Music Theory Curriculum

1. Staves, Clefs & Pitch Notation
1. The Grand Staff
  1. Naming the Notes
    1. note sign
    2. note
    3. notation
    4. solfa
    5. B & H
      1. In almost all European countries, except those whose main language is English or a Romance language, the 'German' system is used. This also uses the letters A to G of the Roman alphabet, but reserves B for the note called B flat in the 'English' system, and uses H for the note that is B natural (or just B) in the 'English' system.
    6. pitch class
    7. octave equivalency
  2. Staff or Stave
    1. staff or stave
    2. numbering of lines/spaces
    3. systemic barline
    4. diastematic
      1. Describing a musical notation in which the pitch of a note is represented by its vertical position on the page
    5. ledger lines
2. The Clef Sign
  1. clef, clef sign, clef signature
  2. Great Staff, Grand Staff, Great Stave or Grand Stave
  3. treble clef
  4. bass clef
  5. alto clef
  6. middle C
3. The Treble Clef
  1. treble clef
  2. G clef
  3. violin clef
  4. E G B D F
  5. F A C E
4. The Bass Clef
  1. bass clef
  2. F clef
  3. G B D F A
  4. A C E G
5. The Alto Clef
  1. alto clef
  2. viola clef
  3. counter-tenor clef
6. Other Clefs
  1. soprano clef
  2. mezzo-soprano clef
  3. tenor clef
  4. baritone clef
  5. subbass clef
  6. French violin clef
    1. In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, a special clef was used for violin music, particularly that published in France. For this reason it is known as the French violin clef, French clef or G1 clef, although it was more commonly used for flute music. Being a G clef rather than a C clef, it sets the position of the G above middle C - in this case, on the bottom line of the five line stave.
  7. indefinite pitch clef
7. The Score
8. Why Middle C?
  1. The naming of the notes and position of middle C arise from the way we set out our great staff. Guido d'Arezzo (c.995-1050) called the first line on the lower staff by the Greek letter gamma. The lowest note in the scale was called ut and was placed on gamma. This first note was soon called gamma ut, which contracted to gamut. At some point, French musicians began referring to the whole scale (by then an octave) as the gamut, a typical example of metonymy, the rhetorical or metaphorical substitution of a one thing for another based on their association or proximity. The term was next extended to refer to the musical range of an instrument or voice. By the seventeenth century gamut was further generalized to mean an entire range of any kind.
  2. Guido d'Arezzo
  3. gamut
  4. solmization
  5. Ut Queant Laxis
  6. ut re mi fa sol la
  7. hexachord
9. Scientific Pitch Notation
  1. distinguishing octaves
2. Notes and Rests
1. Duration
  1. duration
  2. time value
  3. proportional or mensural notation
2. The Anatomy of a Note Sign
  1. notehead
  2. flag
  3. stem
  4. placement of stem and flag
3. Chart of Note and Rest Signs
4. Dotting and Double Dotting
  1. augmentation dot
  2. dot
  3. double-dotting
  4. triple-dotting
5. Beams and Beaming
6. Ties
7. Origin of Music Notation
8. Measures and Bars
  1. Measure and Bar Lines
    1. bar
    2. measure
    3. time signature
    4. bar line
    5. double bar line
    6. final bar line
    7. bar number
    8. rehearsal letter
3. Time Signatures and Meters
1. Time Signature and Meter
  1. Time Signature
  2. meter
  3. beat
  4. pulse
  5. simple time
  6. compound time
  7. compound meter
  8. divisive rhythm
2. Unusual Time Signatures and Hypermeasure
  1. odd meter
  2. hypermeasure
    1. A hypermeasure, large-scale or high-level measure, or measure-group is a metric unit in which, generally, each regular measure is one beat (actually hyperbeat) of a larger meter. Thus a beat is to a measure as a measure/hyperbeat is to a hypermeasure. Hypermeasures must be larger than a notated bar, perceived as a unit, consist of a pattern of strong and weak beats, and along with adjacent hypermeasures, which must be of the same length, create a sense of hypermeter. The term was coined by Edward T. Cone in Musical Form and Musical Performance (New York: Norton, 1968).
