The Music Theory Behind Billie Eilish’s Emotional Songs

The chords in Billie Eilish & FINNEAS' "Halley's Comet" are gorgeous -- and baffling! Let's peek under the hood: the minor 6 (flat sixth) & half step motions that make the chord progressions so emotionally subtle, complex, & satisfying.
This is more than "music theory" or "harmonic analysis": it's a practical mental model to connect your emotional creativity to concrete musical chords.
I came up with all the concepts & insights from this video with Michelle McGhee, who's co-producing this entire series with me.

[@mattconrad3589]

This channel is such a diamond in the rough!

[@jessejamesjjr]

I LOVE this! What's funny is that I've had someone with a PhD in Music, tell me they don't understand how I play. HAH! Well this is exactly how I express my emotions through my playing! Pulling in that Minor (and sometimes even dropping it an octave lower at an unexpected moment when it doesn't even fit) then back to a Major and half steps to resolve. It's crazy but its an eargasm and I do this all by ear without reading or playing by notes. Mad props to Finneas, he is a genius. Loved your breakdown of the science behind BE's emotionally beautiful haunting song. Well done!!! Have you also observed/tried the Coldplay technique? Its chord over chord and that's the flip side of the emotional Billie Eilish. It's so much fun. :)

[@brettjosh]

Your videos are amazingly well done, I look forward to future videos and watching your channel grow😀

[@itsdavidmora]

Thanks so much, Josh! Welcome to the community, can’t wait to share more and get your feedback!

[@VirtualDreamers]

Stunning production quality! Leaving my comment here in before you get huge!

[@itsdavidmora]

Thank you so much, VD! If the production quality is looking solid, I have to shoutout all the amazing KZbinrs who put out guides / tips for noobs like me!

[@mhare8984]

I LOVE this!!! Right at my level and learning so much every time I watch!

[@FAKETV96]

Great stuff man loved this :)

[@somilgupta6666]

That’s crazy. Thank you for posting such an helpful, intelligent, and entertaining video. 😊

[@FenerNaPatot]

You deserve much more views! Thank you this video 🙏

[@itsdavidmora]

Thanks so much for the encouragement! So glad you enjoyed it!

[@KuklusKlanas]

great video, great knowledge, don't stop making content!

[@broatski]

God tier channel, SEVERELY underrated. Good job 👍

[@enmarynava]

this video broke my heart in a loving way, it transmits me so much.

[@itsdavidmora]

Miso glad to hear that! Was there a particular part you especially vibed with?

[@animeargonaut3127]

Just found your channel today through the Johnny Harris video, i's fantastic and I'm looking forward to the future videos!

[@itsdavidmora]

Wow, I'm honored, welcome to the community!

[@Nivedithak]

i think where we don't have that what billie has is due to putting music in a box of what it should be and what is right. Music is an emotion felt just like humans, we don't feel just happy when we are with our loved ones. We feel happy, we feel content, we feel calm, we feel love, we feel loved, we feel connected and other combinations of this at the same time. Music should be just that, we are now learning how to translate human emotions to something we can hear as music. Billie Eilish music is just what it is. perfect in describing raw human emotions that is without any curtains.

[@itsdavidmora]

Good point! I feel like it was only recently for me, as a musician, where all the theory & technique started to fall away & emotion started to be the center as I make music. It was a big shift, & I'm still learning to do that! And, yes, Billie is on another level :)

[@annakaroly]

Amazing video. Thank you!!!

[@itsdavidmora]

Aww, I'm happy to hear you liked it! Was there a particular aspect of it that you especially enjoyed?

[@seanradcomedy]

Best video yet

[@Cloudsurfer69]

this video is beautiful - i am staggered by your musical literacy. you say things i feel haha :D

[@xjmdm]

my mans just went ahead and jumped strait to the million sub standards

[@itsdavidmora]

Iskander, this comment made my day. I'm so honored you find my (still fledgling) work of value! Welcome to the community, can't wait to share more with you!

[@Amazin01]

I love this guy's editing style

[@itsdavidmora]

Thanks so much!

[@deftermedia]

Damn. Subbed. This is awesome.

[@itsdavidmora]

Thanks so much! Welcome to the community!

[@Flutterbyby]

LOL fun way to share your knowledge of music with humour. As Im quite good at coming across channels which are going to blow up, I suspect yours is going to as you continue this channel.

[@valeryruiz5549]

Great video! hope u can use ur abilities for other videos, love the one about Johnny harris, keep it going!

[@itsdavidmora]

Valery, that means so much! That really encourages me to keep going :) Looking forward to sharing more & hearing your thoughts. I've actually got another one under-way in the same vein as this video, tentatively titled "The secret to music: play wrong notes". It's about harmonic movement & storytelling. This one is actually led in large part by my friend Michelle, so you should see/hear some new voices!

[@Bobobbs]

This was excellent! You alluded to this, but raags play with these ideas a lot. It would be cool if you could compare the two.

[@lukasmuller9490]

how do you have such detailed knowledge of so different topics. Do you just stumble across something, research for a month and make a video about it until you deep dive into something completely different?

[@itsdavidmora]

Hey, Lukas! First off, this comment really made my week: I really strive to synthesize ideas deeply & share something useful with others. It means a lot of I'm succeeding in your eyes! To your question: my life mission has really been about trying to understand the world deeply from "first principles", ie the deeper concepts, & to do so well enough to make it clear to others. Haha, all the topics you see here I've spent my entire life trying to understand (music, tech, storytelling), & I don't think I could have come to this in a month. I was actually homeschooled growing in up in the US, so that gave me a lot of free space & time to try to teach myself stuff. I think my current process is to reflect on ideas that stuck with me over time (or that I'm super curious about), & spent several months refining & focusing that idea, with the help of friends & my creative editor, Michelle Jia. Longer term, I do hope to do more of what you suggest: tackling new topics. For now, just making a clear video on something I already know is challenging enough for me :)

[@lelehabi341]

nice video

[@itsdavidmora]

Thanks!

[@moonlightfitz]

😭

[@bradleyamos9519]

i dont understand how thats a E7 i thought E7 was E G# B and D#

[@itsdavidmora]

In chord notation, generally deriving from jazz, the nomenclature "X7" (eg "E7") refers to a major triad with a flat seventh, often called "E dominant seventh" or "E seven". It's worth noting that many classically trained musicians, including my wife actually, understand the term "seventh chord" to mean "major triad with a major seventh" as you suggested above. However, in more-jazz adjacent chord usage (eg mainstream chord notation), that would be expressed as "Xmaj7" (eg "Emaj7") What musical genre do you come from? :D

[@benoftroy]

i heard the licc :)

[@itsdavidmora]

Haha nice you’re the first person who caught it, I think ❤️

[@jimmcdougle3404]

Niggling difference, but it’s not so much Billie doing this, it’s her brother doing it. The two of them together is what makes her songs so amazing

[@justzisguy]

Awesome video but you really need to tend to your masculine side. Feel the passion in the music and let it burst through you in a manly explosion (no homo)

[@itsdavidmora]

Thanks, Jesus! Do you have any tips for how I might start?

[@justzisguy]

@@itsdavidmora Correct, start with the tips, then you'll know what to do next.

[@ggez3684]

stop glazing billie eilishs brother songwriting and go to the point

[@itsdavidmora]

Agreed! This narrator is dragging this out so much. Hope he improves his video making skills soon!