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The Music Interval Theory Podcast

The Music Interval Theory Podcast

234 episodes — Page 1 of 5

Why Composers Write in Flat Keys

Aug 21, 20267 min

Composing with 3s and 9s

Aug 14, 20265 min

Interval Composition Based on Bernard Herrmann

Aug 7, 202620 min

The 4 Ways to Write Music - Most Composers Only Know 2

Jul 31, 20266 min

Composing with Just One Polychord

Jul 24, 202612 min

The Best Composers Use Only 3 Composition Techniques, Not 30

Jul 17, 20268 min

3 Different Starting Points for Better Compositions

Jul 10, 202610 min

The "1+1" Interval Game

Jul 3, 20268 min

Why Composers Freeze at Bar 5

Jun 26, 202610 min

The Secret Is Prediction, Not Talent

Jun 19, 20268 min

Fix the Score, Not the Knobs

Jun 12, 20264 min

Diatonic vs. Intervallic - Which One is Better

Jun 6, 202612 min

5 Spells Every Composer Needs

May 29, 20262 min

The Note Your Scale Won't Allow

May 27, 20266 min

The 48-Hour Composition Challenge

May 25, 20264 min

Color Doesn't Belong to a Genre

May 22, 20265 min

When Lines Do What Chords Cannot

May 20, 20264 min

Think In Energy, Not Chords

May 18, 20265 min

Fix The Context, Not The Chord

May 15, 20265 min

Momentum Over Perfection

May 13, 20265 min

When Simple Is Strong

May 11, 20265 min

The Power of A Story

May 8, 20265 min

Stop Composing Alone

May 6, 20264 min

Why Basics Unlock Magic

May 4, 20267 min

Find Your Musical Edge (With Interval Theory)

May 1, 20263 min

Balancing Complexity and Simplicity

Apr 29, 20263 min

Making Notes and Clusters Belong

Apr 27, 20266 min

Musicians Love Patterns

Apr 24, 20265 min

The Art of Singable Lines

Apr 22, 20266 min

Hearing Intervals Differently

Apr 20, 20266 min

Bridging from Diatonic Writing to the Intervals

Apr 17, 20264 min

Protecting the Actor's Moment

Apr 15, 20264 min

The Pedal Tone Reset

Apr 13, 20265 min

Groove Without More Notes

Apr 10, 20265 min

Start With Energy, And The Notes Will Follow

Apr 8, 20265 min

When Birds Become Bassoons

Apr 6, 20266 min

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.

Apr 3, 20265 min

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.

Apr 1, 20267 min

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.

Mar 30, 20267 min

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.

Mar 27, 20265 min

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.

Mar 25, 20265 min

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.

Mar 23, 20266 min

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.

Mar 20, 20265 min

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.

Mar 18, 20264 min

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.

Mar 16, 20265 min

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.

Mar 13, 20264 min

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.

Mar 11, 20264 min

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.

Mar 9, 20265 min

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.

Mar 6, 20263 min

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.

Mar 4, 20264 min