Build your Music Theory Skills

OUIE, LOUIE, Phantom of the Opera and a Tribute to Henry Mancini are my main memories from Music classes in High School. We did briefly venture into Music Theory – I remember Bohemian Rhapsody employed as an example of different forms of music.

Part of me worries that everyone reading this already understands triads, secondary dominants and passing notes. Nevertheless, if anyone has felt their music background to be rather shaky, here is a free online course that can shore up your erratically collected knowledge and help you move ahead in leaps and bounds.

Fundamentals of Music Theory is a course created by teachers from the Reid School of Music, University of Edinburgh. It is hosted by Cousera, a website with many courses from educational institutes around the world.

The course itself could be taken with no prior knowledge. Reading music is very quickly described, but it quickly moves on. Someone without the ability to read music could struggle to get up to speed that quickly.

There are references to other websites for further practise, but I found taking notes with paper and pencil to be the most effective way to consolidate the new information. And playing around on the piano.

Although not aimed at Sacred or even Classical Music, the course shows how the same rules of harmony underpin all music. Now I feel better equipped to read Mr Ostrowski’s articles here about the relative merits of different harmonizations of hymns and organ accompaniments.

New enrollment periods start every few weeks. Share with your musical friends whose enthusiasm exceeds their theoretical foundations: Fundamentals of Music Theory.