# Real World Music Theory
> Finally understand why great songs work. Learn practical music theory through real songs and turn those ideas into better songwriting, improvisation and musicianship.
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## Pages
- [9 Essential Chord Progressions](https://realworldmusictheory.com/9-essential-chord-progressions.md) - This course could make you a hit song writer in one weekend
- [Join our Community](https://realworldmusictheory.com/community.md) - Join a community of like-minded musicians, songwriters and music theory enthusiasts. Ask questions and get expert advise.
- [Courses](https://realworldmusictheory.com/courses.md) - You can take free and paid courses to improve your music theory skills. Whether you're a songwriter, a performing artist or you simply want to understand how to evoke certain moods and feelings, I love to help you get to your goal. If you're missing a course on a specific music theory topic, just w…
- [Downloads](https://realworldmusictheory.com/downloads.md) - Sheet music and mini ebooks. Mamma Mia Reharmonization Download the chord sheet to my predominantly modal reharmonization of this ABBA song. How to Instantly Give Your Songs an Irresistible Touch with the Backkdoor Progression This mini ebook helps you learn and apply the backdoor progression. Unlo…
- [Legal](https://realworldmusictheory.com/legal.md) - I respect your privacy and will never abuse your data. To provide my music theory knowledge to you on this site, I need a few external services, which are listed in the privacy policy. You will also find the legal contact address there: Privacy Policy
- [5-Day Crash Course on Basic Songwriting Tricks](https://realworldmusictheory.com/little-songwriting-tricks-5-day-email-course.md) - 5-Day Crash Course on Basic Songwriting Tricks Get 5 songwriting tricks that you can apply immediately! This 5-day email course teaches you tips for chord changes, melody and song form. You will receive one tip a day in your inbox for 5 days. This gives you time to use the newly acquired knowledge…
- [Music Theory Book Recommendations](https://realworldmusictheory.com/music-theory-book-recommendations.md) - A curated list of books to learn & advance in music theory. These helped me a lot on my musical journey!

## Posts
- [Sweet Child O’ Mine: More Than A Riff](https://realworldmusictheory.com/sweet-child-o-mine-more-than-a-riff.md) - Everybody knows the riff. That is not the mystery. The real question is why “Sweet Child O’ Mine” keeps working after the riff, after the first verse, after the chorus, after the solo – and why the whole thing feels so satisfying even though the ingredients are not absurdly complicated. A big part…
- [How Brian May Makes a Ballad Hurt: The Harmony of “Too Much Love Will Kill You”](https://realworldmusictheory.com/how-brian-may-makes-a-ballad-hurt-the-harmony-of-too-much-love-will-kill-you.md) - If you’ve ever wondered how a “simple” ballad can hit like a freight train, Brian May’s "Too Much Love Will Kill You" is your masterclass. Not because it’s harmonically flashy in a jazz-nerd way, but because it’s harmonically honest. Every move is doing emotional work. Before we nerd out, here’s a…
- [My Heart Will Go On — The Power Ballad That Sailed Across Oceans](https://realworldmusictheory.com/my-heart-will-go-on-the-power-ballad-that-sailed-across-oceans.md) - When you think of ultimate movie ballads, “My Heart Will Go On” almost certainly tops the list. From the opening flute solo to Celine Dion’s soaring vocals, it’s a masterclass in building emotional arcs through clever songwriting choices. But there’s more happening under the hood than meets the ear…
- [The Musical Magic of “Stand by Me”](https://realworldmusictheory.com/the-musical-magic-of-stand-by-me.md) - “Stand by Me,” originally performed by Ben E. King, is a timeless classic that has resonated with audiences for decades. Its enduring appeal lies not only in its heartfelt lyrics but also in its deceptively simple yet powerful musical composition. In this blog post, we’ll look at the music theory b…
- [Can’t Fight This Feeling — Unpacking an 80s Power Ballad Masterpiece](https://realworldmusictheory.com/cant-fight-this-feeling-unpacking-an-80s-power-ballad-masterpiece.md) - Ever notice how some 80s ballads just grab you from the very first second? REO Speedwagon’s “Can’t Fight This Feeling” is one of those songs.
- [Is “Blinding Lights” in Two Keys at Once? Let’s Break It Down](https://realworldmusictheory.com/is-blinding-lights-in-two-keys-at-once-lets-break-it-down.md) - Ever get that feeling a track is straight out of a time machine? That’s exactly the vibe that “Blinding Lights” by The Weekend projects. But there’s an invisible trick beneath the shiny production and driving beat
- [The Minor Plagal Cadence in Adele’s song “Make You Feel My Love”](https://realworldmusictheory.com/the-minor-plagal-cadence-in-adeles-song-make-you-feel-my-love.md) - Discover the magic of the minor plagal cadence in Adele’s cover of Bob Dylan’s “Make You Feel My Love.” Explore how this simple yet surprising chord progression enriches the song and learn how to apply these techniques to your own songwriting.
