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Music Ideas

Music Ideas

Theory

Harmony

Major and Minor Scales

Name Mode Diff. Notes Chords
Major Ionian Δ (9,11,13)
Natural Minor Aeolian b3,b6,b7 - (9,11,b13)
Harmonic Minor b3,b6 -Δ (9,11,b13)
Melodic Minor b3 -Δ (9,11,13)
Dorian Dorian b3,b7 - (9,11,13)
Phrygian Phrygian b2,b3,b6,b7 - (b9,11,b13)
? ? b2,b3,b4,b6,b7 - (b9,b11,b13)
? ? b2,b3,#4,b6,b7 - (b9,#11,b13)
? ? b2,b3,#4,b7 - (b9,#11,13)
? ? b3,#4,b6,b7 - (9,#11,b13)
? ? b3,#4,b7 - (9,#11,13)

Major (Ionian)

Numeral Mode Different Notes Chords Function
I Ionian ~ Δ (9,11,13) Tonic
ii Dorian b3,b7 - (9,11,13) Supertonic
iii Phrygian b2,b3,b6,b7 - (b9,11,b13) Mediant
IV Lydian #4 Δ (9,#11,13) Subdominant
V Mixolydian b7 7 (9,11,13) Dominant
vi Aeolian b3,b6,b7 - (9,11,b13) Submediant
vii Locrian b2,b3,b5,b6,b7 Ø / -7b5 (b9,11,b13) Leading Tone

Natural Minor (Aeolian)

Numeral Mode Different Notes Chords
i Aeolian b3,b6,b7 - (9,11,b13)
ii Locrian b2,b3,b5,b6,b7 Ø / -7b5 (b9,11,b13)
III Ionian ~ Δ (9,11,13)
iv Dorian b3,b7 - (9,11,13)
v Phrygian b2,b3,b6,b7 - (b9,11,b13)
VI Lydian #4 Δ (9,#11,13)
VII Mixolydian b7 7 (9,11,13)

Harmonic Minor

Numeral Mode Different Notes Chords
i Aeolian ♮7 b3,b6 -Δ (9,11,b13)
ii Locrian ♮6 b2,b3,b5,b7 Ø / -7b5 (b9,11,13)
III+ Ionian Augmented #5 Δ#5 (9,11,13)
iv Dorian #4 b3,#4,b7 - (9,#11,13)
V Phrygian Dominant b2,b6,b7 7 (b9,11,b13)
VI Lydian #9 #2 Δ (#9,11,13)
viio Ultra Locrian bb7 b2,b3,b4,b5,b6,bb7 7o (b9,b11,b13)

Melodic Minor

Numeral Different Notes Chords
i b3 -Δ (9,11,13)
ii b2,b3,b7 - (b9,11,13)
III+ #4,#5 Δ#5 (9,#11,13)
IV #4,b7 7 (9,#11,13)
V b6,b7 7 (9,11,b13)
vi b3,b5,b6,b7 Ø / -7b5 (9,11,b13)
vii b2,b3,b4,b5,b6,b7 Ø / -7b5 (b9,b11,b13)

Note: Melodic minor descends down Natural minor in classical music

Minor (Dorian)

Numeral Mode Different Notes Chords
i Dorian b3,b7 - (9,11,13)
ii Phrygian b2,b3,b6,b7 - (b9,11,b13)
III Lydian #4 Δ (9,#11,13)
IV Mixolydian b7 7 (9,11,13)
v Aeolian b3,b6,b7 - (9,11,b13)
vi Locrian b2,b3,b5,b6,b7 Ø / -7b5 (b9,11,b13)
VII Ionian ~ Δ (9,11,13)

Minor (Phrygian)

Numeral Mode Different Notes Chords
i Phrygian b2,b3,b6,b7 - (b9,11,b13)
II Lydian #4 Δ (9,#11,13)
III Mixolydian b7 7 (9,11,13)
iv Aeolian b3,b6,b7 - (9,11,b13)
v Locrian b2,b3,b5,b6,b7 Ø / -7b5 (b9,11,b13)
VI Ionian ~ Δ (9,11,13)
vii Dorian b3,b7 - (9,11,13)

