Music theory

Where to start

• Never read theory before?

  Start with the eighteen lessons instead of picking a section. They are built for exactly this moment, and you can take them in any order.

• Never studied theory before?

  Take chords, then scales, then progressions, in that order. Those three answer most of what people actually want to know: why a song sounds happy or sad, which notes fit over it, and why the same four chords keep coming back.

• Already play an instrument?

  Go to intervals and harmony. You know the sounds already; those two give them names and show why they behave the way they do.

• Came here with one specific question?

  The glossary is faster than the index. Every entry has a definition and a sound, and links to the page that goes deeper.

• ScalesEvery scale in one place, from major to maqam. Pick one, hear how it sits, and play it note by note before you read a single definition.
• Chord ProgressionsBrowse 24 chord progressions by style and mood. Play any one, compare two side by side, and hear what makes each of them move.
• IntervalsEvery interval from unison to octave in one table. Play each one, compare two side by side, and open the page for the one you want to know.

• HarmonyStart here to hear harmony work: play the chords, follow the pull from tension to rest, and pick the topic you need, from cadences to voice leading.
• RhythmStart with the pulse, then play time signatures, syncopation, swing and polyrhythm. Tap along and hear how each layer changes the feel.
• Melody and FormWork through melody and form with sound. Play each shape, hear where a phrase lands, and follow the structure of a piece as it happens.

• Playing and ImprovisingStart improvising with fewer notes and rhythm first, then follow the path from your first four bars to soloing over changing harmony.
• Reading MusicStart at the staff, then read pitch, rhythm, dynamics and lead sheets. Play every example as you go and hear what the symbol on the page does.
• SongwritingPick your way in: a title, a chord loop, a hook, a beat. Every idea here comes with sound, so you can test a choice by ear before you keep it.
• StylesEvery style on one map. Hear the grooves, chords, and scales that make each genre its own, and play the pieces they share.

• Sound and HearingStart with the physics: hear how a vibration becomes a note, why two tones clash, and what your ears add. Play every example as you read.
• Production and ArrangingStart with who plays what and in which register, then follow those choices into the mix. The arranging side is playable, the mixing side is explained.

• ChordsStart with triads, add sevenths, then extensions. Hear each chord type, compare them side by side, and play any of them in the browser.
• GlossaryLook up any music theory term, read a plain definition, and press play to hear it. Each entry links to the page going deeper.
• Music Theory From NothingNever read theory before? Eighteen short lessons, each one something you press rather than read. Take them in order or pick the one you came for.

Keep going

• Practice