To Learn The Sound with Dr. Guy Shkolnik (PhD in Bach, Music Theory Influencer)
Love Music More · hosted by Luke F. Walton (Scoobert Doobert)
Guest: Dr. Guy Shkolnik
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Host note
In this enlightening episode of Love Music More, we have the pleasure of welcoming Dr. Guy Shkolnik, a renowned music theorist and composer with a PhD focused on Bach. With a vibrant following on social media, Guy specializes in deep-dive analyses that demystify complex musical concepts and uncover the genius behind iconic songs across genres. In this episode, we explore a wealth of topics from harmony and counterpoint to the intricacies of composition, specifically how these elements differ even between cultural contexts like Western music and Japanese city pop.
Guy's infectious passion for revealing the structure beneath beloved songs will inspire both musicians and music lovers alike to approach their craft with renewed curiosity and openness. We follow the white rabbit deeper into the world of music and what makes it resonate so profoundly with us!
Selected moments
- Introduction and Background 1:49 Guy discusses his passion for music theory and the excitement of analyzing songs.
- Starting with Basic Chord Progressions 4:31 Guy talks about breaking down barriers for beginners in music theory.
- The Role of the Bass in Harmony 7:35 Discussion on how bass lines influence harmony in composition.
- Tendencies vs. Rules in Music Theory 8:50 Guy explains how music theory can be manipulated like grammatical tendencies.
- Chords and their Emotional Impact 11:36 Explaining how stability in chords affects musical emotion.
- Interplay Between Classical and Jazz 14:22 Guy shares insights on how classical training can enhance jazz composition.
- Understanding Negative Harmony 43:36 Dissecting the concept of negative harmony and its practical applications.
- The Effect of Scale Choices on Emotion 56:05 Discussing the feelings and atmospheres different scales can evoke.
- The Open-ended Nature of Music Theory 59:59 Questioning how many keys exist and the abstract nature of keys in music.
Selected excerpts
I've loved your deep dives into music theory and I was also totally obsessed with your little mini videos going through some of the Japanese city pop harmony.
Harmony is often taught but in isolation. You need to have that teacher or that system or someone that can translate this for you.
If you guys want to visit your friends here, okay, I'm fine with it, but for me, it's C. So that would be great for a song intro.
I avoid using the term rules because I know how people feel about it. It’s more like tendencies, just like with grammar.
The Beatles, for example, I was playing passing chords here or beautiful examples by Bach. These are passing chords, so what key is it in?
When you're exposed to classical voice leading, it shows you better and maybe more elegant ways of doing things.
The idea of negative harmony is like a mirror harmony, where you can see different sides of musical ideas.
You can personalize it by adding semitones to only some of the keys and it makes it sound more organic.
FAQ
Who is Dr. Guy Shkolnik and what is his expertise?
Dr. Guy Shkolnik is a music theorist and composer with a PhD in music theory, specializing in harmony, counterpoint, and composition. He is known for his engaging breakdowns of music theory concepts across different genres.
What does negative harmony mean in music?
Negative harmony is a musical concept that explores the idea of mirroring chords across a tonal center, offering composers new and creative ways to approach harmonic progressions.
How does music theory apply to popular music?
Music theory provides fundamental insights that can enhance creativity in writing popular music, allowing musicians to understand structures and emotional impacts behind their compositions.
Curated notes only — no public transcript. Listen on the links above.