Online Music Theory, Harmony, and Ear Training Courses

Our 12-week online music theory, harmony, and ear training courses are authored and taught by industry experts and the same renowned instructors that teach at Berklee College of Music's Boston campus.


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    OCWPR-130
    Arranging 1: Rhythm Section
    Level 1

    Level 1

    Credit: $1,545
    Non-credit: $1,290
    Explore all of the aspects of writing and arranging for the rhythm section and essential techniques for arranging music for a band.
    OCWPR-250
    Arranging and Producing Contemporary Music Styles
    Level 2

    Level 2

    Credit: $1,545
    Non-credit: $1,290
    Learn how to create your own original grooves by analyzing, writing, sequencing, and recording the styles that have influenced contemporary music in Europe and the US.
    OCWPR-332
    Arranging: Advanced Horn Writing
    Level 3

    Level 3

    Credit: $1,545
    Non-credit: $1,290
    Take your arranging abilities to the next level by studying more advanced techniques for voicing chords, orchestration, articulations, and background lines.
    OCWPR-231
    Arranging: Small Ensemble and Horns
    Level 2

    Level 2

    Credit: $1,545
    Non-credit: $1,290
    Develop your writing and arranging skills for small and large ensembles and learn techniques that you can apply to both live instrumentation and sequences.
    OCWPR-333
    Arranging: Woodwinds and Strings
    Level 3

    Level 3

    Credit: $1,545
    Non-credit: $1,290
    Explore the sound and personality of woodwind and string instruments and learn how to apply them to songs, arrangements, and compositions.
    OEART-115
    Basic Ear Training
    Level 1

    Level 1

    Credit: $1,545
    Non-credit: $1,290
    Build your confidence as a performer with this practical approach to ear training by learning how to notate rhythms and identify different parts of a song.
    OCWPR-334
    Contemporary Vocal Arranging
    Level 3

    Level 3

    Credit: $1,545
    Non-credit: $1,290
    Master the concepts of vocal writing and arranging and learn to write vocal charts in a number of contemporary styles, including jazz, folk, pop, and R&B.
    OCOMP-250
    Counterpoint
    Level 2

    Level 2

    Credit: $1,545
    Non-credit: $1,290
    Gain a broad overview of counterpoint and the art of writing lines that support both the melody and the overall structure of a composition.
    OCOMP-320
    Creative Strategies for Composition Beyond Style
    Level 3

    Level 3

    Credit: $1,545
    Non-credit: $1,290
    Explore a variety of approaches to composing and learn how to develop any musical idea, from a melodic fragment to a catchy rhythm or phrase, or a chord.
    OLART-100
    Developing Your Artistry
    Level 1

    Level 1

    Credit: $1,545
    Non-credit: $1,290
    Explore what it means to be an artist, from a philosophical and practical perspective while learning how to plan and sustain a creative career.
    OEART-119
    Ear Training 1
    Level 1

    Level 1

    Credit: $1,545
    Non-credit: $1,290
    Ear Training 1 is all about learning how to accurately recognize, imagine, remember, and notate musical sounds, while gaining the ability to read music notation.
    OEART-120
    Ear Training 2
    Level 2

    Level 2

    Credit: $1,545
    Non-credit: $1,290
    Building off of Ear Training 1, Ear Training 2 will improve your improvisation skills, musical interaction in performance, and music perception in listening.
    OEART-215
    Ear Training for Live Performance
    Level 2

    Level 2

    Credit: $1,545
    Non-credit: $1,290
    Learn to play what you hear more quickly, become more certain of the notes you are performing, and respond to music with greater conviction and expression.
    OHARM-110
    Getting Inside Harmony 1
    Level 1

    Level 1

    Credit: $1,545
    Non-credit: $1,290
    Learn to identify and modify chord progressions, improvise effectively from chord to chord, and deepen your understanding of musicā€™s inner workings.
    OHARM-211
    Getting Inside Harmony 2
    Level 2

    Level 2

    Credit: $1,545
    Non-credit: $1,290
    Explore more advanced principals in harmony, including melodic and harmonic tension, chord substitution, and chromatically altered chords.
    OEART-320
    Harmonic Ear Training: Recognizing Chord Progressions
    Level 3

