Ethan Hein
@ethanhein.bsky.social
I teach music and write about it http://www.ethanhein.com/
Pinned
The two-chord shuttle
A foundational building block of funk
open.substack.com
New on the pod, my favorite groove-oriented harmonic structure open.substack.com/pub/ethanhei...
Today in theory class we are doing the added-note chords: 6, add2, add9, bla bla bla. I think pop theory students should learn the cowboy chords on guitar because then all these chords make a lot more sense. How did George Harrison ever learn about add2 chords? Oh, he just lifted up his finger.
January 27, 2026 at 2:04 PM
Today in theory class we are doing the added-note chords: 6, add2, add9, bla bla bla. I think pop theory students should learn the cowboy chords on guitar because then all these chords make a lot more sense. How did George Harrison ever learn about add2 chords? Oh, he just lifted up his finger.
New on the pod, my favorite groove-oriented harmonic structure open.substack.com/pub/ethanhei...
The two-chord shuttle
A foundational building block of funk
open.substack.com
January 27, 2026 at 1:51 PM
New on the pod, my favorite groove-oriented harmonic structure open.substack.com/pub/ethanhei...
Reposted by Ethan Hein
The starving crocodiles that have been released onto this ship full of children need better training, proper monitoring, and also must cease any unnecessary eating NOW. No children on the lido deck or 1st class should EVER be consumed. That's why I'm voting an additional $44B for crocodiles.
January 27, 2026 at 11:28 AM
The starving crocodiles that have been released onto this ship full of children need better training, proper monitoring, and also must cease any unnecessary eating NOW. No children on the lido deck or 1st class should EVER be consumed. That's why I'm voting an additional $44B for crocodiles.
Real
I had a dream that every day was January 6. Like literally the calendar was all 6’s
January 27, 2026 at 11:46 AM
Real
Reposted by Ethan Hein
Reposted by Ethan Hein
[watching through military binoculars as orange slices are handed out to kids between halves at pee wee soccer]
This is PROFESSIONAL grade logistics. Look at the matching uniforms. Look at the coordination. Someone is BANKROLLING this operation.
[retreats using a series of elaborate rolls]
This is PROFESSIONAL grade logistics. Look at the matching uniforms. Look at the coordination. Someone is BANKROLLING this operation.
[retreats using a series of elaborate rolls]
January 26, 2026 at 7:14 PM
[watching through military binoculars as orange slices are handed out to kids between halves at pee wee soccer]
This is PROFESSIONAL grade logistics. Look at the matching uniforms. Look at the coordination. Someone is BANKROLLING this operation.
[retreats using a series of elaborate rolls]
This is PROFESSIONAL grade logistics. Look at the matching uniforms. Look at the coordination. Someone is BANKROLLING this operation.
[retreats using a series of elaborate rolls]
Reposted by Ethan Hein
Great. Everything is so fucked that somehow I agree with Greenwald.
He nails it here, though.
He nails it here, though.
January 26, 2026 at 6:21 PM
Great. Everything is so fucked that somehow I agree with Greenwald.
He nails it here, though.
He nails it here, though.
After a couple years of teaching theory and aural skills, I am wondering why these are two different classes
January 26, 2026 at 6:57 PM
After a couple years of teaching theory and aural skills, I am wondering why these are two different classes
Reposted by Ethan Hein
In additions to playing on *all* the riddims, Sly Dunbar played THE riddim
...a unique reggae-fied and Afro-Cubanized reinterpretation of a bhangra pattern commonly known as Bam Bam/Murder She Wrote
youtu.be/JOrTILY6YT0?...
...a unique reggae-fied and Afro-Cubanized reinterpretation of a bhangra pattern commonly known as Bam Bam/Murder She Wrote
youtu.be/JOrTILY6YT0?...