3. Mensuration
  1. mensuration
  2. modus
  3. tempus
  4. prolatio
  5. major
  6. minor
4. Common Time & Alla Breve/Cut Time
  1. common time
  2. modus
  3. tempus perfectum
  4. tempus imperfectum
  5. alla breve
  6. alla capella time
  7. cut time
5. Changing Time Signatures
6. The Whole Bar Rest
  1. whole bar rest
  2. multiple bar rest
7. Incomplete Bars
  1. imcomplete bar
  2. incomplete measure
  3. anacrusis
8. Ametric Music
  1. augmented rhythms
  2. diminished rhythms
  3. retrograde rhythms
  4. polyrhythm/cross-rhythm
4. Tempo
1. Tempo Markings
  1. metronome
  2. tempo markings
    1. grave
    2. larghissimo
    3. adagissimo
    4. largo
    5. larghetto
    6. largamente
    7. adagio
    8. adagietto
    9. lento
    10. lentamente
    11. andantino
    12. andante
    13. con moto
    14. moderato
    15. vivace
    16. allegro
    17. allegramente
    18. allegrissimo
    19. vivacissimo
    20. prestissimo
    21. veloce
  3. BPM
  4. changing the tempo
    1. doppio movimento
    2. accelerando, accel.
    3. stringendo
    4. affrettndo
    5. incalzando
    6. meno mosso
    7. ritardando, rit., ritard.
    8. rallentando, rall.
    9. strascinando
    10. allargando, allarg.
    11. calando
    12. mancando
    13. morendo
    14. smorzando
    15. ritenuto, rit., riten.
    16. piu mosso
    17. piu moto
    18. ritenuto
    19. meno moto
    20. a tempo
    21. lunga pausa
    22. rubato
  5. fermata, fetura, caesura
    1. fermata
    2. hold
    3. bird's eye
    4. fetura
    5. caesura
    6. railroad tracks
    7. cut-off
  6. Dance Tempi
    1. Aleman
    2. Bouree
    3. Bransle
    4. Chaconne
    5. Coranto/Courante
    6. Galliard
    7. Gavotte
    8. Gigue
    9. Giga
    10. Ground
    11. Menuet
    12. Passacaglia
    13. Pavanne
    14. Rigaudon
    15. Sarabande
2. Metronome Marks
5. The Keyboard
1. keyboard
2. scale
3. chromatic scale
4. flat
5. sharp
6. Small Intervals
1. The Tone and Semitone
  1. keyboard
  2. tone
  3. semitone
  4. whole step
  5. half step
2. The Octave
  1. octave
  2. natural
  3. double flat
  4. flat
  5. sharp
  6. double sharp
3. The Chromatic Scale
4. Microtones
  1. microtone
  2. microtonal
  3. quarter tone
  4. eighth tone
  5. comma
  6. cent
7. Major Scales
1. The Major Scale
  1. major scale
  2. chromatic scale
  3. key note
  4. degree
  5. Roman Numerals
  6. W W H W W W H
2. The Tetrachord
  1. tetrachord
  2. combined by disjunction
3. The Twelve Major Scales
  1. major scales
  2. sharp key
  3. flat key
  4. natural key
4. Deriving Major Scales
  1. building major scales
  2. key signature
8. Key Signatures and Accidentals
1. The Key Signature
  1. key signature
  2. music ficta
2. The Circle of Fifths
  1. circle of fifths
  2. key signature
  3. tetrachord
3. The Order of Sharps and Flats
  1. relative major
  2. relative minor
4. Enharmonics
5. Using Accidentals
  1. accidental
  2. precautionary mark
  3. courtesy accidental
  4. accidentals and ornamentation
6. Changing Key
  1. key change
  2. cautionary sign
  3. inflection
  4. compound signs
9. Minor Scales
1. The Natural Minor Scale
  1. ancient minor scale
  2. natural minor scale
2. Double Sharps and Flats
3. Harmonic Minor
  1. haronic minor
  2. seventh degree
  3. leading tone
  4. tonic
  5. dominant chord
  6. dominant 7th chord
  7. tritone
4. Melodic Minor
  1. melodic minor scale
5. Relative & Parallel Major & Minor
  1. key note
  2. key signature
  3. relative major
  4. parallel major
  5. relative minor
  6. parallel minor
  7. rule of 7
  8. rule of 12
  9. key name
  10. tonic major
  11. tonic minor
10. Chromatic Scales
1. The Diatonic Scale
  1. diatonic
  2. chromatic
2. The Chromatic Scale
3. The Harmonic Chromatic Scale
  1. naming rules
4. The Melodic Chromatic Scale
  1. naming rules
11. Intervals
1. Degrees of the Scale
  1. tonic
  2. supertonic
  3. mediant
  4. subdominant
  5. dominant
  6. submediant
  7. subtonic
  8. leading tone
  9. degree
2. Melodic & Harmonic Intervals
  1. melodic interval
  2. harmonic interval
3. Unisons and Octave
  1. dyad
  2. unison
  3. octave
  4. perfect unison
  5. perfect prime
  6. augmented unison
  7. augmented prime
  8. diminished unison
    1. Some theorists do not allow the diminished unison because the C flat lies below the C natural and this breaks the rule that all dyadic intervals are named from the lower note.
