Meet the Major Diatonic Drop, a Progression Used by Ozzy Osbourne, Glen Campbell and John Lennon By Jimmy Brown Learn about the major diatonic drop, and how you can use it to great effect in your own songwriting.
The Ultimate Transition Chord: Four Minor Resolutions for dim7 By Jimmy Brown Learn a few interesting applications of this harmonically unstable yet appealing chord.
More Tasteful Examples of How Dim7 Chords Are Used By Jimmy Brown A few examples from the rock and pop catalog of how famous composers have successfully harnessed this enigmatic chord to great effect.
The Attractively Balanced and Highly Musical E Minor Hexatonic Scale By Jimmy Brown Some cool things you can do with the minor hexatonic scale.
Eerie Arpeggios: Using Movable Addb2 Shapes to Create Haunting Lead Lines By Jimmy Brown Learn how to create eerie, twisted-sounding melodies with this lesson.
How to Use the "Spooky" Dimished Seven Chord By Jimmy Brown Look at a few examples of fairly well-known songs from the modern era that utilize the dim7 chord in interesting, effective ways.
A David Gilmour-Style Approach to Beethoven's “Moonlight Sonata” By Jimmy Brown The melody of Beethoven's “Moonlight Sonata”, re-imagined in the style of David Gilmour.
Restless Harmony: Meet the Anxious m7b5 Chord By Jimmy Brown Look at a few examples of ways in which world-renowned songwriters have harnessed this harmonic beast and put it to good use.
A Guide to Basic Jazz-Blues Changes By Jimmy Brown Presenting a more musically sophisticated variation on the standard 12-bar blues.
Jazz-Blues Comping with "Chord Jabs" By Jimmy Brown Learn a jazz guitar comping technique that provides interesting chord movement and rhythmic “push.”
The Bleak, Ominous Second-Inversion Minor Chord By Jimmy Brown Tell an engaging story and make a powerful statement with second-inversion minor chords.
The Sadly Warm First-Inversion Minor Chord By Jimmy Brown Learn more about the first-inversion minor chord, an invaluable resource for the aspiring composer.
Great Applications of a Second-Inversion Chord By Jimmy Brown Look at a few brief examples of well-known songs that feature the use of a second-inversion chord.
Watch Daron Malakian Play System of a Down and Scars on Broadway Riffs, Talk Guitars and Songwriting By Richard Bienstock The guitarist and singer sits down with Ernie Ball for the newest episode of 'String Theory.'
The Blissful-Sounding Major Add-2 Arpeggio By Jimmy Brown An introduction to minor add2’s blissful, optimistic sibling, the major add-2 arpeggio.
More Great Ways in Which Songwriters Have Used First-Inversion Chords By Jimmy Brown Learn some compositionally effective ways in which first-inversion chords have been used in popular music.
Using First-Inversion Chords to Create Smooth Bass Motion By Jimmy Brown Some musically appealing ways that great songwriters have used first-inversion chords to craft progressions behind their melodies.
Walking Down the Major Scale with Contrary Motion By Jimmy Brown Learn a compositional trick that's been used to great effect by Nirvana, Stone Temple Pilots, The Eagles, Queen and many more.
The E Minor/D Major-Hexatonic Connection By Jimmy Brown Get a primer on this appealing and useful hexatonic scale.
