Music Theory and Song Analysis Videos

Thread for excellent music theory and song analysis videos (if the mods allow). Could be anything from beginner to advanced. Videos should be insightful and well-explained. Here we can talk rhythm, scales, chords, chord progressions, intervals, modes, relationships between octaves and frequencies, harmonics, well-tempered scale, dissonance, tension and release, harmonies, counterpoint, blue notes, and non-western music theory as well.

This differentiates from other threads where people are asking about where to get music theory content in that this thread is about actually doing it and nerding out on it.

Song analysis should have a strong music theory component, not just a couple of podcast joes saying, “wow dude this is a great song. This artist is a genius!”

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I think talking about this song has become a bit of a meme at this point? But imo this video is still the best:

https://youtu.be/vxUMcz4TgYY?si=esZKkeD3oaN1ug0M

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Delete from the question mark on for it to embed properly

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Good thread

I like this channel a lot. I remember being mindblown when I learned to play the bass line of this for a cover one of my old bands played.

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Your mileage will vary depending on how much you love or tolerate video game music, but this guy is a great teacher with a clear style and a back catalog that covers just about everything at this point.

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CaptainPikant: BLUE MONDAY - Analyzing the Drums of NEW ORDER’s Biggest Hit

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Kofi Agawu - Anku’s Theory of African Rhythm

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How Ravel Writes for Orchestra

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Bernstein, The greatest 5 min. in music education

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7 Ways To Actually Use the Circle of 5ths

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How to Play Walking Bass Line over Chord Changes - Crash Course

Music Theory Analysis #21 - Boards of Canada - Geogaddi: Parallel Harmonies, Chord Planing

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Harmony Planing

Some quick tips around dovetailing, how the number of different instruments in a section can affect perceived timbre and volume, and octave doubling with different instruments. This video is aimed at orchestral composers; however, the principles apply to any composition.

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Implementing the “Fugue Machine” concept into any DAW, sequencer (or your Octatrack)

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How Vince Guaraldi utilized upper structures in Christmas Time Is Here

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Using an arpeggiator or sequencer with a modes filter can be a great way to get firsthand experience with the sound of different intervals and modes by experimenting while playing.

This video shows how to create dynamic, in-key, playable arpeggios in the lightweight HY-SeqCollection2 VST plug-in. This is using Cantabile as host/DAW, but any VST host will work. Synth used is the Behringer Proton with an FM patch.

(3 minute video)

Captain Pikant: “I spent 1000 days transcribing drum beats - here’s what I learned”

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“The Truck Driver Gear Shift key change”

This one is also good. The theoretical analysis starts at around 9:45, but the whole video is good

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