http://musictheoryprof.wordpress.com/
The goal of this space is to provide helpful resources for students and instructors of music theory fundamentals, aural skills, and more. Its creator does not claim to be a professional music theorist, but rather is an opinionated blow-hard who is disappointed with textbook music theory and most available online resources.
AP Readers’ Favorite Music Theory Websites!
General AP Music Theory Examination and Course Information
www.apcentral.collegeboard.com/
Access to useful articles, the Course Description, the Teachers’ Guide, sample syllabi, free response questions from previous AP exams, an electronic discussion group for AP Music Theory teachers, and many other resources. Available from the College Board store: released exams, the AP Vertical Teams Guide, and other resources.
Fundamentals to intermediate/advanced topics
(For these purposes, fundamentals = note names, key signatures, rhythm values and meter, scales, basic triads and seventh chords; intermediate adds cadences, voice leading, phrase structure, etc.; advanced adds secondary dominants, etc.)
Standard Music Notation Practice
Music Publishers Association guide to notation
www.gmajormusictheory.org
Tutorials and exercises (fundamentals, harmonic dictation, contextual listening) with downloadable workbooks, by a long-time AP Music Theory instructor. Very useful!
www.musictheory.net
Lessons and trainers for introductory theory skills, and a quick source of staff paper
www.good-ear.com
Aural exercises identifying intervals, chords, scales, cadences – with a few ads thrown in
www.emusictheory.com/practice/
Drill on a variety of fundamentals. “Chord functions” will provide chord spelling practice, but the IV-V-I that establishes the key practice uses terrible voice leading.
http://smu.edu/totw/
A complete fundamentals to intermediate web textbook with audio examples illustrating each concept.
www.davesmey.com/index.htm
Worksheets and explanatory handouts on basic and intermediate topics, sight singing and dictation exercises
www.teoria.com
Building and identifying intervals, triads, scales, and modes. A European fixed “do” option is offered in identifications, so if your students use moveable “do” for sight singing, you’ll need to explain the difference.
www.tonalityguide.com/exercises/php
Intermediate-level exercises in chord analysis, embellishing tones, figured bass, cadences, plus fundamentals skills. Printable and savable (on a server) exercises.
http://www.8notes.com/theory/
Fundamentals to intermediate tutorials
http://www.mibac.com/Pages/Theory/Main_Theory.htm
Fundamentals to intermediate tutorials
http://www.musicards.net/
Flash cards for fundamentals drills
http://www.childrensmusicworkshop.com/musictheory/index.html
Trainers for fundamentals drills, plus a staff paper generator. Content is the same as for Ricci Adams’ musictheory.net/ above, plus ads.
http://www.musictheoryminute.com/
Short spoken explanations of topics from intervals to chords, voice motion types, etc., illustrated with a keyboard.
http://www.circle-of-fifths.net
Drills on key signatures and circle of fifths only.
http://cnx.org/content/m10865/latest/
Lessons and exercises on circle of fifths and key signatures.
http://earplane.com/modules/earplane_main/
Aural skills; requires registration and Shockwave
http://neilhawes.com/sstheory/theory.htm
Lesson on very basic topics
http://www.dolmetsch.com/theoryintro.htm
Quite complete lesson series, fundamentals to intermediate
http://library.thinkquest.org/15413/theory/theory.htm
Lessons on fundamentals
http://www.alcorn.edu/musictheory/
Fundamentals through chords in inversion; aural and visual.
http://www.theorylessons.com/modes.html
Modes (including pentatonic scales) from a guitar/bass perspective.
http://www.musictheory.org.uk/
Interactive checking of very basic fundamentals
http://jmdl.com/howard/music/keys_scales.html
A chart summarizing key signatures, scales, and triads.
http://www.wmich.edu/mus-history/TheoryHelp/TheoryHelp.html
Various resources, including downloadable rhythm dictation trainer
www.northern.edu/wieland/theory/tt.htm
Miscellaneous worksheets and explanations of fundamentals; pointers to musical examples of various features; dictation, rhythm, harmony, part-writing and form.
www.sfcmtheory.com/analysis_lectures/analysis_lectures.htm
Notes and score/audio examples on intermediate topics: motives, phrases, periods, forms
www.music.vt.edu/musicdictionary
Vir. Tech. dictionary of terms with audio illustrations; also quizzes, etc.