- [Modal Interchange in Radiohead's "Creep"](https://realworldmusictheory.com/modal-interchange-in-radioheads-creep.md) - Explore the music theory behind Radiohead’s “Creep” and discover how modal interchange enhances its emotional depth. Delve into the intriguing use of non-diatonic chords B and Cm in the key of G major, revealing the techniques that make this song a timeless classic.
- [Relative minor and secondary dominants in Hallelujah by Jeff Buckley](https://realworldmusictheory.com/relative-minor-and-secondary-dominants-in-hallelujah-by-jeff-buckley.md) - Discover the music theory behind Jeff Buckley’s rendition of “Hallelujah.” Learn how the use of relative minor chords and secondary dominants creates a reluctant, bittersweet feeling. See how these harmonic tools shape the song’s emotion and how you can use them in your own compositions.
- [Unlocking the Secrets of Modern Music: Analyzing the Top 5 Chord Progressions for Songwriters](https://realworldmusictheory.com/unlocking-the-secrets-of-modern-music-analyzing-the-top-5-chord-progressions-for-songwriters.md) - Unlock the secrets of modern music by analyzing the top 5 chord progressions used in popular songs. This PDF guide delves into these essential chords and tension curves, helping you understand and apply them to your own songwriting. Elevate your music by learning from the best.
- [Unusual Chord Progressions You Need to Know](https://realworldmusictheory.com/unusual-chord-progressions-you-need-to-know.md) - Discover five unusual chord progressions that can elevate your music to new heights. Explore how these unique sequences from classical, rock, metal, reggae, and minimalism genres create different moods and emotions. Unleash your creativity by incorporating these progressions into your compositions.
- [Relative minor blues pentatonic over major (soloing trick #37)](https://realworldmusictheory.com/relative-minor-blues-pentatonic-over-major-soloing-trick-37.md) - Discover a versatile soloing trick to instantly elevate your playing. Learn how using the relative minor blues pentatonic scale over major chord progressions can make your solos sound more professional by avoiding scale running. Transform your improvisation and focus on creativity.
- [Ballad intro I-VI-ii-V – great for songs in major](https://realworldmusictheory.com/ballad-intro-i-vi-ii-v-great-for-songs-in-major.md) - As a musician and songwriter, expanding your repertoire of intros and outros is essential. Discover a beautiful ballad intro using the I-VI-ii-V chord progression, perfect for songs in a major key. Learn how to use arpeggios and altered chords to create a captivating start to your music.
- [A great intro for ballad songs](https://realworldmusictheory.com/a-great-intro-for-ballad-songs.md) - Every musician and songwriter needs a bunch of intros and outros for songs. Whether you tag them onto your own compositions or use them when covering other musician’s songs, well crafted intros and outros make a performance much more sophisticated.
- [The magic of the major 7 in ABBA's Dancing Queen](https://realworldmusictheory.com/the-magic-of-the-major-7-in-abbas-dancing-queen.md) - The 7th scale degree in a major key is magic! We often use it to make the tonic chord sound very lush and sophisticated. But the 7th also a wonderful melodic choice that can make a song iconic. A good example of this is ABBA's classic hit song "Dancing Queen".
- [Is ABBA the future of music?](https://realworldmusictheory.com/is-abba-the-future-of-music.md) - This year the legendary band ABBA will be back on stage! But although they'll perform a few new songs, they won't actually be on stage! Their avatars will perform live. Is this a glimpse of the future of live music? What is ABBA Voyage? ABBA could have retired and not play again at all. They're wel…
- [How Songwriters Manage Their Creative Energy with Flow](https://realworldmusictheory.com/how-songwriters-manage-their-creative-energy-with-flow.md) - We songwriters heavily depend on our creative energy. Professional songwriters know how to use the concept of flow to their advantage. This article helps you to enter a state of flow more often.
- [How to create dark, eerie and foreboding moods with the Phrygian mode](https://realworldmusictheory.com/how-to-create-dark-eerie-and-foreboding-moods-with-the-phrygian-mode.md)
- [From Simple to Complex Harmony using Secondary Dominants](https://realworldmusictheory.com/from-simple-to-complex-harmony-using-secondary-dominants.md) - An important music theory tool for songwriters, composers and musicians in general is the secondary dominant. This tool alone can turn a boring chord progression into a masterpiece or number one hit song. I invite you to join me on a journey of pimping a simple chord progression and turning it into…
- [Parallel or Relative minor?](https://realworldmusictheory.com/parallel-or-relative-minor.md) - Music theory can be confusing. Relative & parallel – which is which? And why is "p" the symbol for "relative"? Learn about the interesting backstory here.