4. Diatonic Intervals
  1. perfect intervals
  2. major intervals
  3. minor intervals
5. Chromatic Intervals
  1. doubly diminished
  2. diminished
  3. augmented doubly
  4. augmented
  5. quality of intervals
6. The Tritone
  1. tritone
  2. diabolus in musica
  3. consonance by circumstance
7. Compound Intervals
8. Inversion of Intervals
  1. inversion
  2. rule of 9
12. Note Groupings
1. Simple & Compound Time/Meter
  1. simple time
  2. simple meter
  3. compound time
  4. compound meter
2. Uneven/Asymmetrical Time/Meter
3. Triplets
  1. irrational rhythm
  2. triplet
4. Duplets
5. Other-lets
  1. irregular divisions
6. Grouping Notes and Rests
  1. beaming
13. Triads & Chords
1. Concord and Discord
  1. music
  2. noise
  3. concordant
  4. discordant
  5. consonance
  6. dissonance
  7. form
  8. function
  9. perfect consonances
    1. unison
    2. P5
    3. octave
  10. imperfect consonances
    1. M3
    2. m3
    3. m6
    4. M6
  11. dissonances
    1. 2nds
    2. 7ths
2. Triads
  1. triad
  2. Roman Numerals
  3. primary triad
  4. secondary triad
  5. major triad
  6. minor triad
  7. augmented triad
  8. diminished triad
  9. close position
  10. open position
3. Diatonic Triads
4. Chords
  1. chords
  2. seventh chord
  3. dominant chord
5. Chords in Jazz
6. Broken & Spread Chords
  1. broken chord
  2. spread chord
  3. arpeggio
14. Chords in Detail
1. Chords: Structure vs. Function
  1. structural
  2. functional
  3. naming seventh chords
2. Seventh Chords
  1. major seventh chords
  2. minor seventh chords
  3. dominant seventh chords
  4. minor seventh flat five chord
  5. fully diminished seventh
  6. half diminished seventh
  7. augmented major seventh
  8. augmented minor seventh
  9. minor major seventh
3. Dominant Seventh Chord
4. Naming Seventh Chords
5. Inverted Chords
6. Slash Chords
7. Extended Chords (9th, 11th, 13th)
8. Special Chords
  1. power chords
  2. sus2 chords
  3. sus4 chords
  4. add2 chords
  5. add9 chords
  6. aug 5th & dim 5th chords
  7. augmented sixth chords
  8. Italian 'augmented' sixth chord
  9. French 'augmented' sixth chord
  10. German 'augmented' sixth chord
  11. six/nine chords
  12. polychords
15. Figured Bass
1. Figured Bass
  1. thorough bass
  2. realization
  3. basso continuo
2. Figured Bass Notation
  1. 5 3
  2. 6 3 or 6
  3. 6 4
  4. accidental under note
  5. line through number
  6. accidental under number
  7. accidental beside single 6
  8. accidental beside number
  9. horizontal line after number
  10. 7 or 8 or 9
  11. 6 5
  12. 4 3
  13. 4 2
3. Naming Chords With Roman Numerals
  1. Roman numeral figuring
16. Transposition
1. Transposition at the Octave
2. Transposition into another Key
3. What key Is My Instrument In?
  1. key of
  2. instrument
  3. concert pitch
4. Transposing Instruments
  1. transposing instrument
  2. concert pitch
  3. written pitch
  4. sounding pitch
17. Rhythmic Variety
1. Rhyrhmic Modes
  1. iamb
  2. anapest
  3. trochee
  4. dactyl
  5. amphibrach
  6. pyrrh
  7. tribrach
  8. spondee
2. Anacrusis
  1. anacrusis
  2. pick-up
  3. up-beat
3. Syncopation
  1. syncopation
  2. off the beat
4. Dotting & Double Dotting
5. Hemiola
  1. hemiola
  2. cross-rhythm
6. Swing
7. Rhythmic Syllables
18. Phrasing & Articulation
1. Slur & Phrase
  1. rhythmic structure
  2. strong beat
  3. medium beat
  4. weak beat
  5. phrase
  6. slur
2. Tenuto & Staccato
  1. tenuto
  2. staccato
  3. mezzo-staccato
  4. staccatissimo
3. Slurs & Staccato
  1. slurred staccato
  2. portato
  3. articulated legato
4. Variety of Accents
  1. staccato accents
