Welcome to Instrumentality
What Instrumentality is all about and what you can expect to find here.
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From little acorns
Sometimes all it takes to trigger a new composition is a single chord, something I experienced myself this week.
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Playing with time
In the 2020s you hardly ever hear a piece of music that does not have four beats in the bar. But varying the time signature can put all sorts of ideas into play.
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Sometimes you just need a riff
If you come up with a great riff, you're well on the way to creating a great song. Riffs had their heyday in the 60s and 70s but they're certainly relevant today.
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In search of the lost chord
The search for that lost perfect chord which will melt us on the spot has been going on some time. So, what have people come up with?
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Suspended delights
One of the great sources of beauty in melody is when a note is held over to the following chord, creating a brief dissonance until the harmony resolves. We're talking suspensions.
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Amazing descents – the enduring beauty of the lament bass
From Bach to the Beatles, some of the most beautiful music of all time has employed a descending bass line. Here's how it works.
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Why might a guitarist use a virtual guitar?
Virtual instruments are usually for people who don't have access to the real thing. But virtual guitar software could just be the real guitarist's best friend.
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One progression, two very different melodies
A chord progression does not dictate how a composition ends up. I tried creating two very different pieces of music from the same chords. Here's how that ended up.
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Quartal harmony – a chance to throw away the rule book
Quartal harmony is based on 4th intervals rather than 3rds. Want to know what that sounds like in practice? Step right in.
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Raising the odds – from 7ths to 13ths
When you extend chords, with 9ths, 11ths and 13ths, you can obtain some rich harmonies that inspire innovative melodies. Time to give them a try?
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