Theory & Songwriting
Write better songs. Approachable music theory and songwriting craft, covering chords, scales, melody, structure and the ideas that make tracks connect.Start here: The Circle of Fifths Explained for Songwriters · Music Intervals Explained for Beginners · Seventh Chords Explained: Maj7, Min7, and Dominant 7 · Song Structure Explained: Verse, Chorus, Bridge and More.
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How Long Is a Verse in a Song?
How long is a verse in a song? Most verses run 8 or 16 bars — about 15 to 30…
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How Many Beats Are in a Bar?
Wondering how many beats in a bar? Learn the answer for 4/4, 3/4, 6/8 and other time signatures, how to…
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What Is BPM in Music?
What is BPM? BPM stands for beats per minute, the number that sets a song’s tempo. Learn how to count…
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How to Tell What Key a Song Is In
Learn how to tell what key a song is in using the melody, chords, and key signature. A clear, step-by-step…
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What Is a Key in Music?
What is a key in music? A key is the home note and scale a song is built around. Learn…
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What Is Jersey Club?
What is Jersey Club? The bouncy, 130–140 BPM dance sound born in Newark — its Baltimore roots, signature triplet kicks,…
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What Is Boom Bap?
What is boom bap? It’s the classic 90s hip-hop sound of hard kicks, crisp snares and dusty jazz-soul samples. Learn…
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What Is Hyperpop?
What is hyperpop? A maximalist, glitchy offshoot of pop built on pitched-up vocals, distorted bass and candy synths. Here’s its…
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What Is Afrobeat?
What is afrobeat? A plain-English guide to the groove, horns, polyrhythms, and history of Fela Kuti’s genre, plus how it…
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What Is Shoegaze?
What is shoegaze? It’s the dreamy, effects-drenched wall-of-sound rock born in late-1980s Britain — here’s its origin, sound, key bands…