This course is a brief introduction to the elements of music theory for those with little or no music theory experience. We will explore pitch, rhythm, meter, notation, scales, keys, key signatures, meter signatures, triads, seventh chords, and basic harmony. If you listen to music or play music by ear, and you want to know more about how music is organized and notated, this course is for you.
By the end of the course, you should know all major and minor keys, how to read and write in treble and bass clef using standard meters and rhythmic values, and how to notate and harmonize a simple melody. This course can serve as a stand-alone basic music theory course, or it can be a springboard to more advanced theory and composition courses.
Your instructor is Bruce Taggart, Associate Professor of Music Theory at Michigan State University, in the College of Music, where he has taught undergraduate and graduate music theory since 1996.
Getting Started With Music Theory
Offered By
Michigan State University
Syllabus - What you will learn from this course
Week
1Basic Materials: Overview, Tonality, Notation
Learning Outcomes: By the end of this module, you should be able to: (1) discuss the elements of music, (2) explain the difference between tonal and atonal music, (3) sing the tonic in tonal music, (4) identify the fundamental and partials of a note, (5) explain the difference between chord and harmony, (6) explain the five-line staff, (7) read and write notes using treble and bass clefs, and (8) identify rhythmic values in notation. You should be able to (9) distinguish between pitch and pitch class, (10) describe octaves and how to label pitches based on octave placement, (11) identify and write accidentals and find them on the piano keyboard, (12) and define equal temperament (the artificial scale used on the modern piano) and tell how it differs from other tuning systems.
9 videos (Total 58 min), 1 reading, 4 quizzes
9 videos
Tonality and Atonality6m
Harmonic Function9m
Harmonic Hierarchy4m
Acoustics8m
Notation I: Pitch8m
Notation II: Rhythmic Notation6m
Notation III: Measures and Measure Numbers3m
Notation IV: Notation In Action7m
1 reading
Notation Reading10m
4 practice exercises
Tonality and Acoustics Practice Quiz6m
Tonality, Harmony, Acoustics30m
Notation Practice Quiz8m
Pitch and Rhythm Notation32m
Week
2Scales, Keys, and Intervals
Learning Outcomes: By the end of this module, you should be able to (1) describe the diatonic set and understand how it is used to create major and minor scales, (2) sing major and minor using solfeggio (solfege) syllables, (3) explain the difference between natural, harmonic, and melodic minor, (4) spell major and minor scales starting on any note using accidentals in treble and bass clef, and (5) spell parallel and relative major and minor scales. You should also be able to (6) identify and spell by size and quality diatonic intervals (within a key) and chromatic intervals (outside a key).
12 videos (Total 81 min), 3 readings, 4 quizzes
12 videos
Major Scales7m
Key Signatures6m
Sharp Key Signatures4m
Flat Key Signatures And The Circle of Fifths4m
Minor Scales7m
Relative Minor6m
Forms Of Minor Scales9m
Generic Intervals6m
Interval Quality and Diatonic Intervals6m
More Diatonic Intervals7m
Chromatic Intervals and Inversion5m
3 readings
More On Minor10m
Key Signature Practice10m
More On Intervals10m
4 practice exercises
Diatonic Set, Major, Minor: Practice Quiz18m
Diatonic Set, Major, Minor44m
Intervals Practice Quiz14m
Intervals Quiz40m
Week
3Rhythm and Meter
Learning Outcomes: By the end of this module, you should be able to (1) read and write all possible rhythmic values, including dotted notes and ties, (2) understand how many notes fit within a measure in various meters, (3) determine meter signatures based on note grouping, and note grouping based on meter signatures, (4) define the types of musical accent and how they create a sense of meter, (5) distinguish between duple and triple meters in notation and by sound, and (6) describe and identify metrical syncopation. You should be able to (7) write melodies on the treble, bass, and grand staves using correct meter signatures, note values, rhythmic grouping, stem direction and beaming, and key signatures and accidentals,
6 videos (Total 50 min), 2 readings, 2 quizzes
6 videos
Rhythm and Meter II: Subdivisions of the Beat7m
Meter III: Simple and Compound Meters9m
Metric Notation In Practice9m
Metric Notation: Tuplets6m
Syncopation9m
2 readings
More About Meter and Meter Signatures10m
More On Tuplets10m
2 practice exercises
Rhythm and Meter30m
Meter, Tuplets, Syncopation30m
Week
4Chords, Triads, and Harmony
Learning Outcomes: By the end of this module, you should be able to (1) identify and spell major, minor, diminished, and augmented triads in root position and inversions, and (2) identify and spell major, minor, dominant, half-diminished, and fully diminished seventh chords in root position and inversions. You should also be able to (3) use Roman numeral labels to identify diatonic triads within a key, (4) write triads within a key when given Roman numerals, and (5) spell chords when given pop/jazz chord symbols.
8 videos (Total 56 min), 3 readings, 3 quizzes
8 videos
Triads3m
Triads II: Inversions6m
Triads III: Quality8m
Seventh Chords7m
Qualities of Seventh Chords4m
Fully Diminished Seventh Chords9m
Chord Symbols7m
Roman Numeral Notation8m
3 readings
More on Triads10m
More On Seventh Chords10m
7th Chords In Jazz10m
3 practice exercises
Triads30m
Seventh Chords30m
Labeling Chords30m
4.5
38 ReviewsTop Reviews
By DP•May 7th 2017
A great course to understand Music in a technical way. Has not just helped me understand the concepts but also has inspired me to learn an instrument and apply the concepts.
By JJ•Feb 16th 2017
Great Course, Already Told My Friend About It, I Learned So Much In So Little Time.
Instructor
Bruce Taggart
Associate ProfessorCollege of Music
About Michigan State University
Michigan State University has been advancing the common good with uncommon will for more than 150 years.
One of the top research universities in the world, MSU pushes the boundaries of discovery and forges enduring partnerships to solve the most pressing global challenges while providing life-changing opportunities to a diverse and inclusive academic community through more than 200 programs of study in 17 degree-granting colleges.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Once you enroll for a Certificate, you’ll have access to all videos, quizzes, and programming assignments (if applicable). Peer review assignments can only be submitted and reviewed once your session has begun. If you choose to explore the course without purchasing, you may not be able to access certain assignments.
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