  2. staccatissimo accents
  3. normal accents
  4. strong accents
  5. legato accents
5. Articulation on Wind Instruments
6. Articulation on Stringed Instruments
  1. bowing terms
7. Articulation & Phrasing on Percussion Instruments
8. Piano Pedalling
9. Dynamic Markings
  1. fortissimo
  2. forte
  3. mezzo forte
  4. mezzo piano
  5. piano
  6. pianissimo
  7. ffff, fff, ppp, pppp
  8. forte piano
  9. crescendo
  10. decrescendo
  11. diminuendo
  12. marcato
  13. sforzando
  14. sforzandano piano
  15. forzando
  16. rinforzando
  17. calando
  18. incalzando
  19. con sordino
  20. dolcissimo
  21. leggiero
  22. pacato
  23. mancando, morendo
  24. martellato
  25. mezza voce, sotto voce
  26. senza sordino
  27. tacet
  28. tutta forza
  29. una corda
10. General Musical Markings
  1. a
  2. a capella
  3. a capriccio
  4. accelerando
  5. ad libitum
  6. affettuoso
  7. agitato
  8. alla
  9. alla breve
  10. allargando
  11. amabile
  12. amoroso
  13. ancora
  14. animato
  15. a piacere
  16. appassionato
  17. arioso
  18. arpeggio
  19. assai
  20. ben, bene
  21. brillante
  22. cadenza
  23. calando
  24. cambiare
  25. cantabile
  26. chiuso
  27. col, colla
  28. come
  29. comodo
  30. con
  31. con brio
  32. con dolore
  33. con forza
  34. con fuoco
  35. con giusto
  36. con passione
  37. con spirito
  38. crescendo
  39. dal
  40. decrescendo
  41. decisivo
  42. delicato
  43. diminuendo
  44. dolce
  45. dolente
  46. doppio movimento
  47. e, ed
  48. e poi
  49. espressivo
  50. facilmente
  51. feroce
  52. fine
  53. furioso
  54. giocoso
  55. grandioso
  56. grazioso
  57. il, la
  58. impetuoso
  59. lacrimoso
  60. lamentoso
  61. largamente
  62. legato
  63. leggiero
  64. lusingando
  65. ma
  66. maestoso
  67. mancando
  68. marcato
  69. mertellato
  70. marziale
  71. meno
  72. meno mosso
  73. mesto
  74. mezzo
  75. misterioso
  76. molto
  77. morendo
  78. nobilmente
  79. non
  80. ossia
  81. parlando
  82. parlante
  83. pateticamente
  84. perdendosi
  85. pesante
  86. piacevole
  87. piangevole
  88. piu
  89. pizzicato
  90. placidamente
  91. pochetto
  92. poco
  93. poco a poco
  94. poi
  95. pomposo
  96. quasi
  97. rallentando
  98. religioso
  99. replica
  100. risoluto
  101. ritmico
  102. rubato
  103. scherzando
  104. secco
  105. sempre
  106. semplice
  107. senza
  108. serioso
  109. simili
  110. sino al
  111. slargando
  112. slentando
  113. smorzando
  114. soave
  115. solennemente
  116. sonore
  117. sordino
  118. sostenuto
  119. sotto voce
  120. spiccato
  121. spiritoso
  122. stentando
  123. strepitoso
  124. stringendo
  125. subito
  126. sul
  127. suono
  128. tanto
  129. tempo primo
  130. tempo rubato
  131. teneramente
  132. tenuto
  133. tessitura
  134. tosto
  135. tranquillo
  136. tremolo
  137. troppo
  138. tutti
  139. un poco
  140. vibrato
  141. vigoroso
  142. vivo
19. Chords & Cadences
1. cadences
  1. harmonic cadence
  2. turnaround
  3. melodic cadence
  4. rhythmic cadence
  5. textural cadence
  6. form & cadence
2. Perfect Cadence
3. Plagal Cadence
4. Imperfect Cadence
5. Interrupted/Deceptive Cadence
6. The 'Six-Four' Cadence
7. Feminine Endings
8. Antecedent & Consequence
20. Ornamentation
1. Ornamentation
2. Interpretation
3. Grace Notes
  1. grace note
  2. appoggiatura
  3. acciaccatura
4. Turns
5. Trills
  1. trill
  2. preparation
  3. prefix
  4. shake
  5. termination
  6. unprepared
  7. prepared
  8. vocal trill
6. Mordents
  1. mordent
  2. inverted mordent
  3. upper modent
  4. lower mordent
