
The Music Interval Theory Podcast
234 episodes — Page 1 of 5
Why Composers Write in Flat Keys
Composing with 3s and 9s
Interval Composition Based on Bernard Herrmann
The 4 Ways to Write Music - Most Composers Only Know 2
Composing with Just One Polychord
The Best Composers Use Only 3 Composition Techniques, Not 30
3 Different Starting Points for Better Compositions
The "1+1" Interval Game
Why Composers Freeze at Bar 5
The Secret Is Prediction, Not Talent
Fix the Score, Not the Knobs
Diatonic vs. Intervallic - Which One is Better
5 Spells Every Composer Needs
The Note Your Scale Won't Allow
The 48-Hour Composition Challenge
Color Doesn't Belong to a Genre
When Lines Do What Chords Cannot
Think In Energy, Not Chords
Fix The Context, Not The Chord
Momentum Over Perfection
When Simple Is Strong
The Power of A Story
Stop Composing Alone
Why Basics Unlock Magic
Find Your Musical Edge (With Interval Theory)
Balancing Complexity and Simplicity
Making Notes and Clusters Belong
Musicians Love Patterns
The Art of Singable Lines
Hearing Intervals Differently
Bridging from Diatonic Writing to the Intervals
Protecting the Actor's Moment
The Pedal Tone Reset
Groove Without More Notes
Start With Energy, And The Notes Will Follow
When Birds Become Bassoons

S1 Ep 197Pattern Education And Sounding Generic
Explore the Circle of Interval Magicians: https://www.skool.com/circle-of-interval-magicians/about/ In this episode, Frank explores the double-edged nature of pattern education. While learning common musical patterns is essential, relying on them without reshaping leads to generic results. Composers are encouraged to mutate patterns through changes in rhythm, orchestration, articulation, harmony, and emotional intent. Patterns are public property—but personal creative decisions transform them into original music.

S1 Ep 196The Secret to Motion Without Changing Harmony
Download the free guide “5 Spells Every Composer Needs” and learn interval-based composition techniques that create motion and emotional growth: https://musicintervaltheory.academy/spells/ In this episode, Frank explores how music can feel alive even when harmony remains static. Using examples like Bolero, he explains how motion comes from shaping intensity through dynamics, register shifts, density, and interval tension. Instead of adding more chords to fix boredom, composers can design the energy arc and let emotional growth unfold within a single harmonic space.

S1 Ep 195Seamless Storytelling In Your Music
Download the free guide “5 Spells Every Composer Needs” and start using interval-based techniques that create flow and motion in your music: https://musicintervaltheory.academy/spells/ In this episode, Frank explores why leaving patterns exposed can make music feel mechanical and predictable. He shares practical techniques to hide loops, blur transitions, and create seamless motion between sections. You’ll learn how to stretch ideas across bar lines, use fills and countermelodies as camouflage, write transitions backward, and dissolve the grid so listeners feel story instead of structure.

S1 Ep 194Why You Feel Slow When You Compose (And How to Fix It)
Download the free guide “5 Spells Every Composer Needs” and learn interval-based techniques you can use immediately in your compositions: https://musicintervaltheory.academy/spells/ In this episode, Frank explains why many composers feel slow: they try to generate and refine at the same time. By separating the creative phase (draft one) from the development phase (draft two), composers can work faster, think more clearly, and reduce creative friction. The key is to write the simple core idea first and shape it later. Speed in composing is not about talent—it’s about process.

S1 Ep 193From Scale Prison to Interval Freedom
Explore the Circle of Interval Magicians and dive deeper into interval-based composition techniques: https://www.skool.com/circle-of-interval-magicians/about In this episode, Frank challenges the common advice of “just modulate” when composers feel stuck inside a scale. True freedom doesn’t come from changing scales but from changing perspective. By using equal interval structures and moving them chromatically, composers can step outside traditional scale boundaries while maintaining clarity and coherence. Thinking in interval relationships rather than scale containers opens the door to greater creative control and expressive freedom.

S1 Ep 192The Secret Life of Interval Resolution
Download the free guide “5 Spells Every Composer Needs” and start using interval-based composition techniques in your own music: https://musicintervaltheory.academy/spells/ In this episode, Frank explores the overlooked concept of interval resolution and explains why single intervals—not just chords—are the true carriers of musical energy. By focusing on how intervals like the minor second resolve and move, composers can create tension, release, and forward motion without relying on heavy harmonic changes. Thinking horizontally instead of vertically opens up new expressive possibilities and leads to more alive, breathing music.

