About this course: This course will introduce students to the theory of music, providing them with the skills needed to read and write Western music notation, as well as to understand, analyse, and listen informedly. It will cover material such as pitches and scales, intervals, clefs, rhythm, form, meter, phrases and cadences, and basic harmony. This course covers the fundamentals of Western music theory, from the absolute basics to some more advanced concepts and, as such, is the perfect course for beginners and more experienced musicians alike. Follow us on twitter @musictheorymooc #edmusictheory
Created by: 爱丁堡大学
Taught by: Dr Michael Edwards
Reid School of Music, ECA
Taught by: Dr Zack Moir, Teaching Fellow
Reid School of Music, Edinburgh College of Art
Taught by: Richard Worth
Edinburgh College of Art
Taught by: Dr Nikki Moran
Reid School of Music, ECA
Taught by: Dr John Philip Kitchen, MA BMus PhD FRCO LRAM
Reid School of Music
| Level | Beginner |
| Language | English |
| How To Pass | Pass all graded assignments to complete the course. |
| User Ratings |
Syllabus
WEEK 1
Pitches, Scales, Modes and Chords
6 videos, 6 readings
- Reading: Meet the Team
- Video: Musical Notes
- Reading: Musical Notes
- Video: Octaves
- Reading: Octaves
- Video: More on Scales
- Reading: More on Scales
- Video: Introduction to Chords
- Reading: Introduction to Chords
- Video: Primary Chords
- Reading: Primary Chords
Graded: Lecture One
WEEK 2
Keys, Minor Scales, Intervals and Clefs
6 videos, 5 readings
- Video: Sharps & Flats
- Reading: Sharps and Flats
- Video: Keys and Key Signatures
- Reading: Keys and Key Signatures
- Video: Minor Keys
- Reading: Minor Keys
- Video: Intervals
- Reading: Intervals
- Video: Ledger Lines and Clefs
- Reading: Ledger Lines and Clefs
Graded: Lecture Two
WEEK 3
Rhythm and Form
7 videos, 6 readings
- Video: Rhythmic Duration
- Reading: Rhythmic Duration
- Video: Tuplets
- Reading: Tuplets
- Video: Ties & Dots
- Reading: Ties and Dots
- Video: Meter
- Reading: Meter
- Video: Anacrusis, Phrases and Structure
- Reading: Anacrusis, Phrases, and Structure
- Video: Form
- Reading: Form
Graded: Lecture Three
WEEK 4
Harmony 1: Functional Harmony
6 videos, 5 readings
- Video: Listening
- Reading: Listening to Triads and Hearing the Key Note
- Video: Elaborating
- Reading: Elaborating
- Video: Building
- Reading: Building Triads
- Video: Harmonising
- Reading: Harmonising
- Video: Summary
- Reading: Summary
Graded: Lecture Four
WEEK 5
Harmony 2: Inversions, Cadences and Sequences
7 videos, 5 readings
- Video: Chord Inversions
- Reading: Chord Inversions
- Video: Cadence
- Reading: Cadence
- Video: Chord Names
- Reading: Chord Names
- Video: Common
- Reading: Common Chord Progressions
- Video: Modulation
- Video: Modulations II
- Reading: Modulation
Graded: Five
WEEK 6
Final Exam
1 reading
- Reading: Final Exam *** INSTRUCTIONS and link to music ***
Graded: Final Exam (Part 1)
Graded: Final Exam (Part 2)
FAQs
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Coursework
Each course is like an interactive textbook, featuring pre-recorded videos, quizzes and projects.
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Creators
爱丁堡大学
Influencing the world since 1583, The University of Edinburgh is consistently ranked as one of the world's top 50 universities. Today, we are an established and global leader in online learning, providing degree-level education to 3,000 online students in addition to 36,000 students on-campus. We also offer a wide range of free online courses in a variety of subjects. To find out more about studying for one of our online degrees, search for ‘Edinburgh online’ or visit www.ed.ac.uk
Ratings and Reviews
Excellent!
Great course, great instructors. Thanks
Good and interesting
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EE
The best course one can wish for in Music Theory. Very convenient, clear, includes examples and exercises during the lessons, and a sheet of summary in the end of each lesson, as well. The instructors are very lovely and clear. Things are explained in a way that even as an absolute beginner you can follow. I had a slight knowledge before, but I wanted to refresh and continue from where I stopped. This course allowed me to do it in a very short time, without skipping anything, and without feeling I am "missing the train". The order in which the material is given is also thought of.
Everything in this course is considered, thought of, and given a big value.
One can get the course for free or pay (very cheap compared to its high level) to get the certificate of completing it. There's only one thing that you need to keep in mind, in the non-paid (free) option, the materials cannot be viewed backwards after completing the section/week (only the first week remains available). So when I completed week #2, quickly, and passed the test, then proceeded to week #3, I couldn't go back to week #2 to view some things I wanted to re-read for deeper understanding.
Thank you very much for the free content you give, for the beautiful way it is given. All the instructors are great. I am very grateful. I have completed 2.5 weeks in a matter of few days only, and I am very excited to continue. It made me reconsider buying the course to get the certificate, and have the whole material for further access. After this course, I am more sure and determined about my decision to pursue my dream and learn music.