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Bruce Taggart

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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.

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Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

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Beginner Level

Approx. 13 hours to complete

English

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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.

Beginner Level

Approx. 13 hours to complete

English

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

Try Coursera for Business

Instructor

Instructor rating

4.66/5 (183 Ratings)

Bruce Taggart

Offered by

Michigan State University

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

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Syllabus - What you will learn from this course

Content Rating92%(5,903 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

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

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

Week

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

Reviews

4.5

257 reviews

5 stars
69.36%
4 stars
19.14%
3 stars
4.11%
2 stars
3.40%
1 star
3.97%

TOP REVIEWS FROM GETTING STARTED WITH MUSIC THEORY

by DPMay 6, 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 DROct 12, 2020

Scales up quickly; difficulty peaking at the last lecture. Very demanding, but, in the end, very rewarding. (NOTE: Course material (ie terminology, etc) is culture bound to the US vice UK.)

by TNMay 23, 2020

Thank you so much! This course is amazing, it gives you so many information about basics of music theory and foundation for further learning.

by SMar 30, 2021

The course content is excellent and is even good for intermediate students. The Instructor is very clear and lively. I learnt lots of things. Thank you, it was amazing.

View all reviews

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. 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.

More questions? Visit the Learner Help Center.

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Getting Started With Music Theory

Getting Started With Music Theory

About this Course