Learning track

For music artists

Theory as something you play, not something you memorise. Hear why chords, melodies and rhythms do what they do, then shape them into pieces and a sound that's yours. Reading staff notation is optional throughout.

  1. 1Train your ear
  2. 2Harmony that moves
  3. 3Melody and rhythm
  4. 4From idea to piece
  5. 5A sound of your own

Stage 1

Train your ear

Hear the distances between notes and trust what you hear before you name it.

  1. 01Pitch and intervalsThe distance between two notes, and why some distances feel stableComing soon
  2. 02Ear trainingHearing intervals, chords and rhythm without lookingComing soon

Stage 2

Harmony that moves

Build chords, voice them well and make progressions that go somewhere.

  1. 03ChordsHow stacking intervals builds triads, sevenths and colour tonesComing soon
  2. 04Chords and voicingSame notes, different feelings: how spacing and order change a chordEarly draft
  3. 05Progressions and harmonic movementCadences, borrowed chords and modulation, and how harmony creates motionComing soon

Stage 3

Melody and rhythm

Write lines people remember, over grooves that breathe.

  1. 06Melody and motifsContour, repetition and variation, and why some tunes stickComing soon
  2. 07Rhythm, meter and groovePulse, subdivision, swing, and why a grid alone doesn't grooveComing soon
  3. 08Bass lines and counterlinesHow a second line supports a phrase without copying itComing soon

Stage 4

From idea to piece

Turn a loop into a piece with sections, contrast and a sense of arrival.

  1. 09Form and arrangementTurning a loop into a piece with sections, contrast and energyComing soon
  2. 10Composing with a sampled libraryWriting parts that show off an instrument's range and articulationsComing soon

Stage 5

A sound of your own

Shape your own timbres, explore other tunings and take it on stage.

  1. 11Subtractive synthesisStart bright, carve with a filter: the classic synth recipeComing soon
  2. 12Tuning systemsEqual temperament, just intonation, gamelan and beyondComing soon
  3. 13Live performance and loopingLoopers, controllers and expressive playingComing soon