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…

From “12tone”. ( YouTube / Nebula ) The most overlooked instrument needs love too. Get 40% off an annual plan with Nebula: https://go.nebula.tv/12tone Or just go watch the full version of this video: https://nebula.tv/videos/12tone-write-better-drum-parts Drums are the hardest instrument to write for. Or, rather, they’re the easiest, and that’s the problem. For arrangers without a…

From “12tone”. ( YouTube / Nebula ) Always listen to the man in the back. 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-the-ballroom-blitz Rock music is about many things, but in its purest form, I think it’s often about performing rock music. The showmanship of…

From “12tone”. ( YouTube / Nebula ) But it does. What’s up with that? Get 40% off an annual plan with Nebula: https://go.nebula.tv/12tone Check out Identiteaze: https://nebula.tv/videos/jessiegender-identiteaze?ref=12tone Or give the gift of Nebula: https://gift.nebula.tv/12tone One thing I’ve always believed is that music theory is more than just a toolbox. It’s useful, sure, but it’s also…

From “12tone”. ( YouTube / Nebula ) I have a surprising number of thoughts. 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-time-after-time What makes a great love song? Time After Time has been covered so many times that it’s easy to forget there was an…

From “12tone”. ( YouTube / Nebula ) It’s a dark day for the Ghost Notes fandom. Get Nebula using my link for 40% off an annual subscription: https://go.nebula.tv/12tone Or check out Danger Music: https://nebula.tv/videos/volksgeist-danger-music?ref=12tone So, a funny thing happened to me recently. I was watching the recent Polyphonic video about the death of genre, and…

From “12tone”. ( YouTube / Nebula ) There *has* to be a twist! Support Beverly Bunny on Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/weirdhat/beverly-bunny Watch this video on Nebula: https://nebula.tv/videos/12tone-understanding-pinball-wizard Tommy is an… interesting project, with a complicated legacy. It’s a challenging, fascinating work, and it revolutionized the music world by introducing the concept of the rock opera, with a…

From “12tone”. ( YouTube / Nebula ) Was there ever any doubt? Get Nebula using my link for 40% off an annual subscription: https://go.nebula.tv/12tone Or go straight to The Ballad of John and Yoko: https://nebula.tv/videos/lindsayellis-the-ballad-of-john-and-yoko?ref=12tone Or just watch this video on Nebula: https://nebula.tv/videos/12tone-the-greatest-guitar-solo-ever-played What makes a great guitar solo? How do you transcend beyond merely…

From “12tone”. ( YouTube / Nebula ) Pop is weird now and I love it. 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-bad-guy What is pop music? It used to be a pretty simple question, but in the last few decades, changes in the landscape…

From “12tone”. ( YouTube / Nebula ) I’ve been thinking way too much about this. Get Nebula using my link for 40% off an annual subscription: https://go.nebula.tv/12tone Check out Polyphonic Magazine: https://nebula.tv/polyphonicmagazine?ref=12tone Or watch my video on The Prisoner: https://nebula.tv/videos/working-titles-9-the-prisoner-12tone?ref=12tone As I’m sure you all know by now, I’m kind of a fan of chord…