For years I've been teaching Music Theory in the college classroom. These classes I'm making for Udemy 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 5: Counterpoint Complete, and it finishes what would be the first semester of a college music theory class.
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 of Counterpoint
  • Second Species Counterpoint
  • Metric Accents and Diminutions
  • Resolutions
  • Passing Tones
  • Consonant Skips and Leaps
  • Neighbor Tones
  • Writing Compelling Melodies
  • Third Species Counterpoint
  • The Cambiata
  • Double Neighbor Tones
  • Fourth Species Counterpoint
  • Rhythmic Displacement
  • Suspensions
  • 4-3, 7-6, and 9-8 Suspension Types
  • Consonant Suspensions
  • Chains of Suspensions
  • Fifth Species Counterpoint
  • Free Counterpoint
  • Worksheets and Music for Practice
  • ...and much, much more!

Course Outline

  • Welcome & Overview
    • Tools We Will Use
    • Download: Staff Paper
    • Review: Modes
    • Review: First Species Counterpoint
  • Second Species Counterpoint
    • Metric Accents and Diminutions
    • Resolutions
    • Second Species Counterpoint Rules Summary
  • Melodic Embellishment in Second Species Counterpoint
    • Passing Tones
    • Consonant Skips and Leaps
    • Worksheet No. 1
  • Writing Second Species Counterpoint
    • Harmony
    • Summary and Tips
    • Worksheet No. 2
  • Third Species Counterpoint
    • Four-to-One Counterpoint
    • The Cambiata
    • Double Neighbor Tones
    • Worksheet No. 3
  • Fourth Species Counterpoint
    • Rhythmic Displacement
    • Suspensions
    • “Going Downhill”
    • 4-3 Suspensions
    • 7-6 Suspensions
    • 9-8 Suspensions
    • Consonant Suspensions
    • Chains of Suspensions
    • Summary of 4th Species Rules
    • Worksheet No. 4
  • Fifth Species Counterpoint
    • Free Counterpoint
    • Writing Free Counterpoint
    • A Brief History of Fux
    • Worksheet No. 5
  • Wrap Up
    • What Comes Next?
    • Thanks and Bye!

Course Information

Estimated Time: 3 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

Second Species Counterpoint

Melodic Embellishment in Second Species Counterpoint

Writing Second Species Counterpoint

Third Species Counterpoint

Fourth Species Counterpoint

Fifth Species Counterpoint

Wrap Up

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