Music Theory – Melody, Scales & Modes for Composition

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.

• 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

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.