Articles
Music Theory, Organized and Searchable.
From diatonic chords to scales, circle of fifths, and transposition — topics beginners struggle with, explained through articles and interactive sound.
66 results
Diatonic Chords
5 resultsApr 10, 2026
Build Progressions with Diatonic Chords: Function and Cadence
Why do in-key chords sound natural together? Learn the T-SD-D functions, why same-function chords swap freely, and how cadences end a progression. Hear it in the tool.
Apr 10, 2026
Diatonic Chord Chart: All 12 Keys, Major and Minor
Need to know which chords fit a key? This chart lists the diatonic triads for all 12 major and minor keys, with a tool to hear each one.
Apr 10, 2026
Can't Remember Diatonic Chords? Easy Memorization Tricks
Diatonic chords won't stick? Stop memorizing 12 key sets. Learn one pattern, practice by playing it, and reinforce it with a tool that plays each chord.
Apr 10, 2026
Tonic vs Dominant Explained Simply: What T, SD, and D Mean
Confused by tonic vs dominant? Learn the three chord roles — stability, motion, and tension — by how they sound and how to use them in your songs.
Apr 10, 2026
What Are Diatonic Chords? The Chords That Fit a Key
New to music theory? Learn what diatonic chords are in plain terms — the seven chords that belong to a key — and why they matter, with a tool to hear them.
Chord Progressions
4 resultsApr 25, 2026
Your First Chord Progression: The 4-Chord Loop I–VIm–IV–V
Want just one progression to start with? Learn the go-to 4-chord loop I–VIm–IV–V (C-Am-F-G) by function and feel, with an interactive player.
Apr 10, 2026
How to Make a Chord Progression: 4 Decisions, No Inspiration Needed
Can't think of chords? Skip waiting for inspiration. Make your first progression with four small decisions and a change-one-thing-and-listen loop, in the player.
Apr 10, 2026
Top 10 Chord Progressions in Pop Songs (Hear Each One)
Pop's most-used progressions — canon, royal road, Komuro, II-V-I, 12-bar blues — explained by emotional motion, with a player to hear each one.
Apr 10, 2026
What Is a Chord Progression? Reorder the Same Chords
A chord progression is the order, not just the chords. Reorder the same four chords, hear the mood flip, and learn names, numerals, and function.
Chord Builder
2 resultsApr 10, 2026
What Makes a Song Feel Finished — Dominant Motion (V→I)
The moment a song lands and feels resolved comes from dominant motion (V–I). Learn why it sounds so final, and hear it in an interactive tool.
Apr 10, 2026
Stuck on the Next Chord? Build Progressions by Feel
Freeze up choosing the next chord? Start from the mood. Use each chord's emotional weight and the builder's emotion filter and star ratings to pick chords by ear.
Progression Generator
3 resultsApr 15, 2026
Common Chord Progressions: Patterns for Happy & Sad Songs
A reference of the most-used chord progressions in major and minor keys, written by degree so they work in any key, with a tool to hear each one.
Apr 15, 2026
How Chord Progressions Work: Why the Generator Picks What It Picks
Random generation, yet it always sounds plausible — why? Learn the weighted transition idea (which chord is likely to follow which) by watching the generator work.
Apr 15, 2026
Practice Your Ear with Random Chord Progressions
Get better at playing by ear and improvising: practice against randomly generated chord progressions, with a step-by-step plan and a tool to use.
Chord Finder
3 resultsJul 2, 2026
Tension Chords: 9ths, 11ths and 13ths Explained by Ear
Stack one note at a time onto a plain C and the color climbs like a staircase. Sort out add9 vs 9, and C9 vs Cadd9 vs Cmaj9, by actually playing them.
Apr 10, 2026
What Does Cm7 or Csus4 Mean? Reading Chord Symbols
Confused by Cm7, Cadd9, or slash chords? Learn the simple rules for decoding any chord name, from triads to extensions, and hear each one in a tool.
Apr 10, 2026
Which Notes Make Up a Chord? Chord Tones Explained
Want to know which notes are in any chord? See the notes behind C major through Cm7, learn how chords are built, and pick a root to hear them in a tool.
Chord Analysis
5 resultsJul 2, 2026
Secondary Dominants: Add Pull to a Flat Progression
When a diatonic progression sounds flat, a secondary dominant like A7 or D7 yanks the ear toward the next chord. Learn how they work and where each one resolves, then hear it in the tool.
Jul 2, 2026
Tritone Substitution: Make Any Dominant Sound Jazzier
Swap the V7 in a ii-V-I for the chord a half step up and the bass slides down chromatically. See why the substitution works by comparing shared notes.
Apr 15, 2026
That Surprising Chord That Catches Your Ear — Borrowed Chords
A chord that sounds out of key yet perfect? That's a borrowed chord. Learn what they are, why they work, and hear them in an interactive tool.