S1 Ep 191Recovering Like a Pro
Download the free guide “5 Spells Every Composer Needs.” Spells are interval-based composition techniques that work like magic. In this guide, Frank explains 5 of his most-used spells with examples so you can implement them in your own music. https://musicintervaltheory.academy/spells/ In this episode of The Music Interval Theory Podcast, Frank shares some hard-earned wisdom about mistakes, decision-making, and the hidden costs of creativity. Drawing from over two decades of experience, he talks about how knowing which mistakes are reversible—and which ones aren’t—can shape not only your music, but your whole career. Learn how to navigate tough calls, take smart risks, and keep moving forward in your musical journey.

S1 Ep 190Escape Overthinking with Musical Finger Painting
Download the free guide “5 Spells Every Composer Needs.” Spells are interval-based composition techniques that work like magic. In this guide, Frank explains 5 of his most-used spells with examples so you can implement them in your own music. https://musicintervaltheory.academy/spells/ In this episode of The Music Interval Theory Podcast, Frank explores the idea of “finger painting” as a way to overcome creative blocks and escape overthinking. By leading with intuition and sound rather than technique, composers can unlock faster, more emotional music writing. Frank explains how instinct and theory naturally work together—and how getting playful at the start can spark powerful ideas.

S1 Ep 189Good Orchestration is Strong Storytelling
Download the free guide “5 Spells Every Composer Needs.” Spells are interval-based composition techniques that work like magic. In this guide, Frank explains 5 of his most-used spells with examples so you can implement them in your own music. https://musicintervaltheory.academy/spells/ In this episode of The Music Interval Theory Podcast, Frank unpacks the real role of orchestration—not as decoration, but as storytelling. He explains how register, density, and energy placement in your sketch already hint at your orchestration, and how understanding your instrumental vocabulary early in the process can bring your ideas to life. Whether you’re writing for film, games, or the concert hall, this episode will help you think differently about how and when orchestration begins.

S1 Ep 188Think in Lines, Not Stacks
Download the free guide “5 Spells Every Composer Needs.” Spells are interval-based composition techniques that work like magic. In this guide, Frank explains 5 of his most-used spells with examples so you can implement them in your own music. https://musicintervaltheory.academy/spells In this episode, Frank redefines voice leading as more than just academic theory—it’s a tool for writing smoother, more memorable music and a form of respect for the musicians performing your work. Learn how to approach open harmony with clarity by focusing on linear motion, avoiding awkward jumps, and writing parts that feel natural and inevitable.

S1 Ep 187Why Your Harmony Sounds Wrong (Even When It Looks Right)
Download the free guide “5 Spells Every Composer Needs.” Spells are interval-based composition techniques that work like magic. In this guide, Frank explains 5 of his most-used spells with examples so you can implement them in your own music. https://musicintervaltheory.academy/spells In this episode, Frank explains why a perfectly correct orchestral score can still sound wrong—and how the real culprit is often the bass and its overtone series. Learn how strong low notes can generate conflicting harmonies in the upper register, and what you can do to avoid those acoustic traps. Whether it’s dynamic control or harmonic substitution, you’ll walk away with practical tools for writing cleaner, more intentional orchestration.

S1 Ep 186Composition Techniques Don't Expire
Download the free guide “5 Spells Every Composer Needs.” Spells are interval-based composition techniques that work like magic. In this guide, Frank explains 5 of his most-used spells with examples so you can implement them in your own music. https://musicintervaltheory.academy/spells In this episode, Frank unpacks a powerful idea: you can’t “use up” a composition technique. Instead of constantly reaching for new tricks, learn how to stretch one technique through contrast and transformation. From orchestration shifts to role reversals and rhythmic flips, the secret lies in development—not novelty. This shift in mindset helps your music stay focused, engaging, and full of life.

S1 Ep 185How I Composed My Best Boss Music Tracks
Download the free guide "5 Spells Every Composer Needs." These spells are interval-based composition techniques that work like magic. In this guide, I explain 5 of my most-used spells with examples so that you can implement them in your compositions as well. https://musicintervaltheory.academy/spells/ In this episode, Frank breaks down why the minor second doesn’t belong in heroic music — but absolutely rules in boss battles. He shows how a simple octave shift and interval displacement can turn a regular progression into a threatening force, giving your music immediate intensity and emotional impact. Learn the difference between music that celebrates and music that challenges.

S1 Ep 184Orchestration Is Your Best EQ
Download the free guide "5 Spells Every Composer Needs." These spells are interval-based composition techniques that work like magic. In this guide, I explain 5 of my most-used spells with examples so that you can implement them in your compositions as well. https://musicintervaltheory.academy/spells/ Frank explains why orchestration has always functioned as the original EQ and transient shaper, even before plugins existed. He shows how register, doublings, and voicing shape your music’s clarity and emotional power. If your orchestral writing needs tons of EQ and processing, the real fix isn’t in the mix. It’s in the arrangement.