Hack Music Theory

By: Kate & Ray Harmony
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  • Summary

  • Join over 245,000 YouTube subscribers learning the fast, easy & fun way to make good music without using AI, cos that's boring! Taught by multi award-winning college lecturer Ray Harmony, who works in all genres and has made music with multiplatinum Grammy-winning artists (see About page on website for details). Co-taught by Kate Harmony, Ray's wife and protégé. Download FREE Book at HackMusicTheory.com
    © 2025 Revolution Harmony
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Episodes
  • How to Write Standout DRUMS • Music Theory from Aphex Twin "Blackbox Life Recorder 21f"

    How to Write Standout DRUMS • Music Theory from Aphex Twin "Blackbox Life Recorder 21f"
    Jul 6 2023
    How to Write StandoutDrum Beats. Free PDF Tutorialincludes multitrack MIDI file If the link above does not work, paste this into your browser:https://hackmusictheory.com/album/2515384/standout-drums Intro. A standout drum beat can make or break a song. Want proof? Listen to the new Aphex Twin single “Blackbox Life Recorder 21f”. He’s actually reversed the roles of the instruments in this song, as the melody, chords and bass step into the background while the drums take centre stage. In other words, if this song was played by a live band, the spotlight would be exclusively on the drummer. Drummers rejoice! So, what makes the drums deserving of the spotlight? Well, compared to the “regular” beats you hear in most songs nowadays, Aphex Twin has added a whopping 5 standout features to his drum beat. Each standout feature elevates Aphex Twin's drums to the next level, and in this tutorial you’ll learn all 5 levels of that standout-ness. But, these levels are totally independent (they’re not accumulative), so you can use only the levels that your song requires. And remember, if you use all 5 levels, your drums will demand the spotlight too, so your other instruments will have to step back. If they don’t, you’ll have a fight on your hands, and no producer wants an instrument fight, not in your DAW at least. Right, click the link below and subscribe to learn how to make your drums worthy of the spotlight. But first… Tea! Level 1. Off-Beat Before we can elevate a regular drum beat, we need that regular beat to start from. So, create a 4-bar loop on your drum track, with the grid on 1/8 notes and your tempo at 134 BPM. Now, throw in a kick on beat 1 in every bar. Then, draw in a standard 1/8 note pattern on the closed hi-hats, and lower the velocity of every off-beat hit, so it doesn’t sound rigid. Lastly, add a regular backbeat snare to each bar, which is on beat 2 and beat 4. Right, so arguably the easiest way to make your drums stand out, is by disrupting that regular backbeat snare. This is because snare hits punch through your music (and the mix), so to the average listener, the snare is the most noticeable element of the drums. Mess with the backbeat snare, and you’ll instantly get people’s attention! So, move one of your backbeat snare hits on beat 4 over to beat 4+. This accenting of the off-beat is called syncopation. Drum beat with one syncopated snare hit (highlighted) Level 2. Cross-Stick We’re still on the snare for level 2, but instead of moving hits, we’re adding hits. And not just more snare hits, we’re gonna add cross-stick (or side-stick) snare hits. What on earth is a cross-stick snare hit? It’s when the drummer lays the drumstick on the snare drum with the end of the stick going over the side of the drum (i.e. the rim). The drummer then plays the snare by lifting that end of the stick up like a lever and hitting it back down on the rim, all while the other end of the stick stays on the head of the drum. This cross-stick snare technique creates a sound that’s similar to hitting a wood block (but with a little rattle added, from the snares), and while it may be common in genres like jazz, it’s rare in most popular music genres. What makes this even more unique is the fact that Aphex Twin uses both regular snare hits and cross-stick snare hits in the same beat. Usually when you hear a cross-stick snare in a beat, you won’t also hear a regular snare. The reason for that is because the drummer has to change their grip to play these two techniques. Aphex Twin plays the cross-stick snare on every beat 2+. You can play it wherever you want though, as long as it’s syncopated, otherwise it won’t stand out. Drum beat with syncopated cross-stick snare hits (highlighted) Level 3. Toms Now, change your grid to 1/16 notes, as things are about to get even spicier. Level 3 is not just about adding 1/16 note syncopation (which stands out even more than 1/8 note syncopation), it’s also about adding more drums. Yes, it’s time for toms! Toms are usually only used in drum fills*. It’s exceptionally rare to hear any toms in a drum beat, but that’s exactly where you’re about to put them. So, at the end of bar 2 and bar 4, add a few syncopated toms. You don’t want too many, otherwise you’ll end up making it sound like a fill. And be sure to play at least one tom on a syncopated 1/16 note, like beat 4a (see last note in bar 2 below). Drum beat with syncopated toms (highlighted) *Visit Drums if you want to learn about the function of each element of a drum kit, as well as getting your hands on all our essential hacks for better beats and fills. Level 4. Triplets Just when you thought it couldn’t get any more syncopated… Change your grid to 1/16 triplets. Spicy!! Aphex Twin uses maximum level syncopation here, by adding a couple 1/16 triplet kicks. These kicks will ...
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    1 min
  • How to Write a Catchy Melody • Music Theory from Glass Animals "Creatures in Heaven"

