Do your chords disappear or lose their punch when mixed with the rest of your tracks? How do you make your chords stand out within a powerful pop arrangement?
There’s a simple trick that’s used to “voice” simple chords in a way that makes the sound full, but not muddy when you’re in competition with big vocals, big drums and other powerful song elements.
Triads in right hand, Root note and 5ths in the left hand.
Because you’ve got multiple octaves at your disposal on a keyboard, a simple chord like C Major (C, D, E) can be played in a huge number of ways and there’s no rules that say you can’t double up notes, or spread them out across the keys. This technique of playing the same notes in the chord but across different keys on the keyboard is called “voicing”.
See standard C Major triad at the top. And “voiced” apart on the keyboard. Both are the same notes and the same chord, just arranged in different ways.
In “Green Light” by Lorde, the chords are voiced in a particular way that adds weight to cut through and highlight the piano part as a core song element. This is done by playing the plain old triad in the right hand, and then playing just the first (the root) and last note (the 5th) of the chord in the left hand.
The reason this works so well is that playing the root and 5th note an octave below adds some more bass, but the middle note (the third) is omitted here, so it just adds fullness without sacrificing clarity.
Looking at another example with a full F# minor triad with the right hand (yellow), and just the root and the 5th note played an octave below in the left hand (blue).
Learning how to use pop progressions
If you’re not at your instrument right now, you can still start training your ears by listening to how the chords are expressed in these pop bangers.
Learn about pop chord progressions with a mixture of root positions, inversions and open chord voicings, as well as build your skills in performing them with syncopated rhythms, arpeggios and melodies.
Do you have some chords or progression for a song idea, but want to figure out a rhythm and timing that will work to capture the mood of what you’re imagining or back up the timing of your instruments or vocals?
Just like the chords in a progression provide the harmonic backdrop to a tune, a song’s time signature can play a major role in defining the feel of a progression, and help reinforce the rhythm of your instruments and meter of your vocal delivery.
You might already have a basic understanding of common time signatures and how they generally sound (like 2/4, 3/4, 4/4, or 6/8) – but if not, skip to this handy guide near the end of this article.
Sometimes it’s not so clear why you might use some time signatures over others. If you’re happy with experimenting in 4/4, and haven’t had reason to move outside this comfort zone — then we’ll discuss two examples, “Hey Ya!” by Outkast, and two versions of “With a Little Help From My Friends” that might show you how exploring some new time signatures can freshen up your sound when you’re creating music.
If you’re away from your instrument, we’ll also show you some other examples you can listen to now or any time, and then whenever you’re ready to give it a go, we’ll show you which courses and popular songs you can learn to play different time signatures on with Melodics.
Is “Hey Ya!” in 2/4, 4/4 or 11/4?
Separating some time signatures from genres that stereotypically use them can be tough. For instance, 2/4 is really common in bluegrass, folk or punk – but outside of these genres, our ears aren’t really trained to recognise them so easily.
Outkast’s ‘Hey Ya!’ is a really interesting example as it’s rooted in hip hop, pop soul and funk. It sounds like a 4/4 but has the in-your-face movement and momentum of 2/4 phrasing…
Why? It secretly has a single measure of 2/4 in it.
When counting along to the beat, count: three measures of 4/4, one of 2/4, then two more of 4/4 (or 4+4+4+2+4+4). If you add these all up, that’s 22 beats spread over two bars — hence why some people say “Hey Ya!” is in 11/4. But imagine reading 1 bar of music without a bar line for 11 whole beats 😢 — counting by 4+4+4+2+4+4 is much more natural, and the single 2-beat bar of 2/4 really captures the “lively” and “pushy” spirit of the song.
If you’re unsure what the difference that one bar of 2/4 makes (in an otherwise 4/4 song), check out this video of ‘Hey Ya!’ reimagined as a straight 4/4 beat. You’ll be able to hear the important role time signatures play in backing up the timing of vocal melodies or instrumentation.
