Okay, so you’ve written two sections, but now, how do you transition from one section
to the other? Well, there’s a couple different methods you can use, and we’ll introduce
you to both of them in this lesson. But first… tea!
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. If it’s your
first time here, please help yourself to our free book “12 Music Theory Hacks to Learn
Scales & Chords”, which you can download from our website: HackMusicTheory.com
So, over the last few weeks, we’ve been asking you what part of the writing process
you struggle with. Firstly, thank you sincerely to everyone who took the time to share, we
read every single comment. Secondly, we have great news for all of you! We already have
resources available to help with every problem that was shared, so let’s jump in! Now,
almost all of these musical problems can be grouped into a handful of categories, which
we’ll address over a couple of lessons. By far the most common issues you raised,
were writing new sections for existing sections, and transitioning between sections. These
issues are totally related, so we’ll cover both in this lesson.
Right, so there’s two completely different approaches to writing transitions. We like
to call them the Frankenstein method, and the Song-whispering method. The Frankenstein
method is when you have different sections that were not written with the intention of
being joined, but later you decide you wanna stitch ‘em together. Then on the other hand,
the Song-whispering method is when you write one section and allow it to whisper to you
where it wants to go next, then from those whispers you write the transition and the
next section. Both methods work, but the Frankenstein method forces sections together, whereas the
Song-whispering method allows new sections to grow out of existing sections.
I used to use the Frankenstein method a lot when I was a young songwriter, but the more
I matured, the less I used it, and nowadays I don’t use it at all. I believe that for
a song to reach its full potential, it has to be given the opportunity to grow organically
in whatever direction it wants. And that belief is the reason why I created the Song-whispering
method, because when you master this method, it feels like your music is literally writing
itself!
Now, on a very practical level, you’re probably wondering what to do if you have two sections
that were not written with the intention of being joined. Well, instead of forcing them
together, we recommend turning each of those sections into separate songs, which will allow
them both to grow into their full potential. Having said that though, if you’re determined
to Frankenstein them together, then you can, and it’s at least a great way to practice
modulating (i.e. changing key). And if you need help with modulating, then check out
the ultimate Modulation hack in our Songwriting & Producing PDF. It will empower you with
the three most effective ways to change between any two keys.
And if your two sections are in the same key already, then they’ll transition into each
other relatively smoothly as is. So, a drum fill and perhaps a variation in the melody
should be enough for a decent transition. However, the most powerful transitions will
almost always involve modulating, as that freshness you get from a new key is vital
in the overall longevity of a song. So on that note, if your two sections are in the
same key, maybe they shouldn’t be joined after all.
Now, when you use the Song-whispering method, your song will guide you to the new key that
it wants to move into, which will make the modulation sound natural and effortless. Okay,
so now the big question is: How do you do this Song-whispering thing? Well, not only
does it take many hours to teach Song-whispering, but it’s also our secret sauce that we sell,
so we can eat, pay the rent and keep making these free lessons for you.
So if you wanna learn how to become a Song-whisperer, then do our online Apprenticeship, which is
a 17-hour video course that guides you through every step of the music making process, from
blank screen to finished song. If that sounds useful to you, then sign up now at HackMusicTheory.com
Thank you once again for sharing your struggles with us. We really hope this lesson helped,
and we’ll get to the rest of your music making problems next week. Thanks for watching
(or listening, if you’re on the podcast), and we’ll see you next time!