Music Theory 101

Pitch. Rhythm. Scales. Intervals. Chords. Harmony. If you're serious about music, these are

fundamental concepts you need to understand and master. Music Theory 101 will set you on your

way. After more than 40 years at Berklee, Professor Emeritus Paul Schmeling has helped countless

students build a solid base of musical knowledge. And he'll do the same for you, supported by class

discussions, interactive tools, and personalized feedback that will help you put these theories into

practice every day. Join our community of beginning learners for an engaging, hands-on music

theory course where you'll read, write, and truly hear the elements of music like never before.

Enroll today!

By the end of this course, you will:

• Read and write musical notation

• Play notes on a piano keyboard

• Use scales, intervals, and chords

• Write a melody

Syllabus

Lesson 1: Rhythm Part I

•Pulse

•Meter
 •Notes

•Rhythmic Notation Activities

Lesson 2: Rhythm Part II

•Eighth Notes

•Beaming, Dots, and Ties

•Rhythmic Notation Tips

•Rhythmic Dictation Activity

•Rhythmic Notation Activity

Lesson 3: Pitch Notation

•ABCs of Pitch Notation

•Treble Clef Notes

•Bass Clef Notes

•Grand Staff

•Octaves

•Accidentals: Sharps, Flats, and Naturals

•Enharmonics

Lesson 4: Major Scales

•Half Steps and Whole Steps

•Chromatic Scales

•Whole Tone Scales

•Major Scales

•Other Major Scales

•Key Signatures
 •Scales and Key Signatures

Lesson 5: Minor Scales

•The Minor Scale Sound

•The Relative Major/Minor Relationship

•Parallel Minor

•Harmonic Minor

•Melodic Minor

•The Descending Melodic Minor Scale

•The Real Melodic Minor Scale

•Minor Scale Key Signatures

Lesson 6: Intervals

•Interval Number Names

•Interval Sound

•Unison

•Perfect and Major Intervals

•Major vs. Minor Intervals

•Perfect/Major vs. Diminished

•Perfect/Major vs. Augmented

•Compound Intervals

Lesson 7: Chords I: Triads

•Major Triads

•Minor Triads

•Diminished and Augmented Triads

 •Chord Symbols

Lesson 8: Triad Inversions

•Triad Inversions

•Bass/Chord Theory

•Voice Leading

•Parallel and Contrary Motion

Lesson 9: Chords II: Basic Seventh Chords

•The Major Seventh Chord

•The Dominant Seventh Chord

•The Minor Seventh Chord

•The Minor 7

•The Diminished Seventh Chord

•Chord Symbols and Review

Lesson 10: Inversions and Voice: Leading of Seventh Chords

•Inversions of Basic Seventh Chords

•Positions of Basic Seventh Chords

•Voice Leading Seventh Chords

•Voice Leading: Two Ways

Lesson 11: Using the Lead Sheet

•Harmonizing the Melody

•Creating Harmonic Accompaniments

•Voice Doublings
 •Increasing Activity in the Bass

Lesson 12: Melody Writing

•Making Melodic Connections

•Repeating Phrases

•Sequences
Music Theory 201: Harmony and Function

Continuing on from the concepts presented in Music Theory 101, this music theory course will further

develop your background in music theory and provide you with the foundational knowledge you'll need to

be a more effective writer and player. 

You'll master the fundamental concepts of rhythm and harmony—and learn more complex chords,

progressions, and rhythms that will open up your understanding of the elements that together contribute to

put the groove in jazz, pop, blues, and rock. You'll study topics including rhythmic anticipations and

related notation issues; articulation markings; diatonic triads and seventh chords in both major and

harmonic minor; harmonic function; the II V I chord progression; some additional chord types; melodic

and harmonic tension; and the blues form and style. You'll understand why chords move from one to

another the way they do; and learn to better analyze and write harmonic progressions and different

rhythmic styles. Through ear training exercises, musical examples, and personalized feedback from your

instructor, you'll be able to analyze, read, write, and listen more effectively as well as understand the

fundamental knowledge essential to the beginning studies of harmony.

By the end of this course, you will:

• Understand rhythmic anticipation and articulations

• Understand diatonic triads and seventh chords in major and harmonic minor

• Understand the II V I chord progression

• Understand the melodic and harmonic use of tensions

• Understand the blues form and style

Lesson 1: The Imaginary Bar Line

•The Imaginary Bar Line

•Note Values Smaller than the Half Note

•Rest Values and the Imaginary Bar Line

Lesson 2: Diatonic Triads and Seventh Chords in Major

•The Construction of Diatonic Triads

•Diatonic Seventh Chords

Lesson 3: The Harmonic Function of Diatonic Chords

•The Terms Tonic, Subdominant, and Dominant

•Harmonic Cadences

•The IImin7 V7 IMaj7 Progression

Lesson 4: Additional Chord Types

•Two Additional Dominant 7 Chords

•Two Additional Major Chords

•Two Additional Minor Chords

Lesson 5: Harmonic Function and Voice Leading of Additional Chord Types

•The Major and Minor 6th Chords

•The Minor and Augmented Major 7th Chords

•The Augmented 7th and Dominant 7(sus4)

