WHAT IS MELODIC MATH?
​

Picture
Melodic math has been central to my perception of how hitmaking works. Through my work on my music theory PhD and of course my Top40 Theory journey, it's been a lens through which I view a lot of the concepts and techniques I've learned over the past decade. 
Contrary to popular belief, melodic math is (mostly) not about mathematical equations. It's a theory of how music and psychology intersect in the brains (and bodies) of the listeners. And this theory is grounded in reality, as evidenced by the fact that the person who conceived it, Max Martin, has been making hit after hit since the previous century without being phased by shifts in trends and culture.
Applications for the course that starts 4/28 are now closed. You can still fill out the application form below to be considered for a future iteration of the course.

Who is the course for?


This course is for exceptionally talented aspiring or active hitmakers who want to take their craft to the next level and improve their songs' 'batting average'.
​

What does it include?


This includes 8 live Zoom seminars and a dedicated Facebook group for workshopping and feedback from me and from your peers. PREMIUM tier enrollees also receive 3 one-on-one sessions with me and priority feedback. You will learn numerous hitmaking concepts and use them to write melodies, hooks, and complete songs. 

When does it start?


Thursday, April 28, 2022. at 1:00pm EST
NOTE: Applications are now closed. You can still fill out the application form to be considered for the next iteration of the course.

Do I need to know music theory to enroll?


Formal music theory training or the ability to read sheet music is NOT necessary to enroll and succeed in this course, though it helps to have a basic understanding of scales and chords. However, you will need to be have songwriting experience and be familiar with basic song structure.
​

CURRICULUM OVERVIEW
​

FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES OF MELODIC MATH

  • Achieve visceral connection with the listener and keep them engaged throughout the song
  • Tap into the listener's subconscious brain rather than impress the conscious brain
  • Create the illusion that the listener already knows the song on first listen
  • Make the listener sing along and move to the music as soon as possible

HOOKS

  • Melodic principles
  • Hooking functions (stickiness, interest, tension & release, etc.)
  • Hook types and the hooking functions they fulfill
  • Creating infectious hooks
  • Intertwining multiple hooks
  • Using space 

MELODY RECYCLING TECHNIQUES

  • Using the same melodies and refrains in different sections and contexts
  • Limiting the number of unique melodies in a song to increase the impact of each melody
  • Juxtaposing melodies

MELODIC PREVIEWS

  • Standard previews
  • Prince Theory
  • Hidden fragments
  • Pseudo-previews

STRUCTURE

  • Large scale structure: building a song’s sonic arc
  • Medium scale structure: section-to-section
  • ​Flow between sections
  • Small scale structure: in-section melodic structure
  • Substructure: phrase and hook structure

REPETITION

  • Understanding types of repetition and the soft-hard repetition spectrum
  • Combining repetition and variation
  • ‘Humanizing’ the repetition

CONTRASTS

  • Pitch contrasts
  • Rhythmic contrasts
  • Phrasing contrasts
  • Metric position contrasts

HARMONY AND TONALITY

  • Ambiguity or fluidity between relative major & minor
  • Minimally functional chord progressions
  • Emphasis on final notes of phrases

/

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
​Asaf Peres' Top40 Theory is a treasure trove of insights into how pop music is made and how it works. Peres has a way of breaking down the complexities of great songs and revealing the patterns and techniques underlying them. His class is sure to be overflowing with useful tools and guiding concepts for aspiring songwriters. 

Dan Wilson, Grammy nominations and wins with Semisonic, Adele, Taylor Swift, and The Chicks. Co-writer of recent singles by Leon Bridges, Mitski, Alec Benjamin, and many others.
​
​
​ 

/

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5

/

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
Top40 Theory has helped me take a technical look at why I like the things that I like and it allows me to apply it to what I do. 

Charles “Chizzy” Stephens III, Multi-Platinum producer/songwriter. Jlo, Justin Bieber, Chris Brown, DJ Snake, Gashi, Sevyn, A$AP Ferg, The-Dream, Travis Scott, NCT127, Got7 & more

​
​

/

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5

/

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
Asaf is the leading expert on how to use music theory at the micro level to craft memorable hooks, and at the macro level to compose hit songs.

Charlie Harding, co-host of the Switched On Pop podcast and co-author of the book Switched On Pop: How Popular Music Works, and Why it Matters



​
​

/

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5

/

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
In a field too often stuck in the distant past, Dr. Peres's work is a breath of fresh air, engaging with the music of today on its own terms in order to understand how pop music actually works.

12Tone (Cory Arnold), music theorist and creator/host of massively popular music theory YouTube channel


​ ​

/

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5

/

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
Engaging with Top 40 Theory and the generous nature of Asaf’s work has not only made me a better writer, but a better teacher… catalyzing exponential impact across the next generation of writers, artists, and producers. Bottom line? The future of songwriting is brighter because of Asaf Peres’s work.

Leena Regan, Billboard-charting songwriter, co-founder of Songbird Society, independent artist, and songwriting curricula author and former independent artist and vocal instructor at Musicians Institute in Hollywood, California.



​ ​

/

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5

/

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
Asaf has taught me wonderful new techniques to set up a song idea and helped express my vision while guiding structure for my writing.

Viktoria Liv, artist, producer, songwriter 

/

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5

/

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
​Asaf's tangible examples and in-depth breakdowns of well-known songs make it very easy for me to internalize the tools and tricks of the songwriting greats, and utilize them to improve my own writing and producing. 

Dre The Monarch, Multi-Platinum songwriter/producer. Meek Mill, Nicki Minaj, Kelly Clarkson, Justin Bieber, DJ Khaled, Rita Ora, and others

​


​

/

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5

/

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
When I was in college, my friends and I used to listen to hit songs over and over, trying to analyze what exactly made a hit record. Top40 Theory has taken this approach and perfected it. I read every single post and I've learned a good amount.

