Rick, write a simple song that is missing most of your rules. Show us how you analyze, then apply some of your rules, slowly, step by step, showing how they make it better. Could be a whole training course!

Best lesson ever: Took one of my crap melodies and improved it big time!

Can someone please give this man an award for being so sharing, caring and lovely?...Rick, your service to us music types is unreal...i hope you get some recognition for all of your hard work x

Flashback 1984 ... my Berklee songwriting teacher having me transcribe the #1 songs on the charts...and answer 20 questions about each song. You just summed up in 30 minutes, 80% of what I learned over 3 months of that process. Rick, I hope people realize and appreciate what a freakin' gold mine of knowledge you're sharing.

When writing a melody, sing it instead of figuring it out on an instrument. That way, unless you have perfect pitch (or great relative pitch like Rick), you will focus on what sounds good. My hunch is most of the songs we love were written by the composer working out the melody with his/her voice while accompanying themselves on guitar or piano.

There needs to be a “Beato Book For Dummies” lol.

Hey Rick - 64 year old who used to play in a serious garage band. I stopped playing 30 years ago but picked up an acoustic a few months ago. I just want to play pretty things, and I don't want a lot of influences anymore. Your videos about chords and scales have been a huge help to me. Thank you and God bless you!

After watching this I went through a few of my tunes and spotted some places where I was using the root in the melody. Funny cause I always felt a little less than excited about those spots in the songs but didn’t know exactly why. You’re a treasure, Rick. Thank you.

I can't understand how or why 83 people give this a thumbs down Rick!! It's FREE, it's educational, informative, well presented, and extremely helpful. Keep on doing what you do, and I wish you and your family a healthy, happy, prosperous new year in 2021 from Ireland.

I just got your book!! I had... let's call it an "event" in my life that made money tight, but I finally got enough to buy it! Your Christmas sale really helped! Thank you! I am so excited for this!!

Thanks Rick! Wow! You never cease to amaze. I have loved Beatle songs all my life and now I actually know Why. Love it! Please stay safe during the holidays.👊🏼

Thanks Rick, there is a growing trend with me, I listen to your videos, get inspired and compose music. Don’t take everything word for word, but as a kick starter, or even to just get into a good mood. Hey what ever works. By the way bought your Beato Book, what a gem. So far found it best to read it with a piano keyboard plugged in to try things out. Many thanks.

I was do blessed that my son gave me THE BEATO BOOK for my b-day. I spent 3 years in a top college program and know a good amount of theory and application. I have had great teachers in my 40 years playing. What you are giving to us all is more valuable than I think people understand. You are a true blessing my friend. I hope to meet you one day. Peace and many more blessings my friend 🙏

This is like a "What Makes Most Great Songs Great" video.

Great tips, Rick! I'd use these maybe to review a melody that doesn't sound good enough when writing a song, but maybe not from the start, because inspiration sometimes just strikes you and the feeling is right, even though is not perfect theory-wise. A really important part of songwriting to me is to develop a taste, an ear to recognize what you like, what works for the music you make. Internalizing these principles and applying them by ear, by using your musical taste, to me just sounds like a much better way to use them than starting with a blank page and trying to write "perfectly", just by theory. Feeling is the most important part of music, in my opinion.

oh man Rick, that was one of my favourite videos you've ever made. Thanks! Such great stuff!! :)

Im in bed with a high fever and a Covid-19 positive test watching this. Might as well use the next weeks wisely and immerse myself in quality Biato tutorials!

Thanks, Rick. Happy holidays to you and your family!

Rick, you're the best! Thanks for all you do and happy holidays!

You know Rick, I’ve been watching your videos for a couple of years now. I mainly watch them because of your enthousiasm for music in general, and rock and roll in particular. But honestly, every time you spoke about music theory it was like you were speaking alien man! Another tongue completely. This year, global pandemic obliging, I tried to pick up home accessible hobbies. So, at 50, for the first time of my life I picked up a guitar and seriously started learning how to play it. With it, I started to learn how to put those melodies I hear in my head in the morning on paper. Today, I think I’m finally starting to understand your language. Not entirely, not in depth, but along the outskirts. All of this is to say, very inarticulate, thank you and I’m glad I stuck listening to your videos. Keep up the good work!

Oh, man, the value packed into this FREE lesson! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Fantastic episode, Rick! Love the breakdown here...

seriously grateful for your dedication to educating. thank you so much for sharing what you've learned

Thanks for the XMAS promo Rick. I just picked up the Beato Book and the Ear Training Program. Been looking to pull the trigger for awhile! Here we go!

Great video Rick. This is the one I've been waiting for in didn't even know it. I have your book but I probably won't be able to delve deeply into it till I retire soon. Givers get rewarded.

I've watched so many of Rick's videos and im still able to learn so much. Very grateful. I'd love to see a more formal video with your top 10 songwriting rules.

way above my head. Thank you for posting Rick!