In 4/4, ‘Hey Ya!’ sounds a little bit off — HINT: listen to the drum snare vs the vocal timing.
As the final word in each line of the vocals is delivered, the rhythm progression feels like it hasn’t quite finished yet, and still needs a couple more bars before it’s ready for a turnaround. It’s missing a snare!
But (thankfully) in the original 2/4 version, the drums and punchy vocals are perfectly in step at the end of each line, helping to drive home the rhythm at the same punchy pace and timing of the vocal delivery we all know and love.
Use time signatures to set the “mood”
For a great example of how extra beats in different time signatures can impart different moods in songs, compare these two different versions of the hit song “With a Little Help From My Friends.”
The original is written and played by the Beatles in 4/4, but Joe Cocker’s iconic cover totally reinterprets it in 6/8.
With more space after each vocal line for the chord progression to play, a much more epic, pausing, and melancholy feel is created — aided also by the slower overall tempo, and playing it in a different key of course ;). Such is the power time signatures hold!
Time Signatures Explained
A time signature is often expressed by two numbers (like a fraction) which gives you a rough rhythmical overview. The top number indicates how many “beats” are in each “bar” of a piece of music. The bottom number indicates the “note value” or “subdivision” of each beat.
The beat is often described as the main rhythm listeners might tap their toes to when listening to music, or the “1,2,3,4” that a musician counts while performing. It’s the basic unit of time which keeps pulsing and repeating throughout a piece of music.
Also called subdivisions, a note value indicates how long a particular beat (or note) is relative to the length of the whole bar.
For common time signatures, note values tend to be described as whole (1/1), half (1/2), quarter (1/4) or eighth (1/8) notes.
Tying it all together
So now you have an overview of counting beats (numerator) and each beat’s note values subdividing that beat (denominator), you might be a little more comfortable with why we describe common time signatures as we do – like 2/4, 3/4, 4/4, or 6/8.
Now it’s time to put knowledge to real-world context — have a listen to some of the iconic songs in their time signatures below and practice counting out the number of beats per bar in time to the music.
3/4 — Three beats per bar, one 1/4 note per beat
6/8 — Six beats per bar, one 1/8 note per beat
3/4 and 6/8 are almost twins. Depending on your tempo and how you like to count things, it can make more sense to notate and count a song in groups of six eighth notes (6/8), or you might be more comfortable just counting 3 quarter notes (3/4) over the same track. How would you count these songs?
If you’re interested in getting to know the basics of time signatures, try out Melodics’ course for drums on ‘Exploring Time Signatures‘, or ‘Seeing Subdivisions‘ for finger drumming on pads. You’ll learn about note lengths, and how time signatures can work in contemporary music.
For Melodics premium subscribers, you can use this knowledge to learn to play “Hey Ya!” on either pads or drums.
What is it in this song by Mac Demarco that makes the lead melody sound uniquely Mac?
The personal touch in your music can be a tricky thing to define. When it comes down to describing exactly what it is that makes you sound like you, most are left scratching their heads.
One side of the equation is the instruments or effects you use. On the other side is the melody and how the main musical voice of your music is expressed.
Melodies have a unique way of carrying across personal style. Amongst one of the most popular and timeless tools for songwriters, composers, producers, and performers alike, is the use of ornamentation.
Ornamentation in music can refer to the way in which a melodic line is expressed. When used with care, ornaments can add levels of depth and emotion. It also adds a human element to your productions if you work mostly on the computer. Where one melodic phrase may sound a little flat, ornamentation brings volume and life.
How exactly can ornaments be used in your music you might ask? Well, let’s take a look at an example from a song you can learn in Melodics, Chamber of Reflection by Mac Demarco.
While the lead melody seems like a simple stroll down two octaves from G to B with a few moves in between, the short F (grace note) played immediately before F# adds a decorative flourish that gives it character, as well as a slight tension as the F natural is not part of the E minor scale. This dissonant note, paired with the wavy slow vibrato of the synthesizer speaks the language of Mac Demarco and really adds to his lazy slightly “off” sound.
