Music Theory You Actually Need
The essential theory that makes writing songs faster and easier. No classical training required.
Music theory has a reputation for being dry and academic, but at its core it is simply a language for describing what sounds good and why. You do not need to read sheet music or understand counterpoint to write great songs. You need to understand keys, scales, chords, and basic song structure. That is it. Everything else is optional depth that you can explore as your career develops.
A key is the home base of your song — it defines which notes sound natural together. Most pop, hip-hop, and electronic music uses either the major scale (happy, bright) or the natural minor scale (darker, moodier). If you learn the C major scale (all white keys on a piano) and the A minor scale (also all white keys, just starting on A), you understand the pattern. Every other key is the same pattern starting on a different note.
Chords are three or more notes played together. The most common chords in popular music are built by stacking every other note of the scale. In C major, the seven basic chords are C, Dm, Em, F, G, Am, and Bdim. Most hit songs use only three or four of these. The I-V-vi-IV progression (C-G-Am-F in the key of C) appears in hundreds of charting songs across every genre. Learn this progression, transpose it to different keys, and you have a foundation for writing songs immediately.
Song structure gives your music a roadmap. The most common structure in popular music is verse-chorus-verse-chorus-bridge-chorus. The verse tells the story with different lyrics each time. The chorus is the emotional peak with the same lyrics repeated. The bridge provides contrast — a different melody, rhythm, or perspective that makes the final chorus hit harder. Pre-choruses build anticipation between verse and chorus. Not every song needs every section, but understanding the template lets you deviate from it intentionally.