Music Theory in 12 Weeks — Free Fundamentals Course

This path is for anyone who wants to understand how music works: guitarists, bassists, pianists, singers and producers. You do not need to read music when you start. Plan three sessions a week of 20 to 30 minutes. Each session pairs a lesson with exercises and something to play or hear, because theory sticks only when you connect it to sound.

After twelve weeks you will read notes in treble and bass clef, count common rhythms, name any interval, build major and minor scales in every key, know all key signatures and the circle of fifths, spell triads and seventh chords, harmonise a major key, recognise cadences and use modes.

What you need: an instrument (any will do; a keyboard app is ideal for seeing theory), a notebook, and the printouts piano notes chart, grand staff paper, circle of fifths poster and key signatures chart.

Week 1 — Note names and the staff

Session 1 — The musical alphabet

• Read the note names lesson. Learn the seven letters A-G, sharps and flats, and why E-F and B-C have no note between them.
• Find all C, F and B notes on a keyboard using the piano notes chart, or on your instrument.
• Write the 12 notes of the chromatic scale from C, once with sharps and once with flats.

Session 2 — Treble clef

• Read the staff and clefs lesson. Learn lines E G B D F and spaces F A C E.
• Do treble reading 1. Goal: 90% correct.
• 5 minutes in the note trainer, treble clef.

Session 3 — Bass clef and middle C

• Learn bass clef lines G B D F A and spaces A C E G, and where middle C (C4) sits between the clefs.

• Do bass reading 1. Goal: 90% correct.
• Write the notes from C3 to C5 on grand staff paper.

Week 1 check

• Note trainer: 20 notes in each clef, at least 18 correct, under 3 seconds each.
• Name the white keys from memory on the piano notes chart with the labels covered.

Week 2 — Rhythm and time signatures

Session 1 — Note values

• Read the note values and rhythm lesson and keep the note values chart next to you.
• Do rhythm exercise 1.
• Clap whole, half, quarter and eighth notes with the metronome at 70 BPM, counting aloud.

Session 2 — Time signatures

• Read the time signatures lesson. Understand 4/4, 3/4, 2/4 and 6/8.
• Set the metronome to 3/4 and to 6/8 and clap one bar of each feel 8 times.
• Do rhythm exercise 2.

Session 3 — Dots, ties and rests

• Practise dotted notes and ties: clap a dotted quarter + eighth pattern at 70 BPM until it feels natural.
• Do rhythm exercise 3.
• Read the tempo and dynamics lesson and learn the main tempo words (adagio, andante, moderato, allegro) with approximate BPM.

Week 2 check

• Rhythm exercises 1-3: at least 85% correct each.
• Write a 4-bar rhythm in 4/4 and one in 3/4 on staff paper, then clap them at 80 BPM.

Week 3 — Half steps, whole steps and first intervals

Session 1 — Half and whole steps

• Read the first part of the intervals lesson. A half step is the distance to the next key or fret; a whole step is two half steps.
• Mark ten half steps and ten whole steps on the piano notes chart.
• On your instrument, play a half step and a whole step from five different notes.

Session 2 — Interval numbers

• Count interval numbers by letter names: C to E is a third, C to G is a fifth. Review major third, perfect fourth, perfect fifth and the octave.
• Do intervals worksheet 1. Goal: 90% correct.
• Keep the intervals chart visible during the session.

Session 3 — Hearing intervals

• In the ear trainer, compare only the unison, fifth and octave for 5 minutes.
• Play each interval from C on your instrument and sing it back.

Perfect fifth: C to G

Week 3 check

• Name the number of any interval on the staff within 5 seconds, 9 out of 10.
• Explain in one sentence why E to F is a half step but F to G is a whole step.

Week 4 — The major scale

Session 1 — The formula

• Read the major scale lesson. Learn the pattern W W H W W W H.
• Build C major, G major and F major by applying the formula.
• Play each scale on your instrument, saying the note names.

Session 2 — Scale degrees

• Number the degrees 1-7 and learn their names: tonic, supertonic, mediant, subdominant, dominant, submediant, leading tone.
• Do scale spelling 1. Goal: 90% correct.
• Build D major, Bb major and A major on paper.

