Instruments

• THEORY-GYM: We used "Strawberry Fields Forever" as a full analysis vehicle, working through its unusual pitch center, the opening line cliché, and the chord-by-chord breakdown of the intro progression. Concepts covered included passing tones versus functional harmony, borrowed chords, chromatic median motion, secondary dominants, and the historical context of the Mellotron as an early sampler. We also discussed songwriting process — specifically whether melody or chords tend to come first, and how the song's harmonic choices serve its lyrical theme.
• OFFICE HOURS: Covered streaming loudness targets and master fader signal chain in Pro Tools, walking through EQ, compression, hardware compressor, limiting, and metering in sequence. Discussed studio acoustic treatment — bass traps, early reflections, diffusion, and material choices — with reference to a specific room setup shared by a student. Also addressed the current state of commercial recording studios, the shift toward home-based production, and how that has affected mentorship pipelines in the industry.
• OFFICE HOURS: Covered bass line construction in the context of Afrobeat and Afrobeats production, including how to conform bass notes to chord roots and the relationship between bass lines and chord progressions. Introduced funklet.com as a resource for studying classic drum patterns and groove analysis. Also discussed Afrobeat vs. Afrobeats as distinct genres, with reference to key artists and historical context.
• OFFICE HOURS: general audio and time signature questions. Talked about signing up for upcoming classes as waitlist
• THEORY-GYM: We used "Hotel California" by the Eagles as a case study in harmonic minor usage, modal interchange, and cadential function. Covered the role of the raised seventh (G-sharp) in producing a dominant E chord over an A minor tonic, the distinction between functional and notational chord identity (e.g., the flat-six versus an inverted F chord), and how the song's chord progression generates a repeating sense of plagal motion. Also discussed the song's rhythmic feel and its relationship to reggae and the one-drop pattern.
• INSTRUMENT-GYM: non-sequential scale exercises on guitar, picking patterns, use of hybrid picking, switching positions when playing through more than one octave
• EAR-TRAINING-GYM: Covered the difference between saturation and distortion, with live demonstrations on kick drum, bass, and vocals using the Abbey Road Saturator and a virtual guitar amp. Worked through multi-stage compression on a vocal chain — three compressors in sequence for peak reduction and makeup gain — and explained why reverb belongs on an auxiliary bus rather than directly on a track, including how to EQ and automate the reverb tail independently. Also addressed gain staging, headroom management, microphone selection for noisy rooms, and tracking levels for vocals.
• PRODUCTION-GYM: PRODUCTION GYM — 862 words across 2 speakers (14 wpm). Insufficient instructional content for a summary.
• OFFICE HOURS: Worked through the phase rotation control on the custom additive synthesizer plugin — traced its origin in the commit history, diagnosed why it behaves differently on the left half of its bipolar range, and discussed whether to keep or remove it. Also covered automation and MIDI mapping of plugin parameters in Logic Pro, and talked through strategies for organizing a sync-licensing music website, including keyword taxonomy, slider-based filtering UIs, and using AI mastering for catalog preparation.
• OFFICE HOURS: Covered music distribution strategy, with a focus on artist-friendly and cooperative streaming platforms as alternatives to major streaming services. Discussed physical vs. digital releasing, Bandcamp Friday scheduling, and platforms including AmpWall and Resonate. Also touched on unconventional microphone techniques drawn from the book *Recording Unhinged* by Sylvia Massey.

Show more… Learn more about Residency

• 
  Theory Gym: Scott Hampton
  May. 20, 8am (PT) | 11am (ET) | 4pm (UK)
• 
  Weekly Beat Challenge: Nathan
  May. 20, 6pm (PT) | 9pm (ET) | 2am (UK)
• 
  Office Hours: Jon Mattox
  May. 20, 8pm (PT) | 11pm (ET) | 4am (UK)
• 
  Production Gym: Kallie
  May. 21, 5am (PT) | 8am (ET) | 1pm (UK)
• 
  Office Hours: Ben Krueger
  May. 21, 2pm (PT) | 5pm (ET) | 10pm (UK)
• 
  Office Hours: Nathan
  May. 21, 5pm (PT) | 8pm (ET) | 1am (UK)

Learn more about Residency

• Apr 19, 2026 Theory: Musician Basics
• Apr 22, 2026 Mixing: Effects, Synths & Tools
• Apr 27, 2026 DAW Core Skills
• Apr 27, 2026 FL Studio
• May 23, 2026 Logic Pro 1-Day Intensive
• Jun 10, 2026 Hardware & Recording Primer
• Jul 8, 2026 Hardware & Recording Primer
• Jul 12, 2026 DAW Core Skills

See All Courses