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Music Theory Comprehensive: Part 1 - How To Read Music

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Music Theory Comprehensive: Part 1 - How To Read Music

A Complete College-Level Music Theory Curriculum. This is Part 1: Reading Music & The Symbols of Music Notation

updated on icon Updated on Sep, 2023

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Course Description

** ONLINE BESTSELLER **

This course is "5-Star Certified" by the International Association of Online Music Educators and Institutions (IAOMEI). This course has been independently reviewed by a panel of experts and has received a stellar 5-star rating.

100% Answer Rate! Every single question posted to this class is answered within 24 hours by the instructor.
Welcome to the COMPLETE Music Theory Fundamentals Guide!

This is a class designed for the average person who is ready to dive into music!  Whether you are a beginning musician, an active musician, or an aspiring musician - this class is perfect for you.

My approach to music theory is to minimize memorization. Most of these concepts you can learn by just understanding why chords behave in certain ways. Once you understand those concepts, you can find any scale, key, or chord that exists. Even invent your own. If you've tried to learn music theory before, or if you are just starting out - this series of courses is the perfect fit.

Dr. Allen is a professional musician, top-rated Online instructor, and university professor. In 2017 the Star Tribune featured him as a "Mover and a Shaker," and he is recognized by the Grammy Foundation for his music education classes. 

Throughout this class, If you get stuck, you can review the videos or post a question, and I'll back to it as fast as possible. 

This class is Part 1: How To Read Music. In it, we will work through all the elements of notated music, and how it all works. 

In this class, we will cover:

  • My approach to Music Theory

  • Tools you will need to learn Music Theory quickly and efficiently

  • Music software: Notation programs

  • The elements of the Score

  • Pitch Names

  • Pitch Classes

  • Octaves

  • The White Keys

  • The Black Keys (not the band!)

  • Half-Steps and Whole-Steps

  • Clefs

  • Intervals

  • Naming Octaves

  •  Identifying Notes on the Staff

  • Identifying Notes on the Keyboard

  • Beat and Beat Divisions

  • Tempo

  • Downbeats and Upbeats

  • Dotted Rhythms

  • Time Signatures

  • Ties

  • Accidentals

  • Form in Music Notation

  • ...and much, much more!

You will not have another opportunity to learn Music Theory in a more comprehensive way than this. 

All the tools you need to successfully learn Music Theory is included in this course and the entire course is based on real-life experiences - not just academic theory.

Please click the "Take This Course" button so you can launch your music career today.

Test Prep: 

This course is perfect for prep for the Praxis II Test (ETS Praxis Music), The ABRSM Music Theory Exam (up to Grade 8), AP Music Theory Exam, College Placement Exams (Music Theory), and other common secondary and post-secondary placement exams.

Closed captions have been added to all lessons in this course.

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Praise for Courses by Jason Allen:

⇢  "It seems like every little detail is being covered in an extremely simple fashion. The learning process becomes relaxed and allows complex concepts to get absorbed easily. My only regret is not taking this course earlier." - M. Shah

⇢  "Great for everyone without any knowledge so far. I bought all three parts... It's the best investment in leveling up my skills so far.." - Z. Palce

⇢  "Excellent explanations! No more or less than what is needed." - A. Tóth

⇢  "VERY COOL. I've waited for years to see a good video course, now I don't have to wait anymore. Thank You!" - Jeffrey Koury

⇢  "I am learning LOTS! And I really like having the worksheets!" - A. Deichsel

⇢  "The basics explained very clearly - loads of really useful tips!" - J. Pook

⇢  "Jason is really quick and great with questions, always a great resource for an online class!" M. Smith

Goals

What will you learn in this course:

  • This course is designed for students who have either never tried to learn music theory before, or tried and couldn't come grasp the concepts.
  • This is a course for students who want to understand everything about music theory, for the ground up.

Prerequisites

What are the prerequisites for this course?

  • I'll be using a piece of software in this course that I would like students to get. Don't worry - it's free! And works on Mac and PC programs. I'll tell you more in the first few videos.
Music Theory Comprehensive: Part 1 - How To Read Music

Curriculum

Check out the detailed breakdown of what’s inside the course

Getting Started
6 Lectures
  • play icon Introduction 04:39 04:39
  • play icon My Approach To Music Theory 06:45 06:45
  • play icon Tools You Will Need For This Course 06:10 06:10
  • play icon Update! MuseScore 3.0
  • play icon Download: Staff Paper
  • play icon About Notation Software Programs 03:45 03:45
All The Little Dots
5 Lectures
Tutorialspoint
The Keyboard Layout
6 Lectures
Tutorialspoint
Pitch Notation on the Staff
7 Lectures
Tutorialspoint
Notating time on a Musical Staff
8 Lectures
Tutorialspoint
Score Symbols and Conventions
4 Lectures
Tutorialspoint
Putting it All Together
4 Lectures
Tutorialspoint
Wrap Up
2 Lectures
Tutorialspoint

Instructor Details

Jason Allen

Jason Allen

** J. is the #1 best selling music teacher on Udemy. He is the author of the #1 best selling music theory course on Udemy, "Music Theory Comprehensive" (12 parts), and Music Theory for Electronic Musicians (3 parts), which have been purchased by more than 70,000 students in 11 languages in 196 countries.**  

** He is a PhD in music, and a best selling music producer. He brings this authenticity to all of his Udemy courses. **


Jason Allen (better known as J. Anthony Allen) has worn the hats of composer, producer, songwriter, engineer, sound designer, DJ, remix artist, multi-media artist, performer, inventor, and entrepreneur. Allen is a versatile creator whose diverse project experience ranges from works written for the Minnesota Orchestra to pieces developed for film, TV, and radio. An innovator in the field of electronic performance, Allen performs on a set of “glove” controllers, which he has designed, built, and programmed by himself. When he’s not working as a solo artist, Allen is a serial collaborator. His primary collaborative vehicle is the group Ballet Mech, for which Allen is one of three producers. 

J. Anthony Allen teaches at Augsburg University in Minneapolis, MN, where he runs the Music, Media, and Management program. He is also an Ableton Live Certified Trainer,  co-founder, owner and CEO of Slam Academy, a multimedia educational space in downtown Minneapolis, the CTO of Ion Concert Media, and sole owner and producer of music education courses under the umbrella of Punkademic Courses. Recently, Allen founded Hackademica – an innovative net-label for new music. 

J. has a PhD in music composition, 2 Master’s degrees in music composition and electronic music, and a bachelor's degree in guitar performance. Through his academic travels, Dr. Allen has received numerous awards along the way. 

If you run into him on the street, he prefers to be addressed as J. (as in, Jay.)

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