Harmonic Function

Chord Symbols

Example Symbol Name Meaning
I / C M Major 3rd is natural (not flat)
ii / d m minor 3rd is flat
I / CΔ Δ Major (7th) 3rd and 7th are natural (not flat)
V / G7 7 (Dominant) 7th 3rd is natural but 7th is flat
ii / d- - minor (7th) 3rd and 7th are flat
vii / CØ / -7b5 Ø / -7b5 half-diminished / minor-seven flat 5 3rd, 5th, and 7th are flat
vii / Co o diminished (7th) 3rd and 5th flat; 7th double-flat
i / c-Δ -Δ minor-Major (7th) 3rd is flat but 7th is natural
bIII+ / EbΔ+ Δ+ / Δ#5 Augmented Maj. (7th) / Major-seven sharp 5 3rd and 7th are natural, 5th is sharp
V+ / G7+ 7+ / 7#5 Augmented (Dom.) 7th 3rd is natural, 7 is flat, 5th is sharp
e-7+ -7+ / -7#5 Augmented-minor (7th) 3rd and 7 are flat, 5th is sharp
e-Δ+ -Δ+ / -Δ#5 Augmented-minor-Major (7th) 3rd is flat, 7 is natural, 5th is sharp

Substitutions

Besides the diatonic chords, what other chords ‘work’ in a key?

Some Possible chords:

Ionian Dorian Phrygian Lydian Mixolydian Aeolian Locrian
Δ(M7) m7 m7 Δ(M7) 7 m7 Ø (m7b5)
Δ9 m9 mb9 Δ9 9 m9 Øb9
Δ11 m11 m11 M#11 11 m11 Ø11
M13 m13 mb13 M13 13 mb13 Øb13
7add6
7add9
add2
add4
add6
6/9
——– ——– ———- ——— ———— ——— ———-
I ii iii IV V vi vii
1 1 1 1 1 1 1
2 2 b2 2 2 2 b2
3 b3 b3 3 3 b3 b3
4 4 4 #4 4 4 4
5 5 5 5 5 5 b5
6 6 b6 6 6 b6 b6
7 b7 b7 7 b7 b7 b7
——– ——– ———- ——— ———— ——— ———-
9 9 b9 9 9 9 b9
11 11 11 #11 11 11 11
13 13 b13 13 13 b13 b13

Cadences

Finished Cadence Chords
Finished Perfect/Authentic V-I
Finished Plagal IV-I
Unfinished Imperfect I-V, ii-V, IV-V
Unfinished Interrupted/Deceptive V-vi

Cadences in all Major and minor keys

Songwriting

Song Structure

References

General Ideas

Common Chord Progressions:

Harmonic Techniques

Functionally Harmony

Cycle:

Functional Harmony cycle from root to octave:

Misc

Resolved notes all found in tonic 1 chord
Unresolved notes mostly found in dominant 5 chord

Scales

Playing over ii V I progressions

ii: Dorian or Phrygian
V : Mixolydian or Lydian-Dominant (#4 b7)
I : Ionian or Lydian

2-Chord Trick with Modes

Melodies and Chords get a modal feel from using the specific notes that are different in that mode. For example Dorian is exactly like minor but with a raised (natural) 6th, so to play in D Dorian, try

Dm (1 b3 5)
Em (1 b3 5 where 5 of E is the natural 6 of D) OR
G (1 3 5 where 3 of G is the natural 6 of D)

Vamping: Alternating between two chords. Better with bass note that stays the same and is common to both

Negative Harmony/Melody

I -> V
ii -> IV
iii -> ???
IV -> ii
V -> I
vi -> ???
vii b5 -> ???

