The Music Theory Behind Billie Eilish’s Emotional Songs

The chords in Billie Eilish & FINNEAS' "Halley's Comet" are gorgeous -- and baffling! Let's peek under the hood: the minor 6 (flat sixth) & half step motions that make the chord progressions so emotionally subtle, complex, & satisfying.

This is more than "music theory" or "harmonic analysis": it's a practical mental model to connect your emotional creativity to concrete musical chords.

I came up with all the concepts & insights from this video with Michelle McGhee, who's co-producing this entire series with me.

[mattconrad]

This channel is such a diamond in the rough!

[jessejamesjjr]

I LOVE this! What's funny is that I've had someone with a PhD in Music, tell me they don't understand how I play. HAH! Well this is exactly how I express my emotions through my playing! Pulling in that Minor (and sometimes even dropping it an octave lower at an unexpected moment when it doesn't even fit) then back to a Major and half steps to resolve. It's crazy but its an eargasm and I do this all by ear without reading or playing by notes. Mad props to Finneas, he is a genius. Loved your breakdown of the science behind BE's emotionally beautiful haunting song. Well done!!! Have you also observed/tried the Coldplay technique? Its chord over chord and that's the flip side of the emotional Billie Eilish. It's so much fun. :)

[VirtualDreamers]

Stunning production quality! Leaving my comment here in before you get huge!

[mhare]

I LOVE this!!! Right at my level and learning so much every time I watch!

[brettjosh]

Your videos are amazingly well done, I look forward to future videos and watching your channel grow😀

[enmarynava]

this video broke my heart in a loving way, it transmits me so much.

[Nivedithak]

i think where we don't have that what billie has is due to putting music in a box of what it should be and what is right. Music is an emotion felt just like humans, we don't feel just happy when we are with our loved ones. We feel happy, we feel content, we feel calm, we feel love, we feel loved, we feel connected and other combinations of this at the same time. Music should be just that, we are now learning how to translate human emotions to something we can hear as music. Billie Eilish music is just what it is. perfect in describing raw human emotions that is without any curtains.

[animeargonaut]

Just found your channel today through the Johnny Harris video, i's fantastic and I'm looking forward to the future videos!

[broatski]

God tier channel, SEVERELY underrated. Good job 👍

[xjmdm]

my mans just went ahead and jumped strait to the million sub standards

[somilgupta]

That’s crazy. Thank you for posting such an helpful, intelligent, and entertaining video. 😊

[FenerNaPatot]

You deserve much more views! Thank you this video 🙏

[Flutterbyby]

LOL fun way to share your knowledge of music with humour. As Im quite good at coming across channels which are going to blow up, I suspect yours is going to as you continue this channel.

[Cloudsurfer]

this video is beautiful - i am staggered by your musical literacy. you say things i feel haha :D

[KuklusKlanas]

great video, great knowledge, don't stop making content!

[Bobobbs]

This was excellent! You alluded to this, but raags play with these ideas a lot. It would be cool if you could compare the two.

[valeryruiz]

Great video! hope u can use ur abilities for other videos, love the one about Johnny harris, keep it going!

[jimmcdougle]

Niggling difference, but it’s not so much Billie doing this, it’s her brother doing it. The two of them together is what makes her songs so amazing

[davidmendoza]

Look into harmonic dualism and you will find your answer

[muller-hb]

how do you have such detailed knowledge of so different topics. Do you just stumble across something, research for a month and make a video about it until you deep dive into something completely different?