Music Theory - Melody, Scales & Modes for Composition

Welcome!

"Melody is the essence of music."
- W.A. Mozart

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The Course:
The art of melodic writing is felt by many to be a mystery - something that cannot be taught, something purely instinctive. Others say there are rules and principles governing melody and that by learning them, we can compose better music. I see value in both perspectives and this course walks the middle line. Each lesson provides very clear, theoretical instruction while encouraging exploration and discovery through a series of real-world exercises designed to put everything into practice right away. This approach means you will have a thorough understanding of the theory and the know-how to implement it in your own music.

Musical Warp Drive is about writing music, not just understanding it. Everything is designed to bring your own unique expression into focus and remove the limitations that stifle creativity. 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. By the time you finish the course, you will have written 50 unique melodies, using many different scales and techniques, over a variety of downloadable backing tracks. Going forward, you will have confidence in writing powerful melodies that are appropriate for any musical situation.

Topics Covered:

• The role and function of melody in music

• Principles of a strong melody

• Specific steps for writing melodies

• All primary scales and modes

• Melodic and harmonic minor

• Pentatonic scales

• Exotic scales

• "Eastern" scales

• How and when to use all scale types

• Composing melodies over a drone

• Melodic contour

• How to use chord-tones and arpeggios when writing melodies

• Important "avoid notes"

• How and when to use chromatic (out of key) notes

• Instrument choice for melodic writing

• The emotional effects of articulation and instrument choice

Additional Content:

• Very specific exercises designed to increase comprehension and get you writing melodies right away

• Downloadable PDF pages with the most important information

• A variety of downloadable backing tracks to practice writing melodies

Important!
This course on melody is Part 2 of the Musical Warp Drive series. Please read the following list and make sure you understand these concepts as they will not be explained in-depth during this particular course:

1. Note names and the chromatic scale

2. Keyboard/piano layout

3. Intervals (major third, perfect fifth, minor seventh, etc.)

4. What it means to be in a key

5. Basic chords and how to build them (major, minor, diminished, etc.)

6. Basic scales and how to build them (major and minor)

7. Number system basics (naming chord progressions using numbers: I-IV-ii-V)

8. Rhythm basics (note lengths, time signature, etc.)

If any of this confuses you, I highly recommend going through Part 1 of Musical Warp Drive first. All of this (and much more) is thoroughly explained in that course. You can find Part 1 here on Udemy.

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Who Is This Course For?
Warp Drive courses are applicable to a wide variety of people. They are genre-neutral, meaning the information and exercises will benefit you no matter the style you work in. Producers, beatmakers, composers, songwriters, and instrumentalists can all equally make use of the content. Personally, I am both a conventional instrumentalist/musician as well as a computer-based composer/producer, so you can be assured I understand both perspectives very well.

I designed these courses for people, like myself, who are serious about their music and wish to compose at their highest potential. All theory taught is immediately used to write music. There is no substitute for experience!

If you are a total beginner, I recommend gaining some musical experience before diving into these courses. I do not teach how to play an instrument or how to use a DAW here. However, Part 1 of Musical Warp Drive goes over the basics of keyboard playing and contains a bunch of simple exercises to get you going, if that's what you're looking for.

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What Are Students Saying About The Course?

“I would recommend Max's Musical Warp Drive experience to anyone who has an interest in music and wants to further their understanding, and any musician who is looking to put themselves in the proper mindset for practice. It would be best for beginners to start with MWD part 1, even if you have a basic knowledge. It is always a great idea to learn music through different perspectives. The MWD experience is about understanding music to its core, and Max shows you that you don't need shortcuts to get the knowledge that you're looking for. Throughout the course, he suggests great exercises that actually give you results, and provides supportive tools. Looking forward to MWD part 3!”

“In the first course, I learned how to build a scale from any key, and the chords for major and minor based on any note from that scale. Right off the bat in this second course, I'm building entirely new modes from that same knowledge. I didn't even know what scale degrees or modes were before this class, but I'm a total noob. 5/5 Totally Recommend”

“It is a perfect match for everyone who wants to learn to compose.”

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Who Am I?
First and foremost, I am a music teacher and have been helping others play, enjoy, and understand this magical art form for the last 17 years. I teach both online and locally at a music school here in Canada. The guitar is my primary instrument but I also play piano, bass, and drums. Besides teaching, writing music is very close to my heart and I've been composing professionally for over 10 years now. I love to work in a variety of styles and am grateful to have been involved in many diverse projects.

If you'd like to get to know me better, you can always find me on YouTube doing live composition and creating tutorials related to music and digital production. Just search my name! There is also a direct link on my Udemy bio page.