  5. long mordent
  6. double mordent
7. Vibrato
8. Arpeggiation
21. Repeats
1. Repeated Notes
2. Repeated Groups
3. Repeated Bars
4. Repeated Whole Bar Rests
5. Repeated Sections
6. Da Capo
7. Minuet & Trio
22. Notes, Harmonies & Scales
1. Origin of Diatonic and Chromatic Scales
  1. monochord
  2. Pythagoras
  3. interval
  4. lyre
2. Modes
  1. Dorian
  2. Phyrgian
  3. Lydian
  4. Mixolydian
  5. Aeolian
  6. Locrian
  7. Ionian
    1. our major scale
3. Jazz Scale
4. Blues
5. Bebop Scales
6. Pentatonic Scales
7. The 'Minor Key' Problem
8. Altered Chords
9. Neapolitan Sixth
10. Symmetrical Scales
  1. whole tone scale
  2. diminished scale
  3. dominant diminished scale
11. Non-Harmonic Tones
  1. passing tones
  2. neighboring tones
  3. appoggiatura
  4. escape note
  5. suspension
  6. retardation
  7. anticipation
  8. pedal note
  9. auxiliary note
  10. neighbor group
23. Harmonic Functions
1. What are Harmonic Functions?
  1. The Tonic
  2. The Dominant and Subdominant
  3. The II and VII Degrees
  4. The III and VI Degrees
  5. Harmonic Functions in Minor Keys
  6. Harmonic Analysis
2. Nonharmonic Tones
  1. Passing Tone
  2. Neighbor Note
  3. Suspension
  4. Anticipation
  5. Appoggiatura
3. Secondary Dominants
4. Modulation
  1. The Dominant Chord
  2. The Pivot Chord
  3. Modulation to Distantly Related Keys
5. Augmented Sixths
6. Neapolitan Sixth
24. Score Formats
1. Instrumental Ensembles
  1. orchestral layout
  2. brass quintet layout
  3. band layout
  4. woodwind quintet layout
2. Solos & Parts
3. Keyboards
4. Percussion
5. How to Write Parts for Transposing Instruments
6. Sounding Range & Clefs of Orchestral Instruments
25. Pitch, Temperament & Timbre
1. Pitch
  1. History of Musical Pitch
  2. A Brief History of Musical Tuning
  3. Physics of Musical Instruments - A Brief History
2. Harmonic or Overtone Series
  1. harmonics
  2. fundamental
  3. overtones
3. Inharmonicity
  1. inharmonicity
    1. The degree to which the frequencies of overtones (known as partial tones or harmonics) depart from whole multiples of the fundamental frequency.
  2. harmonic overtones
  3. inharmonic overtones
4. Pythagorean Series
  1. tuning
  2. temperament
  3. Pythagoras
5. Meantone Scale
6. Equal Temperament
7. Just Intonation
8. Anatomy of An Octave
9. Naming Intervals
10. Beats and Tuning
11. Timbre/Tone Color
26. Key Centers
1. The Nature of Tonality
  1. tonality
  2. What makes music tonal?
2. Major Keys
3. Minor Keys
4. Triad Progressions
5. Combining Major and Minor Keys
6. Using Dominants
7. Diminished Seventh Chords
8. Reharmonization
  1. melodic substitution
9. Modulation
  1. parallel key modulation
  2. relative key modulation
  3. enharmonic modulation
  4. direct modulation
  5. pivot chord modulation
  6. transient modulation
27. Musical Forms
1. Binary
  1. The Minuet
2. Ternary
3. Compound Ternary
  1. The Minuets
4. Rondo
5. Sonata
6. Phrases, Periods and Motives
  1. What is a phrase?
  2. What is a period?
  3. Parallel Period
  4. Contrasting Period
  5. Double Period
  6. Other Periods
  7. What is a motive?
28. Counterpoint
1. opening and closing patterns
2. Analysis of note-against-note counterpoint
3. 1:1
4. 2:1
5. 4:1
Voice Leading
Aural Skills/Sight Singing
1. Meter Recognition
2. Interval Comparison
3. Rhythm Dictation
4. Scale Identification
5. Melodic Dictation
6. Interval Recognition
7. Chord Comparison
8. Chord Recognition
9. Form/Structure
Composition
1. Original Rhythmic Composition
2. Transpose Clefs
3. Original Melodies
4. Species 1 Counterpoint
5. Root Position 4-Part Chorale