Score to Piano and EnsembleAdvanced
Choirs and vocals
- Gang vocals, doubles and crowd choirsBeginner
- Vocal Ranges: Soprano, Mezzo, Alto, Tenor, Baritone, BassBeginner
- Ad-libs and Vocal RunsIntermediate
- Belting, Mixed Voice and FalsettoIntermediate
- Gang Vocals: Arranging and Recording a Mass ChoirIntermediate
- Gospel Choir: Call and Response, Vamp and ShoutIntermediate
- Parallel and Independent Vocal HarmoniesIntermediate
- Pop Choral Arranging: Unisons, Thirds, Sixths, Open and CloseIntermediate
- Vocal Doubles and Triples: Recording and EditingIntermediate
- Vocal harmonies and choral voicingIntermediate
- Vocal Production: Comping, Tuning and TimingIntermediate
- Vocal Registers and BreaksIntermediate
- Advanced SATB Choral WritingAdvanced
- Barbershop and Close HarmonyAdvanced
- Film and Epic ChoirAdvanced
- K-pop and Boy Band Vocal HarmoniesAdvanced
- Modern A Cappella: Beatbox, Instrumental Voices and the Pentatonix StyleAdvanced
- Screams and Growls: Safe TechniqueAdvanced
- Vocal Fry and Extended Vocal TechniquesAdvanced
- Vocal Stacks: How Many Tracks, Panning and TuningAdvanced
Sound design
- Pluck designBeginner
- Subtractive synthesisBeginner
- Designing 808s and bassesIntermediate
- Distortion as sound designIntermediate
- Drum design: synthesized snare, clap and hi-hatIntermediate
- Drum design: the synthesized kickIntermediate
- Envelopes, LFOs and modulationIntermediate
- Filters: types, slopes, resonance, self-oscillation and key trackingIntermediate
- FX, risers, impacts and sonic transitionsIntermediate
- Layering sounds: sub, body, topIntermediate
- Lead designIntermediate
- Oscillator sync and ring modulationIntermediate
- Pad designIntermediate
- Phase distortion synthesis (Casio CZ)Intermediate
- ResamplingIntermediate
- Sampling and samplersIntermediate
- Unison, detune and supersawIntermediate
- Vector synthesis and wave sequencingIntermediate
- Wavetable synthesisIntermediate
- Additive synthesis and resynthesisAdvanced
- FM synthesisAdvanced
- Granular synthesisAdvanced
- Modulation matrix and macrosAdvanced
- Physical modeling synthesisAdvanced
- Reese basses and wobbleAdvanced
- Sound design for film and video gamesAdvanced
Mixing
- EQ by frequency zoneBeginner
- Gain stagingBeginner
- Mixing on headphones vs monitorsBeginner
- Organizing the mix session in FL Studio: mixer, buses, and sendsBeginner
- Reference tracksBeginner
- Static balance (static mix)Beginner
- CompressionIntermediate
- Depth and perspective in the mix (front/back)Intermediate
- Frequency maskingIntermediate
- Mix automationIntermediate
- Mixing for social media and smartphonesIntermediate
- Mixing the vocal in contextIntermediate
- Mono compatibilityIntermediate
- Phase and polarityIntermediate
- Room acoustics for mixingIntermediate
- Slotting and interlocking: complementary EQ, timing and spaceIntermediate
- Space in the mix: reverb and delayIntermediate
- Stereo, panning and imageIntermediate
- Psychoacoustics in mixing: Fletcher-Munson, the Haas effect, temporal maskingAdvanced
Mastering
- Goals of masteringBeginner
- Loudness, LUFS and normalizationBeginner
- Review and A/B comparison at equal loudnessBeginner
- Limiting, clipping and true peakIntermediate
- Master formats and deliveryIntermediate
- Mastering for clubsIntermediate
- Mastering for streamingIntermediate
- Stem masteringIntermediate
- The loudness war and perceived dynamicsIntermediate
- The mastering chain and translationIntermediate
- Dithering, bit depth, and sample rate conversionAdvanced
- Dynamics in mastering: bus compression, multiband, and clippingAdvanced
- Mastering for vinylAdvanced
- Mid/Side EQ in masteringAdvanced