About this Course

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This course is about how music works. It is about the relationship between the technical and aesthetic details of music. It is also about how developing a meaningful theoretical vocabulary can help you think and talk about musical style, and how learning that vocabulary can expand your appreciation for music.
In this course you will learn music theory not by looking at theory itself, but by listening to, looking at, and—yes!—writing your own musical examples. By hearing, seeing, and writing yourself, you will learn about classical, modern, ancient, pop, jazz, and folk styles.

Through lectures, relevant examples, and numerous practice assignments, we will examine fundamental aspects of melody. We will move into working with two voices and counterpoint, and finally to three voices and the beginnings of harmonic function.

This is an intermediate-level course for musicians and composers who already have some understanding of music theory through previous study. If you are a musician or composer looking to build a deeper understanding of music theory for composing, performing, or improvisation, you have come to the right place. If you are an amateur lover of music or, perhaps, play a musical instrument and want to develop a deeper sense of appreciation for music theory, aesthetics, and history, you are also in the right place!

Flexible deadlines

Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Coursera Labs

Includes hands on learning projects.

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Intermediate Level

I recommended you have a basic knowledge of music notation prior to starting this course. Specific details are provided in the first week.

Approx. 22 hours to complete

English

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What you will learn

Analyze the relationship between the technical details and aesthetics of music.
Explore how culture, psychology, physics, formal context, and a sense of play all shape musical language.
Discover ways in which music theory may be relevant to enjoying, communicating a love for, and performing music.
Demonstrate confidence in the kind of musical self-analysis that can help you develop your own musical ideas.

Skills you will gain

Music
Classical Music
Jazz
Music composition
Music theory

Flexible deadlines

Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Coursera Labs

Includes hands on learning projects.

Learn more about Coursera Labs

Intermediate Level

I recommended you have a basic knowledge of music notation prior to starting this course. Specific details are provided in the first week.

Approx. 22 hours to complete

English

Could your company benefit from training employees on in-demand skills?

Try Coursera for Business

Instructor

Instructor rating

4.96/5 (64 Ratings)

Marc Lowenstein
Top Instructor

Roy E. Disney Family Chair in Musical Composition

Musical Arts / Experimental Pop, School of Music

41,818 Learners

1 Course

Syllabus - What you will learn from this course

Content Rating98%(4,179 ratings)

Week1

Week 1

14 minutes to complete

Course Overview

14 minutes to complete

1 video (Total 1 min), 9 readings

5 hours to complete

Melodic Structures: Lines, Shapes, and Simple Modes

5 hours to complete

16 videos (Total 93 min), 11 readings, 7 quizzes

16 videos

Let's Talk About Music4mThe Richness of Simplicity, part 15mThe Richness of Simplicity, part 25mContext and Discrete Function4mNeighbor Notes and Passing Tones4mContext Gives Notes Function1mCadences9mHow to Grade: Write a Gregorian Chant10mAn Utterly Different Aesthetic, part 13mAn Utterly Different Aesthetic, part 23mLeaps vs. Steps4mChromaticism: Outside Notes3mThe Next Chromatic Note1mSequence4mHow to Grade: Write a Slow Jazz Song11mHow to Grade: Write a Folk Song13m

11 readings

Week 1 Glossary & Playlist1mOptional Practice: Medieval Notation3mOptional Practice: Modern Notation3mOptional Practice: MIDI Notation3mSome Lessons Learned2mOptional Practice: Antiphon10mOptional Practice: Improvise a Melody10mOptional Practice: A Little Musical Idea5mSome More Lessons Learned2mTalking About Folk Music3mExamples of Folk Music3m

4 practice exercises

Reinforce Your Knowledge: Remember New Terms5mSee it then Hear it: Over the Rainbow (Required)14mHear it then See it: White Christmas (Required)12mSee it then Hear it: The Riddle Song (Required - Honors)14m

Week2

Week 2

7 hours to complete

Melodic Structures: Simplicity, Repetition, and Change

7 hours to complete

17 videos (Total 140 min), 8 readings, 9 quizzes

17 videos

Complex Simplicity: Repetition and Expectation2mRepetition8mHow to Grade: Write Like a Classical Composer15mLess is More: Chopin9mLess is More: Ives5mSome Lessons Learned3mBrahms Rhapsody12mSchoenberg's Piano Concerto5mSingle Ladies / It's a Small World / Your own personal nightmare earworm2mThree Expansive Tunes3mHow to Grade: Write Like a Romantic Composer16mHow to Grade: Write like an Early 20th Century Composer13mHow to Grade: Write an Earworm7mBoulez, Selon Pli7mJohn Cage's Atlas Eclipticalis4mHow to Grade: Write Like a Mid- to Late 20th Century Composer17mHow to Grade: Write Like a Wombat2m

