Learn to write beatuiful chord progressions using triads, extensions, functional harmony, and more!

"It is not the particular frequency or timbre which gives the desired effect, but the harmony."

- Hazrat Inayat Khan

How it Works:

Part 3 is dedicated to writing chord progressions from the ground up.

The goal is freedom, ease, and understanding while composing diatonic harmony in major and minor keys.

The method is a series of lessons and specific exercises:

Each lesson is highly detailed and easy to understand.

The exercises immediately utilize the new information, ensuring that nothing remains theoretical—you will know exactly how to use everything in your own compositions.

There will be no sight-reading, no exams, no quick-fixes, and no diploma to hang on your wall. There will be deep listening, compositional challenges, personal reflection, and many hours of effective practice.

Is this a music theory course?

Definitely! However, it is theory in service of composition.

What type of composition?

The type most natural to you, whatever that may be. Musical Warp Drive deals with universal music principles rather than genre-specific details. These insights and ideas apply as much to dubstep as they do to country.

What to Expect:

Part 3 of the Warp Drive series will provide you all the knowledge and experience needed to begin writing beautiful chords and progressions.

The course is separated into several sections:

The Basics:

This section deals with the standard triadic chords found in major and minor keys, as well as how to begin composing with them effectively. A lot of important terminology is clearly defined and specific exercises are given to make sure everything is fully understood.

Working with Melody:

Since the most common use of harmony is to provide context and support for a melody, it's important to understand the relationship between the two early on. You will learn to write melodies for chord progressions and, conversely, write chords for an existing melody. Additionally, the basics of functional harmony are shown and applied to harmonizing melodies.

Other Triads:

Here we begin investigating chord types beyond major and minor. Suspended, augmented, and diminished chords are examined and demonstrated. Both the theory and practical application of each chord quality are shown in detail.

Sevenths and Sixths:

An in-depth look at the most important four-note chord types. This section opens the door into a whole new world of emotion and harmonic flavor. A deep understanding of these sounds lays the foundation for further exploration during the rest of the course.

Extended Chords

Ninths, elevenths, and thirteenths! A detailed look into chords with five or more notes. The information here will demystify exactly how and when to use these structures in a variety of different contexts.

Putting It All Together

Some final exercises that combine everything at once, along with a demonstration and advice for the road ahead.

The Musical Warp Drive series:

Part 1: Fundamentals, Mind & Ear

Part 2: Melody, Scales & Modes

Part 3: Diatonic Harmony

What you'll learn:

How to build and use the most important chord types

What the natural chords of every key are

What functional harmony is and how to use it in chord progressions

How to harmonize a melody

How to figure out the key of a song or chord progression

Chord substitutions

Chord decoration using extensions

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