Theory: Intro to Music Theory (Ages 16+)

This course is intended for adults or older beginners who want to understand how music is put together, how it works, how it is written down. We will work with real music, since hearing it and making it come alive is what music is all about.

Participants in this course will help determine where we will take our explorations of:

• pitch -- notes, keys, scales
• rhythm -- note values, rests, accents, time signatures, rhythmic patterns, syncopation
• intervals -- hearing them, writing them, their character, their basis in acoustics
• chords -- the sound qualities of different chords, their structure and function in music
• chord progressions -- how chords are used to make a piece of music, how they follow each other, how music moves
• ear training -- pitch, rhythm, harmony
• the basics of music reading and sight singing -- elements to consider when writing melodies
• relevant aspects of music theory

REQUIRED COURSE TEXT

• Celebrate Theory 5

Students must purchase the required course texts prior to the first class from the RCM Bookstore or a local music retailer. Visit the registration page for more information.