8 readings

Week 2 Glossary & Playlist1mSome Lessons Learned2mListen First: Chopin, Withers, Ives6mLess is More: Withers10mOptional Practice: I Want You10mOptional Practice: One Note Samba5mOptional Practice: Musica Ricerata10mListen First: Brahms & Schoenberg12m

3 practice exercises

See it then Hear it: Diaphonic Suite #1 (Required)30mHear it then See it: Mon coeur s'ouvre a ta voix (Required)14mSee it then Hear it: 1- (Required - Honors)12m

Week3

Week 3

5 hours to complete

Combining Pitches: Consonance and Dissonance

5 hours to complete

17 videos (Total 136 min), 4 readings, 6 quizzes

17 videos

Introduction to Consonance and Dissonance4mThe Physics Of It All6mThe Culture & Context You Swim In10mThe Functional Relationship10mA Three-Minute History of Medieval Music12mA bit more about medieval music—and meter2mIntroduction to 'The Rules'8mA Simple Explanation of Counterpoint, part 18mA Simple Explanation of Counterpoint, part 26mAdding Dissonance18mHow to Grade: Counterpoint, Part One: A&B7mHow to Grade: Counterpoint, Part Two: C&D7mJosquin in two voices, part 15mJosquin in two voices, part 28mCreatively Breaking Rules7mBreaking the Rules In Order To Make New Rules in Order to Figure Out What Rules Are6mHow to Grade: Counterpoint, Part Three: E&F4m

4 readings

Week 3 Glossary & Playlist2mOptional Practice: Meter5mOptional Practice: An informal analysis of Josquin10mOptional Practice: Two Beautiful Pieces15m

3 practice exercises

Physical Consonance (Required)5mSee it then Hear it: Broken Rules (Required)12mHear it then See it: Broken Rules (Required)10m

Week4

Week 4

5 hours to complete

Cadences and Basic Harmonic Function

5 hours to complete

18 videos (Total 108 min), 3 readings, 4 quizzes

18 videos

More Than Two Voices at a Time: The Beginnings of Harmony6mDemonstration: 3-part voice leading11mCadences, part 18mCadences, part 23mMelodic Aspect to Cadences5mTonal Function6mMore about the Leading Tone: A diversion into Rock and Country3mRock/Pop vs. Country3mGetting back to Tonal Function: Subdominant5mSome simple examples10mSubdominant Feelz6mRecap of Harmonic Function5mAll Triads in a Key4mMozart Piano Concerto, Part 18mMozart Piano Concerto, Part 27mMozart Piano Concerto, Part 36mHow to Grade: Complete the Cadences (Final Assignment)3mConclusion1m

3 readings

Week 4 Glossary & Playlist2mListen to Haydn and Pärt15mListen First: Stairway to Heaven & Coal Miner's Daughter10m

2 practice exercises

See it Then Hear it: Piano Sonata #1 (Required)18mHear it and See it: Dove Sono (Required)15m

Reviews

4.7

82 reviews

5 stars
82.39%
4 stars
11.97%
3 stars
2.81%
2 stars
0.70%
1 star
2.11%

TOP REVIEWS FROM APPROACHING MUSIC THEORY: MELODIC FORMS AND SIMPLE HARMONY

by PGMar 12, 2021

Excellent, challenging course which opens your eyes and ears to many genres of music. Wonderfully presented with humour and concise descriptive explanation. Thank you

by JDJun 18, 2020

I can't overemphasize how good this course is. It's extremely well thought out. Thank you so much for making this available to a broader public!

by JPSep 9, 2019

Completely different approach of teaching music theory. Even if you already studied music theory it is worth to take this course. It really goes deeply into our music recognition and creation process.

by SSNov 20, 2020

Excellent course. Thank you so much. Looking out for another one please!!!

View all reviews

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Is financial aid available?
Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.

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Approaching Music Theory: Melodic Forms and Simple Harmony