Explore music-theory introductions for notation, rhythm, scales, intervals, and harmony, with advice on connecting written examples to listening and playing.
10 learning resources in this collection
Music theory provides language for describing musical relationships. Notation and terminology become more useful when connected to sound. A first course should help you hear, describe, and test an idea rather than only remember its name.
Choose an introduction if written music or harmonic vocabulary is unfamiliar. Sing, play, or listen to examples alongside the lesson. Expect repeated practice; recognizing a relationship on paper does not automatically make it recognizable by ear.
Describe a short melody's rhythm and pitch movement, then compare your explanation with what you hear. Change one feature and notice the effect.
Coursera · California Institute of the Arts — Marc Lowenstein
CalArts connects melodic shape, repetition, consonance and cadences with listening and writing exercises in intermediate music theory.
Coursera · Berklee — George W. Russell, Jr.
Apply Berklee’s musicianship sequence by composing a 36-measure piece, developing A and B sections, harmony and a complete melody.
Coursera · University of Edinburgh
An introduction to notation, rhythm, scales, intervals, harmony, and the vocabulary used to describe and understand music.
Coursera · Michigan State University — Bruce Taggart
Michigan State introduces pitch, notation, scales, intervals, rhythm, meter and basic harmony for learners with little music theory experience.
Coursera · Berklee — Gary Burton
Gary Burton introduces jazz improvisation through melodic vocabulary, real-time scale choices, harmony and theme-and-variation exercises.
Coursera · Berklee — George W. Russell, Jr.
Learn chord charts, diatonic seventh chords, minor keys and pentatonic scales in the second course of Berklee’s musicianship sequence.
Coursera · Berklee — George W. Russell, Jr.
Berklee develops harmonic function, chord tensions, modal interchange and suspended chords for musicians with an existing theory foundation.
Udemy · J. Anthony Allen
J. Anthony Allen introduces notation, rhythm, scales, keys and harmony in a combined music-theory course with practice worksheets.
Udemy · Shervin House
Study notation, rhythm, scales, intervals, chords and cadences with Shervin House’s beginner music-theory course for different instruments.
Coursera · Berklee — Scarlet Keys
Scarlet Keys develops songwriting through expressive chords, harmonic rhythm, melody and the relationship between music and lyrical storytelling.