Sudden Music Theory

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     In this entry it will be revealed that I'm not just writing a short story but am in fact writing about random things I find interesting in addition to a short story. This blog post is about basic music theory! In this post I will be discussing basic practical methods of writing melodies in as compact a form as I can muster.

     The first thing you need in order to write a song is a progression. A progression is a unique combination of chords that will give your melody a specific sound. In any given genre of music there is a limited number of chord progressions, however each progression can be performed in many different keys so you don't need to worry about copying someones work unless you use the same progression and key and even then you can vary the order enough to make it sound a lot different.

     To find different chord progressions simply Google, "chord progressions." Once you have found a chord progression you would like to use you may then choose what key to put the progression in. Every note has a different flavor, for example A sounds melancholic and C sounds happy. When you make the chord major, it tends to sound happier and minor tends to sound more sad. Once you're happy with you're progression and key you have yourself a melody. Most songs are not just in one key nor do they always keep the same progressions.

     When changing keys it is important to know what keys are palatable with each other. Below is a diagram known as the circle of fifths, if you have never seen this before it is pretty mind boggling but once you understand how to read it, it's pretty simple. This circle is a lot like the color wheel but for sounds, on the inside of the circle are the minor chords and the major chords are situated on the outside. This circle tells us what chords are compatible with each other, if our song is written in A minor and we want to know what chords sound good with it we match it to its major counterpart which is C major. The minor chords directly on either side of A minor can also be used to bring some variety.

     This may seem very complex at first and it can get even more complex if you go further into music theory. Complexity is half the fun of music, although it seems very mathematical you can get creative and try different things. These are the basics and you can do some interesting things with them so go ahead and get to writing if you want or just bask in the knowledge, and above all have fun.
                                                                                                Sincerely, Staples

Whales with swagger

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     The deep ocean was calm that morning as Randal was dragging along his sluggish path towards the surface. He scanned the waters around him for anything of interest only to find an empty expanse of water in all directions. As he proceeded to bat his tail fin back and forth he could see the surface getting closer with its ethereal columns of light passing all around him, with somewhat improved efforts he reached the surface in a matter of minutes. His face broke through the weak membrane and water cascaded down his face and sides. He shot a happy jet of water from his blow hole to properly greet the morning and took a breath of the crisp morning air.

     For a moment the blue whale just floated there enjoying the morning breeze and the ambient sound of seagulls. He cast his gaze into the sunrise and let his whale thoughts wander. As he was floating there he heard a low hum like that of a certain boat. With an annoyed expression Randal Glanced to his left, and sure enough their he was. Plastered atop the noisy vessel was an unkempt ape of a man, he was a portly gentleman with hairy arms, a large beard, and many pony tails. He wore large sunglasses, a top hat, and a brown string sweater vest. A tar bar with a cigarette inserted was jutting from his teeth and as far as Randal could tell he wasn't wearing pants.

     To most whales this may seem like something strange, perhaps even frightening. However, Randal had encountered this creature many times. Every few days this ogre of a man would find him shortly after surfacing and would feed him whale treats. After this ritual he would then take measurements and allow inappropriately happy sounds to escape his lips. Today he seemed even more jubilant and repulsive than usual as he coasted up to Randal. With a few grunts and the sounds you hear when tape is peeled from a surface, he padded his way to the edge of his boat and tossed some whale treats into the water with a loud splash.

     As disgusted as he was Randal did in fact enjoy the oafs treats. After Randal had his fill the sweaty mass repositioned his boat so that it's crane was situated above Randal. Of course a whale would have no idea what a crane is so he just floated there in his reveries of satisfaction. With excitement only found in a light switch who is flipped at just the right time, the sticky gentleman loaded some kind of gadget onto the crane. He then proceeded to mischievously pull a lever and the contraption lowered itself onto Randal's head with a mechanical hum.

     Severely confused, Randal suddenly felt something clamp around his head. He immediately made a dive in hopes that it would leave him, unfortunately it stayed securely fastened to his whale head. In a panic he swam and swam hoping to outrun his own head until he succumbed to exhaustion. As he coasted sluggishly through the water he noticed he had no idea were he was. Trying to stay calm the young whale glided through the water looking for land marks. He began to feel hopeless as he drifted through the unforgiving fluids of the ocean.  After finding no clues to help him out of his plight Randal started to feel unbearably tired when suddenly, out of the corner of his eye he saw what looked like a cluster of sharks. He was too exhausted to swim quickly and within seconds they had closed in on him.

     Circling him with malicious intent, the sharks started to inch closer. Randal was scared out of his mind, he closed his eyes shut as he felt the first set of jaws lay claim to his flesh. Just as he was certain he was going to die a painful death he felt a buzzing on his head along with a massive feeling of exertion. When he opened his tired eyes all he saw was red, every shark that had threatened his life was now nothing more than a floating pile of flesh. Unable to process this information Randal slipped into the deepest sleep he had ever known