    How to Write a Catchy Melody • Music Theory from Glass Animals "Creatures in Heaven"
    May 8 2024
    How to Write aCatchy Melody. Free PDF Tutorialincludes multitrack MIDI file If the link above does not work, paste this into your browser:https://hackmusictheory.com/album/2877864/catchy-melody Intro. British band Glass Animals are absolutely massive! At the time of writing this, they’re ranked #257 in the world on Spotify. Most artists as famous as them have achieved their success as a result of an obsessive striving for celebrity. However, Glass Animals seem to be obsessed with making catchy music instead. And not only that, their music is surprisingly creative for a band as successful as them. If you’ve been doing our Hack Music Theory tutorials for a few years, you’ll know that we don’t usually cover “celebrity artists”. The reason for that is because (nowadays) there’s an inverse correlation between the success of an artist and the creativity of their music. For an artist to achieve a fanbase of tens of millions, their music needs to appeal to the masses. And most people (nowadays) want “sugary” ear-candy music that’s pleasantly predictable, i.e. boring, bland background music. So why are we doing a tutorial on such a huge band? Well, Glass Animals’ new single “Creatures in Heaven” is a masterclass in catchy melody writing. The lead melody in their chorus has a whole bunch of creative hacks, as well as a very clever twist in its tale. So, inspired by “Creatures in Heaven”, here’s our 6-step method for writing a great melody that’s catchy enough for the masses. But first… Tea! Step 1. The Chords Open your DAW, leave the time signature on 4|4, but change your tempo to 80 BPM. Next, create a four-bar loop on your melody track, with a 1/16 grid. Okay so you may be wondering why the first step in a melody tutorial is… the chords?! Well, all great melodies are written over chords, or implied chords (chords are “implied” when they’re not played separately but their notes are incorporated into the melody instead). The reason it’s best to write a melody over chords is because it gives the melody a harmonic progression. Without this progression, the melody will sound mind-numbingly boring, as it won’t go anywhere harmonically. The difference is night and day. It’s like walking through a beautiful forest along the ocean compared to walking on a treadmill in a stinky gym. There’s no comparison! So let’s get our chord progression written, that way we’ve set ourselves up to write a great melody. Glass Animals are in the key of D major for their chorus (so we’ll use it too), and they use four chords in their progression (so we’ll do that too). D Major (notes)1234567DEF♯GABC♯ D Major (chords)*1234567DmajEmF♯mGmajAmajBmC♯dim As you probably know (or as you’ll hear if you play it), the diminished chord is crazy dissonant. It’s safe to say that using C♯dim ain’t gonna appeal to the masses, so take that off your menu. But other than that, you can use whatever you want. Glass Animals use all three major chords, and only one minor. Playing three major chords in a major key gives their chorus a wonderfully uplifting vibe. So, think about your balance between major (happy) and minor (sad) chords. Also, think about the order of your chords. Glass Animals play the root chord (Dmaj) second. This detracts attention from it and creates a more fluid atmosphere. We played Dmaj last, though, which creates a more final ending. You can play Dmaj wherever you want, but consider where you want to draw people to the “home” chord. Here’s our progression: Gmaj → Bm → Amaj → Dmaj *If you need help working out the chords in a key, read Hack 10 in our Free Book. Once you’ve chosen your four chords, draw in the root note of each chord for a full bar (in a low octave). These roots will provide harmonic reference for your melody, which you’re gonna write above. This way you’ll be able to hear the relationship between each note in your melody and its accompanying chord. When you’ve finished writing your melody, mute these low roots. Then, create another track specifically for your progression, and draw in each full chord (i.e. 1, 3, 5). Root note of each chord in progression (key note, D, highlighted) Step 2. The Drama Great melodies contain drama, and there’s no better way to bring the drama than by using a big interval.* You see, larger intervals create intensity, while smaller intervals create continuity. You need both. In fact, you need a lot more smaller intervals than bigger intervals. However, if your melody contains only small intervals, it’ll be awfully boring. On the other hand, if your melody contains only big intervals, people will presume you were thoroughly drunk when you wrote it. *New to writing melodies? Use the Melody Checklist in our Songwriting & Producing PDF. Over your first chord, write a handful of notes that end with a big interval around beat 3. ...
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    1 min
  • How to Write a Better Snare Rhythm • Music Theory from Matt Sassari & Tony Romera "Snare Thing"