I love these kinds of videos. This stuff really helps me with my own songwriting. Thanks, Rick!

This changed my composition drastically, now it has more movement and it feels more like a song! Thank you Rick! ❤️

Brother, I just want to say I’m truly grateful that you are able to articulate your knowledge the way you do. I am relatively untrained as a guitar player other than a couple of jazz courses i took. I purchased your ear training course and the music theory book. I’m looking forward to see where my understanding of music is and how it progresses with these tools over the next year.

One of the best teaching videos I've ever seen on music or any other subject. Even a slow minded strummer such as myself can start to see some of the light through it!

Hi Rick, I just want to thank you for what you are doing here on KZfaq! I have your Beato book, and I am loving it, and I have purchased the ear training as well recently. Thanks for everything! 👍 You are a cool guy! Love from Europe!

Please more like this in depth. I've been lookin for this type of info forever

Hey Rick- was actually writing and producing a new tune this morning and ran across this video. Great stuff! I was stuck on a melody part and this jogged my brain loose! Thanks!

This is really gold Rick, thank you so much!

Thank you Rick and Merry Christmas to you and your family.

That static versus moving comment for melody, blew my mind. Thanks Rick!

I love half step bends and releases on the natural 6th while playing in the dorian/blues rock sound. Also the ninth. Magic intervals indeed

I learned more in this video than I have in the past year trying to write good songs. Thanks Rick, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Excellent set of "rules", really well presented. Enjoyed watching this video! Would love to see Rick's take on the Coltrane Circle at some point. Hats off for making the book available with a "solo deal", definitely had me jumping to buy such a great book! Thanks Rick Beato!

Thanks for doing videos like this Rick! I have so much to learn but I have my guitar, pad and paper out and the Beato book while I rewind and figure out what you’re talking about. It takes me a while but I’m starting to get it. Good stuff!

Composition Class that revolves around Day in the Life. I love this so much Rick. Thanks thanks and thanks again

Thank you! Best channel on KZfaq. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Thank you mr. Beato...There is a wealth of information on this channel. Caught on a little late to this channel. I will be sure to pick up one of those theory books 📚. Have a happy holiday 👍🏼🙂.

I loved this episode! This was news you can use on so many levels! Thank You Rick!

Thank you so much for posting. This inspires me to take my songwriting to a new level.

Thank you, Mr. Beato. Much respect to you. You'll end up makin' musicians out of us old hacks yet!

Happy Holidays brotha! Thx for all the great content this year thru the pandemic. You are the man.. Rock on Rick!!

Thanks Mr. Beato Christmas came early with this lesson. Exactly what I was looking for.

Discovered your channel the other day... and oh my word!! Where have you been all my life!! Thanks for the great content! Please keep it coming!

Great lesson Rick. Learned a lot man. Cheery happy holidays to ya!

Rick you are awesome! Thank you for this vid i think i learned a thing or two here. Merry Christmas and happy holidays!

This is the best video I ever saw for actually applying chords the notes.

This is mega! Thanks a lot! I cant wait to check this out! THANKS!!!!

Dude! Thanks for inspiring me to take the plunge. I am now the proud owner of my very own Yamaha PSR EW300! I just love playing the hell out of that thing! I haven't even discovered everything it can do and I'm totally in love with it. So far my favorite is the default organ voice. Animals, ELP, Van der Graaf. I'm thinking of all that stuff when I play. And all of these music theory videos and The Beato Book (I got already) and the Ear Training (got that too) I'm going to enjoy all of that soooo much more now that I got my own keyboard to apply that to. So thanks again. Greatest toy I EVER got for Christmas for damn sure! lol

Great video Rick! This is great information. I'm gonna get started building a song.

You deserve much more then 30k view in 17 hours... I agree that from Romania, Europe. You are the best couch for applying music theory on the guitar and other instruments. God bless you good man. I wish you wealthness, healthness and happiness.. You deserve all of that.

Thank you Mr Beato. It's really pleasing to watch you teaching things with passion and energy. 😁

Thanks Rick. You are full of knowledge. Appreciate you sharing.

Great stuff as usual Rick, happy holidays!

I love your stuff Rick. I love what you give us all. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I listened to this, and there's a lot that is technically correct and you know it more than I do. For certain types of songs, avoiding root in chords (inversions) is good, others obviously not. When you got to the part with no 6ths on a major chord, I started to convulse a little. You went on. You're not necessarily wrong. I thought. I thought some more. I thought about rules and how composers think. I'm pretty sure this stuff is useful, unless you let it get in the way of actually creating something. When you create, initially you shouldn't be throwing up a bunch of hurdles (list of rules) on the road to creation. It's a uniquely awesome ability to either hear what's wrong and fix it from the start, or for the rest of us mortals to fix stuff later as we move along with a composition. We should all work towards that. Thanks again.