The melody uses notes from an E minor scale. The F natural is not part of this scale — but “Chamber of Reflection” includes it to slide into the F# and add flavor.
This grace note is an excellent example of ornamentation. Back in the 17th century, when ornamentation cemented itself as a key component of western music, ornaments themselves were not always included in the written music. It was often left open to the performer to make the music their own through their personal use of ornaments.
If you’re interested in working with ornaments for added inspiration and creativity in your melodic songwriting, try out Melodics’ course on Ornamentation.
You’ll have the opportunity to play through some exciting examples ranging from minimalism to trap so that you can improve your keyboard skills and add a definitive personal touch to your future productions.
For Melodics premium subscribers – get inside the Chamber of Reflection and learn how to play and write melodies with your own special herbs and spices.
If you’re not at your instrument right now, start training your ears and listen out for the ornamentation in these tracks (hint… it’s often most obvious in vocals).
👏👏👏…👏👏
This isn’t a slow clap, this is an iconic rhythm you’ve definitely heard before.
Today we’re going to talk about the Son Clave rhythm and what makes it so cool.
It’s a lopsided 5-beat rhythm but still feels completely natural and danceable in regular 4/4 – and its uniquely winding and hypnotic pulse has helped it conquer the world of contemporary music far beyond its Afro-Cuban roots.
The last 70 years of modern music has so ingrained the Son Clave beat into the sound on radio waves around the world, that it’s unlikely that many musicians who use it today would even realise its origin or wonder why they might have been drawn to using it. It has permeated everything from old school Rock’n’Roll like Bo Diddley, or Dr. John, to present day Hip Hop Snoop Dog, to R’n’B Beyoncé, Drake and so much more.
A Son Clave back beat is incredibly versatile in lots of different musical styles yet always gives a track a groove that stands out. If you feel you just can’t seem to break out of defaulting to four to the floor beats when you’re making music, then this odd numbered hypnotic 5-beat rhythm will freshen up the feel of your 4/4 beats.
So what is the Son Clave?
If you divide up two bars of 4/4 into its beats (“1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and…” and repeat this twice), only five of these notes are ever played or emphasized in a Son Clave beat – 3 long beats in the first bar, and 2 fast beats in the second bar.
1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and | 1 and 2 and 3 and 4
Try count it, and clap the Son Clave over the top. (PRO-TIP:It can help to think of it as three slow, two fast beats: “slowwwww, slowwwww, slowwwww, fast-fast”)
Practice the Son Clave
Get started on learning this rhythm with Melodics’ lesson “Kala” (available for Pads or Drums) which uses the Son Clave as a perfect introduction to basic syncopation.
To see how versatile the Son Clave can be in modern musical contexts, listen to the kick drum, bass and piano rhythm in the iconic hit “Rosanna” by Toto. Frequently referenced as a prime example of a halftime or “purdie” shuffle it’s surprising to hear a Son Clave in there too!
You could even head in to Melodics to learn to play this song on Keys, Drums or Pads to get inspired with some fresh new rhythms you could use in your own music.
What’s going on with the strange rhythm of Radiohead’s Pyramid Song?
It feels like it stops and starts, and it’s hard to place the downbeat – Is it really in 4/4?
1-2-3, 1-2-3, 1-2-3-4, 1-2-3
The key is understanding its unique 2 bar rhythm, outlined by the piano, which consists of 2 dotted quarter notes, followed by a half note which carries across the bar, followed by 2 more dotted quarter notes.
It is also a heavily swung rhythm, which is something that might not be immediately apparent by listening to the unaccompanied piano.
If you break down each bar into 8th notes – it might be a little easier to understand. You can count it 3-3-4-3-3.
So if your mind has been melting while trying to internalise this weird rhythm while trying to learn Pyramid song in Melodics on Drums or Pads – this will help clear things up!
So we all know the instantly recognisable arpeggiated chords from Dr. Dre’s iconic Hip Hop classic Still D.R.E — but what is the actual music theory that underpins this catchy slice of hip-hop history?
