Musicianship: Chord Charts, Diatonic Chords, and Minor Keys

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Musicianship: Chord Charts, Diatonic Chords, and Minor Keys

This course is part of Developing Your Musicianship Specialization

Instructor: George W. Russell, Jr.

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4 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

553 reviews

Intermediate level

Recommended experience

Flexible schedule

1 week at 10 hours a week

Learn at your own pace

98%

Most learners liked this course

4 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

553 reviews

Intermediate level

Recommended experience

Flexible schedule

1 week at 10 hours a week

Learn at your own pace

98%

Most learners liked this course

What you'll learn

Aurally identify minor intervals and 7th chords
Explain the relationship between a Major key and its related minor
Practice playing and writing in the keys of F Major, D minor, G Major, D minor scales
Write a chord chart

Skills you'll gain

Details to know

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Assessments

8 assignments¹

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Taught in English

91% of learners achieved a positive career outcome

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This course is part of the Developing Your Musicianship Specialization

When you enroll in this course, you'll also be enrolled in this Specialization.

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Gain a foundational understanding of a subject or tool
Develop job-relevant skills with hands-on projects
Earn a shareable career certificate

There are 4 modules in this course

After a tremendous response from learners on Coursera, Berklee Online has created a Developing Your Musicianship specialization, and this course is the second course in the series. If you have a basic knowledge of music theory or if you have completed Developing Your Musicianship I, this course will continue to help you understand key musical concepts, enabling you to create and perform contemporary music. Taught by Berklee College of Music professor George W. Russell, Jr., the course includes four lessons that delve into the next level of harmony and ear training.

The course will introduce you to new key signatures, including minor tonalities, and how they are constructed. You will train your ear to hear minor intervals and 7th chords. You will learn how to build 7th chords, and how to build common chord progressions. You will also learn the major pentatonic scale and how to construct melodies using this scale. The course culminates with an assignment that asks you to compose and perform an 8-measure composition using popular chord progressions and the Major pentatonic scale. Just like Developing Your Musicianship I, the course is designed to impart the joy of creating music and sharing it with others.

Welcome to Musicianship: Chord Charts, Diatonic Chords, and Minor Keys (also known as Developing Your Musicianship II)! Here we will cover all the details about the course and what you'll need to know to get the most out of your course experience. Then, we will spend a little time reviewing the material from Developing Your Musicianship I. We will learn about the Key of F Major and its related minor key, D minor. We will also practice training our ears to hear minor 2nd and 3rd intervals and major and minor 7th chords.

What's included

6 videos4 readings2 assignments1 peer review1 discussion prompt

6 videosTotal 37 minutes

Welcome!4 minutes
Review from Developing Your Musicianship I13 minutes
F Major and D minor6 minutes
Intervals and Chords - Part 17 minutes
Module1 Ear Training Practice6 minutes
Write and Practice in the Key of F Major and D minor3 minutes

4 readingsTotal 32 minutes

Course Resources10 minutes
Earn A Course Certificate7 minutes
Connect with Your Classmates5 minutes
Module 1 Study Guide10 minutes

2 assignmentsTotal 40 minutes

Module 1 Quiz30 minutes
Self-Assessment: Project 110 minutes

1 peer reviewTotal 60 minutes

Project 1: Write in the Key of F Major and D minor60 minutes

1 discussion promptTotal 7 minutes

Meet and Greet7 minutes

In this module, we will explore diatonic 7th chords in the key of G major and F major. We will learn four new popular chord progression using diatonic triads. We will continue to train our ears, reviewing the intervals and chords from the previous module while adding minor 6th and 7th intervals and the dominant 7th chord.

What's included

6 videos2 readings2 assignments1 peer review1 discussion prompt

6 videosTotal 33 minutes

Review of Module 13 minutes
Diatonic Triads and 7th Chords in F Major5 minutes
Popular Chord Progressions Using Diatonic Triads7 minutes
Intervals and Chords - Part 28 minutes
Module 2 Ear Training Practice7 minutes
Write and Practice the Popular Progressions3 minutes

2 readingsTotal 35 minutes

Lesson 2 Study Guide30 minutes
Sign up for the full experience!5 minutes

2 assignmentsTotal 45 minutes

Module 2 Quiz30 minutes
Self-Assessment: Project 215 minutes

1 peer reviewTotal 60 minutes

Project 2: Write the Popular Progressions60 minutes

1 discussion promptTotal 10 minutes

Popular Progressions10 minutes

In this module, we will learn about the key of G major. We will play with the popular chord progressions from the last lesson by adding the 7th. We will continue to train our ears, reviewing the intervals and chords from the previous two modules while adding the tritone and the half diminished (or the minor 7 flat 5) chord.

What's included

6 videos2 readings2 assignments1 peer review

6 videosTotal 31 minutes

Review from Module 26 minutes
The Key of G6 minutes
Popular Chord Progressions in the Key of G Using 7th Chords3 minutes
Intervals and Chords - Part 36 minutes
Module 3 Ear Training Practice7 minutes
Write and Practice in the Key of G Major and E minor3 minutes

2 readingsTotal 20 minutes

Module 3 Study Guide10 minutes
Preview of Project 410 minutes

2 assignmentsTotal 50 minutes

Module 3 Quiz30 minutes
Self-Assessment: Project 320 minutes

1 peer reviewTotal 60 minutes

Project 3: Write in the Key of G Major and E minor60 minutes

In this final module, we will explore the major pentatonic scale. We will also learn how to write a chord chart using the popular chord progressions from this course. We will continue to train our ears, reviewing all of the intervals and chords from the course.

What's included

7 videos3 readings2 assignments1 peer review

7 videosTotal 34 minutes

Review from Module 35 minutes
The Major Pentatonic Scale8 minutes
Chord Charts7 minutes
Module 4 Ear Training Practice10 minutes
Compose an 8-Measure Song2 minutes
Giving and Receiving Feedback2 minutes
Congratulations!1 minute

3 readingsTotal 25 minutes

Module 4 Study Guide10 minutes
How to Record Yourself for Project 4 10 minutes
Advancing Your Knowledge and Skill5 minutes

2 assignmentsTotal 40 minutes

Module 4 Quiz30 minutes
Self-Assessment: Project 410 minutes

1 peer reviewTotal 60 minutes

Project 4: Compose An 8-Measure Song60 minutes

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Instructor

Instructor ratings

(72 ratings)

Top Instructor

George W. Russell, Jr.

Berklee

10 Courses166,459 learners

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Berklee

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Reviewed on Aug 31, 2020

Excellent class taught by an engaging and knowledgeable teacher. The Berklee classes are the best music classes I have found on Coursera.

Reviewed on Dec 31, 2017

complicated music theory easy to understand and really enhancing your musicality. thanks again, prof. russel, for your dedication, fun and clear explanations.

Reviewed on Jul 7, 2020

This is a helpful, top class programme. Do it at a flexible pace. The instructor is excellent and the assignments make sense. I learn about chord progressions, chord charts, and F and G major scales.

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Frequently asked questions

To access the course materials, assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience when you enroll in a course. 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.

When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile.

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.