Jacob Collier, Negative Harmony & How to Write a Negative Melody

Ever since the genius Jacob Collier mentioned "negative harmony" in an interview with June Lee a couple months back, the music theory world has been ablaze with excitement and questions on the topic! Well last night we had the honour of chatting with the genius himself, and filled with inspiration, we spent 17 hours today making a video about "negative melody" and how to use it in popular/electronic music.
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ABOUT
Hack Music Theory is the pioneering notation-free method for making great music. Taught by award-winning music lecturer Ray Harmony, and his protégé (and wife) Kate Harmony, from their studio in Vancouver BC, Canada. Ray is the author of critically-acclaimed book series "Hack Music Theory", and has made music with Serj Tankian (System of a Down), Tom Morello (Rage Against the Machine), Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree), Ihsahn (Emperor), Kool Keith (Ultramagnetic MCs), Madchild (Swollen Members), and many more. Kate has the highest grade distinction in Popular Music Theory from the London College of Music, and is the only person on the planet who's been trained by Ray to teach his Hack Music Theory method!
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COPYRIGHT
© 2017 Revolution Harmony
Revolution Harmony is Ray Harmony & Kate Harmony
All content (script & music) in video by Revolution Harmony

[@HackMusicTheory]

246 MELODY RULE (New Video): kzbin.info/www/bejne/ipOnhqZ7osemhtk

[@l.harrison9725]

Thank you for exposing the farce of people slagging music theory. That's like complaining that learning the alphabet & writing will interfere with your ability to create & communicate

[@mindtrapped9934]

L. Harrison thats a really good comparison

[@HackMusicTheory]

YES!! That's exactly it L. Harrison! Thank you so much for watching and connecting, we really appreciate it :) By the way, what kind of music do you make? Until next time, take care and happy songwriting! Kate :)

[@TullMorse]

Well put! 👍

[@SamChaneyProductions]

Here's a conversion table I've made for inverting modes and the resulting inverted "negative" mode. Since dorian is symmetrical, it inverts to its self dorian = dorian ionian = phrygian myxolydian = aeolean lydian = locrian

[@HackMusicTheory]

Awesome work Sam, thanks for sharing, and thanks big time for watching our video, really appreciate it! What kinda music are you into?

[@barrymccockiner4828]

Both scales with a tritone off the root invert to each other. Neat

[@shadowhenge7118]

I like how it's literally like you just mirrored it downwards. You could probably get it right by eye.

[@redirishmanxlt]

Physicist Richard Feynman had a friend who was an artist, and this artist thought the mystery of the world was part of it's beauty. For some reason the artist though there a dichotomy between beauty and understanding. So Feynman thought this was "nutty", he said a flower is more beautiful when you can see it's beauty on many different levels. I think it's amazing that perfect ratio's are so harmonic, unison 1:1, octave 2:1, fifth 3:2, or fourth 4:3. If we take a chord progression and say it evokes a certain mood, we can translate that into numeric relationships. The fact that numbers can define frequency relationships that will affect our mood a certain way, means that a "mood" is a translation of this phenomena. Just like our eyes translate a certain frequency band in the electromagnetic spectrum. Knowledge won't diminish beauty, it will create a greater capacity to appreciate beauty.

Very well said.

[@TKSnatch]

I love this idea that 'frequency relationships' are the language of our moods.

[@notadogorcat]

This might be the best comment on youtube.

[@akf2000]

@@notadogorcat ikr! We are not worthy

[@danjacobson1365]

What a marvelous posting !!

[@gregv.8564]

as a kid I always had a feeling that theory destroys the free flowing creativity - but it was only due to my limited ideas I was able to generate using that approach that I went on and dove into theory of the music. now as an adult I am learning a great deal of theory and must admit that theory expanded my knowledge beyond the limits I had before. when you "know" what you're doing there is much more control over what you want to express. the amazing things about it is also, that theory = learning forevermore, because as now this negative harmony is here introduced, it as well stands as a proof that music is a forever-evolving thing and that it is living, therefore there is no end to it pretty much :) lovely ps: congratz on your marriage you two look like amazing together ! ty for free video

[@uri.brainstew]

Hey man, I was planning on sharing this video with a music theory teacher I had once, but he doesn't speak english. He said "There's nothing more I can teach you, you've learnt everything I know. Someday, I'm sure you'll find something more but, for now, I think there can't be anything new". I wanted to talk with him about theories and new ways of music understanding. So, I wanted to ask you: Do you mind if I add spanish subtitles? I'll take it seriously, you don't need to worry at all. I love the way you explain everything.

