About this course: 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.
Created by: Michigan State University
Taught by: Bruce Taggart, Associate Professor
College of Music
| Level | Beginner |
| Commitment | 4 weeks of study, 2-3 hours/week |
| Language | English |
| How To Pass | Pass all graded assignments to complete the course. |
| User Ratings |
Syllabus
WEEK 1
Basic 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, 1 reading, 2 practice quizzes
- Video: Tonality and Atonality
- Video: Harmonic Function
- Video: Harmonic Hierarchy
- Video: Acoustics
- Cuestionario de práctica: Tonality and Acoustics Practice Quiz
- Cuadro de aviso de la discusión: Why Music? What Music? My Music.
- Video: Notation I: Pitch
- Video: Notation II: Rhythmic Notation
- Video: Notation III: Measures and Measure Numbers
- Video: Notation IV: Notation In Action
- Cuestionario de práctica: Notation Practice Quiz
- Cuadro de aviso de la discusión: Music Notation and Me
- Leyendo: Notation Reading
Graded: Tonality, Harmony, Acoustics
Graded: Pitch and Rhythm Notation
WEEK 2
Scales, 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, 3 readings, 2 practice quizzes
- Video: Major Scales
- Video: Key Signatures
- Video: Sharp Key Signatures
- Video: Flat Key Signatures And The Circle of Fifths
- Video: Minor Scales
- Video: Relative Minor
- Video: Forms Of Minor Scales
- Leyendo: More On Minor
- Leyendo: Key Signature Practice
- Cuestionario de práctica: Diatonic Set, Major, Minor: Practice Quiz
- Cuadro de aviso de la discusión: Sad Minor?
- Video: Generic Intervals
- Video: Interval Quality and Diatonic Intervals
- Video: More Diatonic Intervals
- Video: Chromatic Intervals and Inversion
- Leyendo: More On Intervals
- Cuestionario de práctica: Intervals Practice Quiz
- Cuadro de aviso de la discusión: My Favorite Intervals!
Graded: Diatonic Set, Major, Minor
Graded: Intervals Quiz
WEEK 3
Rhythm 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, 2 readings
- Video: Rhythm and Meter II: Subdivisions of the Beat
- Video: Meter III: Simple and Compound Meters
- Leyendo: More About Meter and Meter Signatures
- Cuadro de aviso de la discusión: Fascinating Rhythm
- Video: Metric Notation In Practice
- Video: Metric Notation: Tuplets
- Leyendo: More On Tuplets
- Video: Syncopation
Graded: Rhythm and Meter
Graded: Meter, Tuplets, Syncopation
WEEK 4
Chords, 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, 3 readings, 1 practice quiz
- Video: Triads II: Inversions
- Video: Triads III: Quality
- Leyendo: More on Triads
- Cuestionario de práctica: Triads
- Cuadro de aviso de la discusión: When Is A Chord Not A Chord?
- Video: Seventh Chords
- Video: Qualities of Seventh Chords
- Video: Fully Diminished Seventh Chords
- Leyendo: More On Seventh Chords
- Leyendo: 7th Chords In Jazz
- Video: Chord Symbols
- Video: Roman Numeral Notation
- Cuadro de aviso de la discusión: What Now?
Graded: Seventh Chords
Graded: Labeling Chords
FAQs
How It Works
Trabajo del curso
Cada curso es como un libro de texto interactivo, con videos pregrabados, cuestionarios y proyectos.
Ayuda de tus compañeros
Conéctate con miles de estudiantes y debate ideas y materiales del curso, y obtén ayuda para dominar los conceptos.
Certificados
Obtén reconocimiento oficial por tu trabajo y comparte tu éxito con amigos, compañeros y empleadores.
Creators
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.
Pricing
| Purchase Course | |
|---|---|
| Access to course materials | Available |
| Access to graded materials | Available |
| Receive a final grade | Available |
| Earn a shareable Course Certificate | Available |
Ratings and Reviews
I'm learning so much!!
A really good course. Too bad I am not good at it.
Very instructional and clear. Great teacher!
Coursera provides universal access to the world’s best education,
partnering with top universities and organizations to offer courses online.
© 2018 Coursera Inc. All rights reserved.
Hy
TQ