Initially these chords might seem kind of strange. The first is C-E-A, followed by B-E-A, and then B-E-G.
Each chord only changes a single note from the previous one, making for a delightfully simple, yet very effective little progression.
An easy way to figure out what is going on is to look at the bassline, which alternates between A (which accompanies the first chord), and E, (which accompanies the last two chords).
With the bassline defining the root notes of these chords, it becomes clear that these are actually inversions. C-E-A, our first chord, is the first inversion of A minor, which means that the root note, A, has been moved up the keyboard, above the other two notes.
The next two chords (B-E-A, and B-E-G), are the second inversions of Esus4 and Eminor respectively. The second inversion means that both the root note AND the third have been moved up the keyboard, leaving the fifth, B, as the lowest note in these chords.
It’s like a minor i-v chord progression, with a suspended chord thrown in there to add a little tension and release.
Still D.R.E.’s 3 basic chords have left an everlasting impact on hip hop. Yet this song is a great example of how using simple chord inversions can lead to really exciting chord voicings that still don’t need you to move your fingers a large amount.
Download Melodics for guided courses on practical applications of music theory like using chord inversions, and many, many more.
Let’s talk about an essential tool in a producer’s toolkit: sampling.
Sampling is an iconic component of many different musical genres — especially in the worlds of hip-hop and electronic music, but increasingly in pop and rock. A sample can be a brief audio clip that is used as an instrument, a drum beat or “break” that provides the rhythmic foundation of a beat, or an entire audio passage that may serve as inspiration for the melodic and harmonic elements of a new song.
Sampling is ingrained in the culture of contemporary music, and our brand-new Songs catalog even contains a few excellent examples. We’ll run through a couple of iconic uses of samples, and share our guided listening playlist which compares the original side-by-side with the sample.
Here’s some examples.
Consider the song “Just a Friend” by Biz Markee. The characteristic piano melody in this late 1980s hip-hop hit, which is a sampling of Freddie Scott’s 1968 hit “(You) Got What I Need,” is instantly recognisable. Biz Markee cleverly transforms this soulful original, in which Freddie Scott sings about a woman who makes his life better, into an ironic story about his experiences with women.
Another example is “Avril 14th” (also available in our Songs catalog.) If you pay close attention to the piano melody at 1:38 when listening or practicing this piece, sped up (and pitch increased), you might recognise it as the sample used in “Blame Game” from Kanye West’s groundbreaking 2010 album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.
The Art of Sampling Playlist
Check out this Spotify playlist that showcases a range of samples in popular music. Included are both the original samples, as well as the songs that sample them.
Some samples will be very obvious, and others might be a little harder to identify — see if you can spot them all!
Popular songs are almost here. There’s no chance of pre-gig nerves, as the community response has been huge!
Here’s your sneak peek of what’s coming to Melodics 5th September 2022. Check out the buzz from the community, check out and decide which songs are yours to tackle first from launch.
Don’t take it from us — people are reacting to Melodics’ songs
The Songs Playlist
You know them, you’ve heard them on Spotify, and now you can learn to play them! From launch day, you can test your talents on any song in this playlist.
Each song is lovingly deconstructed into numerous lessons, across a variety of difficulties and skill sets, for MIDI keys, pads and drums. With the full force of Melodics backing it, you can get inside the music you love so you can learn every trick of the artists you admire.
This isn’t just a “one and done”. More songs will continue to be added to our catalog regularly.
If you want to learn to play your favourite song by your favourite artist or band, then contribute your flavour to the full alphabet of musical soup — from Arctic Monkeys to Warren Zevon (and many more), the request line is open and awaiting your call.
Don’t forget! For current subscribers and those who subscribe before Melodics September launch – you’ll get access to songs first with a free upgrade to your plan. There’s no time like the present to knuckle down and get your skills polished off!
Otherwise, songs will also be available to new subscribers to Melodics from September as a part of a new premium subscription package.
