How to Write a Song About Music Theory

You want theory to sound like a bop not a textbook. You want students and fans to hum intervals in the shower and remember the circle in the grocery line. You want a hook that teaches relative minor without sounding like a lecture. This guide turns boring into earworm with practical songwriting steps, lyric devices, melodic hacks, classroom friendly ideas, and marketing moves that actually work.

This is written for artists, teachers, producers, and people who once fell asleep during a harmony class and now want sweet revenge by turning theory into a viral ear candy. Expect blunt examples, ridiculous metaphors, and real life scenarios so your listener gets it without reaching for a piano. We will cover concept selection, lyric craft, melody and harmony techniques, rhythm lessons, production tips, performance ideas, and a launch plan you can steal. Every technical term will be explained in plain speech and paired with a lyric idea you can use.

Why write a song about music theory

People remember music. Facts in a tune sit in the brain like a tattoo. When you wrap a technical idea in a melody and a joke people will sing it back. Teachers love it. Students love it. Casual listeners think it is clever and they share it. Here are quick wins you get from writing a theory song.

• Retention Students recall interval names because they sang a melody that embodied the interval.
• Reach Short clips about a single theory nugget are perfect for social platforms.
• Monetization You can license an ear friendly mnemonic for textbooks and apps.
• Brand building You become the teacher who is cool enough to drop a hook about diminished fifths.

Choose your angle

Every successful educational song picks one clear angle. Pick one and commit. Trying to teach everything in a single chorus will sound like someone yelling at a whiteboard.

Story angle

Tell a story that uses theory as a character. Example scenario. A broken heart learns voice leading by arranging a playlist for an ex. The technical idea is woven into the narrative so the listener experiences the concept rather than reading about it.

Mnemonic angle

Make a memorable line that maps to a sequence. Classic example. Use a silly sentence to teach a scale or the order of sharps. Modern twist. Use pop culture references to create a mnemonic that feels current.

Demonstration angle

Write a song that literally demonstrates the concept. For example. The chorus moves through chords that show a modulation up a step. The melody highlights intervals you name in the verse.

Parody and comedy angle

Take an existing pop hook and rewrite the lyrics to explain a concept. This works well for short video formats. It is instantly familiar and the new words make the lesson stick.

Decide your audience and difficulty

Be explicit about who this song is for. That choice dictates vocabulary, tempo, and how literal you get.

• Absolute beginners Use simple words, daily metaphors, solfege like do re mi, and ear friendly repetition. Think primary school singalong that teaches what a scale is.
• Intermediate students Use chord names, basic roman numerals, and examples of progressions. Demonstrate voice leading and inversion with a simple piano part.
• Advanced musicians Name modes, altered chords, and substitution. Be clever and fast. These listeners want nuance and inside jokes.
• Casual listeners and viral clips Teach one tiny thing per video. Make it funny and visual. Keep runtime short.

Pick a musical approach

Your arrangement should support learning. If you are teaching rhythm, make the groove central. If you are teaching harmony, keep the harmony audible and uncluttered.

Single concept chorus

Pick one idea. Example. The chorus teaches the major scale pattern. Verse tells a stupid human story that uses the names or steps as metaphors. Keep the chorus short and repeat it often.

Call and response

Teach with interaction. The singer asks a question. The backing vocals answer with the scale or interval. Great for classrooms and videos with captions so viewers can sing along.

Progression walkthrough

Use your verse to move through a chord progression and narrate what each chord does. Example. Verse walks I to IV to V and calls each one by character. Make the V sound hungry and the IV like a warm sweater.

Build a concept and a hook

A hook for a theory song must be both musical and mnemonic. It should teach an action or a fact while being repeatable. Follow this mini recipe.

1. Pick the single teaching point. Keep it under eight words.
2. Find the melody that fits the most natural sung phrase of those words. Sing on vowels first.
3. Place the most important word on the strongest beat or longest note.
4. Repeat the hook. Use a ring phrase so the start and end match.