The Taxi Gang – Santa Barbara
YouTube video by jaramillo507
youtu.be
January 26, 2026 at 5:36 PM
In additions to playing on *all* the riddims, Sly Dunbar played THE riddim
...a unique reggae-fied and Afro-Cubanized reinterpretation of a bhangra pattern commonly known as Bam Bam/Murder She Wrote
youtu.be/JOrTILY6YT0?...
...a unique reggae-fied and Afro-Cubanized reinterpretation of a bhangra pattern commonly known as Bam Bam/Murder She Wrote
youtu.be/JOrTILY6YT0?...
Reposted by Ethan Hein
if i had spent my journalistic career doing PR for fascism and criticizing the left as 'unrealistic' then had a change of heart when the fascism became too overt to continue excusing, I would simply accept all criticism as my due, not snivel like a little baby about how unfair everyone is being
January 26, 2026 at 2:27 PM
if i had spent my journalistic career doing PR for fascism and criticizing the left as 'unrealistic' then had a change of heart when the fascism became too overt to continue excusing, I would simply accept all criticism as my due, not snivel like a little baby about how unfair everyone is being
I enjoy Industry, but it can be a lot, like, a lot a lot
January 26, 2026 at 2:31 PM
I enjoy Industry, but it can be a lot, like, a lot a lot
Reposted by Ethan Hein
The political press very clearly understands “truth” as a social agreement, a compromise position between everyone important enough to have an opinion. It did not reflect on how this would allow dedicated liars to go all-in on lies again and again and dramatically shift the position.
my emerging theory is that the political press literally does not believe in objective reality in any meaningful sense. there is only what A says and what B says and how that affects the horse race
January 26, 2026 at 1:31 PM
The political press very clearly understands “truth” as a social agreement, a compromise position between everyone important enough to have an opinion. It did not reflect on how this would allow dedicated liars to go all-in on lies again and again and dramatically shift the position.
Reposted by Ethan Hein
I do think that a possibly underrated dynamic in The Horrors is that the Right as it has reconstituted itself under Trump legitimately can’t understand sincere moral or physical courage
January 26, 2026 at 2:13 AM
I do think that a possibly underrated dynamic in The Horrors is that the Right as it has reconstituted itself under Trump legitimately can’t understand sincere moral or physical courage
Reposted by Ethan Hein
I will never forget saying that Rittenhouse’s valorization was a sign that white men had been deputized in precisely this way. I believe it got me almost banned on Twitter. Anyway.
Some of the reason I just cannot these days is I feel like I already did.
Some of the reason I just cannot these days is I feel like I already did.
Another way to think of ICE right now is as the institutionalization of the Kyle Rittenhouse model of vigilantism under the state's authority.
Escalation and aggressive violence is clearly intentional.
But it's also cooked into the sociological model of how this force has been mobilized.
🧵
Escalation and aggressive violence is clearly intentional.
But it's also cooked into the sociological model of how this force has been mobilized.
🧵
January 25, 2026 at 9:52 PM
I will never forget saying that Rittenhouse’s valorization was a sign that white men had been deputized in precisely this way. I believe it got me almost banned on Twitter. Anyway.
Some of the reason I just cannot these days is I feel like I already did.
Some of the reason I just cannot these days is I feel like I already did.
Reposted by Ethan Hein
hey folks, six figure opinion columnist here and gotta say, made a big ol’ whoopsie on the most consequential and honestly, probably the most obvious opinion of my life. thats my bad. anyway, guess I’ll just keep getting paid to give my opinion, thanks for reading
January 25, 2026 at 9:12 PM
hey folks, six figure opinion columnist here and gotta say, made a big ol’ whoopsie on the most consequential and honestly, probably the most obvious opinion of my life. thats my bad. anyway, guess I’ll just keep getting paid to give my opinion, thanks for reading
Weather report from my neighborhood: "This is hectic. I don't fuck with this shit for real. I'm a palm tree baby."