[@gzbd0118]

Quick Reaper tip that's handy for this sort of workflow: right click any key on the piano roll keyboard and it will select all of the notes at that pitch. That way you can easily move the same notes to the right place all at once.

[@Cloudkusanagui]

This deserves my reaction: at first I thought it was going to be Jacob talking more extensevely about it, and started to get impatient. Then I fell in love with how sober you guys think about music theory, and excited about you finding each other to nerd about this LOVELY subject together. I have barely seen the channel's content, but you guys captiveted a subscriber here. Congrats on the marriage, and awesome match of passionate musicians together!

[@HackMusicTheory]

Aww, what a lovely note Igor! Thank you for your kind words and congratulations, we are very lucky indeed to have found each other and are grateful every day! We are so thrilled that you took the time to watch our video and connect with us, it means the world to us. We're pumped to welcome you to the Hack Music Theory revolution, and look forward to hearing from you again. By the way, what kind of music do you make? Until next time, take care and happy songwriting! Kate :)

[@Cloudkusanagui]

Hello Kate, thanks for the kind answer yourself! I'm kinda like you guys, my degree is in composition, so I am kind of a music theory enthusiast too, but I like producing a lot of styles, from hip hop to jazz, to metal and others. I have a question: do you guys ever think of approaching timbre on the channel? Like, the choosing of configuration on synths, doubling voices (like your husband did on the bass on this video), or processes that have to do with the electroacoustic side of popular arrengements? Thanks again, good luck with you guys' projects!

[@rayne1897]

Lovely intro! You guys are so cute!! Though, info starts around 5:05!

[@phaneserichthoneus8895]

As a newcomer to music production, this is infinitely exciting. I could see the symmetry in what you were doing while watching and I knew the "flip" tool in the DAW I use would work for this. After watching, I immediately loaded FL Studio to give it a try. The "easy" thing with FL Studio is that to create the negative version of a bassline, all I had to do is simply select the notes, hit CTRL+Y to flip, then do only a vertical flip on it, then move the flipped notes down five semitones as a group. The result really *is* magical and very quick to create! No need for a conversion chart either. I only subscribed last night and I already love this channel. :)

[@QuincasMoreira]

dude, take her on a honeymoon!

[@d00mkn1ght]

girllll, take him on a honeymoon!

[@rbtwear]

This is awesome!… I’m curious though how G was decided upon as the access point to start the negative harmony... or depending on what key you’re in how to find the access point for the negative version??

[@krishsmusic5355]

Melody is like a speech. We can speak language without knowing grammar. But if we know the grammer, we can speak the language correctly with no mistakes.

[@HackMusicTheory]

Hi Krish, lovely to see you again! How's your music making going these days? Hope this finds you well, and we wish you a lovely weekend :)

[@afti03]

oh man, this video..it feels like someone opened a door in my brain..it led me to June's video and it was really something else..too bad im a self taught amateur pianist and i don't know music theory, but after 7 years of music production, my ears have really matured and feel im ready to take this on.

[@HackMusicTheory]

Andy! Thanks so much watching and sharing your epic experience! We're always very happy to know that our hacks are helping musicians. Not knowing music theory is a wonderful place to be, because there's so many incredible things to learn! When I learned music theory from Ray, I still remember all the light bulbs that went on...it was like Las Vegas in my brain! If you haven't already, I would recommend downloading Ray's free music book, which will help set you up with a solid foundation. You can find it on our website: revolutionharmony.com/books. Welcome to our Hack Music Theory revolution! Take care, Kate :)

[@ezion67]

WOW That is nice stuff! This is a real eye opener, learned about this 25 years ago but never realized how usable it really is. Whats old is new again. Bach used exactly this technique but with different labels: prime (positive), inversion (negative) and also playing the melody backwards: retrograde + inverse retrograde. Also similar concepts exist in highly mathematical music theories from the early 20th century.

[@jlfassa]

Im following Jacob since a 2 years i think. As a bass player who likes to develop chord melody arrangements (on a 4 string bass, i used to play a 5 string with a high C on it) , this is a beautifull challenge for me. I literally cant wait to see how my brain grows up with this kind of knowledge. Fuckin thank you very much for this explanation, and greetings from argentina!

