Music Theory of Hit Songs: 10 Tracks Explained (Vol. 1)

What you'll learn

⚡ Spot the one theory trick that makes each of ten modern and classic hits work
⚡ Read chord progressions with Roman numerals and hear how home can shift without new chords
⚡ Use borrowed chords, chromatic mediants and line clichés in your own songs
⚡ Understand why so many current hits avoid the leading tone, and when to bring it back
⚡ Hear how a bass line, a chord color or a production choice can change a song's feel

Requirements

❗ No theory degree needed. Knowing basic chords (C major, A minor) helps. A keyboard is great for playing along but not required.
❗ Access to the songs on any streaming service, to listen along.

Description

Ever wonder why some songs justwork ? Why "Espresso" never feels finished, why "Creep" sounds so sad, or why the "Golden" chorus lifts off when it barely changes?
It's not magic. It's theory, and it's way more fun than it sounds.
In this course I break down ten hit songs, from Taylor Swift and Billie Eilish to Radiohead, The Beatles, Stevie Wonder and Hans Zimmer, and find the one theory trick that makes each of them tick. Every song gets two short videos: first the story (who wrote it, how it happened, why it blew up), then the theory (the chords, the moves, the thing you can steal for your own music).
I play everything myself on piano and show you the chords on screen, so you can follow along even if you're rusty. No recordings of the songs are used; pull up the track yourself and play along.
The ten songs and the trick behind each
✨ Taylor Swift, "The Fate of Ophelia": same chords, but home moves
✨ Billie Eilish, "Birds of a Feather": the hidden leading tone
✨ Sabrina Carpenter, "Espresso": when the melody and chords disagree
✨ HUNTR/X, "Golden": same chords, new bass line
✨ Radiohead, "Creep": one note that sags
✨ The Beatles, "Something": line clichés
✨ Stevie Wonder, "Superstition": tritone subs in a funk song
✨ Chappell Roan, "Good Luck, Babe!": the varispeed ending
✨ Tame Impala & JENNIE, "Dracula": hovering on a minor five
✨ Hans Zimmer, "Time": one loop, endless layers
I'm Dr. Jason Allen. I've taught music theory and music production for years, at the university level and to more than 700,000 students on Udemy. This is the first volume of a monthly series: ten new songs every month. If there's a song you want broken down, tell me and it might be in the next one.
Let's dig in.
This course is an independent educational analysis. It is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by any of the artists, songwriters or labels discussed.

Who this course is for

⭐ Songwriters and producers who want to know why hits work, and use it in their own music
⭐ Music theory students who want real, current examples, and fans who want to look under the hood of songs they love

Homepage

https://www.udemy.com/course/music-theory-of-hit-songs-10-tracks-explained-vol-1

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