Over time, my taste changes somewhat and I find myself gravitating toward new ideas. I can point out a few in the recent arrangement of “Honey in the Rock,” but I want to talk about one in particular. Check out these examples and then we will talk about them. If I asked you to name […]
Tag Archives: chord substitutions
In the world of harmony, there is a basic rule that two chords with the same function can substitute for each other. I don’t want to elaborate on that too much today but I will say that in my mind, I have three general pools of chords and if a chord belongs to one pool, […]
I am going to do something a bit unusual today. I am going to give you an arrangement for free that you normally have to pay for. “He Hideth My Soul” is an arrangement that was released to my Monthly Hymn Arrangement Club members in May. Before you continue reading, you might want to download the arrangement […]
Here is a video demonstration of how I use the biiidim7 chord. If you don’t see the video below, click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vV5l9LDe6ew
I just uploaded a new video that discusses another little tip for improving your sound: changing V major triads into dominant 7ths. Lately, I have started doing a lot of these short videos and I will probably continue. If you have ideas for other little things you want me to cover, please let me know […]
Yesterday, I recorded a new video about a little tip you can use to make your music sound more sophisticated. It involves adding the major 7th to your I chords. I don’t need to discuss it here because the video will explain everything. If you don’t see it below, click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ooNYkwyC790
Last week, I turned in my final projects for my Berklee class on reharmonization. Just for fun, I want to share one with you today. It is a reharmonization of one of my favorite songs “But Beautiful.” Before I talk about the song, I will give you a bit of news. I am not taking […]
Want an easy way to get a thicker, more complex sound in your music? One of the easiest tips I can give you is to start using major 7ths. In this short post, I am going to tell you what major 7th chords are, when to use them, and how to use them. Sometimes, music […]
Today was the final day of the first semester of Music School. We start again in January. One student named Beth sent in something this week that I really liked and I did a video about it.
I want to tread carefully in this post because not everyone agrees with what I am about to discuss. I have good friends who will disagree with it in fact. That is all good. It is not a personal thing; it is just about music and I have no one in mind as I am writing.
I am really enjoying working with students around the world in my music school. For those wondering why I have taken down that part of the web site, it is because I am retooling for next semester. We are making a number of changes and are about ready to announce them. I will have everything up by Thanksgiving for sure.