Teaching Resources Primarily for Instructors
www.musictheoryexamples.com
Compilation of score examples listed by topic. Very useful!
www.imslp.org/wiki/Main_page
Public domain music scores
http://bach.nau.edu/index.html
Integrates music scores with audio and web commentary. Requires Shockwave.
http://dme.mozarteum.at/DME/nma/start.php?l
Mozart Ausgabe online as PDF files. Directions in German.
http://www.societymusictheory.org/mto/
A web journal of recent research; most is not directly applicable to AP Theory.
http://www.philrees.co.uk/links/theory.htm
An annotated listing of theory sites, with links.
http://www.musictheoryresources.com/
“First aid” for theory concepts; links to useful sites.
http://www.flashmusicgames.com/theory/index.html
Online theory games for simple aural skills.
http://www.musicalonline.com/theory.htm
Under “Theory Courses” has links to various college theory course sites.
http://www.funtrivia.com/quizzes/music/other_music/music_theory.html
Online theory quizzes and games
Theory/Aural Skills Programs for Purchase
www.macgamut.com (complete aural/written skills, fundamentals to advanced)
www.ars-nova.com/theory.html (complete aural/written skills, fundamentals to advanced)
http://www.sibelius.com/products/auralia/index.html
Auralia (ear training) and Musition (theory)- (complete aural/written skills, fundamentals to advanced)
http://www.people.vcu.edu/~bhammel/theory/resources/index.html
Links to various sites, including an inexpensive sight singing site.
www.rhythmbee.com
Computer animations that help in fundamentals; requires subscription
www.music-theory.com
Independent online study of fundamentals
Fun YouTube Links
Singing the Syllabus
The Music Theory Song
Sol Ti Re Fa - Dominant Seventh Song
PDQ Bach New Horizons in Music Appreciation
Carol of the Bells
Shoenberg doesn't suck
Doodle Music
Sites that either have downloads or rate ear training software.
https://www.msu.edu/user/spangle9/etsoftware.html
http://www.harmony-central.com/Software/Windows/ear_training.html
http://www.hitsquad.com/smm/win95/EAR_TRAINING/
http://www.educational-software-directory.net/music/ear-training
http://kellysmusicandcomputers.com/music_theory_ear_training_software.htm
http://www.dmoz.org/Computers/Multimedia/Music_and_Audio/Software/Educational/Theory_and_Ear_Training/
http://www.webcrawler.com/webcrawler302/ws/results/Web/music+ear+training/1/417/TopNavigation/Relevance/iq=true/zoom=off/_iceUrlFlag=7?_IceUrl=true
http://www.exefind.com/ear-training-software/
http://ear-training.software.informer.com/
http://www.filesland.com/software/ear-training.html
http://www.musicalhearing.com/
http://www.palatine.ac.uk/directory/index.php/Music/soft/aur/
https://www.wristband.com/content/piano-wrist-arm-positioning-playing/
The goal of this space is to provide helpful resources for students and instructors of music theory fundamentals, aural skills, and more. Its creator does not claim to be a professional music theorist, but rather is an opinionated blow-hard who is disappointed with textbook music theory and most available online resources.
AP Readers’ Favorite Music Theory Websites!
General AP Music Theory Examination and Course Information
www.apcentral.collegeboard.com/
Access to useful articles, the Course Description, the Teachers’ Guide, sample syllabi, free response questions from previous AP exams, an electronic discussion group for AP Music Theory teachers, and many other resources. Available from the College Board store: released exams, the AP Vertical Teams Guide, and other resources.
Fundamentals to intermediate/advanced topics
(For these purposes, fundamentals = note names, key signatures, rhythm values and meter, scales, basic triads and seventh chords; intermediate adds cadences, voice leading, phrase structure, etc.; advanced adds secondary dominants, etc.)
Standard Music Notation Practice
Music Publishers Association guide to notation
www.gmajormusictheory.org
Tutorials and exercises (fundamentals, harmonic dictation, contextual listening) with downloadable workbooks, by a long-time AP Music Theory instructor. Very useful!
www.musictheory.net
Lessons and trainers for introductory theory skills, and a quick source of staff paper
www.good-ear.com
Aural exercises identifying intervals, chords, scales, cadences – with a few ads thrown in
www.emusictheory.com/practice/
Drill on a variety of fundamentals. “Chord functions” will provide chord spelling practice, but the IV-V-I that establishes the key practice uses terrible voice leading.
http://smu.edu/totw/
A complete fundamentals to intermediate web textbook with audio examples illustrating each concept.
www.davesmey.com/index.htm
Worksheets and explanatory handouts on basic and intermediate topics, sight singing and dictation exercises
www.teoria.com
Building and identifying intervals, triads, scales, and modes. A European fixed “do” option is offered in identifications, so if your students use moveable “do” for sight singing, you’ll need to explain the difference.
www.tonalityguide.com/exercises/php
Intermediate-level exercises in chord analysis, embellishing tones, figured bass, cadences, plus fundamentals skills. Printable and savable (on a server) exercises.
http://www.8notes.com/theory/
Fundamentals to intermediate tutorials
http://www.mibac.com/Pages/Theory/Main_Theory.htm
Fundamentals to intermediate tutorials
http://www.musicards.net/
Flash cards for fundamentals drills
http://www.childrensmusicworkshop.com/musictheory/index.html
Trainers for fundamentals drills, plus a staff paper generator. Content is the same as for Ricci Adams’ musictheory.net/ above, plus ads.