Rhythms

443 = 11
335 = 11
3334 = 13
3343 = 13
4434 = 15
5552 = 17
3366 = 18
5554 = 19
333334 = 19
6664 = 22
6656 = 23
446,46 = 24
446,4633 = 30 (15)
446,4664 = 34 (17)
66643 = 25
55555 = 25
6668 = 26
66644 = 26
333344 = 26
7772 = 24
77774 = 32
33334 = 4444 = 16
3x10 + 2 = 4x4x2 = 32

y = 3x + 4

x y
1 7
2 10
3 13
4 16
5 19
6 22
7 25
8 28
9 31
10 34

EX: As I Feel I Die by Caravan off If I Could Do It All Over Again…

Have synth arpeggios really faintly in the background (like in Replica off of Replica)

Practice/Techniques

Guitar

Piano

When going up (and down), alternate going under / over with 2 vs 3 fingers to always land on the root/octave with pinky or thumb as appropriate

Phrasing Exercises

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ib5qv48K7ww

Rhythm and Pitch or just Rhythm

Sing along as you play: helps make simpler better phrases, slowed down with more space

Try playing octaves at same time to make you slow down too

Recording, Audio

Recording process:

  1. https://www.music-production-guide.com/writing-a-song.html
  2. https://www.music-production-guide.com/recording-a-demo.html
  3. https://www.music-production-guide.com/band-rehearsals.html
  4. https://www.music-production-guide.com/basic-tracks.html
  5. https://www.music-production-guide.com/overdubbing.html
  6. https://www.music-production-guide.com/editing-music.html
  7. …

Instruments

https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_musical_instruments

String Instruments

Wind Instruments

Drums

Days

Mondays

Tuesdays

Wednesdays

Thursdays

Fridays

Misc

Play a random album:

find MP3/ FLAC/ -maxdepth 2 -mindepth 2 -type d -print | shuf | head -n 1 | xargs -I{} mpv "{}/"

George Russel - The Lydian Chromatic Concept of Tonal Organization

Terms

sus2 vs add11 or whatever

finding relationship between chords and modes e.g.:

pedaltones

Tonality

compute cents from ratio:

log_2(x) = ln(x)/ln(2)
(press n in calc to get natural log)
c = 1200 log2(b/a)  where interval is a to b and c is cents
c = 1200(ln(b/a)/ln(2))
c = 1200 * ln(b/a) / 0.69314718055994530941723212145818
c = ln(b/a) * 1731.2340490667560888319096172023

example:

major 3rd: 5/4 => 386.314 cents

scordatura tuning
example: Camille Saint-Saëns - Danse Macabre

Pitch from a pipe

Freq = velocity / wavelength

speed of sound in air ~= 330-340 m/s

For a pipe open at both ends:

Fn = v / Lam_n = nv / 2L

where n is an odd integer

For a pipe open at one end:

Fn = nv / 4L

where n is an odd integer

Example:

Organ pipe has length 72 cm and is open at both ends

wavelength of the fundamental: half the wavlength fits in the pipe, thus wavelength = 2 * L = 1.44m

frequency of the fundamental:

f = v / Lam = 340m/s / 1.44m = 236 Hz

Covering one end of the pipe:

now only 1/4 of the wavelength fits in the pipe so this doubles the wavelneth to 2.88 m Thus new frequency is 118 Hz.

BUT with end-correcton the effective length is altered by the radius of the tube:

This Δ L is known as end correction, which can be calculated as:

for a closed pipe (with one opening):

Δ L = 0.6 ⋅ r = 0.3 ⋅ D = 0.6 * r = 0.3 * D

where r is the hydraulic radius of the neck and D is the hydraulic diameter of the neck;

and for an open pipe (with two openings):

Δ L = 1.2 ⋅ r = 0.6 ⋅ D

Overtone singing

Syllables for descending tone pronunciation Ee ih ah ooh

Mixing

Read up on how to mix, how to balance instruments.

Simply put:

… but writing it down is way easier than mastering those skills.

Virtual Barbershop

Ideas

Names

Song Names

Equipment

Instruments

Parts

Misc

Green Day Basket Case en Francais

Est ce que vous avez le temps de m’écouter plaindre des rien e tout simultanément?