Listening to music inspired many of us to pick up an instrument in the first place. You’ve actually been practicing your whole life, just by listening to music.
The Melodics approach has always been to make sure our lessons represent the sounds of modern music, and that above all else our learners are having an experience that’s relevant. Gone are the days of learning nursery rhymes before you learn the real stuff.
We’ve talked to people about their past experiences of music education, and a common thread we see time and time again is that they gave up because the things they were learning didn’t line up with the musical experiences they had grown up with; it wasn’t familiar, or what they wanted to actually play.
Until now our lessons and courses have been created for Melodics in-house by our music team, who in their own time are successful producers, band members and music teachers. We’ve also worked closely with artists to produce original content. But while it sounds like the music you know, it’s still not exactly the music you know.
So what’s the missing piece to the puzzle?
While our guided path, courses, lessons and exercises are the ideal way to build your skills as a beginner – exploring and learning popular songs takes you from instrument learner to instrument player.
Learning songs is about building your repertoire. The things you can play anytime, anywhere, and share with anyone over a lifetime.
Practice makes more sense if you’re aiming for something. With songs, there’s now something to put a target on and a goal to reach. There’s also the benchmarking of your progress that happens when you learn another song. What is a better sign that you’ve made progress, than saying “I can play that now” when it’s in the context of a song we all know and love?
At Melodics we aim to provide a learning experience that is fun, relevant and effective, and an experience of learning that makes progress consistent and easy to maintain. As a beginner we recommend the Guided Path to lay important skill foundations and let us hold your hand. As you begin to improve and your confidence grows, it’s time to start exploring and pushing your learning edge in different directions through our open catalog of lessons and courses.
Songs are the newest addition, where you can put everything you’re learning from the guided path, lessons and courses into practice.
– Benjamin Locke, Melodics’ Music Team Lead
Songs will be available to subscribers in Melodics from September. If you’re new to Melodics, you can start your journey now and build up your skills to get ready.
Set for official release this September; Songs is an exciting new catalog of Melodics lessons based on popular music from artists you love. With Songs, you can learn to play music you know, the songs that inspire you and grow your repertoire of real-world sounds.
Songs from artists like Green Day, Lorde, Dr Dre, Queen, System Of A Down, Beyonce, Silk Sonic, Outkast, and many more.
Songs will be available to subscribers in Melodics from September. For current subscribers and those who subscribe before launch – you’ll get access first with a free upgrade to your plan.
While Melodics’ Guided learning content and lessons are the best place for building your skills, exploring Songs help you benchmark your ability in a real-world context and give you something to aim for.
Until now, we’ve heard users say they have been unable to really know how their skills translate into the real world. Songs make all that practice worthwhile when you have a target in mind.
Read more about how Songs fit into the bigger picture of your learning experience.
Popular songs are the number one request from users. We’re designing our diverse catalog with the community feedback in our minds.
The request line is open, and we’re excited to hear more of what drummers, keys players and finger drummers want to play.
Our covers are lovingly produced by our in-house music team with a focus on high-quality sound.
With such a strong focus on the audio quality, you can close your eyes and project yourself into the studio at Abbey Road, or the stage at Coachella.
Open up the updated Melodics app and listen to a sample of what’s coming.
The same powerful learning tools
Songs come with all the power of Melodics behind them. Songs meet you at your level of ability with versions appropriate at all skill levels.
Practice tools and real-time feedback will help you quickly improve your playing. Trophies, records, levels and rewards help you track progress and motivate you towards your goals.
Stay tuned for more updates as we get closer to the official launch date, as well as a sneak peek of what’s coming.
Start your journey now and build up your skills to get ready: Download Melodics.
Get free access to 60 free lessons for 5 performance minutes a day to start building your rhythm, timing, and muscle memory immediately.
When you’re ready to expand your progress, subscribe to a plan to get unlimited access to play hundreds of songs, over 1500 lessons, courses, exercises and all premium practice features.
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