Session 3 — Why sharps and flats appear

• Notice that every major scale uses each letter once. Write E major and Eb major and count sharps/flats.
• Look up the scale formulas chart and keep it for later weeks.
• Play a major scale in three keys on your instrument at 60 BPM.

Week 4 check

• Write any major scale from C, G, D, A, E, F, Bb, Eb in under 30 seconds each.
• Scale spelling 1 at 95% or better.

Week 5 — Key signatures and the circle of fifths

Session 1 — Key signatures

• Read the key signatures lesson. Learn the order of sharps (F C G D A E B) and flats (B E A D G C F).
• Learn the shortcuts: for sharp keys, the key is a half step above the last sharp; for flat keys, the key is the second-to-last flat.
• Do key signatures 1.

Session 2 — The circle of fifths

• Read the circle of fifths lesson and explore the interactive circle of fifths.

• Fill in a blank circle from memory with all 12 major keys and their number of sharps/flats. Compare with the poster.

Session 3 — All 15 keys

• Write the key signatures of all 15 major keys on staff paper, in treble and bass clef.
• Check against the key signatures chart.
• Do key signatures 2.

Week 5 check

• Name any major key signature within 5 seconds, 14 out of 15.
• Draw the circle of fifths from memory in under 2 minutes.

Week 6 — Minor scales and relative keys

Session 1 — Natural minor

• Read the minor scales lesson. Learn the formula W H W W H W W and play A natural minor.
• Find the relative minor of each major key (6th degree): C major and A minor share a key signature.
• Build E natural minor and D natural minor.

Session 2 — Harmonic and melodic minor

• Learn A harmonic minor (raised 7th) and A melodic minor (raised 6th and 7th ascending).
• Play natural, harmonic and melodic minor from A one after another and describe the difference in sound in one word each.
• Write all three forms of E minor and D minor.

Session 3 — Parallel vs relative

• Compare C major with C minor (parallel: same tonic) and with A minor (relative: same notes).
• Add the minor keys to your circle of fifths drawing.
• Do scale spelling 2.

Week 6 check

• Name the relative minor of any major key and vice versa within 3 seconds, 12 out of 12.
• Write the harmonic minor of A, E, D and G.

Week 7 — Interval qualities

Session 1 — Major, minor and perfect

• Continue the intervals lesson: unison, 4th, 5th and octave are perfect; 2nds, 3rds, 6ths and 7ths are major or minor.
• Learn the half-step counts: m2=1, M2=2, m3=3, M3=4, P4=5, tritone=6, P5=7, m6=8, M6=9, m7=10, M7=11.
• Do intervals worksheet 2.

Session 2 — Using the major scale to name intervals

• Method: compare the upper note with the major scale of the lower note. If it is in the scale, the interval is major or perfect; one half step lower is minor (or diminished for perfect intervals).
• Name 20 intervals using this method, writing them on staff paper.
• Do intervals worksheet 3.

Session 3 — Hearing qualities

• Ear trainer: minor vs major thirds, then major vs minor sixths, 5 minutes each.
• Learn inversion pairs: a 3rd inverts to a 6th, major becomes minor, perfect stays perfect.

Week 7 check

• Intervals worksheets 2 and 3: 90% or better.
• In the ear trainer, tell major and minor thirds apart 9 times out of 10.

Week 8 — Triads and inversions

Session 1 — Four triad types

• Read the triads lesson. Build C major, C minor, C diminished and C augmented from stacked thirds.
• Use the chord builder to see and hear each on piano or guitar.
• Do triads worksheet 1.

Session 2 — Spelling in any key

• Spell major and minor triads on every root of the circle of fifths. Check with the chord formulas chart.
• Do triads worksheet 2.
• Use the chord identifier: enter three notes, predict the chord name first, then check. 10 examples.

Session 3 — Inversions

• Read the chord inversions lesson. Write C major in root position, first and second inversion.

• Play the inversions of F major and G major on your instrument.
• Learn sus chords as triad variants: Csus2 and Csus4.

Week 8 check

• Spell any major, minor, diminished or augmented triad within 10 seconds, 18 out of 20.
• Identify the inversion of 10 written triads, at least 9 correct.

