Elements of Lyrics: The Great Juggling Act

In this excerpt from “Introduction in Songwriting: Essential Guide to Lyric Form and Structure,” Pat Pattison explains the elements of lyrics.

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How to Play Slap Bass

One of the most challenging aspects of playing slap bass is maintaining an even, full, clear sound. Keep on practicing these exercises and you’ll notice significant improvement in your slapping.

A woman writing melody on guitar

What is Melody in a Song?

Learn the basics of writing melody with the help of Jack Perricone’s book “Melody in Songwriting: Tools and Techniques for Writing Hit Songs.”

piano chord voicings in full effect

Piano Voicing Techniques

Understanding the basics of piano voicings and the use of common tensions is a first step in creating effective orchestrations of reharmonized melodies.

Modal Harmony in Jazz Composition

The modes have provided fertile musical soil for jazz composers since the late 1950s. In effect, modes can be viewed as displacements of the major scale.

Eirini Tornesaki

Student Stories: Erini Tornesaki

For touring musicians, online education is vital. Lessons can be viewed on a laptop screen on an airplane, a tour bus, or backstage at a gig.

Funk and R&B Guitar Tutorial with Thaddeus Hogarth

Berklee Online guitar instructor Thaddeus Hogarth demonstrates the importance of the pentatonic scale in funk and R&B music.

Guitarist learning how to voice lead on acoustic guitar.

Voice Leading for Guitar

In jazz, you will encounter only seven kinds of diatonic seventh chords (from major, melodic minor, or harmonic minor keys). This article will show you how to voice lead smoothly and easily between these chords and their variations.

Funk and Rock Drum Rhythms

In this lesson for drummers, learn how to play basic funk beats with notation by Berklee Online percussion instructor Larry Finn.