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Small Bites

Content from our social media — music theory, songwriting, engineering, mixing, synthesis, and more — collected in one place. If you saw something on our page and want to find it again, it's here. Read it, search it, share it.

Featured Bite

Logic: select top/bottom MIDI note

By the way, did you know that logic has a key command to select the highest or lowest MIDI note?

Video thumbnail: This diminished chord resolves nine places and the first eight are easy.

Diminished Chords Resolve 9 Ways — Here's the Pattern

A diminished chord resolves to four roots, major or minor — that's eight resolutions. The ninth is the surprise. How diminished chords function as rootless dominant 7ths and where each resolution leads.

Happy Chords: Sad Chords

Do you ever get confused about major or minor chords?

double harmonic scale

Most scales are created by taking the one you already know and starting on a different note.

Video thumbnail: When you’re working in the box, you enjoy a luxury, which is that all of your plugins and settings...

Session Recall Hack

When you’re working in the box, you enjoy a luxury, which is that all of your plugins and settings snap to attention as soon as you open your session.

Video thumbnail: Markers and Logic are great for labeling sections of your song, but did you know they can also...

Floating Logic Markers

Markers and Logic are great for labeling sections of your song, but did you know they can also contain lots of extra text?

Video thumbnail: The next time someone asks you if you know all of your scales, ask them if they know the Hungarian...

Scales: utility knots

The next time someone asks you if you know all of your scales, ask them if they know the Hungarian minor or the double harmonic.

Video thumbnail: Today in office hours I helped one of our students conform some of their free playing onto a tempo...

Finding the sculpture inside the stone

Today in office hours I helped one of our students conform some of their free playing onto a tempo grid.

Video thumbnail: Producers have this habit of trying to understand music theory without understanding one really...

Form: Music Theory Unlock Code

Producers have this habit of trying to understand music theory without understanding one really basic thing, which is form.

Video thumbnail: The power of a compressor really comes into its own as we start to adjust the attack and release...

Attack Release

The power of a compressor really comes into its own as we start to adjust the attack and release time.

Third Tools Shortcuts: Logic Pro X

If your workflow is inefficient, nothing you learn in your DAW has much impact.

32 bit float

Logic Pro’s recent update adds support for 32-bit floating audio files.

producers who understand three kinds of editing

Pretty much any experienced producer will understand the value of editing.

harmony is rhythm

Now you think you know what this video is about, but I don’t think you do.

Video thumbnail: Stereosaurus, monoreverb.

Stereo Source: Mono Reverb

Why sending a stereo source to a mono reverb return often sounds better than stereo reverb on everything — and how it keeps your mix focused.

All Bites

Showing 12 of 606 articles (Page 15 of 51)

Mic Polar Patterns

Today we’re going to look at microphone polar patterns.

Video thumbnail: One simple way to approach a V chord when you’re looking at a 2-5-1 progression is to think of it...

II-V one finger resolution

One simple way to approach a V chord when you’re looking at a 2-5-1 progression is to think of it like a suspended chord.

Sawtooth

Today we’re gonna build something.

Hate

Mixing In Headphones

Drones

Screenshot of a Threads post about why you should not blindly put compressors on every track in your mix

Stop Putting a Compressor on Every Track

A compressor can add dynamics, reduce them, reshape attack, or extend sustain. Those are different jobs. Use one with intention, not by default.

Photo of a rusty bench vise with text: There is a reason you have trouble hearing compression

Identify the Problem Before Reaching for Compression

If you can't name the problem compression is solving, you won't recognize when it's working. Start with the symptom, not the plugin.

Photo of an elephant from behind with overlaid text about mic'ing instruments from the back to soften the attack

Mic an Instrument From Behind

Mic'ing an instrument from behind softens the attack and captures a rounder tone. Works on upright piano, cymbals, violin, and more.

Illustrated mountain range silhouette with text: If your EQ curve starts to look like this, it may mean something is wrong

If Your EQ Curve Looks Like a Mountain Range

Radical EQ curves with steep peaks and cuts usually signal a problem upstream. Use broad strokes first, surgical moves only when needed.

Photo of a hand playing an Fdim7 chord on piano with annotated note names: F, Ab, Cb, Ebb

Why an Fdim7 Has a Cb and an Ebb

An Fdim7 chord spells F Ab Cb Ebb, not F Ab B D. The enharmonic spelling preserves the stacked-thirds structure that defines how chords work.

Text card: Live with your songs a little before you produce them. The recording is usually better after you have taken the song on tour.

Live With Your Songs Before You Produce Them

Recording usually sounds better after a song has been played and shared enough to develop its own character. Give it time before you produce.