[@InnerzoneMusicVlogs]

I find music theory interesting enough to use it as guidlines. But there are some things in music we all universaly like. I will always be trying to figure that out. Nice vid!

[@zorahkrueger-alper3408]

Wow!!! I just learned of Jacob Collier! What an amazing musical genius!

[@renleblanc2993]

Fantastic presentation- it really helps to seebit on the midi grid to grasp the concept-well done!

[@HackMusicTheory]

Thanks, Ren! Hope this finds you happy and healthy :)

[@sammeiii]

Wow.. this is really exciting stuff.. I am learning so much from you guys. Thanks Revolution Harmorny!

[@HackMusicTheory]

Hi Sammeiii! Thank you so much for taking the time to watch our videos and for connecting, we truly appreciate that. We're so glad you're finding our offerings helpful :) We're always curious to know, what kind of music do you make/listen to?

[@sammeiii]

Revolution Harmony Right now I am focused on understanding music theory especially as it relates to my instrument.. Your hacks come in very handy.. Keep it up ;)

[@HackMusicTheory]

Aw thank you kindly, it makes us sooooo happy to know that our music theory hacks are helping you, and yeah we do a lot of hacks specifically for bass, so stay tuned for much much more! Lovely to meet you, Sammeiii, and thanks again for taking the time to watch and connect, we're truly grateful to you :)

[@etherchildYT]

nice I was having trouble finding out how to write the negative harmony scale for a scale and this helped lots thanks, they tell you about negative harmony but don't really tell you how to do it.

[@LeonMonterrubioGuitar]

OMG! In a few minutes i've learned something new to boost my creativity. Thanks a lot!

[@HackMusicTheory]

Hey thanks for watching and connecting, Leon, it always makes us happy to know that our hacks are helping musicians! Until next time, take care and happy songwriting :)

[@DaveG207]

I totally agree with the point about music theory. Some people react like it's a set of rules you have to follow, and yes, when you first learn someone new you can get stuck in "I'm supposed to use a major chord here..." or similar. I like the term I've heard - it's another tool in the toolbox. Every bit of theory you know is something you can pull out and try to see if it takes your music somewhere new. They're not rules, they're choices.

[@mikeb6572]

4:16. Truth. People who say it hinders creativity are making an excuse for being lazy. Basic music theory is so easy. You don't even need to know how to read sheet music (it does help).

[@Hesohi]

This is a K-Pop Technique. It's mystifying and very effective in that kind of music. Great video!

[@guilhermebgirardi]

its a shame you didnt play the C major negative scale, but that's alright because I'm getting home to test it. I LOVED this video! Thank you SO much. You save lives.

[@happymonster9098]

I have been listening my musician friends talk about "Jacob's Collier negative melody this, and negative melody that" to finally study it and realize is just what Bach was doing 400 years ago. Anyway, good explanation!

[@dangelobenjamin]

Awesome video! Just found your channel and I am excited to hear more! I say the same sentiment you mention at the beginning of the video, that music theory enhances your creativity the more you learn. The way I see it, 'speaking' music is simply practicing, then your brain chunks together a thing you did and says "okay, this is a phrase I can speak now. A sentence of music that I can recite." It would take an eternity to practice every musical phrase through brute force, and although practice is a vital part of learning I feel that musical theory connects the phrases we practice in different ways that only practice cant achieve. In my own experience, theory has taught me that all music is connected fundamentally, and that yields exciting results from writing in many genres to learning how to improvise. Music theory is the grammar of the language of music. You put it great as well, mentioning expanding your musical vocabulary through theory. My line goes "music theory doesn't tell us what we can or should do, it describes what has already been done. Did you like what you heard? Well, theory will tell you what you heard."

[@michaeldunkley1162]

Fun teaching style, good job! Jacob has time travelled from humanity's distant, musically enlightened future- thanks for helping us decipher his runes!

[@andyzzz213]

I've watched like 5 different videos in which Jacob Collier explains this concept and for some reason I still can't understand it. It just seems to complex to understand and I have at least some basic knowledge of theory at least up to how chord progressions and the circle of fifths work. But this stuff just keeps flying over my head. I think I finally somewhat understand now. The only issue is I don't know all my modes by heart yet lol. I've been slacking on learning these since I didn't really care to use them much before but I think I will learn them all and use them more. Thanks

[@Kaua-ob6hn]

Thank you guys!!!