Apr 15, 2026
How to Analyze a Chord Progression in a Song You Love
Break down the chords in your favorite song. Find the key and read Roman numeral degrees with three simple questions, then check it by ear in a tool.
Apr 15, 2026
Why Chords Feel Settled or Tense — Chord Function (T/SD/D)
Why does a progression feel at rest, then tense? That's chord function. A beginner guide to Tonic, Subdominant, and Dominant you can hear in a tool.
Chord Diagrams
3 resultsMay 21, 2026
Can't Play the F Chord? Barre Chord Tips That Work
Struggling with the F chord or slow, clumsy changes? Learn why barre chords buzz, how to fix them, and drills that speed up changes — with sound.
May 21, 2026
Which Guitar Chords to Learn First? 8 Open Chords
Not sure which guitar chords to learn first? Start with these 8 open chords — C, G, D, Em, Am and more — with fingering tips and a learning order.
May 8, 2026
Where Do My Fingers Go? Reading Chord Diagrams
Unsure where to put your fingers on a chord diagram? Learn to read strings, frets, finger numbers, open and muted strings, and barre shapes by ear.
Scales
11 resultsMay 23, 2026
The Arabic (Double Harmonic) Scale: That Exotic Sound
Want an exotic, Middle-Eastern melody? The Arabic (double harmonic) scale powers film and game cues. Hear how it works in the interactive tool.
May 23, 2026
The Blues Scale and the Blue Note: Grit in a Solo
Want guitar solos with more grit? Learn how the blue note (the flat 5) at the heart of the blues scale works, and hear it in the interactive tool.
May 23, 2026
Hungarian Minor vs Gypsy Scale: Dramatic Folk Sounds
Hungarian minor and the Gypsy scale are often confused, but they differ. Hear how the augmented second shifts position in the interactive tool.
May 23, 2026
Natural, Harmonic, and Melodic Minor: Why Three?
What separates the natural, harmonic, and melodic minor scales, and why are there three? A minor as a running example, with sounds in the interactive tool.
May 23, 2026
Miyako-bushi: The Dark, Shadowy Japanese Scale
Want a dark, somber Japanese mood? The Miyako-bushi scale packs two half steps into five notes. Hear how it works in the interactive tool.
May 23, 2026
What Is the Persian Scale? (And Why It Isn't Persian)
Want an eerie, exotic melody? The Persian scale packs clustered half steps for a dark, foreign color. Hear how it works in the interactive tool.
May 23, 2026
The Ryukyu Scale: That Okinawan, Sanshin Sound
Want a melody that sounds Okinawan, like a sanshin song? The Ryukyu scale drops the 2nd and 6th. Hear how it works in the interactive tool.
May 23, 2026
The Whole Tone Scale: A Dreamlike, Floating Sound
Want a weightless sound, as if the floor disappeared? The whole tone scale spaces every note a whole step apart. Hear how it works in the interactive tool.
May 23, 2026
The Yona-nuki Scale: That Japanese, Nostalgic Sound
Want a melody that sounds Japanese or nostalgic? The Yona-nuki scale drops the 4th and 7th, used from old school songs to J-pop. Hear it in the tool.
Apr 10, 2026
Can't Write a Solo or Melody? Start with the Pentatonic Scale
Can't get a melody or guitar solo going? The five-note pentatonic scale is hard to play a wrong note in. Hear its bright and bluesy sounds in the tool.
Apr 10, 2026
Why Does a Song Sound Happy or Sad? The Scale Behind It
Why a song feels bright or dark comes down to its scale. Learn how major and minor differ and how scales build chords. Hear each one in the tool.
Scale Conversion
3 resultsMay 3, 2026
Can't Write from Chords? Compose by Choosing the Mood First
If starting from chord progressions feels generic, pick the mood first. Run a melody through different scales, then build chords around it. Hear it live.
May 3, 2026
Which Scale Makes a Song Bright, Dark, or Exotic? Seven Moods
Chasing a bright, dark, dreamy, or exotic mood? See which of seven scales gets you there, from major and minor to pentatonic and Ryukyu. Hear each one.
May 3, 2026
Scale Conversion Explained: One Melody, Many Moods
Want a familiar tune to feel like folk, a dream, or a game theme? Hear why one melody changes worlds just by switching its scale. Try it live in the tool.
Modes
4 resultsApr 15, 2026
Dorian, Phrygian & Mixolydian: Reshape Minor and Major
Want a minor that grooves, a Spanish edge, or a bluesy lift? Each is one moved note. Hear how Dorian, Phrygian, and Mixolydian shift the mood as you read.
Apr 15, 2026
Lydian and Locrian: Dreamy vs. Unsettling Scales
Want a dreamy, floating sound or an uneasy, eerie one? Lydian and Locrian sit at opposite poles. Learn the single note behind each, and play both.
Apr 15, 2026
What Mode Is That Song In? Famous Examples for Each Mode
What scale gives a song its mood? Famous songs for each of the seven church modes, with listening cues you can play and hear right away.