Lesson 6: Diatonic Chords in Harmonic Minor

•Diatonic Chords in Harmonic Minor

•Diatonic Function in Harmonic Minor

 •The II V7 I Progression in Minor

Lesson 7: The Upper Structures of Harmony/Tensions

•The Theory of Tensions

•Altered Tensions

•The Melodic Use of Tensions

Lesson 8: The Harmonic Use of Tensions

•Substituting the 9th for the Root

•Substituting the 13th for the 5th

•Using Altered Tensions

•Using the 11th

Lesson 9: The Rhythmic Anticipation and Articulations

•The Rhythmic Anticipation

•Short Durational Value Anticipations

•Articulation Markings

Lesson 10: Simple Binary Song Form

•Examples of Simple Binary Form

•Other Types of Variation and Contrast

Lesson 11: The Blues Form and Style

•The Blues Form

•The Blues Style and Its Effect on Harmony

•The Blues Style and Its Effect on Melody

Lesson 12: A Closer Look at the Dominant Seventh Chord

•Voice Leading Dominant Seventh Chords with Tensions

•Stripping the Dominant Seventh Chord down to the Basics

•Adding a Third Voice to the Dominant Seventh Chord

Music Theory 301: Advanced Melody,
Harmony, Rhythm
Establish a toolkit of musical expertise that will prepare you for any musical endeavor or

opportunity. This advanced music theory course provides you with a professional command of the

mechanics of contemporary music. 

You'll learn to write effective jazz, pop, and rock-influenced pentatonic and modal melodies as well as

master anticipations and articulations that will give your music the necessary sound and "character" to fit

these styles. You'll explore harmony related topics such as diatonic, natural/melodic, minor, and slash

chords, which will help you to select the appropriate harmonic tensions to add color, character, and

sophistication to your music. You'll also master triplets, swing eighths, and sixteenth notes in double time

feel, as well as topics related to improvisation and melody including chord scales, avoid notes, approach

notes, and modal and pentatonic scales. With this level of music theory, there will be practically no

barriers between you and the music you want to create.

By the end of this course, you will be able to

• Read and write rhythms that include triplets and swing eighth notes

• Write and analyze diatonic chord progressions in minor

• Read and write rhythms that include sixteenth notes in a double time feel

• Construct modal scales and identify by sound

• Construct pentatonic scales and identify by sound

• Write a pentatonic melody over a basic blues progression

 • Understand and use slash chords and bass pedal points

Lesson 1: Triplets and Swing vs. Straight Eighths

•Eighth and Quarter Note Triplets - Theory / Notation

•Eighth Note Triplets as Basis for Swing Eighths

•Swing Eighths vs. Straight Eighths - Musical Application

Lesson 2: Open Position Chords/Drop 2 Voicings

•The II V I Progression in Two Positions of Drop 2

•Extended Progressions Using Alternating Positions

•Variations on the V7 Chord

Lesson 3: I VI II V I Progression; Root Motion/Bass Lines

•The I VI II V I Chord Pattern

•Voice Leading the I VI II V I Chord Pattern

•Root Motion and the Bass Line

Lesson 4: Modal Scales

•Lydian and Mixolydian - Comparison to Major

•Dorian, Aeolian, Phrygian - Comparison to Natural Minor

•Writing Modal Melodies

Lesson 5: Chord Scales in Major Keys

•Chord Scales as Chord Tones Plus Passing Tones from Key

•Theory of Avoid Notes

•Writing/Analyzing Melodies Using Chord Scales

Lesson 6: Approach Note Theory

 •Theory of Diatonic and Chromatic Approach Notes

•Writing/Analyzing Melodies Using Approach Notes

•Ear Training

Lesson 7: Diatonic Chords in Natural/Melodic Minors

•Construction of Diatonic Chords in Melodic Minor

•Construction of Diatonic Chords in Natural Minor

•Recognition/Analysis/Ear Training

Lesson 8: II V I and I VI II V I in Minor - Mixing and Matching Scale Types

•Theory of Minor Scale Type on Each Chord

•Application of Theory in Variety of Keys

•Recognition/Analysis/Ear Training

Lesson 9: Sixteenth Notes

•The Sixteenth Note

•Sixteenth-Note Anticipations

•Double-Time Feel

Lesson 10: Pentatonic Scales

•Constructing Pentatonic Scales

•Fitting Pentatonic Scales over Chords

•Writing Pentatonic Scale Melodies

Lesson 11: Slash Chords

•The Dominant (sus4) as Slash Chord

•Other Chord Types Written as Slash Chords

 •Recognition/Analysis/Ear Training

Lesson 12: Bass Pedals

•The Tonic Pedal - Common Applications

•The Dominant Pedal - Common Applications

•Recognition/Analysis/Ear Training