Getting Started With Music Theory

Michigan State University

About this Course

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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.

Learner Career Outcomes

14%

got a tangible career benefit from this course

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Flexible deadlines

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Beginner Level

Approx. 13 hours to complete

English

Subtitles: English, Spanish

Instructor

Instructor rating

4.7/5 (113 Ratings)

Bruce Taggart

Associate Professor

College of Music

78,232 Learners

1 Course

Learner Career Outcomes

14%

got a tangible career benefit from this course

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Flexible deadlines

Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.

Beginner Level

Approx. 13 hours to complete

English

Subtitles: English, Spanish

Offered by

Michigan State University

Michigan State University has been advancing the common good with uncommon will for more than 150 years.

Syllabus - What you will learn from this course

Content Rating92%(4,882 ratings)

Week

Week 1

3 hours to complete

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.

3 hours to complete

9 videos (Total 58 min), 1 reading, 4 quizzes

9 videos

Course Overview2m

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 Quiz30m

Tonality, Harmony, Acoustics30m

Notation Practice Quiz30m

Pitch and Rhythm Notation30m

Week

Week 2

4 hours to complete

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).

4 hours to complete

12 videos (Total 81 min), 3 readings, 4 quizzes

12 videos

Half Steps, Whole Steps, and the Diatonic Set7m

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

Week 3

2 hours to complete

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,

2 hours to complete

6 videos (Total 50 min), 2 readings, 2 quizzes

6 videos

Accents and Meter Beats8m

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

Week 4

3 hours to complete

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.

3 hours to complete

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

Frequently Asked Questions

When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?
Access to lectures and assignments depends on your type of enrollment. If you take a course in audit mode, you will be able to see most course materials for free. To access graded assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience, during or after your audit. If you don't see the audit option:
The course may not offer an audit option. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid.
The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.
What will I get if I purchase the Certificate?
When you purchase a Certificate you get access to all course materials, including graded assignments. Upon completing the course, your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free.
Is financial aid available?
Yes, Coursera provides financial aid to learners who cannot afford the fee. Apply for it by clicking on the Financial Aid link beneath the "Enroll" button on the left. You’ll be prompted to complete an application and will be notified if you are approved. Learn more.
Will I earn university credit for completing the Course?
This Course doesn't carry university credit, but some universities may choose to accept Course Certificates for credit. Check with your institution to learn more. Online Degrees and Mastertrack™ Certificates on Coursera provide the opportunity to earn university credit.

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Getting Started With Music Theory