[@HackMusicTheory]

Hi Jack, thanks so much for watching and connecting! Take care, and we hope to see you again soon for more theory hacks :)

[@anthonywoodhouse9484]

it all makes sense in the end..that bass line took me to another place for a sec.

[@waynocook53]

Totally agree with you about Creativity and Music Theory.

[@HackMusicTheory]

Hey hey Wayne, thanks for watching and connecting! Happy to hear we're on the same page :) All the best to you with your music making, and we hope to hear from you again! Until then, take care. Kate :)

[@willsuarezmusic9522]

Hey! Loved the video, its really interesting how the negative version of the line sounds a lot like Eb major rather that G Phrygian

[@cwise7]

Nice. .....I've watched Mr Collier. ...but never studied the information....this awesome....thanks for breaking it down.... .soooo. much to learn and discover about music....l love theory

[@HackMusicTheory]

Thanks so much for watching and connecting Charles, it means the world to us! I like your attitude, and you're absolutely right, there's so much to learn!!! We love music theory too, so you've come to the right place :D By the way, what kind of music are you into? Kate :)

[@HyperProduction]

Hey Revolution Harmony! We have just come across your channel this evening here in the UK. We're absolutely loving all your videos. We can stress enough to our students how important learning music theory is, however basic it is! Thanks for your videos and you have yourselves a new subscriber and, of course, a thumbs up! Stay Awesome, Rory @ Hyper Production

[@HackMusicTheory]

Beyond happy you're diggin' our videos over at Hyper Production! Thank you kindly for taking the time to watch, connect and, subscribe, we are deeply grateful to you. Glad to hear you're on board with theory, we couldn't agree more! I really appreciate the high-quality and production of your videos, they look great. Where abouts are you based? Until next time, take care. Kate :)

[@yes_its_THE_Dave_Alleckna]

Wow! Congrats and blessings for you two and your marriage! Thanks for the great clip and big cheers from Hamburg!

[@HackMusicTheory]

Aw thank you sincerely David, that's really kind of you, and thanks also for taking the time to watch our video and connect, we're truly grateful. By the way, what kinda music are you making over there in Hamburg? :)

[@yes_its_THE_Dave_Alleckna]

Hej you guys! I really appreciate your sorrow explanations - turns out I didn't understand everything before now! :-) Working as a session musician for different acts in different and my own studio, some work as a producer for pop and commercial music. You know.... (a little more about me here: www.alleckna.com). Looking forward to your next vids and sending big cheers! And hey - say hi when you should be over in town!

[@HackMusicTheory]

Hi David! Aren't we all just learners on this big adventure of life. It would be boring if we understood everything! haha. Sounds like you are just as busy as we are! Thanks so much for sharing a little about you, looks like you spent some time on the coast of Canada? We like in Victoria, BC :) When we eventually go on a honeymoon, I think it would be cool to visit our music theory friends in Europe, so you never know, we may meet! We're really excited that you're along for the Music Theory Revolution, thanks again for your kind support! Kate :)

[@yes_its_THE_Dave_Alleckna]

True story about this big adventure! And yes indeed - my family lives pretty much across from you guys in Chilliwack and I used to study in Fort Langley - miss this area! And yeah - you guys should come over to Europe for your honeymoon and enjoy the good wine! So - see you soon? :-)

[@HackMusicTheory]

Yes, see you soon!!

[@leepat]

i'm with you on the theory importance for creativity. Congratulations on your marriage and keep teaching (and preaching)!

[@andrihasinaloobrik2385]

BTW Congrats' you 2 Ray & Kate and keep on inspiring and sharing music to us, you 2 are great ;-)

[@HackMusicTheory]

Nice to hear from you Andrihasina! Thank you for your big support and the congrats, it means the world to us :) Until next time, take good care.

[@HackMusicTheory]

Oh and while we have you here, we'd love to know what kind of music you're into and where you're based?

[@andrihasinaloobrik2385]

Well, I'm from Antananarivo, Capital of Madagascar Island in the Indian Ocean and I'm trying to mix all of my favourites genres such as Trip-Hop, Electro, Metal, Rock and Classical music, also has tried some Experimental stuffs in a band :)

[@HackMusicTheory]

Amazingly amazing!!! Fusing genres is our favourite thing to do, and that's where the most interesting music is often found, so keep up the inspiring work (by the way, that's an awesome list of genres you have there!). Also, that's so cool that you're in Antananarivo, I was actually born and raised in South Africa, so we were neighbours :)

[@ynotme6984]

I’m so late…but this is so dope

[@HackMusicTheory]

Lol, happy to hear it :)

[@benasaro1043]

That was the best breakdown of negative harmony I have seen yet! Love the passion you guys have!

