Author: brendanbondurant
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What is an API? A plain-language guide
The content explains APIs, emphasizing their role in seamless software communication without human intervention. It details the key components: request, endpoint, response, status code, key, and rate limit. Understanding these elements helps non-developers diagnose integration issues effectively, improving communication during troubleshooting and vendor interactions.
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Modal Notes
The distinction between modes like G major and A Dorian lies in a singular modal note, which defines their sound. Each mode differs from its parent scale by one specific note that gives it identity. To achieve a modal feel in music, prominently using this note in compositions is essential for conveying the mode’s unique…
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Why your LLM bill exploded overnight (and how to regain control)
LLM bills spike overnight from retry storms, agent loops, and prompt bloat, not steady usage. Learn the guardrails: retry budgets, token caps, cost-aware routing, and unit-metric alerts, all enforced at one boundary.
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Learn the Difference Between 3/4 and 6/8 Time
The article explains the differences between 3/4 and 6/8 time signatures, emphasizing the importance of listening to the accents. While both can be written similarly, the placement of accents distinguishes them. Exercises using a metronome are suggested to internalize their distinct feels. The concept of hemiola is introduced, showcasing its presence in various musical styles.
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RAG Cost Optimization
The article discusses how costs associated with Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) systems can spiral due to fragmented control and local decision-making in AI workflows. It emphasizes the need for a centralized control layer to manage resource allocation, caching, retrieval depth, and model calls, ultimately aiming to reduce unpredictability in AI spending.
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The Blues Scale is a Compromise
The generic guitar lesson on the “blues scale” goes something like this: take the minor pentatonic, add a passing tone between the 4 and 5, and you’ve got the blues scale. This is also referred to as the minor blues scale. A C D (D# / Eb) E G That’s a good starting point, and…
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Three Minor Scales, One Minor Key
Natural, harmonic, and melodic minor aren’t three separate scales. They’re three solutions to the same problem.
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The Dominant Seventh Wants to Go Somewhere
Guitarists learn the dominant 7th as a chord shape. It’s actually an engine.
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CAGED Is a Starting Point
The CAGED system is a useful way to organize the fretboard. The mistake is treating it like music theory.
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Voice Leading on Guitar
Guitarists learn chord shapes. Pianists learn how notes move between chords. This gap explains more than you’d think.