SOUNDFLY MAINSTAGE
Unlocking the Emotional Power of Chords
Produce more compelling music by harnessing the underlying emotional power of chords and harmony.
Why do some songs tug on our heartstrings while others fall flat? Conveying moods and emotions is a key element of making great music, and doing it well requires a deep understanding of chords and harmony. It's what allows Gnarls Barkley to convey a sense of danger, Adele to triumph over a break up, or Chance the Rapper to celebrate overcoming adversity.
This six-week course will show you how to craft compelling harmonies in your music. We'll look at a host of songs from across the contemporary music landscape to see how they use harmony to convey emotion, and explain important music theory concepts in the process. You'll be challenged to write your own mood-setting music by creating tracks for topliners, TV ads, film trailers, and more, and get personalized weekly feedback on your work from an expert. By the end you'll feel comfortable deploying an array of different chords and progressions to create the emotional pull you're looking for.
Ethan Hein
Music Technologist & Theory Nerd
Ethan Hein is an adjunct professor of music technology at NYU and Montclair State University, and a founding member of the NYU Music Experience Design Lab, under the leadership of Alex Ruthmann. You can follow all his explorations of music theory, music education, and pop music at ethanhein.com.
More About Ethan
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6 Weeks Left to Join the Next Session
- Unlimited access to interactive and video content
- Weekly feedback and support from an expert Mainstage Mentor
- Downloadable course pack with extra resources
Price $499
Communicate Powerful Emotions Through Your Music
By the end of this course, you’ll be able to harness more interesting chord progressions to create powerful emotional reactions in your listeners.
Build More Interesting Chord Progressions
We go through a variety of chord types and scales to add lots of new harmonic tools to your tool belt.
Learn to Communicate the Moods You Want
We examine how different harmonic tools can be used to craft different emotional palettes in your music.
Practice Turning Theory into Action
We give you realistic mock writing prompts to challenge you to translate your learning into your music right away.
Study Common Chord Progressions in Use
We look at a whole bunch of popular songs from across genres and how they use chords to create moods.
Are you an educator? If so, you can access educator discounts. !
GET PERSONAL SUPPORT & FEEDBACK FROM A MAINSTAGE MENTOR
Our expert mentors do whatever it takes to ensure that you achieve your musical goals for the course and leap forward in your learning.
Martin Fowler
Producer & Composer
- Produced & composed works for TV, film, & podcasts
- International touring & recording artist with over 15 years experience
- Studied bass & music technology at Berklee College of Music
John Hull
Producer & Composer
- Mix engineer for full-length film scores, including Experimenter
- Former composer of ad music at Human World Wide
- Studied production & engineering at Berklee College of Music
Course Outline
MORE INFORMATION
What will I learn in this course?
You'll learn how to create emotionally powerful chord progressions to convey different feelings in your music. You'll also learn a ton of music theory concepts, including intervals, major and minor chords, diatonic harmonies, seventh chords, modal interchange, and much more, and use them right away in a series of real-life challenges.
Are there any pre-reqs?
This course is a continuation of our free series, Theory for Producers, about scales and modes. As such, while not required, it will definitely help to have a working knowledge of scales and notes. Additionally, you'll want a working knowledge of a digital audio workstation (DAW), such as Ableton Live, Logic, FL Studio, or something else.
What do I get as a Mainstage student?
Mainstage courses are for students who are ready to take their music to the next level through more sophisticated chord progressions and harmonic choices. You'll receive immediate, unlimited access to online materials, a downloadable Course Pack, and in-depth personalized weekly feedback from a Mainstage Mentor. This Mentor will help you stay accountable to your goals, answer your music theory questions, and offer guidance along the way.
What does it mean that the course starts on September 6?
As soon as you purchase a course, you can start exploring the course material immediately. On September 6, the session begins, which means you'll receive your Course Pack and begin the guided experience that includes weekly activities, feedback from Mainstage Mentors, and much more. This is intended to help you stay accountable and get the feedback you need to succeed.
Will there be future sessions of the course?
Yes! Check back shortly for firm dates, or sign up for a Soundfly account to receive email updates about course dates and new course launches.
How do I give the course as a gift?
Soundfly courses make great gifts for the music lover in your life. To purchase a course as a gift, first sign into your Soundfly account, or create a new account for you (the purchaser). Pick the course you'd like to give, click to purchase, fill in your information, check the box below the credit card form saying you're buying the course as a gift, and click to pay. You'll shortly receive an email gift certificate that you can give to a friend.
How do I sign up for a course using a gift certificate?
Create your own Soundfly account, navigate to the course you've been gifted, and click to "buy now." On the check out page at the bottom of the form, you'll see a field where you can enter the code on your gift certificate. Enter the code, no credit card info needed, click "Apply," and enjoy the course!