Hello revolutionary music makers, I’m Kate
Harmony, this is Ray Harmony, and welcome
to Hack Music Theory, where we help you make
great music that stands out. And if you're
new to our channel, please help yourself
to our free book “12 Music Theory Hacks
to Learn Scales & Chords”, which you can
download from our website. Alright, it’s
time to open your DAW to hack music theory.
But first… tea!
Legendary Swedish band Opeth just dropped
the lead single “Heart in Hand” from their
upcoming thirteenth studio album. The song
launches straight into a one-note groove that
might seem disappointing to first-timers,
but Opeth fans would know the band are merely
laying a root-note foundation for something
special to be built on. And we only have to
wait until the fourth bar before that something
special is introduced. What is it? A mind-blowing
melody! What’s so great about it? Many things,
but let’s start with the fact that Opeth
play both the minor 3rd and major 3rd in their
melody. And not only that, they play each
3rd for the exact same duration, giving their
melody an equal amount of minor and major
emotion. As if that wasn’t enough, the next
thing you’ll notice is probably the dissonant
♯4 that suggests they’re in Lydian, which
is a major mode as it has a major 3rd. However,
the instantly-recognizable note combination
of minor 7 and major 6 then suggests they’re
in Dorian, which is a minor mode as it has
a minor 3rd. And then, just to confuse things
even more, they throw in a ♭2 that suggests
Phrygian. So... after all that, what mode is
Opeth’s melody actually in? All of them!
How? Well, Opeth are using a technique known
as modal interchange (or modal mixture), which
is just a fancy way of saying they wrote this
melody by combining two or more modes that
have the same root note, known as parallel
modes. But, Opeth’s use of modal interchange
only works because below their melody, they
are exclusively playing the root note. For
example, if they were playing a minor chord
below, then the major 3rd in the melody would
clash with the minor 3rd in the chord. But
as it’s just the root note below, literally
anything can go above!
And just a quick note before we jump into
the practical. If you’re new to modes, then
this lesson will be a little advanced for
you. But, you can learn everything you need
to know about modes in three simple hacks,
which are available in our Songwriting & Producing
PDF. It also contains hacks on how to write
guitar riffs, bass lines, chord progressions
and melodies, and it comes with MIDI file
examples too! If that sounds useful to you,
then you can download it from HackMusicTheory.com
Alright, now you’re gonna learn how to use
this theory to make your own version. And
for the example in this lesson, we’ll be
using our version that we made earlier. So,
start by setting up five bars of 4/4, with
your grid set to 1/16 notes, and your tempo
set to 120 BPM. Opeth use E as their root
note, so we’ll use it too. And by the way,
these dark notes below are our root-note bass
line (which is on another track). They’re
all muted here, though, they’re just here
for reference.
STEP 1. THE 3rds
Right, first things first, or rather, third
things first. Arguably the best way to start
mixing modes, is to play the major 3rd and
the minor 3rd. People are not used to hearing
music with both 3rds, so as soon as you play
them both, your listeners will know that something
special is happening. Also, try to play the
3rds for the same duration, like Opeth do,
as that creates a potent 50/50 mix of major
and minor.
STEP 2. THE OTHERS
Now it’s time to use those characteristic
modal notes. So, start by playing the ♯4
somewhere for that Lydian feel. Then, play
the 6 and ♭7 somewhere to get that Dorian
vibe. And then, play the 5 somewhere to stabilize
the melody and provide your listeners with
a brief moment of normality amongst the modal
mixture madness.
STEP 3. 1/16 NOTES
Lastly, for some extra spice, sprinkle in
the ♭2 for that moody Phrygian sound, but
be sure to play the 2 somewhere as well, for
a little normality once again. And they go
great before or after the root note, so throw
in a couple roots as well.
Right, so now you’ve got a modal mixture
melody. Congratulations! But, if you wanna
make a proper epic like Opeth’s song, then
you’ll need many more minutes of music (there’s
a lot of M’s in this lesson!). So, if you
wanna learn how to write other sections (like
a bridge) for an existing section, how to
transition between sections (especially when
they’re in different keys), and how to structure
and arrange your song, then check out our
online apprenticeship course over at HackMusicTheory.com
Alright, now let’s have a listen to our
Opeth-inspired melody. But just before the
playthrough, if there’s an artist you’d
like us to hack, please let us know. Thanks
for watching (or listening, if you’re on
the podcast), and we’ll see you next week!
