Learn to Listen to Music: Instruments and Rhythm – Free Course

The free Alison online course “Music Theory: Instruments and Rhythm” teaches you to develop your aural listening skills by focusing on classical music and learning about different instruments and musical techniques used in classical musical pieces. The introduces you to music theory, different instruments and musical genres. You will learn how aspects of classical music can be applied to other genres of music, the differences between motives and themes, the fundamentals of rhythm, in particular about musical notation and what different musical notes represent. You will also learn how to identify meters in musical excerpts including counting measures and musical dictation and how to identify rhythm in different genres of music such as jazz, pop, and classical music.

This course will be of great interest to both musicians who want to strengthen their knowledge around the basics of musical theory and learners who would like to learn more about music theory and improve their aural skills.

Music Theory: Instruments and Rhythm Course Content

This music theory course includes the following topics:

• How to listen to music properly;
• The most common type of form in pop music – verse and chorus;
• Rhythm and melody;
• The distinction between major and minor chords;
• The distinction between tremolo, pizzicato, and vibrato;
• What tempo in music means;
• Syncopation and how it is used in music;
• The distinction between polyphony, monophony, and homophony.

Summary of Course Main Features

• Created by: Open Yale Courses
• Duration: 1-2 Hours
• Assessment: Yes
• Certification: Yes
• Level: Personal Development – Activities and Hobbies – Level 1

Price: Free

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