Music Theory & Education

Tutorial | Jun 18, 2015 by Matt Vanacoro

If you're feeling stuck in the major, minor and pentatonic scales box when composing or playing, consider investigating modes. Matt Vanacoro explains how modes can transform your music.

Tutorial | Jun 11, 2015 by Noah Pred

If you're suffering from writer's block there's good and bad advice around on the net. So, we asked 5 successful producers and artists what they do when facing a creative drought. Essential reading.

Tutorial | Jun 05, 2015 by G.W. Childs IV

If you're interested in exploring ways to become a better, fresher, more original song or lyric writer then listen up. G. W. Childs recommends taking a genuine, no BS path. Read on if you dare.

Tutorial | Jun 03, 2015 by Hollin Jones

Not yet an accomplished keyboard player? Cubase’s Chord Pads can come to your rescue… Hollin Jones is on hand to show you this powerful feature in Steinberg's flagship DAW.

Tutorial | May 29, 2015 by Lynda Arnold

Don't think of pads as fillers in your tracks. With some creative techniques in any DAW you can transform pads from drones into highly interesting and evolving musical parts.

Tutorial | May 10, 2015 by Joe Albano

The state of the audio nation is at a crossroads. With internet bandwidth increasing, we don't need to data compress audio files as much as before. Joe Albano explores quality vs. size.

Tutorial | Apr 12, 2015 by Jay Asher

Following on from the tutorial on techniques for strengthening melody and motif during composition, Jay Asher shows how to identify specific intervals using popular songs.

Tutorial | Apr 02, 2015 by Jay Asher

If you've been building chords diatonically i.e. building chords relating to scale or key, then this article by Jay Asher will help you explore chromatic alternatives. A must read music theory piece.

Tutorial | Mar 01, 2015 by Jay Asher

So you're writing melodies and motifs that sound good... how can you improve these? How to make them sound better and work better in your songs? Jay Asher has some advice to share.

Tutorial | Feb 21, 2015 by Lynda Arnold

Taking a bath in water (hot is my preference!) is second nature to us all. Every day though we may be bathed in different things like light and also sound. Lynda Arnold explains what a sound bath is.

Tutorial | Jan 17, 2015 by Lynda Arnold

Having explored emerging areas of "healing" and "wellness" in her 'How Sound Affects Us' series, Lynda Arnold now explores how sound and vibration can be used to create pain with violent ends in mind.

Tutorial | Jan 04, 2015 by Lynda Arnold

Ornaments and embellishment techniques are part of the language of every skilled musician or composer. Lynda Arnold explores both in Baroque and Classical in this fascinating music theory article.

Tutorial | Dec 10, 2014 by Gary Guttman

If you're even a little interested in how to create moods in your music, for film, games or for any reason, this tutorial is for you. Gary Guttman explores 4 simple ways to add emotion to your notes.

Tutorial | Nov 23, 2014 by Lynda Arnold

It's amazing how much we know about sound and waves and yet how we're only on the cusp of understanding how sound vibrations affect us. In this article, Lynda Arnold explores the science of Cymatics.

Tutorial | Oct 12, 2014 by Lynda Arnold

Using secondary dominant chords in your chord progressions can be a quick and easy way to add some spice to your tracks. And, it's easy to do as Lynda Arnold demonstrates.