[@afti03]

OH SHIT son, that actually WORKED! i was smokin a j, taking in some new info, but daaamn dude, i gotta test this for myself. that formula for C that u made..how can i transpose it to other keys? proper video man

[@greennin]

An English speaker who can pronounce Bach correctly. Subbed.

[@MaemiNoYume]

4:13 I loved it! YEAA Music theory!! This is the first video of this channel I'm watching and I'm already hook in 5 minutes. Thank you

[@HackMusicTheory]

Awe Maemi, thank you so much for watching and connecting. Your enthusiasm has made us both smile ear to ear! We're so glad you have joined us on this music theory journey. We're always curious...what kind of music do you make? And where are you based? Take care. Kate:)

[@MaemiNoYume]

Hello :D I make eletronic jazz music, most for games. I'm from (and based on) Brazil. Your channel is great!! it's hard to find channels like this, that has such enthusiasm! I love this. This video actually helped me a lot to understand how to use negative harmony

[@lambchopsmtl]

that line is actually sick!

[@HackMusicTheory]

Thanks so much Vegechops for watching and for your kind comments about the music! What kind of music are you into?

[@northwest_rain]

I've come back to this same video over and over trying to remember how to do this in my head (I was even considering pulling out the staff paper, but I figured that using a DAW would be easier). After this being my third time here, I figured that I'd just subscribe. Great stuff fam! Love it!

[@HackMusicTheory]

Thanks so much for watching, connecting and subscribing Matthew! We're thrilled to be of service and pumped to welcome you into our Hack Music Theory revolution! What kind of music do you make? Kate :)

[@northwest_rain]

Hello Kate! I mostly make Hip Hop with EDM and jazz influences, but I listen to quite a wide range of genres so I try to experiment with everything. I have a SoundCloud if you would like to take a listen. I would be honored if you would be willing to provide some feedback. 😊 soundcloud.com/open-the-floodgates I will say, I don’t usually integrate my theory knowledge into my productions, but it has come in handy in a few dry spot circumstances. Thank you for connecting! Looking forward to your future videos! -Matthew

[@chasebethersonton5169]

Great video! Thanks for always demonstrating stuff and not just saying it. (very helpful for me) Why does it have to invert by a perfect fifth? What if you kept the same intervals but start down a third or something? Does that still work? I am guessing maybe you would run into some bad notes or something.

[@joriscalcoen6910]

Congratulations!!!

[@diegooland1261]

First off, Congratulations on the wedding!!!! Thanks for turning me on to Jacob. The Phrygian bit took modes to a whole new level. If I had a exploding brain emoji the negative melody hack would get 10. Any minor Harmonies on the way?

[@danmcdonough4250]

Super cool! These videos are keeping my theory brain hungry and awake...thank you:)

[@HackMusicTheory]

Aw thank you sincerely dude, your ongoing support means everything to us! By the way, this negative melody hack would work amazingly amazing in Thigma :)

[@ariel-4131]

Harmony is one of the coolest last names ever! Congratulations on your marriage. :)

[@ariel-4131]

I realize I'm a couple years late... but still!

[@eugenedegraffinreid5264]

Very excited to add this to my tool bag

[@luispimentel518]

Damn dude that was awesome

[@HackMusicTheory]

We're really happy you enjoyed our video, Luis! Thanks for taking the time to watch and comment, we're deeply grateful to you. By the way, what kinda music are you into?

[@luispimentel518]

Revolution Harmony I have weird taste, mainly jazz but then I'll sometimes listen to metal or pop punk which i know is roast-worthy but yeah that's what I'm into. Thanks for asking!

[@HackMusicTheory]

Haha it's good to have guilty musical pleasures, thank you for being brave enough to share yours! Our tastes are pretty similar actually, I mainly listen to jazz and metal too, though I force myself to listen to the new pop releases every Friday to stay up to date with trends. By the way, do you know the band Tatran? I'm loving their album Shvat (it's been my daily go-to listen for months), check this out: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rmicd2WCYpmNgq8

[@ampfly9601]

Wow !!! I'm extra late to Hack Music Theory Channel . I'm so happy I found you guy's . Kudos !!!