January 25, 2026 at 10:01 PM
Weather report from my neighborhood: "This is hectic. I don't fuck with this shit for real. I'm a palm tree baby."
So, is there a MRS Tambourine Man?
January 25, 2026 at 7:03 PM
So, is there a MRS Tambourine Man?
Reposted by Ethan Hein
All the anti-war and anti-occupation protestors were right. All the far leftists were right. All the “woke scolds” and your friend who’s “too woke” were right. They were somehow even more right than they may have realized at the time. But really, it was always obvious they were right.
January 25, 2026 at 4:59 PM
All the anti-war and anti-occupation protestors were right. All the far leftists were right. All the “woke scolds” and your friend who’s “too woke” were right. They were somehow even more right than they may have realized at the time. But really, it was always obvious they were right.
Reposted by Ethan Hein
This is by far more effective at conveying what the government does than simply standing at a press conference surrounded by emergency personnel.
We're getting a snowstorm tomorrow. But New York City is prepared.
January 25, 2026 at 6:13 PM
This is by far more effective at conveying what the government does than simply standing at a press conference surrounded by emergency personnel.
Sometimes Wenatchee the Hatchet writes these long, thoughtful responses to my blog posts, and this is a good one: wenatcheethehatchet.blogspot.com/2026/01/etha...
Ethan Hein on jazz as an outgrowth of pop; Dylan's Tambourine Man; and a comment on how the music of The Rolling Stones feels like it has aged like milk (I have theories about the actually pretty good...
I have been overdue to catch up on a links for the weekend type of post. I have been reading Ethan Hein’s blog, of course, as I regularly ...
wenatcheethehatchet.blogspot.com
January 25, 2026 at 5:00 PM
Sometimes Wenatchee the Hatchet writes these long, thoughtful responses to my blog posts, and this is a good one: wenatcheethehatchet.blogspot.com/2026/01/etha...
Reposted by Ethan Hein
Since you may be stuck inside due to the blizzard, today would be a good day to call your senators & tell them how pissed off you are
The Senate Switch Board Number is: (202)224-3121.
We are calling our senators right now and demanding that they vote no on the omnibus with DHS funding
We are explicitly mentioning ICE’s murder in cold blood of a man on the streets of Minneapolis this morning
We are explicitly mentioning ICE’s murder in cold blood of a man on the streets of Minneapolis this morning
January 25, 2026 at 1:23 PM
Since you may be stuck inside due to the blizzard, today would be a good day to call your senators & tell them how pissed off you are
Reposted by Ethan Hein
"For goodness’ sake, Democrats: Bill Kristol is in favor of ICE abolition. Can you really not get there?"
January 25, 2026 at 1:22 PM
"For goodness’ sake, Democrats: Bill Kristol is in favor of ICE abolition. Can you really not get there?"
Reposted by Ethan Hein
JUST IN: Lawyers file declaration in federal court from first-hand witness to immigration agents' shooting of a US citizen onlookers today. Minneapolis Mayor Frey said details would be used to bolster case for ousting ICE from city. Doc: www.documentcloud.org/documents/26...
TincherSealedWitnessDec012426.PDF
www.documentcloud.org
January 25, 2026 at 1:03 AM
JUST IN: Lawyers file declaration in federal court from first-hand witness to immigration agents' shooting of a US citizen onlookers today. Minneapolis Mayor Frey said details would be used to bolster case for ousting ICE from city. Doc: www.documentcloud.org/documents/26...
"When I Think Of You" by Janet Jackson is a pretty interesting tune. It's basically I-V in A major over and over, but it's Amaj9 and E7sus4, so it's effectively E/A alternating with A/E. It's real Ionian mode rather than major.
January 25, 2026 at 12:16 AM
"When I Think Of You" by Janet Jackson is a pretty interesting tune. It's basically I-V in A major over and over, but it's Amaj9 and E7sus4, so it's effectively E/A alternating with A/E. It's real Ionian mode rather than major.