Example hook seed for teaching the circle of fifths. Lyric. Circle goes right like a clock, five steps up gives a sharp. The melody rises through each mention of five so the listener feels the lift as the circle moves.

Write lyrics that explain theory without sounding like a lecture

People do not want to be taught. People want to have fun and accidentally learn. Use these techniques.

Metaphor rule

Match each technical idea with a physical metaphor. Scales become staircases, keys become neighborhoods, intervals become distances between friends on a couch. If your listener can picture it in their life they will remember it.

Show not tell

Instead of writing. A major third is four semitones. Try wearing a sweater that fits four sizes up. You feel the stretch and the tension. Then sing the major third and let the ear feel the stretch too.

Personify

Give chords personalities. I chord is the sober friend. V chord is the dramatic friend who always makes you decide something. Use dialogue lines in the verse so the listener hears the function in action.

Use everyday scenarios

Examples that land. Subway ride for rhythm. Coffee order to explain intervals. Swipe on a dating app to explain dissonance. These create memory hooks that stick in millennial and Gen Z brains.

Concrete lyric examples with explanations

Below are short lyric snippets that teach a concept. Each snippet is accompanied by a brief note on how to set it musically and why it works.

Interval example

Lyric: Two steps from my door to yours, that is a major third. It fits like my favorite shirt.

Why it works: Use a melody that leaps by a major third on the phrase major third. Sing the leap so the listener hears the interval while naming it. Repeat the leap in backing vocals.

Scale pattern example

Lyric: Whole whole half, whole whole whole half, climb the stairs, then rest at home.

Why it works: Say the pattern as words and set each word to a step in the melody. The rhythm of the words maps to the step and the half note pause. This turns a dry formula into a tune you can hum while walking up real stairs.

Circle of fifths example

Lyric: Go right five keys push the door, a new sharp sits on the porch. Keep moving clockwise, till flats feel wrong.

Why it works: Move the bass up by fifths while the vocal repeats the phrase clockwise. Each new sharp appears on an accented beat so learners can count the additions.

Relative minor example

Lyric: In C I wear daylight, in A minor I keep a porch light low. Same house different room same key with a different mood.

Why it works: Play C major and then move to A minor with common tones. Point out the shared notes in the lyric. The listener senses sameness and change at once.

Time signature example

Lyric: Count one two three one two three sway like a waltz in a tiny thrift store. Or stamp one two three four and push the beat to the floor.

Why it works: Use two different grooves to contrast 3 4 and 4 4. The lyric directs the body so learners feel the meter in their movement.

Music theory terms explained with everyday scenarios

Below are short plain language definitions with a relatable example and a quick lyric seed you can use immediately.

Interval

Definition. The distance between two pitches. Practical image. Think about two friends sitting apart on a couch. The space between them is the interval. Lyric seed. Two seats, two steps, that space is how we sing.

Semitone and whole tone

Definition. A semitone is the smallest step in western tuning. Two semitones make a whole tone. Practical image. Think of subway stops. One stop is a semitone. Two stops is a whole tone. Lyric seed. One stop then another, that is a whole tone groove.

Scale

Definition. An ordered collection of pitches. Practical image. Stairs in a building. You climb or descend them. Lyric seed. Climb the scale until you see the skyline.

Major and minor

Definition. Major feels bright and stable. Minor feels darker and sadder usually. Practical image. Major is sunlight on coffee. Minor is rain on your sleeve. Lyric seed. Major smiles through a window, minor writes in the rain.

Mode

Definition. A family of scales with a different tonal center. Practical image. Think of neighborhoods with different vibes. One is artsy, one is sporty. Lyric seed. Dorian walks like jazz, Mixolydian wears a crown.

Chord and triad

Definition. A chord is several notes played together. A triad is a three note chord. Practical image. A triad is a sandwich with three layers. Lyric seed. Bread cheese meat stacked, that is a triad harmony.

Seventh chord

Definition. A triad with one more note on top. Practical image. Add a blanket on the sandwich. The extra layer changes the mood. Lyric seed. Add the seventh like a late night call.