Week 9 — Seventh chords

Session 1 — Five common sevenths

• Read the seventh chords lesson. Build on C: Cmaj7, C7, Cm7, Cm7b5, Cdim7.
• Hear each one in the chord builder and describe its mood in one word.
• Do sevenths worksheet 1.

Session 2 — Sevenths in other keys

• Spell maj7, 7 and m7 on G, D, F and Bb. Check with the chord formulas chart.
• Play each on your instrument (guitarists: use the chord builder for shapes).

Session 3 — Hearing chord qualities

• Ear trainer, chord qualities: major, minor, diminished, augmented triads for 5 minutes, then maj7 vs 7 vs m7.
• Glance at extensions as a preview: Cadd9, C9 and C6.

Week 9 check

• Sevenths worksheet 1: 90% or better.
• Hear the difference between maj7 and dominant 7 in 8 out of 10 ear trainer questions.

Week 10 — Diatonic harmony

Session 1 — Chords of the major key

• Read the diatonic harmony lesson. Build triads on each degree of C major: I ii iii IV V vi vii°.
• Write the diatonic triads for G major, D major and F major.

Session 2 — Diatonic sevenths

• Stack one more third: Imaj7 ii7 iii7 IVmaj7 V7 vi7 viiø7. Write them in C and G.
• Play them through in the progression player and on your instrument.

Session 3 — Minor key harmony

• Build the diatonic triads of A minor: i ii° III iv v VI VII. Then raise the 7th (harmonic minor) to get a major V.
• Compare i – iv – v – i with i – iv – V – i in the progression player. Which one sounds more final?
• Use the key finder: enter Am – Dm – E7 and see which keys fit.

Week 10 check

• Write the diatonic triads of any major key in under 60 seconds.
• Name the Roman numeral of any chord in C, G, D or F major instantly.

Week 11 — Cadences, progressions and transposition

Session 1 — Cadences

• Read the cadences lesson: authentic (V–I), plagal (IV–I), half (ends on V), deceptive (V–vi).
• Play each in C and G in the progression player and on your instrument.

Session 2 — Common progressions

• Read the chord progressions lesson. Play I–IV–V–I, I–V–vi–IV, ii–V–I and vi–IV–I–V in three keys each.
• Write the 12-bar blues in A and E with dominant sevenths (A7, D7, E7).

Session 3 — Transposition

• Read the transposition and capo lesson. Transpose I–vi–IV–V from C to E, Bb and F# by hand, using Roman numerals.
• Check your answers in the transposer.

Week 11 check

• Identify the cadence type of 8 examples played in the progression player without looking: 7 correct.
• Transpose any 4-chord progression to a new key in under 1 minute.

Week 12 — Modes, pentatonics and review

Session 1 — The modes

• Read the modes lesson. Play the seven modes of C major starting on each note: C ionian, D dorian, E phrygian, F lydian, G mixolydian, A aeolian, B locrian.
• Compare parallel modes on one root in the scale explorer: C dorian, C lydian, C mixolydian. Note the one or two characteristic notes of each.

Session 2 — Pentatonic and blues scales

• Read the pentatonic and blues lesson. Build C major pentatonic, A minor pentatonic and A blues.
• Explain which degrees the major scale loses to become pentatonic (4 and 7) and why that removes all half steps.

Session 3 — Final review

• Redo one worksheet from each topic: treble reading 3, bass reading 3, intervals 3, key signatures 2, triads 2, sevenths 1.
• Analyse a four-chord progression of your own: key, Roman numerals, cadence at the end, and which scale fits for a melody.
• Write an 8-bar melody over it on grand staff paper, ending on the tonic.

Final check

• All six review worksheets at 85% or better.
• Explain the circle of fifths, diatonic chords and a V–I cadence to someone else in under 5 minutes.

After this path

You now speak the language of music. Put it to work:

• Train your ears to hear what you now understand on paper with the 8-week ear training path.
• Guitarists: apply the theory to the neck with the intermediate guitar path and the fretboard path.
• Bassists: the 30-day bass path turns triads and sevenths into grooves.
• Keep exploring all scales, all chords and all keys as a reference.