[@hakone927]

Very exciting!! Thank you for the great video!

[@HackMusicTheory]

So very happy you enjoyed our video, thanks for taking the time to watch and comment, we're deeply grateful to you! By the way, what kinda music are you into? Based on your name, shall I assume Blues? :)

[@hakone927]

That's right! Mostly blues, jazz and pop :)

[@HackMusicTheory]

Aah very nice! Thanks for letting us know, we're always interested in what kinda music the musicians in our KZbin community are into. Have a lovely day, and thanks again :)

[@hakone927]

You too!

[@toph_us]

As you two know I love Hack Music Theory! your channel and Apprenticeship course has been a huge help in my writing process, finally developing the flow! Iv done some experimenting with Negative Harmony, and love it. But where i’m confused is why is the negative scale started on the 5th of the original? I saw Jacob does this too. thank you!!

[@HackMusicTheory]

Hey hey Ryan, hope this finds you and the family all safe and healthy! That's an awesome question, and a fascinating topic! So, while G is the standard place to start for C "negative major" as explained by Jacob (watch his June Lee interview for a detailed explanation), I encourage musicians to explore the negative harmony/melody concept as another creative tool that can be applied to songwriting (not a rule that must be followed). Songwriting is about finding your own artistic voice, and creativity is about freedom of expression, so if you wanna use another degree of the original scale to start your negative scale from, then that's great! Start the negative version wherever your melody wants you to start it. Negative harmony is just a theoretical concept, so have fun with it :)

[@toph_us]

Hack Music Theory all is well with myself and family! thank you for your concern, iv been spending everyday of the quarantine studying music in all shapes. production, theory, techniques. everyday has different vibes. you two are a mass part of my musical inspiration! so i will continue to thank you! i did watch jacobs video and am amazed. negative harmony is an excellent concept and i love exploring it. on another note, iv become an excessive tea drinker 😂😂😂 and love it haha

[@HackMusicTheory]

Awesome news all round, Ryan, especially the excessive tea drinking ;)

[@sofoklessantorini1888]

long happy life to you guys all the best

[@HackMusicTheory]

Aww thanks so much, that means the world to us! Hope you're well and enjoying life :) Kate

[@Casey3-P-O]

To me, nothing is closer to my heart than harmony

[@HackMusicTheory]

Yay Harmony!! Thanks for watching and connecting Casey! What kind of music do you make? Hope you're having a great week so far, until next time, take care. Kate :)

[@jazzguitarsimplified5944]

Wow you guys are hardcore! I Appreciate your devotion :) cheers

[@mrpeanut268]

I realize I'm super late, but congrats guys!!

[@HackMusicTheory]

Awe that's super kind of you Colin! Thank you very much :D

[@NeilRaouf]

yehh reaper!

[@JLPC13]

Congrats Guys!

[@destroytheananas]

Oh thank a lot buddy, so excited to learn that ! Cheers from Belgium

[@jade5773]

Very Interesting and inspiring! Can't wait to try this. Subscribed.

[@lex.cordis]

This is so cool! Thanks a lot!

[@HackMusicTheory]

Sooooo happy you dig our video, thank you kindly for taking the time to watch and connect, we are deeply grateful to you! By the way, what kinda music are you into?

[@user-pf1rw9no3w]

It's really cool video, thank you!

[@VolkerSternemann]

Wow! Incredible theory explained so well... Thank you! But far more important: CONGRATULATIONS!! Great couple :-) All the best for your future!

[@HackMusicTheory]

Hey Volker! We're really happy you enjoyed our video. Thanks so much for taking the time to watch and thanks for your very kind congratulations, we're deeply grateful to you. I'm curious to know what kind of music you make? Until next time, happy songwriting! Kate :)

[@Kuasm]

Interesting and useful. It's actually something that has been around for a long time.Joseph Schillinger, composer, educator and mathematician was a man way ahead of his time- he thoroughly developed all this stuff dealing with negative melody and harmony as well as other geometric/musical constructs and a whole of a lot more way back in the 1940's. He would wonder why it took so long for his ideas to gain currency.

