A deep dive into a decade of melody and hook-writing techniques
behind one of the most prolific hitmakers of all time, Max Martin.
From Britney to Ariana, Justin T to Justin B and beyond, Max Martin has crafted countless chart-topping hits for A-list artists for over two decades.
Using the Hit Songs Deconstructed methodology to analyze over 50 of Max Martin’s Top 10 hits going back to 2010, this masterclass takes a deep dive into Martin’s most effective techniques for hooking the listener in, leaving them wanting more, MAXimizing the chorus, and much more.
Throughout the masterclass, we cover an array of topics, including:
- Melodic math and K.I.S.S. ME melodies (Keep It Simple, Singable and Memorable)
- An array of intro and outro techniques to hook the listener in and leave them wanting more
- Strategic hook creation and placement
- Hook foreshadowing and creative reinforcement (knowing the chorus before you hear it)
- Chorus melody writing and arrangement
- And much more!
This masterclass will provide you with unique insight into how his songwriting has evolved from 2010 to today and you'll come away with an array of tools and techniques that you can use to make your own music more infectious and engaging.
Songwriters, producers, and A&R/Music Industry Professionals who have the goal of being involved in today’s mainstream music scene.
A solid foundation in the basic craft of songwriting and music theory is highly recommended.
Max Martin's Hot 100 Top 10 hits from 2010 - 2022
Hit Songs Deconstructed masterclasses feature a combination of audio examples, graphs, charts, commentary, and, in some cases, Logic Pro sessions to illustrate principles and techniques.
Active listening exercises are at the core our masterclasses, so make sure you watch the masterclass with high quality audio/headphones.
- The video recording of the live 3 hour masterclass
- The PDF of the masterclass presentation deck
You will have unlimited access to the video and masterclass materials.
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A superbly organized and heavily detailed study of all things Max.
Andy Karp
Partner, Artist Haven
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Provides a lot of in-depth analysis, which is very valuable. Will definitely gear your mindset for top hits.
Sandy Chen
Songwriter, Warner Chappell Music
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I was blown away by the Max Martin Hits masterclass. So thorough and insightful - a great blend of theory and art.
Amy Sky
Recording Artist/Songwriter/Producer
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Very valuable and thought-provoking, with lots of interesting detail and charting!
Donna Wintergreen
Lyricist
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Both the teachers and the course materials were excellent, providing invaluable insights into the methods of the world's greatest commercial songwriter.
Steve Leslie
Songwriter/Producer
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Great masterclass with a lot of in-depth information that's very relevant for the modern songwriter! David Penn knows how the present and makes it accesible and understandable for everyone.
Tjeerd
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A very professional and very educational masterclass, I recommend it !
Remz
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David Penn's research is evidence-based, not just guesswork.
Tamara Eileen Galloway
Songwriter
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Enjoyed this class --received cutting edge insights, deep analyses presented and explained succinctly. Highly recommend.
Peter Addei
Music Creator
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Enjoyed this class --received cutting edge insights, deep analyses presented and explained succinctly. Highly recommend.
Peter Addei
Music Creator
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Delved in much deeper into melodic math than I anticipated. The breakdowns of Max Martin’s songs were very detailed and helped to highlight what makes his songs tick and why his songs stick in your mind. The course material was presented excellently and the presenter was always happy to answer any questions. Overall, excellent.
Jules Lai
Songwriter
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Huge thanks to David Penn and the HSD team for an outstanding workshop. The quality of the analysis, the slides, David's clear explanations and the Q&A were truly exceptional. Looking forward to going through the slides in detail in my own time, and applying this to my own work! Cheers!
David DLH
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I absolutely loved it! Lots of information, but very well organized and engaging.
Ignacio Caro
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It opened my mind to a more structured approach to the melody writing part of my own songs. The analysis are deep and logical.
Paolo Nanni
Masterclass Case Studies Include:
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Great webinar that unlocks the mystery of what makes a song unforgettable!
TheodoreJAM
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Max Martin Hits Deconstructed was amazing. I spent my Saturday learning about and listening to one of the best producers (in my opinion) music and dissecting what makes it so great. The analysis was really deep and it got me thinking about song structure and form in a new way. I'm listening to songs with different more informed ears now. I highly recommend investing in learning more about how the best in the biz do what they do.
Dana Carmel
Singer/Songwriter
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I'm just amazed at the microanalysis of it all! I love it. It helped me visually see patterns, that felt concrete & actionable, rather than me just "feeling" some pattern abstractly that I don't quite understand, and then feeling chaotic about what I'm doing as a new songwriter.
Gina
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Many artists, songwriters and producers by chance have had a hit song. There are a plethora of tools and techniques that contribute to a song being a hit. You will understand them all with Hit Songs Deconstructed and empower yourself with the knowledge to write songs intended to chart with more intent and less chance.
Lyburn Geldenhuis
A&R/Producer/Songwriter/Mixing Engineer
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The masterclass is packed with nuggets of quality information for any level. The progressive breakdown of topics from song overviews, to song sections, stanzas, hooks, and melody were easy-to-follow and the media examples clearly demonstrated each topic. David Penn is the Max Martin of hit-song analysis.
Jon Bellona
Career Faculty in Audio Production, University of Oregon
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"The class deconstructed, and highlighted things I knew, but wasn't certain or sure about.
It has fine tuned, and quickened my song writing process,
and I know its going to hike my chances of success."
Deena Ade
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This workshop was extremely valuable and provided a lot of insight. I feel it has condensed into a few hours what would have been years of researching and discovery on my own. Highly recommended and will definitely stay up-to-date about future workshops!
John Michael Kawooya
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The amount of information about the real world of songwriting and what’s under the surface of the iceberg is truly revealed discussed in detail and much more. And YOU…are part of it.
Denny James Martin
Musician/Songwriter
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Today, I took the Max Martin Hits Deconstructed Masterclass, led by David Penn. It was so informative and well laid out. It covered every aspect of how Martins numerous hits are put together. As a longtime songwriter, I learned some new things and some valuable tips and tricks. I highly recommend any of the Hits Deconstructed Masterclasses.
Gerald O'Brien
Producer/Songwriter/Composer
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I highly recommend the Hit Song Deconstructed Max Martin masterclass. As a huge fan of this amazing songwriter, it was both very instructive and fascinating! The topics were very well chosen, the class spanned a wide range of key song characteristics, it was detailed, clear and explained very clearly. These analyses are clever and high level, they should be extremely useful to any (aspiring) songwriter or music enthusiast! Thank you!
Sabine
@maxmartinmusic Instagram fan page
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Well organized, highly focused and David and team really know they stuff. Part reminder for me, part new information, this was well worth the time and cost. As it relates to other music instructional courses/programs this ranks at the top in terms of laying out the goals of the course and really being full of "meat" and well structured. Not a bit of time wasting or going off on tangents. Thank you.