Inversion

Definition. The same chord with the notes rearranged. Practical image. Flip the sandwich so the bottom becomes the top. Lyric seed. Flip the chord, new flavor same bite.

Progression and cadence

Definition. A progression is the sequence of chords. A cadence is the musical sentence ending. Practical image. A progression is a road trip. A cadence is the destination. Lyric seed. Take me home I V I, that is the cadence answer.

Modulation

Definition. Changing key within a piece. Practical image. Moving to a new apartment across town. The furniture is similar but the light is different. Lyric seed. Pack up the key we move up a step.

Circle of fifths

Definition. A diagram that shows relationships between keys in fifth steps. Practical image. A clock where each hour adds a sharp or flat. Lyric seed. Turn right five steps add a new shin to the key.

Solfege

Definition. A syllable system do re mi for singing scale degrees. Practical image. Like a name tag for each step. Lyric seed. Do re mi on my coffee cup do re mi say it out loud.

MIDI and DAW

Definition. MIDI is a messaging system that controls notes and parameters in a digital instrument. DAW is the software where you record and arrange. Practical image. MIDI is the sheet music that your computer reads. DAW is the studio apartment where you live your tracks. Lyric seed. Plug the MIDI line into the DAW like a rope into the plug.

BPM and tempo

Definition. Beats per minute tells you speed. Practical image. It is like steps per minute when you walk. Lyric seed. One two three count the clock at a hundred BPM it moves like a heartbeat.

Melody and harmony strategies to reinforce learning

If the lesson is harmony, keep the melody simple. If the lesson is melody, keep the harmony clear. Do not try to teach two equally complex ideas simultaneously.

• Limit range Keep melodies inside an octave for singability. A student will mimic and remember better.
• Repeat the concept Use the ring phrase in chorus and a variation in the bridge that changes one note to test comprehension.
• Use imitation Backing vocals or instruments copy the main idea at different intervals to demonstrate the concept aurally.
• Use ostinato A recurring figure can embody a pattern like the major scale shape. The brain maps the pattern while you sing facts above it.

Rhythm and groove lessons

Rhythm is felt physically. Teach it with movement. Use body percussion, claps, or simple drum loops so learners can feel subdivisions.

Teaching 4 4

Use foot taps on the one and three. Clap on two and four. Lyric seed. Step on one clap on two let the floor count for you.

Teaching 3 4

Waltz feel. Sway and point one two three. Lyric seed. One two three the tiny thrift store waltz.

Teaching syncopation

Use a steady hi hat and place vocal syllables off the main beats. Have listeners clap the basic pulse while singing the syncopated line. Lyric seed. Off beat heart skip a step I like to trip.

Production ideas that make the lesson obvious

Production can highlight a concept without words. Use clear choices that illustrate theory audibly.

• Use clean instruments A single piano or guitar keeps interval content clear.
• Isolate examples In the bridge, strip everything and play the scale or progression slowly so the ear can hear each step.
• Create a chord label feed For video, show chord names as they play so learners read and hear simultaneously.
• Use timbre to show difference Play a major third on piano and a minor third on guitar to show how the color changes.
• Layer synths Slowly add the seventh on repeat to show how the chord changes mood.

Classroom and performance friendly formats

Soldiering a theory song into a live environment requires structure that invites participation.

• Call and repeat Have the audience sing the scale after you in short chunks.
• Question and quiz Pause the music and ask a multiple choice question tied to the last phrase.
• Hands on instruments Give simple ukuleles or keyboards to students so they play while singing.
• Loop pedal trick Record a bassline that cycles and then layer a scale as you teach it live. The loop becomes the earworm.

Examples and templates you can steal

Below are two ready to use templates. Copy them, change nouns, and make them yours.

Template 1 Circle of Fifths Chorus

Chord backing. Play a moving bass that jumps by fifths. Keep chords simple major triads.

Lyrics

Turn the clock right five steps more, add a sharp to the door. Keys stack like chairs on stage, each turn adds a little rage.