http://www.musictheoryminute.com/
Short spoken explanations of topics from intervals to chords, voice motion types, etc., illustrated with a keyboard.
http://www.circle-of-fifths.net
Drills on key signatures and circle of fifths only.
http://cnx.org/content/m10865/latest/
Lessons and exercises on circle of fifths and key signatures.
http://earplane.com/modules/earplane_main/
Aural skills; requires registration and Shockwave
http://neilhawes.com/sstheory/theory.htm
Lesson on very basic topics
http://www.dolmetsch.com/theoryintro.htm
Quite complete lesson series, fundamentals to intermediate
http://library.thinkquest.org/15413/theory/theory.htm
Lessons on fundamentals
http://www.alcorn.edu/musictheory/
Fundamentals through chords in inversion; aural and visual.
http://www.theorylessons.com/modes.html
Modes (including pentatonic scales) from a guitar/bass perspective.
http://www.musictheory.org.uk/
Interactive checking of very basic fundamentals
http://jmdl.com/howard/music/keys_scales.html
A chart summarizing key signatures, scales, and triads.
http://www.wmich.edu/mus-history/TheoryHelp/TheoryHelp.html
Various resources, including downloadable rhythm dictation trainer
www.northern.edu/wieland/theory/tt.htm
Miscellaneous worksheets and explanations of fundamentals; pointers to musical examples of various features; dictation, rhythm, harmony, part-writing and form.
www.sfcmtheory.com/analysis_lectures/analysis_lectures.htm
Notes and score/audio examples on intermediate topics: motives, phrases, periods, forms
www.music.vt.edu/musicdictionary
Vir. Tech. dictionary of terms with audio illustrations; also quizzes, etc.
Teaching Resources Primarily for Instructors
www.musictheoryexamples.com
Compilation of score examples listed by topic. Very useful!
www.imslp.org/wiki/Main_page
Public domain music scores
http://bach.nau.edu/index.html
Integrates music scores with audio and web commentary. Requires Shockwave.
http://dme.mozarteum.at/DME/nma/start.php?l
Mozart Ausgabe online as PDF files. Directions in German.
http://www.societymusictheory.org/mto/
A web journal of recent research; most is not directly applicable to AP Theory.
http://www.philrees.co.uk/links/theory.htm
An annotated listing of theory sites, with links.
http://www.musictheoryresources.com/
“First aid” for theory concepts; links to useful sites.
http://www.flashmusicgames.com/theory/index.html
Online theory games for simple aural skills.
http://www.musicalonline.com/theory.htm
Under “Theory Courses” has links to various college theory course sites.
http://www.funtrivia.com/quizzes/music/other_music/music_theory.html
Online theory quizzes and games
Theory/Aural Skills Programs for Purchase
www.macgamut.com (complete aural/written skills, fundamentals to advanced)
www.ars-nova.com/theory.html (complete aural/written skills, fundamentals to advanced)
http://www.sibelius.com/products/auralia/index.html
Auralia (ear training) and Musition (theory)- (complete aural/written skills, fundamentals to advanced)
http://www.people.vcu.edu/~bhammel/theory/resources/index.html
Links to various sites, including an inexpensive sight singing site.
www.rhythmbee.com
Computer animations that help in fundamentals; requires subscription
www.music-theory.com
Independent online study of fundamentals
Fun YouTube Links
Singing the Syllabus
The Music Theory Song
Sol Ti Re Fa - Dominant Seventh Song
PDQ Bach New Horizons in Music Appreciation
Carol of the Bells
Shoenberg doesn't suck
Doodle Music
Sites that either have downloads or rate ear training software.
https://www.msu.edu/user/spangle9/etsoftware.html
http://www.harmony-central.com/Software/Windows/ear_training.html
http://www.hitsquad.com/smm/win95/EAR_TRAINING/
http://www.educational-software-directory.net/music/ear-training
http://kellysmusicandcomputers.com/music_theory_ear_training_software.htm
http://www.dmoz.org/Computers/Multimedia/Music_and_Audio/Software/Educational/Theory_and_Ear_Training/
http://www.webcrawler.com/webcrawler302/ws/results/Web/music+ear+training/1/417/TopNavigation/Relevance/iq=true/zoom=off/_iceUrlFlag=7?_IceUrl=true
http://www.exefind.com/ear-training-software/
http://ear-training.software.informer.com/
http://www.filesland.com/software/ear-training.html
http://www.musicalhearing.com/
http://www.palatine.ac.uk/directory/index.php/Music/soft/aur/
https://www.wristband.com/content/piano-wrist-arm-positioning-playing/