[@HackMusicTheory]

Absolutely! In fact, I was just chatting with another person in the comments about this, too. I was saying that the idea of inverting melodies has probably been around since the early days of Guido's notation (at least), because as soon as composers could see melodic contours they would undoubtedly have thought to invert them. I haven't read Schillinger's System of Musical Composition, but it's on my book list, so thanks for reminding me. I'm beyond excited to explore his concepts :)

[@Kuasm]

The book itself is a tough read because of the somewhat haphazard way it was written (by his students after his death) but also chock full of amazing stuff if you have the time and motivation.

[@HackMusicTheory]

Thanks for the heads up Kuasm!

[@uptoplaptop1229]

Fl studio has inbuilt feature to flip notes horizontally and vertically. I guess one of which is negative melody.

[@007graeham]

Belated congratulations. We tied the knot 1/3/75. For sure you'll do at least as well.

[@HackMusicTheory]

Wow that's AMAZING!!! Congrats to you both, Graeham, you're a true inspiration, and we hope to match you one day :)

[@0xdutta]

Congrats you guys!

[@ButlerOfTheC]

Awesome video! I sort of vaguely understood the concept of negative harmony then this video made it super clear and obvious. I do have one question though. Why is the melody flipped over the axis of the fifth? Are there other axis that co8ld be used to get different results or is there a reason that the fifth will always get you the best results? I know this is an experimental concept and not a set in stone rule but I'm still curious. Thanks!

[@ReallyVirtual]

That's a concept I've not heard of before! Going to have to give it a go. btw Congratulations! :D

[@HackMusicTheory]

Yup really fun! Thanks for the Congrats Rob, really appreciate it :)

[@IakuaPunKaRecords]

Mmmmm I think I'll use it as soon as possibile. Thanx

[@HackMusicTheory]

Haha! That's awesome! Let us know how it goes :) Thanks for watching and taking the time to connect. Until next time, take care. Kate :)

[@afti03]

yup, it works and it sounds GLORIOUS! my key was different than C but i got it to work somehow :D

[@HackMusicTheory]

ha! So glad you worked it out, we really appreciate your enthusiasm!

[@owenwoody3370]

1:31 Knuckle ta-oo

[@amosluyk]

Wow! Congratulations guys! Best wishes for your life ahead :) x

[@HackMusicTheory]

Awe Amos, thank you sincerely for your kind wishes, you're the best! 💛 I hope the weather is gloriously sunny where you are. When Ray and I eventually go on a honeymoon, we will definitely be visiting your neck of the woods :) How's the composing going?

[@amosluyk]

Taking a bit of a break from work and music making... off to enjoy the beautiful weather with a few thousand others in some woods for a few days... sun, fun, music and friends.... can't ask for more than that :)

[@HackMusicTheory]

Good for you! Well deserved, no doubt. What's summer for, if not for having fun and enjoying the sunshine and friends...we'll have to keep that in mind! lol. Take care out in the woods :)

[@profperfetti]

Thanks!!

[@TheSpoonwood]

I got to say , it was cool. Good bass line!

[@HackMusicTheory]

Hey thanks so much SpoonWood! We really appreciate you watching and connecting :)

[@mackgrout]

Great video! Very cool

[@abdulhalimabdullahi9907]

You guys are amazing ❤

[@toniacore9632]

Love ya guys💖

[@HackMusicTheory]

Hi Wangülen! Thank you kindly for the love and support, it means the world!

[@jonnbluestone8742]

Cool Video, i will try it

[@HackMusicTheory]

Amazing!!! Thank you sincerely for watching and sharing, Jonn , it means a huge amount to us! Please feel free to share the music you make using our hacks too, as it's always thrilling hearing them come to life in other musicians' music! What kind of music do you make, and where are you based?

[@rbtwear]

This is fantastic! A few questions... is there a reason per se to pick G as the axis point for the inversion or could the axis point be any in the original scale? Also.. does this theory / hack work for chords as well?? Thank you so much!

[@xorlalibina-agboada1906]

Same thoughts

[@doncamilo8210]

Amazing content!!

[@HackMusicTheory]

We're really happy you're enjoying our videos, Schecter! Thanks for taking the time to watch and comment, we're deeply grateful to you. By the way, what kinda music are you into?

