E-Minor Scale and Triad Pattern in Outkast's Hey Ya!
This pattern from the chorus of Outkast's Hey Ya! is a good example of starting a melody on a chord tone other than the... Read more
V-i progression in Charlie Parker's Confirmation
Part of a larger ii-V-i progression, this lick or a closely related version of it happens no fewer than eight times in.... Read more
A-Major Pentatonic Line in Olivia Rodrigo's Déjà Vu
The pentatonic scale can wear a lot of hats, and an interesting melody will take advantage of more than one of them.... Read more
Descending Minor Pattern in Dua Lipa's Levitating
This simple and catchy melodic pattern is an excellent introduction to putting minor scale tonality into practice... Read more
The Weeknd's Blinding Lights 5-3-2-1 Tetrachord
Take Coltrane's 1-2-3-5 pattern, reverse it, and add some syncopation, and you've got yourself a helluva hook... Read more
John Coltrane's Signature 1-2-3-5 Tetrachord
As John Coltrane matured as a musician, his style and artistic choices began to push boundaries beyond the limits... Read more
Ascending Scale with Neighbor Motion in John Coltrane's Giant Steps Solo
One of the most useful features of the so-called bebop scale is that it lays so well over... Read more
Descending Pentatonic Minor hit at the end of Uptown Funk featuring Bruno Mars
This pattern is a useful example of the simplicity and effectiveness of the pentatonic minor scale... Read more