Music Theory for Electronic Musicians 2: Minor keys and More

This course is an extension of Music Theory for Electronic Musicians, in which we learned how to work with the piano roll editor in a DAW to make harmonies, melodies, and whole tracks. In this class we expand on those ideas and work with minor keys, focus some time on melody writing and bassline writing, and talk about how different tracks work.
Extensive Analysis
The most important part of this class is an extensive analysis of tracks by Daft Punk, Avicii, Skrillex, and many more. In each of these analysis segments, we look at their tracks on the piano roll editor, and talk about why they sound the way they do, and how you can use similar techniques in your own music. Each of these segments picks apart multiple elements of the song and dissects it in an easy to understand way.

COURSE FEATURES

• Understand and apply minor chords
• Use the circle of fifths to generate new ideas for your own tracks
• Work within minor keys to write compelling melodies and basslines
• 30 individual video tutorials
• 5.5 hours of indepth tuition
• Learn at your own pace, watch as many times as you need to learn the lessons

“Great intermediate music theory class. Everything’s well explained and the analysis excercises are great. Quite a challenge if you try to do the excercise before the teacher shows his results but really really helpful. “

– Gregor Ittensohn

IS THIS COURSE FOR ME?

• This course is ideal for music theory beginners, as well as student with some background in music theory.
• Anyone who produces music, or aspires to produce music, should take the course.

REQUIREMENTS

• Although Ableton Live is used in the class, students do not need to be Live users. But they should have access to some kind of audio program with MIDI sequencing. Garageband, Logic, or several free pieces of software all work great.
• No MIDI instruments are required.

COURSE OVERVIEW

Welcome & Overview

• Welcome

Analysis: Shame On Me (Avicii)

• Analysis: Shame On Me (Avicii)

Minor Scales & Keys

• Minor Scales
• Relative Keys
• Minor Diatonic Chord Progression
• The Case of the Melodic and Harmonic Minor Scales

Analysis: Ghosts N Stuff (Deadmau5)

• Analysis: Ghosts N Stuff (Deadmau5)

The Circle of Fifths

• Why? What We Know So Far
• Changing Keys Within Your Track

COURSE OVERVIEW

Analysis: Get Lucky (Daft Punk)

• Analysis: Get Lucky (Daft Punk)

A Few More Chord Extensions

• 7th Chords in Minor
• 9ths and 13ths
• Suspended Chords
• Reading a Chord Chart
• Cluster and Unnamed Chords

Analysis: Everything You Do is a Balloon (Boards of Canada)

• Analysis: Everything You Do is a Balloon (Boards of Canada)

Melody Writing

• Writing Melodies for Chord Progressions
• Writing Chord Progressions for Melodies
• Counter Melody: Arpeggiation

Analysis: Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites (Skrillex)

• Analysis: Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites (Skrillex)