Great lesson concise and clear! Thanks very much.MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Very useful tips for Melody writing. My ears have always told me what to avoid and what doesn't sound good, but now I understand why that is and the theory behind these rules. Thanks Rick!

you are the man!!!!!!! I've done the 6th on a major chord, I've changed to a 7th and it improved big time!!!!

The intervals between voices and the rythm modes on it also makes a very interesting theme there ... Merry Christmas and happy new year ...

This is gold. I’m going to binge watch all of your videos tomorrow

Awesome lesson! This really expands my understanding of melody writing, why I love certain melodies and how to maximise my own melodies. Much appreciated Mr. B

Thanks Rick. Merry Christmas.

Thank you so much Rick, merry Xmas

Just downloaded the Beato Book (trying to teach my kid), thanks Rick, and have a great Xmas!

Thank you for helping bring music back into my heart

Hey Rick, it would be cool you hear to talk about headphones and audio reference gear. I LOVE the music theory content. But being that you talk about guitar tone and you’re a producer. I would really like to hear your opinions/experience with reference speakers/headphones and audio quality in general for consumers and professionals.

This persuaded me to purchase the ear training course. Great stuff, thank you!

This was awesome! I love the 11th on the B minor...definitely using that idea on my next track! And I've used the rule of not doubling the bass with melody, but I've never heard somebody explain it. Very cool stuff. Keep at it good sir 👏

This is gold. Thanks for sharing as always.

great stuff Rick! well presented and clear

That flat 6 in Eleanor Rigby is because it has harmonic implications: it "tonicizes" a C chord to root E: E-G-B-C (EGC). The regular 6 is a "scale" note. Thank you "Mister Ear" Rick Beato!

That was great Rick. I am trying to learn more about melodies and this was great insight I was looking for. Thanks for your effort . :)

Great lesson. Here’s two songs I know that use a 6th over a major Chord well - 1. Harvest moon 2. Lakes of pontchartrain

Thank you for mentioning Paul Simon. One of my favorite songwriters that I haven't heard you discuss much on the channel. And, perhaps the one that most got me interested in why music theory matters.

great lessons here !!! i've written about 30 songs by ears only and now i have to hunt those 6th notes and learn music theories ! your method of teaching is simply inspiring.

Rick woke up today and watched this with a fresh brain and a nice sunrise … Thank you so much for your work baller 🏀

Wow, this is so good. Haven't hear some of these tips before!

Awesome tutorial! In Eleanor Rigby the example of the sixth over the major chord is a good example of where it does work: it’s on the 4th degree, so by adding a 6th it essentially becomes an inversion of a II7 (you could also do the same on the 6th degree in a minor key)

You never stop surprising me with your knowledge.

Excellent lecture Rick. I think you just kicked my songwriting forward a decade.

Thanks Rick, I love these videos.

Thank you for another great video, Rick!

Small-but-important point for your producers: "We can't hear the 'echo' that you were talking about." (By the time it makes it it through to us, such nuances have been utterly compressed-away.) But, it is MUCH easier for us to see intervals on the keyboard-display, especially if we don't play guitar. We only care about the material, not how good it sounds. [WHICH LEADS ME TO ...] P.S.: An idea for a new video ... "the 'jargon' of music theory." Things like, "tension note," "borrowed chord," even a refresher of what exactly we mean when we refer to "11ths" when there are only 8 (7?) notes in the octave. All of these technical terms, while easily explained, are a potential obstacle to understanding - yet, while conducting a video of course you can't necessarily "stop and explain" without entirely disrupting your narrative. Hence the notion of new episode(s), which you can thereafter refer-to and encourage folks to bookmark. The "trade vernacular" of any "trade" necessarily includes "certain terms," the implicit understanding of which are essential to "fluid understanding" of the presentation or the text. But, if you don't know them already, any of them can throw you entirely off the track. There might only be a few dozen terms (if that many) which would qualify in a discussion of music-theory topics. The replies to "your first pitch" would very quickly point out the rest of them, as seen by your actual worldwide audience. HTH!

I love this. Great education from a great professor, Mr. Beato.

Hey Rick, the song “To Sir With Love” starts with the sixth over the major chord. I think that first note works well. I understand the point, though.

What would we do without you Rick. Merry Xmas to you and your Fam Bam.

love this vid, thanks Rick!

Thank you so much Rick for these good advice! 👍🙏

This has helped me a lot with writing my baselines. At first I was confused about not using 6ths over major chords. But than I realized Beato is talking about the 6th of the chords not the key. The 6th of key sounds great over the 4 chord it is the third of the 4 chord in Ionian.

As someone with literally zero music theory and a relatively new found inspiration for song writing, technically, I don't even know my ninth's from my elbow, that was inspiring. When you played Nirvana and sang the melody, suddenly it made sense. Many thanks.

Rick should recieve a nobel price for his channel, the knowledge he shares is amazing!

This is great Rick!! More like this please.

This is some of the best advice on this channel, and that's saying something

This is one of your best lessons for showing applied music theory. thanks for this -james