Music Theory from Scratch
A step-by-step guide to the fundamentals of music theory
This is a free music theory course for beginners. You do not need any prior knowledge – we start with the note names and move step by step to reading notes on the staff, understanding clefs and octaves, sharps and flats, note values, rests and time signatures.
Every part has explanations, pictures and examples, and you can test yourself with quizzes and exercises along the way. The course ends with a final exam where you can see how much you have learned.
What you will learn
- The note names and where to find them on the piano
- How to read notes in the treble clef and the bass clef
- How octaves are named and how they are written
- How sharps and flats raise and lower notes
- Note values from whole notes to sixteenth notes
- Rests and how long they last
- Beats and time signatures such as 4/4, 3/4 and 2/4
The course consists of 8 parts:
- 1 Note Names
- 2 The Staff and the Treble Clef
- 3 The Staff and the Bass Clef
- 4 Octaves
- 5 Sharps and Flats
- 6 Note Values
- 7 Rests
- 8 Beats and Time Signatures