From “12tone”. ( YouTube / Nebula ) Support 12tone on Patreon to see new videos early! https://www.patreon.com/12tonevideos When I first started studying music, there were a lot of things that confused me. It felt like there were whole languages of practice that musicians all knew, and I had no idea how to speak any of…

From “12tone”. ( YouTube / Nebula ) Support 12tone on Patreon to see new videos early! https://www.patreon.com/12tonevideos Few songs are as misunderstood as Ironic. Or maybe few songs are understood as correctly while still missing the point. It’s a straightforward song, but one fateful choice has made it the subject of decades of pedantic debate…

From “12tone”. ( YouTube / Nebula ) Support 12tone on Patreon to see new videos early! https://www.patreon.com/12tonevideos A great song is about more than just having interesting parts. That’s enough to make it good, but to become truly great, you need cohesion: Each part should flow seamlessly into the next, properly managing listener expectations and…

From “12tone”. ( YouTube / Nebula ) Support 12tone on Patreon to see new videos early! https://www.patreon.com/12tonevideos Rage Against The Machine are musical arsonists. They’re loud, angry, and always ready to break stuff. But in all the noise, it’s easy to loose track of the deeper messages that run through their work. So I want…

From “12tone”. ( YouTube / Nebula ) Does this matter? Probably not. But it matters to me. Support 12tone on Patreon to see new videos early! https://www.patreon.com/12tonevideos Sequels. They’re everywhere, from TV, to movies, to books. But not music. It’s not that it never happens, but it’s really rare compared to most other mainstream art…

From “12tone”. ( YouTube / Nebula ) FIXED VERSION: Sorry about the audio issues, this one should be all good! Support 12tone on Patreon to see new videos early! https://www.patreon.com/12tonevideos The early ’80s were an exciting and scary time in the world of music. The first wave of truly affordable electronic instruments were just hitting…

From “12tone”. ( YouTube / Nebula ) I live in an endless void of my own creation. Support 12tone on Patreon to help us keep making cool videos! https://www.patreon.com/12tonevideos Watch this video on Nebula: https://nebula.tv/videos/12tone-i-listened-to-one-song-on-repeat-for-a-month This was a… surprising experience. I’m always looking for ways to become a more engaged music listener, and one of…

From “12tone”. ( YouTube / Nebula ) Support 12tone on Patreon to help us keep making cool videos! https://www.patreon.com/12tonevideos Watch this video on Nebula: https://nebula.tv/videos/12tone-understanding-sympathy-for-the-devil Check out Noah’s video: https://youtu.be/–nH88lTzuY Listen to Ghost Notes: https://nebula.tv/ghost-notes?ref=12tone Who is the Devil? As a longtime rock and metalhead, I’ve heard hundreds of songs trying to answer that question,…

From “12tone”. ( YouTube / Nebula ) Never change, AC/DC Support 12tone on Patreon to help us keep making cool videos! https://www.patreon.com/12tonevideos Watch this video on Nebula: https://nebula.tv/videos/12tone-understanding-highway-to-hell Do you ever just stop and think about AC/DC? I do. They fascinate me as a band because they simply figured out what they wanted to sound…

From “12tone”. ( YouTube / Nebula ) I am very serious about this. Support 12tone on Patreon to help us keep making cool videos! https://www.patreon.com/12tonevideos Watch this video on Nebula: https://nebula.tv/videos/12tone-the-worst-possible-chord I’ll be honest, I don’t really have a good explanation for this one. I just wanted an excuse to do an excessively thorough deep…

From “12tone”. ( YouTube / Nebula ) But can one ever truly understand Wonderwall? Help support LA fire relief efforts: https://www.calfund.org/funds/wildfire-recovery-fund/ Watch this video on Nebula: https://nebula.tv/videos/12tone-understanding-wonderwall A funny thing happens when you mention the 1995 Oasis hit Wonderwall. It warps whatever conversation it’s brought up in, transforming it into a debate about the song’s…

From “12tone”. ( YouTube / Nebula ) I didn’t know any of this. Did you? Support 12tone on Patreon to help us keep making cool videos! https://www.patreon.com/12tonevideos Watch this video on Nebula: https://nebula.tv/videos/12tone-the-unbelievable-story-of-the-carol-of-the-bells Did you know I’ve never made a Christmas video before? It’s true. I have a complicated relationship with Christmas music, and I’ve…

From “12tone”. ( YouTube / Nebula ) I got mad. Sorry about that. Support 12tone on Patreon to help us keep making cool videos! https://www.patreon.com/12tonevideos Watch this video on Nebula: https://nebula.tv/videos/12tone-understanding-green-days-holiday I’ve been thinking a lot recently about the presidency of George W. Bush. His two terms coincide almost perfectly with my teenage years, and…

From “12tone”. ( YouTube / Nebula ) Because being a father is hard sometimes. Support 12tone on Patreon to help us keep making cool videos! https://www.patreon.com/12tonevideos Watch this video on Nebula: https://nebula.tv/videos/12tone-understanding-cats-in-the-cradle What does it mean to be a father? It’s a question explored by many great works of art across the years, but in…

From “12tone”. ( YouTube / Nebula ) Probably my single best piece of songwriting advice. Get 40% off an annual plan with Nebula: https://go.nebula.tv/12tone Watch the full, ad-free version of this video: https://nebula.tv/videos/12tone-the-easiest-way-to-improve-your-lyrics Lyrics are the first thing most people notice, so more than any other aspect of a song, they really need to be…

From “12tone”. ( YouTube / Nebula ) How Depeche Mode built their own false god. Support 12tone on Patreon to help us keep making cool videos! https://www.patreon.com/12tonevideos Watch this video on Nebula: https://nebula.tv/videos/12tone-understanding-personal-jesus Much like its title character, Personal Jesus is a song with many interpretations. There are optimistic, almost evangelical readings, but there are…

From “12tone”. ( YouTube / Nebula ) Dissecting rock’s most enigmatic band. Get 40% off an annual plan with Nebula: https://go.nebula.tv/12tone Watch the full version of this video: https://nebula.tv/videos/12tone-how-radiohead-writes-a-song Radiohead is a weird band. After cutting their teeth in the ’90s britpop scene and crossing over to the US with familiar alt rock sounds, they…

From “12tone”. ( YouTube / Nebula ) Come in here, dear boy, have a cigar! You’re gonna go far. Support 12tone on Patreon to help us keep making cool videos! https://www.patreon.com/12tonevideos Watch this video on Nebula: https://nebula.tv/videos/12tone-understanding-have-a-cigar What do you do when you’ve spent your entire life working toward a single goal, and then you…