Apr 15, 2026
Want to Change a Melody's Mood? What Musical Modes Are
Beyond major and minor, modes reshape a melody's mood. A beginner's guide to the seven church modes, Ionian to Locrian, played as you read.
Melody & Chord Tones
2 resultsApr 15, 2026
How to Write a Melody: Which Notes Should You Pick?
Unsure which notes to play in a melody? Use the scale as your palette and chord tones as anchors. A beginner guide, with a tool to hear them.
Apr 15, 2026
Which Notes Fit Over a Chord? Chord Tones Explained
Which melody notes fit over a chord? Learn what chord tones are, why they sound stable against the harmony, and hear them in an interactive tool.
Step Sequencer
1 resultsIntervals
3 resultsApr 15, 2026
Consonance vs. Dissonance: Why Some Chords Sound Tense
Why does a perfect fifth sound calm while a minor second sounds tense? Learn the difference between consonance and dissonance, then compare them by ear.
Apr 15, 2026
Can't Tell Intervals Apart? Recognize Them by Song
Can't hear the difference between intervals? Learn to recognize all 13 by ear with the song-reference trick and the compare-neighbors method, in an interactive tool.
Apr 15, 2026
What Is an Interval in Music? Names and Sounds
Not sure what to call the distance between two notes? Get the names and semitone counts for all 13 intervals, and pick any two notes to hear each one.
Circle of Fifths
4 resultsJul 2, 2026
How to Modulate: Changing Key Mid-Song
Want the last chorus to jump up a key, or a bridge that shifts mood? Learn the difference between modulation and transposition, why nearby keys move smoothly and distant keys sound dramatic, and three practical modulation types.
May 21, 2026
How to Use the Circle of Fifths for Chord Progressions
Why do chords resolve when they move by fifths? Use the circle of fifths to build progressions — dominant motion, II-V-I, turnarounds — and hear them.
May 21, 2026
Key Signatures: Count Sharps and Flats by the Fifths
Can't recall how many sharps or flats a key has? Use the circle of fifths to count them instead of memorizing — order, relative minors, and more.
Apr 10, 2026
What Is the Circle of Fifths and How Do You Use It?
New to the circle of fifths? Learn what it is and how to use it — for key distance, modulation, and dominant motion, with a tool to hear it.
Key Finder
2 resultsApr 10, 2026
How to Find a Song's Key from Its Chords
Know the chords but not the key? Match them to find the key, learn how to choose between two close keys, and confirm by ear with the Key Finder tool.
Apr 10, 2026
What Is a Musical Key? How to Find the Key of a Song
Not sure what a key even is? Learn what a musical key means in plain terms, how to find a song's key, and why it matters — with a tool to hear it.
Transposition
1 resultsMetronome
2 resultsApr 10, 2026
The Metronome Is a Lie Detector: How to Fix Rushing and Dragging
Keep falling out of sync with a metronome? Use the click not as a backing track but as a tool that exposes where you rush or drag, with a free in-browser metronome.
Apr 10, 2026
Tempo Guide: What BPM Are Largo, Andante, Allegro?
Classical tempo terms from Largo to Presto with BPM ranges — plus why the same BPM can feel faster or slower. Hear each in an in-browser metronome.
Tap Tempo
2 resultsApr 15, 2026
How to Find a Song's BPM: Measure Tempo Fast with Tap Tempo
Want to find a song's BPM? Learn to tap out and measure tempo accurately, with tips for steadier readings, using a free in-browser tap-tempo tool.
Apr 15, 2026
What Is BPM? The Number Behind a Song's Speed, Explained
New to BPM and what that number means? Learn how BPM relates to tempo terms like Largo and Allegro, and tap out a tempo with a free in-browser tool.
Rhythm Patterns
2 resultsApr 15, 2026
Note Lengths Explained: Quarter, 8th, and 16th Notes
Not sure how note lengths differ or how to count beats? Learn quarter, eighth, and sixteenth notes with rhythm grids and an interactive pattern tool.
Apr 15, 2026
What Is Groove? Understanding Feel and Rhythm Patterns
How do musicians get that groove? Learn what creates it and how drum patterns build it across rock, funk, and bossa nova, with an interactive tool.
Rhythm Ear Training
1 resultsEar Training
3 resultsApr 15, 2026
Major or Minor by Ear? How to Identify Chords by Ear
Can't hear if a chord is major or minor? Learn the bright-vs-dark cues for 7th, dim, and aug chords, then practice with an interactive ear-training tool.
Apr 15, 2026
An Interval Ear-Training Routine: Practice a Little Every Day
A daily interval ear-training routine using the quiz tool: the perfect-intervals-first staged plan, a 5-to-10-minute session, and how to clear your weak spots.
Apr 15, 2026
Can Adults Train Their Ear? A Guide to Ear Training
Too late to train your ear as an adult? Learn the difference between absolute and relative pitch, why anyone can build it, and where to start, with a tool.