- [Relative Minor and Parallel Minor EXPLAINED](https://realworldmusictheory.com/relative-minor-and-parallel-minor-explained.md) - Understanding the concept of relative and parallel keys is a must for any decent musician. Relative minor? Parallel major? These music theory terms are a lot easier than they might seem. Let's learn about relative and parallel keys now.
- [Reharmonizing Stand by Me (by Ben E. King)](https://realworldmusictheory.com/reharmonizing-stand-by-me-by-ben-e-king.md) - Learn several approaches to reharmonizing this classic song. You can use the techniques I explain for any other song as well.
- [How a one-note melody became a number one hit](https://realworldmusictheory.com/africa-toto-analyzing-the-chorus.md) - How to turn a one-note melody into a Billboard number one hit? Learn the music theory Toto used in their song Africa. We'll talk about one-note melodies, common chords and expectation vs. deception.
- [What is the longest musical chord name?](https://realworldmusictheory.com/what-is-the-longest-musical-chord-name.md) - Did you ever think about the longest chord symbol you could write in music?
- [How many songs should an album have?](https://realworldmusictheory.com/how-many-songs-should-an-album-have.md) - Many artists are wondering about how many songs they should put on their album — 10? 13? 21? 3? Read my advice in this article…
- [Mamma Mia (ABBA) - Reharmonized](https://realworldmusictheory.com/mamma-mia-abba-reharmonized.md) - A cover of Mamma Mia using modal reharmonization techniques. Music theory can be so much fun when applied to ABBA songs :)
- [The 251 turnaround (aka ii-V-I)](https://realworldmusictheory.com/the-251-turnaround-aka-ii-v-i.md) - The 251 turnaround is one of the most common chord progression in jazz and pop music. This mini course teaches you its practical applications for songwriting and improvising alike.
- [Kokomo (Beach Boys) - Analysis](https://realworldmusictheory.com/kokomo.md) - Analyzing a harmonically rich Beach Boys song recently resurfaced through the Netflix series Space Force. Learn the use of plagal cadences and secondary dominants.
- [Man in the Mirror (Michael Jackson) – Song Analysis](https://realworldmusictheory.com/man-in-the-mirror-michael-jackson-song-analysis.md) - Learn from the music theory in Michael Jackson's "Man in the Mirror". Understand the chord progressions to use the same tricks in your own songwriting.
- [Are minor and diminished chords the same thing?](https://realworldmusictheory.com/are-minor-and-diminished-chords-the-same-thing.md) - Is a minor chord essentially equivalent to a diminished chord? What are the commonalities and where do the differences lie?
- [Why do sus4 chords include word sus?](https://realworldmusictheory.com/why-do-sus4-chords-include-word-sus.md) - Why do you write Csus4 instead of just C4?
- [Solo Like a Pro with the Tritone Substitution](https://realworldmusictheory.com/solo-like-a-pro-with-the-tritone-substitution.md) - Solo skills can often get stuck on a certain level. Learn about the various ways to use the tritone substitution in your improvisations.
- [Can’t Stop The Feeling (Justin Timberlake) 2/2 – Song Analysis](https://realworldmusictheory.com/cant-stop-the-feeling-justin-timberlake-2-song-analysis.md) - Learn the songwriting tricks and music theory used in Justin Timberlake's hit song. This is the final part of the 2-part series.
- [Can’t Stop The Feeling (Justin Timberlake) 1/2 – Song Analysis](https://realworldmusictheory.com/cant-stop-the-feeling-justin-timberlake-1-song-analysis.md) - Learn the songwriting tricks and music theory used in Justin Timberlake's hit song.
- [Blank Space (Taylor Swift) – Song Analysis](https://realworldmusictheory.com/blank-space-taylor-swift-song-analysis.md) - Understand the music theory behind the hit song Blank Space. Learn tricks for your own songwriting.
- [How to Instantly Give Your Songs an Irresistible Touch with the Backdoor Progression (ebook)](https://realworldmusictheory.com/backdoor-progression-ebook.md) - Download the free mini ebook about the backdoor progression. Learn how the music theory works and how to use it – with helpful cheat sheets in all 12 keys.
- [Mamma Mia Reharmonized (Sheet)](https://realworldmusictheory.com/mamma-mia-reharm.md) - Download the chord sheet for my Mamma Mia reharmonization.
- [Hotline Bling (Drake) - Analysis](https://realworldmusictheory.com/hotline-bling-drake-analysis.md) - Learn the music theory in Hotline Bling: lydian chords, harmonic rhythm, emotional subdominants, tension & resolution and more.

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