How to use Repeat the chorus while showing the circle graphic. Each time you sing a new sharp appears in the video. Use a hand motion that traces a clock to help kinesthetic learners.

Template 2 Interval Rap

Backing. Heavy kick straight on one. Sparse piano chords on the two and four.

Lyrics

One step half tone feel the lean, two steps whole tone warm and clean. Three is minor third a sad small bite, four is major third it feels just right.

How to use Rap the names while playing the corresponding interval on piano. Pause and have students sing back each interval by ear for ear training practice.

Marketing and virality moves

Theory songs are perfect for short form video platforms. Plan your release with a few hooks.

• Clipable moments Make a 15 second version highlighting one teaching point for TikTok or Reels.
• Caption well Include the lesson in text on screen because many viewers watch muted.
• Create a challenge Ask learners to sing a scale in a unique place like a grocery aisle and tag you.
• Collaborate with teachers Send a free PDF lyric sheet and backing track to music teachers who can spread the song.
• Playlist placement Pitch to education playlists and channels that curates study beats and learning music.

Common pitfalls and how to avoid them

• Too many ideas Problem. The song tries to teach multiple complex concepts. Fix. Narrow to one concept per song or one concept per section.
• Jargon overload Problem. Listeners glaze over at technical lists. Fix. Use plain language, then introduce the term, then repeat with the term and the plain language together.
• Muddy production Problem. Busy mixes hide intervals. Fix. Simplify instrumentation and EQ to let the teaching element breathe.
• Uncatchy hook Problem. Good information but no melody. Fix. Prioritize a musical hook first and then fit the lesson into it.
• Too fast Problem. The example moves quicker than listeners can process. Fix. Slow down the demo and repeat phrases.

Step by step checklist to write your song

1. Pick one clear concept to teach. Keep it simple.
2. Decide your audience and tone. Classroom friendly or viral and edgy.
3. Write one hook phrase that states the idea in plain language.
4. Find the melody by singing vowels and marking the most singable moment.
5. Create a backing loop that demonstrates the concept. Keep it clear.
6. Write verses that use metaphors and everyday scenarios to illustrate the idea.
7. Test the song on three people who represent your audience. Ask one question. What did you remember?
8. Make a short clip for social media that isolates the most memorable line.
9. Offer a PDF with chord charts and lyric sheets for teachers and creators.

FAQ

Can a pop song teach complex music theory

Yes. A pop song can introduce and illustrate complex ideas by breaking them into small steps. Use the song to model one idea at a time. Then create a series that builds complexity. A single chorus can teach the behavior of a dominant seventh. A bridge can show modulation. Use repetition and clear audio examples so the ear can track the change.

How long should a music theory song be

Keep it as long as it needs to teach the point but short enough to remain catchy. For classroom use three to four minutes works well. For social video keep clips under one minute and focus on one tiny lesson. If your song is a full teaching suite you can make a longer track with repeated hooks that reinforce the lesson.

Should I use technical terms in the lyrics

Use them sparingly and always pair them with a plain language explanation. Introduce the term after the listener already knows the concept by example. That way the word becomes a label not a barrier.

Do I need to show notation or can audio alone teach

Audio alone teaches a lot. But combining audio with visual notation or chord labels helps learners connect what they hear to a visual system. For video, show the chord names and a small keyboard or fretboard graphic along with the audio.

What instruments work best

Piano and guitar are the most transparent for demonstrating intervals and chords. Clean electric piano or nylon guitar works well. Use a clear bass line when demonstrating progressions. Avoid heavy processing that hides pitch content.

Action plan you can use today

1. Pick one theory concept you care about and write a one sentence core promise that explains the idea in plain language.
2. Make a two chord loop that demonstrates the idea in the simplest way possible.
3. Sing on vowels for two minutes to find a melodic gesture that wants to repeat. Mark the best one.
4. Write a four line chorus that says the concept with one small metaphor and the technical term once.
5. Record a rough demo and make a 15 second vertical video highlighting the hook with on screen chord labels.
6. Share with one teacher and one friend who is not a musician. Ask both what they remembered after one play.