For years I've been teaching Music Theory in the college classroom. These classes I'm making for Slam Academy use the same syllabus I've used in my college classes for years, at a fraction of the cost. I believe anyone can learn Music Theory - and cost shouldn't be a barrier.
Recently I was named as a semi-finalist for the Grammy Foundation's Music Educator of the Year award because of my in-person university classes. Now I'm taking those classes to Udemy in an online format in order to reach more students, and give them the joy of Music Theory.
My approach to music theory is to minimize the 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.
This class is a Comprehensive class - it will have many parts, going through my entire annual curriculum.
This class is Part 4: Modes (Musical Modes, AKA The Church Modes) and Counterpoint.
Throughout this class, I'll be providing you with many worksheets for you to practice the concepts on. If you get stuck, you can review the videos or post a question, and I'll back to it as fast as possible. Also in this class I have several complete analysis projects that we will complete together - just like in my college classes.

What will I learn in this Course?

  • My approach to Music Theory
  • Tools you will need to learn Music Theory quickly and efficiently
  • How Modes Work
  • The History of Modes
  • Identifying the Musical Modes
  • Incorporating modes into popular music
  • Analysis of popular and classical music, including the Simpsons TV Theme Song, and the Beetles.
  • Interval Exploration
  • Compound Intervals
  • Rules for Inversion
  • Augmented Intervals
  • Diminished Intervals
  • Enharmonic Equivalence
  • Labeling Dissonance
  • Counterpoint in Species
  • The Rules of Counterpoint
  • Compositing with Counterpoint
  • Types of Contrapuntal Motion
  • Creating music with Counterpoint
  • ...and much, much more!

Course Outline

  • Welcome & Overview
    • Overview
    • Tools We Will Use in This Course
    • Download: Staff Paper
    • Review: Major and Minor Scales
    • Review: Diatonic Chord Progressions
  • Modes (The Musical Modes, AKA The Church Modes)
    • How Modes Work
    • The History of Modes
    • The Ionian Mode
    • The Dorian Mode
    • The Phyrgian Mode
    • The Lydian Mode
    • The Mixolydian Mode
    • The Aeolian Mode
    • The Locrian Mode
    • Worksheet No. 1
  • Using Modes
    • Analysis: The Simpsons (TV Theme Song)
    • Download: The Simpsons (TV Theme Song) Sheet Music
    • Analysis: Missa Pange Lingua (Choir)
    • Download: Missa Pange Lingua (Choir)
    • Analysis: Eleanor Rigby (The Beetles)
    • Download: Eleanor Rigby (The Beetles) Sheet Music
  • Deeper Into Intervals
    • Using Visual Landmarks to Quickly Identify Intervals
    • Compound and Simple Intervals
    • Major/Minor/Perfect Intervals
    • Rules for Inversions of Intervals
    • Summary of Intervals So Far
    • Augmented and Diminished Intervals
    • The Tritone
    • Enharmonic Equivalence
    • Worksheet No. 2
  • Consonance and Dissonance in Intervals
    • Resolution
    • Interval Classes
    • Analyzing Intervals
    • Download: Bach 2-Part Invention No. 8
    • Worksheet No. 3
  • Introduction to Counterpoint
    • The Different Species of Counterpoint
    • Connecting Melodic Intervals
    • First Species Counterpoint – Melodic Rules
    • Connecting Harmonic Intervals
    • The 4 Types of Contrapuntal Motion
    • Download: Example Analysis Files
    • Parallel Fifths and Octaves
    • Worksheet No. 4
  • Writing Note-To-Note Counterpoint in Strict Style
    • The Beginning and the End
    • The Middle
    • The Riemenschneider
    • The Rules – All Wrapped Up
    • Worksheet No. 5
  • Wrap Up
    • What Next?
    • Thanks for Watching!

Course Information

Estimated Time: 4.25 Hours

Course Instructor

Jay Allen Author

J. Anthony Allen is an Ableton Certified Trainer, and a PhD in Music Composition and master of Electronic Sounds. His music has been heard internationally in film, radio, video games, and industrial sound, as well as the concert hall and theater. He currently is an adjunct professor of composition at the University of St. Thomas, and is the CEO and co-founder of Slam Academy in Minneapolis.

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Welcome & Overview

Modes (The Musical Modes, AKA The Church Modes)

Using Modes

Deeper Into Intervals

Consonance and Dissonance in Intervals

Introduction to Counterpoint

Writing Note-To-Note Counterpoint in Strict Style

Wrap Up

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