A video course by Music Secrets

Hear why hit songs work. Then write your own.

27 short video lessons on the harmony behind the songs you know: notes, chords, loops, key changes and song form. Every lesson comes with a printable workbook and MIDI files.

Watch lesson 1 freeSee plans
lessons
27
lessons
modules
7
modules
of video
2 h 23
of video
Lesson 1, The 12 Notes: the circle of notes above a lit piano keyboard Free lesson · The 12 Notes · 4:29

What you'll be able to do

From the twelve notes to a song of your own

Find any note and chord

The keyboard map, half and whole steps, scales, intervals and triads.

Read any key

Key signatures, the seven chords of a key and what each one does.

Hear the classic loops

The four-chord loop, the 12-bar blues, falling bass lines and the circle of fifths.

Add colour

Sevenths, sus and add chords, inversions, borrowed chords and secondary dominants.

Write melodies that fit

Pentatonic and blue notes, modes, chord tones and tension notes.

Shape a whole song

Song maps, key changes, build-ups and rhythm, then a method to analyse any hit.

The curriculum

27 lessons in 7 modules

Module 1

Foundations

  1. 01The 12 NotesFREE
  2. 02The Major Scale Formula
  3. 03Intervals You Already Know
  4. 04Building Triads
  5. 05Key Signatures Decoded

Module 2

Chords and keys

  1. 06The Seven Chords of a Key
  2. 07Home, Away, Tension
  3. 08Cadences: Musical Punctuation
  4. 09Three Chords and the Blues
  5. 10The Four-Chord Loop

Module 3

Movement

  1. 11Falling Bass Lines
  2. 12The Minor Side
  3. 13Around the Circle

Module 4

Colour

  1. 14Seventh Chords
  2. 15Sus, Add and Power Chords
  3. 16Inversions and Smooth Voice Leading
  4. 17Borrowed Chords
  5. 18Secondary Dominants

Module 5

Melody

  1. 19Pentatonic and Blue Notes
  2. 20Modes for Songwriters
  3. 21Chord Tones and Tension Notes

Module 6

Song craft

  1. 22Song Maps
  2. 23Key Changes
  3. 24Tension and Release
  4. 25Rhythm for Songwriters

Module 7

Your hit

  1. 26How to Analyse Any Hit
  2. 27Write Your Progression

In every lesson

Watch it, then play it

Video lesson

About five minutes, with chapters, subtitles and a full transcript.

Summary sheet

One printable page with everything the lesson covers.

Workbook

Exercises to do at the keyboard, with an answer key.

MIDI files

Every example from the video, ready for any DAW or piano app.

Many lessons also include ear-training audio files with answers.

Start with the free lesson

Then unlock all 27 lessons, workbooks and MIDI files.

See plansWatch lesson 1

Questions

FAQ