Music theory is an ever-winding path, full of new sights to see and tools to tinker with. Regardless of how much or how little music theory you bring into your projects, understanding the harmonic technique of parallel chords can help add new and unexpected colors to your music. Applied thoughtfully, they can create a memorable […]
What Are Parallel Chords? A Music Theory Guide – Blog Read Post »
Compression is an indispensable tool that’s found across individual tracks, mix buses, and mastering chains. One of the most popular effects among musicians and engineers, audio compression is used for taming dynamics, manipulating amplitude envelopes, peak limiting, sidechaining, parallel processing, and more. Yet, despite its popularity, compression can be quite enigmatic for novices and veterans
What is Compression? A Music Production Guide – Blog Read Post »
What is classical music? Classical music is usually associated with fancy concert halls and orchestras filled with string, brass, and woodwind instruments—ensembles so big that a conductor will lead them through each piece of music. These pieces often feature approaches to rhythm, melody, and harmony that might feel somewhat “conventional” or “dated,” especially when compared
What Is Classical Music? A Beginner’s Guide – Blog Read Post »
Amanda Warner, better known as MNDR, is a GRAMMY-winning songwriter, producer, and electro pop artist. With collaborators including the likes of Charli XCX, Calvin Harris, Mark Ronson, Kylie Minogue, Rita Ora, AlunaGeorge, Carly Rae Jepsen, Madonna, Stray Kids, and TOKiMONSTA—to name a few—MNDR’s songwriting and production talents have shaped music across genres,
MNDR Interview: Noise Music, Writing With Charli XCX, and more – Blog Read Post »
Illustration: Lan Truong Harmony not only helps us identify what notes sound good together, but why they sound good together. It also plays a pivotal role in helping us tell a story with our music. But exactly what is harmony in music—a term that’s used to describe so many different things—and what are the building
What is Harmony in Music? A Complete Guide – Blog Read Post »
Illustration: Jordan Moss Even if you’ve never used it in the music creation process, there’s a good chance you’ve played with some form of EQ before. Whether it’s the bass and treble knobs on a stereo system or the audio balance settings on a streaming service, EQ is quite literally all around us. So, if
What Is EQ in Music & How to Use It – Blog Read Post »
What is drum and bass music? Drum and bass, often abbreviated as DnB, D&B, or drum ‘n’ bass, is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in the UK in the early ’90s as an evolution of rave, hardcore, and jungle music. It’s named for its two key elements: fast breakbeat drums and deep
What is Drum and Bass Music? History, Artists, and Subgenres – Blog Read Post »
Songwriter’s block is usually associated with challenges around writing lyrics, but it also often comes in the forms of not being able to finish a melody, feeling that a rhythm’s too repetitive, or getting stuck on a chord progression that’s too predictable. While some common solutions are writing songs on a new instrument or changing
How to Make Music with Loops – Blog Read Post »
Illustration: Jocelyn Tsaih The turkey sandwiches and microwaved stuffing on the Friday after Thanksgiving hit just a little different. Wouldn’t it be great if producing music were more like eating a hearty amount of food over the course of a few days, rather than a daunting process consisting of always starting from scratch? Thanks to
How to Organize and Revisit Your ‘Leftover’ Music Projects – Blog Read Post »