[@antoniomontemuro9751]

now I got it. Thank you

[@negushak]

wow thank you

[@HackMusicTheory]

We're so happy you enjoyed our video, Threepac! Thanks for taking the time to watch and comment. Happy songwriting! Kate :)

[@ryangiraldi5722]

_Shows Bach Knuckle tattoo_ Me: Okay I can respect that

[@HackMusicTheory]

Haha thanks Ryan! Not many people appreciate my Bach autograph tattoo, surprisingly ;)

[@itisbrian.garcia]

What was the song Jacob was playing in the beginning of the video!?!????

[@gryphonthebard9727]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/mWapoqOamdN9o8U Here you are my fellow!

[@Wayne_Robinson]

Great demo applying Jacob's technique.

[@HackMusicTheory]

Hey thanks Wayne! By the way, what kind of music do you make?

[@Wayne_Robinson]

I make primarily instrumental music of dubious quality as a hobby, currently getting back into working on my own stuff again after a long absence. The most elaborate piece I created was way back in 2004 which explains both the outdated topic and the not-very-good mix: soundcloud.com/mutant-ant/2000-man-of-the-year

[@HackMusicTheory]

Hey Wayne! That's fantastic to hear that you're diving into the wonderful world of music making again, we're cheering you on 100%! Thanks for sharing your song, it was a throwback for sure! It seems like you have a whole new topic to cover these days ;) Hope you're having a great week filled with music. Until next time, take care and happy songwriting! Kate :)

[@easydp]

So if you were to do this with chords would the chords remain the same (minor or major) in your new pattern or would you reset the major minor minor major major minor dim starting at the new root? Cheers

[@HackMusicTheory]

Awesome question, David, and I'm actually planning on making a video on harmonising a negative melody as a follow-up to this video, so stay tuned for how to add chords to the melody in this example! Thanks big time for watching and connecting, really appreciate it. By the way, what kinda music are you into?

[@Simon_Lake]

Why Jacob Collier used fifth? Should I always use fifth when I want to create negative harmony? For example A --> E?

[@HackMusicTheory]

Hey Szymon, thanks a bunch for watching and connecting, we truly appreciate it! That's an awesome question too, and a fascinating topic. So, while G is the standard place to start for C "negative major" as explained by Jacob (in June Lee's "Part 2" video interview, at 4:21), we instead encourage songwriters and producers to explore the negative harmony/melody concept as just another creative tool for making music, not a rule that must be followed. Songwriting and producing is about finding your own artistic voice, and creativity is about freedom of expression, so if you want to use another degree of the original scale to start your "negative scale" from, then that's great! Start the negative version wherever your melody wants you to start it. This is all nothing more than a concept, so have fun finding your own creative way of using it! Hope that helps, and thanks again for your interest in Hack Music Theory. Happy songwriting & producing :)

[@tizianopilustri8157]

Hey, thanks for explaining this so clearly, very helpful! A quick one.. is there a reason why you need to start from the fifth (G)? Or this can be done from wherever in the major scale?

[@dylanjeffers9257]

Very very cool.

[@danbrooks4270]

Saying that music theory hinders creativity is like saying that mastering a language hinders writing skills.

[@HackMusicTheory]

Amen to that Dan, theory provides the building blocks for creativity! Hope this finds you happy and healthy :) K

[@Paartherapeut]

Lovely! Genius!

[@koolamusic_]

wow this was awesome

[@HackMusicTheory]

So happy you dig our video, Andrew, thank you kindly for taking the time to watch and connect, we are deeply grateful to you! By the way, what kinda music are you into?

[@PhilippeBlancR5]

Interesting concept. I didn't know that negative harmony exist. Thanks for the info. I wwill try to invent a concept : Negative reggae.. lol Cool video, as usual !!

[@HackMusicTheory]

I like it, why not?!

[@marekvesely6747]

Awesome video. The concept of inverting a scale is easy enough. But, why start the Phrygian on G? Why not on C? Or F?

[@HackMusicTheory]

Hey hey Marek, thank you sincerely for taking the time to watch and connect, it's lovely to meet you! This is an awesome question, and a fascinating topic! So, while G is the standard place to start for C "negative major" as explained by Jacob, I encourage musicians to explore the negative harmony/melody concept as another creative tool that can be applied to songwriting (not a rule that must be followed). Songwriting is about finding your own artistic voice, and creativity is about freedom of expression, so if you want to use another degree of the original scale to start your negative scale from, then that's great! Just start the negative version wherever your melody wants you to start it. This is all just a concept, so have fun finding your own way of using it! Hope that helps, and thanks again for your interest in Hack Music Theory. Happy songwriting! Ray :)