    How to Write a Better Snare Rhythm • Music Theory from Matt Sassari & Tony Romera "Snare Thing"
    Mar 18 2024
    How to Write aBetter Snare Rhythm. Free PDF Tutorialincludes MIDI + WAV file examples If the link above does not work, paste this into your browser:https://hackmusictheory.com/album/2806684/snare-rhythms Intro. While it’s normal to hear at least a few different kick patterns and hi-hat patterns in music nowadays, it’s rare to hear an interesting snare pattern. The rhythm assigned to this neglected element of the drumkit is almost always an afterthought. In 4|4 (which most music is in), the snare is usually one of these three rhythms: Regular backbeat (beats 2 and 4): used in most songsHalf-time backbeat (beat 3): used for a slower vibeDouble-time backbeat (beats 1+, 2+, 3+, 4+): used for a faster vibe So, when listening through to the new releases on Spotify, it was rather shocking (pleasantly so) to hear something completely unusual. The collaborative single “Snare Thing” by French producers Matt Sassari & Tony Romera is a refreshing celebration of the drum that almost always plays the most boring rhythm! With these PDF tutorials, we usually have to make an educated guess as to what the creator’s intention and process was behind the song. But, based on the less-than-subtle title of their track, it’s safe to say that the duo were intentionally showcasing the snare drum’s creative potential. So, inspired by “Snare Thing”, here’s our 4-step method for writing creative snare patterns. But first… Tea! Step 1. Motif Set up two bars of 4|4 with your grid on 1/16 notes, and your tempo at 126 BPM. The first thing we need to do is write a motif, which is a short idea that’s repeated to give the music structure and make it more memorable. As we’re writing for the drums, our motif will obviously be a rhythmic motif (when using pitched instruments, you can also write melodic and harmonic motifs). The motif that Matt and Tony use is a couple of 1/16 notes followed by a 1/16 rest. They then repeat this motif to create their snare rhythm. Motif repeated to create snare rhythm As you can see, their motif is three 1/16 notes long. Having a motif that’s an odd duration (like three, five, seven, etc.) will make it far more interesting, because each time the motif is repeated it’ll start on a different 1/16 note beat (e.g. 1a, 2+, 3e). A motif lasting four (or eight) 1/16 notes will repeat on the same beat, so it’ll get repetitive and boring extremely quickly. Therefore, avoid using an even-number motif here. For the record, though, they can sound great when played on melodic instruments, because you can repeat the same rhythm while changing the pitches. Right, when you’re happy with your motif, copy and paste it into the first three 1/4 note beats of bar one. You wanna leave beat 4 open for now, as that’s where you’re gonna write a variation. Next, copy and paste your rhythm into bar two. Snare rhythm copied and pasted into bar two (highlighted) Now it’s time to write your variation in beat 4 of bar two. This variation will prevent the snare rhythm from getting boring, by turning it into a two-bar rhythm: Two-bar snare rhythm created by adding variation (highlighted) Step 2. Swing With such an unusual snare rhythm, it would be completely acceptable to move on and write the kick drum pattern now. But, Matt and Tony have one more brilliant snare trick up their sleeves. Instead of using the regular straight grid that you hear in almost every song, they use a swing grid. This is a game-changer! If you’re new to the swing grid, you’re in for a treat. An easy way to think of the swing grid is that it’s a long note followed by a short note, and that occurs in each beat. But to be precise, the swing feel is what you get when you repeatedly play a triplet’s first and third notes. And that’s one way you can program swing rhythms. DAWs allow us to use a swing grid, though, which gives us way more control over the feel (that’s actually the way drummers play swing rhythms, too). If you ask a drummer to play a swung beat for you, they’ll ask how strong you want the swing. The stronger the swing (i.e. the later that second note is), the more “lazy” the rhythm feels. And the weaker the swing (i.e. the earlier that second note is, and therefore the closer it’ll be to a straight grid), the more rigid the rhythm feels. The three MIDI screenshots below show the difference between using a triplet grid, a swing grid at 50% strength (usually the default in DAWs), and a swing grid at 66% strength. Notice how the triplet and 66% swing grids are pretty much identical, but the 50% swing is slightly closer to a straight grid (we’ve left that second snare hit in the same place in all three MIDI screenshots, so you can see the grids’ differences). Now, loop it up (or put the metronome on), and decide how much swing you like. We chose 65% strength, as we wanted it to have that stronger swing feel. While the swing...
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    1 min

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