About this course: After a tremendous response from learners on Coursera, Berklee Online has created a Developing Your Musicianship specialization, and this course is the second course in the series. If you have a basic knowledge of music theory or if you have completed Developing Your Musicianship I, this course will continue to help you understand key musical concepts, enabling you to create and perform contemporary music. Taught by Berklee College of Music professor George W. Russell, Jr., the course includes four lessons that delve into the next level of harmony and ear training. The course will introduce you to new key signatures, including minor tonalities, and how they are constructed. You will train your ear to hear minor intervals and 7th chords. You will learn how to build 7th chords, and how to build common chord progressions. You will also learn the major pentatonic scale and how to construct melodies using this scale. The course culminates with an assignment that asks you to compose and perform an 8-measure composition using popular chord progressions and the Major pentatonic scale. Just like Developing Your Musicianship I, the course is designed to impart the joy of creating music and sharing it with others.
Who is this class for: This course is for learners who wish to develop musical skills and gain a working knowledge of music theory and ear training. This course is designed as the second course in the "Developing Your Musicianship" specialization. We recommend completing Developing Your Musicianship before enrolling in this course.
Created by: Berklee
Taught by: George W. Russell, Jr., Professor
Harmony/Piano
| Basic Info | Course 2 of 4 in the Developing Your Musicianship Specialization |
| Level | Intermediate |
| Commitment | 4 weeks of study, 3-5 hours a week |
| Language | English |
| Hardware Req | You'll need a camera or scanner to upload images of your assignments. |
| How To Pass | Pass all graded assignments to complete the course. |
| User Ratings |
Syllabus
WEEK 1
Welcome to Musicianship: Chord Charts, Diatonic Chords, and Minor Keys!
Welcome to Musicianship: Chord Charts, Diatonic Chords, and Minor Keys (also known as Developing Your Musicianship II)! Here we will cover all the details about the course and what you'll need to know to get the most out of your course experience.
1 video, 8 readings, 1 practice quiz
- Video: Welcome!
- Reading: A Note From George
- Reading: A Note From Your Teaching Assistant
- Practice Quiz: What Are Your Goals?
- Reading: Connect on Facebook and Twitter
- Reading: Learner Support
- Reading: Peer Review Assignments
- Reading: Course Certificates
- Reading: Course Resources
- Reading: How to Record Yourself for Your Assignments
- Discussion Prompt: Share Your Music Theory Resources
Lesson 1
In this lesson, we will spend a little time reviewing the material from Developing Your Musicianship I. We will learn about the Key of F Major and its related minor key, D minor. We will also practice training our ears to hear minor 2nd and 3rd intervals and major and minor 7th chords.
5 videos, 2 readings
- Video: Review from Developing Your Musicianship I
- Reading: Lesson 1 Study Guide
- Video: F Major and D minor
- Video: Intervals and Chords - Part 1
- Video: Lesson 1 Ear Training Practice
- Video: Write and Practice in the Key of F Major and D minor
- Peer Review: Write in the Key of F Major and D minor
- Reading: Check Your Work: Write in the Key of F Major and D minor
Graded: Lesson 1
WEEK 2
Lesson 2
In this lesson, we will explore diatonic 7th chords in the key of G major and F major. We will learn four new popular chord progression using diatonic triads. We will continue to train our ears, reviewing the intervals and chords from the previous lesson while adding minor 6th and 7th intervals and the dominant 7th chord.
6 videos, 2 readings
- Video: Review from Lesson 1
- Reading: Lesson 2 Study Guide
- Video: Diatonic Triads and 7th Chords in F Major
- Video: Popular Chord Progressions Using Diatonic Triads
- Discussion Prompt: Popular Progressions
- Video: Intervals and Chords - Part 2
- Video: Lesson 2 Ear Training Practice
- Video: Write and Practice the Popular Progressions
- Peer Review: Write the Popular Progressions
- Reading: Check Your Work: Write the Popular Progressions
Graded: Lesson 2
WEEK 3
Lesson 3
In this lesson, we will learn about the key of G major. We will play with the popular chord progressions from the last lesson by adding the 7th. We will continue to train our ears, reviewing the intervals and chords from the previous two lessons while adding the tritone and the half diminished (or the minor 7 flat 5) chord.
6 videos, 2 readings
- Video: Review from Lesson 2
- Reading: Lesson 3 Study Guide
- Video: The Key of G
- Video: Popular Chord Progressions in the Key of G Using 7th Chords
- Video: Intervals and Chords - Part 3
- Video: Lesson 3 Ear Training Practice
- Video: Write and Practice in the Key of G Major and E minor
- Peer Review: Write in the Key of G Major and E minor
- Reading: Check Your Work: Write in the Key of G Major and E minor
Graded: Lesson 3 Quiz
WEEK 4
Lesson 4
In this final lesson, we will explore the major pentatonic scale. We will also learn how to write a chord chart using the popular chord progressions from this course. We will continue to train our ears, reviewing all of the intervals and chords from the course.
7 videos, 2 readings
- Video: Review from Lesson 3
- Reading: Lesson 4 Study Guide
- Video: The Major Pentatonic Scale
- Video: Chord Charts
- Video: Lesson 4 Ear Training Practice
- Video: Compose an 8-Measure Song
- Video: Giving and Receiving Feedback
- Reading: Advancing Your Knowledge and Skill
- Video: Congratulations!
Graded: Lesson 4 Quiz
Graded: Compose An 8-Measure Song
FAQs
How It Works
Coursework
Each course is like an interactive textbook, featuring pre-recorded videos, quizzes and projects.
Help from Your Peers
Connect with thousands of other learners and debate ideas, discuss course material, and get help mastering concepts.
Certificates
Earn official recognition for your work, and share your success with friends, colleagues, and employers.
Creators
Berklee
Berklee College of Music was founded on the revolutionary principle that the best way to prepare students for careers in music is through the study and practice of contemporary music. For more than half a century, the college has evolved to reflect the state of the art of music and the music business. Berklee serves distance learners worldwide through its award-winning online extension school, Berklee Online.
Pricing
| Audit | Purchase Course | |
|---|---|---|
| Access to course materials | Available | Available |
| Access to graded materials | Not available | Available |
| Receive a final grade | Not available | Available |
| Earn a shareable Course Certificate | Not available | Available |
Ratings and Reviews
Great course! Great teacher! Highly recommended!
Excellent course, i learned a lot from this class.
Incredibly fast stepbystep method to understand harmony music itself and creativity.
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I have really enjoyed taking this course! I really wish there was more focus on the bass clef. Because our homework required us to write a song it was really difficult and I had to look at outside resources for this help. I love the ear training practicing as it has been very helpful for me.