Lindgren, Platinum songwriter/producer. Dua Lipa, BTS, Halsey, Sia, TWICE, and others 


​ 

/

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5

/

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
Asaf has insights for days on what makes pop music tick, and Charlie and I have consulted with him countless times for our podcast Switched on Pop. His perspectives have changed the way we think about pop music.

Nate Sloan, co-host of the Switched On Pop podcast, co-author of the book Switched On Pop: How Popular Music Works, and Why it Matters, and Assistant Professor of Musicology at University of Southern California

​
​

/

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5

/

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
It’s difficult to overstate the importance of Asaf’s work, both in his dissertation and in the Top40 Theory blog. His work has enlightened all of us about what we were missing by only thinking about sectional boundaries in terms of harmony instead of timbre and texture.

Brad Osborn, Associate Professor of Music Theory, The University of Kansas and author of the book Everything in its Right Place: Analyzing Radiohead

​
​

/

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5

/

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
Asaf breaks down melodies and arrangements in an accessible way, even when your theory knowledge is limited. I find myself thinking about songwriting differently every time he puts something new out!


Jason Boule, songwriter/producer
​https://www.jasonboule.com/

/

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5

FAQ
​

How can I tell whether I’m a good candidate for this course?

This course is primarily intended for high-level professional songwriters who have the ability to use the knowledge they gain in this course to catapult them to a new level. If you do not fit that description but you have the talent and experience that you believe would make you a good fit, you are welcome to apply, and we will figure it out together.
When does it start?

Thursday, April 28, 2022, 1:00pm EST
Do I need to know music theory to enroll?
​
No, but it helps to have a basic knowledge of chords and scales. The vast majority of the concepts I will teach do not require any knowledge of ‘traditional’ music theory, but there will be a couple of modules in which it will help to know basic chord structure and be familiar with scale degrees. 
What if I can't make the Zoom calls due to a scheduling conflict?
​
Time zones and studio schedules can be tricky! But don’t worry… Recordings of the all Zoom sessions will be made available to you, in case you are unable to make the live training time.
How much does the course cost?
​
This course has two tiers of enrollment:
  • PREMIUM -  $1,990
  • STANDARD - $1,250

PREMIUM enrollment includes three 1-hour one-on-one sessions to workshop the melodies, hooks, and songs they will write in this course, in addition to the eight 75-minute live seminars. Premium members also get priority during the Q&A portion of the seminars, as well as priority for personal feedback from me in the dedicated Facebook group.

STANDARD enrollment includes the live seminars and dedicated Facebook group, but does not include one-on one calls. Although Standard members do not get priority feedback, they will still get plenty of opportunities to receive feedback from me and from their peers in the Facebook group as long as they stay active and post regularly.


Applications for the course that starts 4/28 are now closed. You can still fill out the application form below to be considered for a future iteration of the course.

/

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
Asaf’s content has been invaluable to me over the years, he’s helped me progress as a songwriter/composer with everything from song breakdowns to insights on creative processes, you won’t find this level of knowledge anywhere else!​

Joe Ogle, AKA Jogle, artist, producer, sound engineer               https://www.joglemusic.com/​


​​
​ 

/

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5

/

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
Top40 Theory has single handedly taught me more than a year of music school. Just gotta make sure you apply the stuff you learn.

Lex Vino, producer, engineer      https://www.lexvino.com/



​​

/

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5

/

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
Dr. Asaf’s insight into pop songwriting is like no other that I’m aware of. He is able to identify some of the most powerful and ubiquitous techniques in modern pop in a way that are actually relevant to the modern songwriter.

Sam J. Harris (AKA Elaborate Productions), Producer, guitarist, and guitar teacher


​​​

/

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5

/

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
I love the depth of the song analysis made by top40 theory. I'm a better songwriter now.


Stefano Cece, songwriter and producer
https://stefanocece.it/



​ ​

/

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5

/

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
Top40 Theory is the best at combining solid music theory concepts while keeping a fresh and practical perspective on today’s music. Regardless if you are a beginner or an expert, you will always learn something new.

Max Heumann, producer, composer, mixer. Credits include Claudia Lively’s “solo a mi” from the movie Chavalas.             https://maxheumann.com/

​

/

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5

/

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
Top40 Theory is the best resource for latest pop music songwriting and melody writing techniques. Your song analyses are always on point and I learn something new every time. A lot of online pop music resources don’t go into the fine details of melody writing, while your content breaks down the techniques into tools I can instantly apply to my own songs and productions.

Victor Grey, Pop songwriter and producer 
https://victor-grey.com/​


​

/

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5

/

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
Asaf is a beast. Since the first time I got his help on a project, his perspective has felt like a secret weapon. Although he obviously knows so much about music theory, his feedback is always tangible and easily digestible thanks to real world examples from current chart-topping songs. He has been hugely influential in the development of my songwriting, production, and overall artistry and I hope to continue working with him for many years.


Jon Clifton, songwriter/producer

​ 

​ 

/

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5

/

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
Asaf is the most knowledgeable person I know when it comes to pop music theory. His work is innovative, scientific, and very potent.

Ethan Levy

​
​

/

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5

/

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
It’s unbelievably helpful that you are willing (and able!) to recognize the effectiveness of a pop music melody to communicate an emotion to the listener and put it into diagrams or put notes on to sheet music. I also love that you create new terms for techniques that are being used in songwriting but (at least to my knowledge) hasn’t been given a name yet.


Howie Haugland, songwriter/producer


​
​

/

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5

/

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
Last week I had my first cut as a songwriter, and it was with a song where I consciously tried to apply the tools I find in your posts.

Yago Ibars, songwritter

/

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5