    Level 3

    Credit: $1,545
    Non-credit: $1,290
    Learn techniques that will improve your performance, arranging, and compositional skills by learning to recognize what is going on within chord progressions.
    OHARM-212
    Harmony 2
    Level 2

    Level 2

    Credit: $1,545
    Non-credit: $1,290
    Harmony 2 studies concepts such as melodic construction and motif development and builds upon principles of linear harmonic continuity (voice leading). The course also introduces concepts like guide tones, modal interchange, blues theory, chord progressions, melodic rhythm, form and melody/harmony relationships.
    OLART-220
    History of Film Music
    Level 2

    Level 2

    Credit: $1,545
    Non-credit: $1,290
    This course is a survey of music in film, covering everything from the late 1800s to the present day.
    OMUTH-201
    Introduction to Music Therapy
    Level 2

    Level 2

    Credit: $1,545
    Non-credit: $1,290
    Gain an understanding of a music therapy career, including training requirements, levels of practice, and music therapy techniques.
    OCOMP-395
    Jazz Composition
    Level 3

    Level 3

    Credit: $1,545
    Non-credit: $1,290
    Learn effective techniques that will help you compose jazz tunes that have a balance of melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic appeal.
    OHARM-105
    Music Application and Theory
    Level 1

    Level 1

    Credit: $1,545
    Non-credit: $1,290
    Music Application and Theory provides a study of music fundamentals and their use in contemporary popular music.
    OLSOC-307
    Music Cognition
    Level 3

    Level 3

    Credit: $1,545
    Non-credit: $1,290
    Explore the mental processes underlying musical behaviors and how emotion, environment, cognitive capacity, and other factors influence how we perceive music.
    OHARM-100
    Music Foundations
    Level 1

    Level 1

    Credit: $1,545
    Non-credit: $1,290
    Learn the essential concepts in harmony and ear training to strengthen your musicianship, regardless of the instrument or style of music that you play.
    OLART-233
    Music History of the Western World 1: Medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque
    Level 2

    Level 2

    Credit: $1,545
    Non-credit: $1,290
    Explore the development of Western European music from Antiquity and the Middle Ages through the Renaissance and Baroque periods.
    OLART-234
    Music History of the Western World 2: Classical, Romantic, and Modern
    Level 2

    Level 2

    Credit: $1,545
    Non-credit: $1,290
    Gain an understanding of how music was developed in the West through the study of composers, compositions, and key characteristics of a number of musical genres.
    OCWPR-101
    Music Notation and Score Preparation Using Finale
    Level 1

    Level 1

    Credit: $1,545
    Non-credit: $1,290
    Create great-looking sheet music quickly and easily with the powerful Finale music notation software, and learn techniques to maximize speed, control, and accuracy.
    OCWPR-103
    Music Notation and Score Preparation using Sibelius Ultimate
    Level 1

    Level 1

    Credit: $1,545
    Non-credit: $1,290
    Learn to use Sibelius to create lead sheets, scores, and parts, as well as how to enter and format notation so it conforms to current music publishing standards.
    OHARM-101
    Music Theory 101
    Level 1

    Level 1

    Credit: $1,545
    Non-credit: $1,290
    Learn music theory and gain the foundation you need to take your skills to a higher level by reading, writing, and critically listening to music.
    OHARM-201
    Music Theory 201: Harmony and Function
    Level 2

    Level 2

    Credit: $1,545
    Non-credit: $1,290
    Become a more effective player and writer by studying harmony and furthering your music theory background to understand the rhythms, progressions, and complex chords in jazz, pop, blues, and rock.
    OHARM-301
    Music Theory 301: Advanced Melody, Harmony, Rhythm
    Level 3

    Level 3

    Credit: $1,545
    Non-credit: $1,290
    Prepare yourself for any future musical endeavor and gain a professional command of the mechanics of contemporary music in this advanced music theory course.
    OHARM-104
    Music Theory Fundamentals
    Level 1

    Level 1

    Credit: $1,545
    Non-credit: $1,290
    Music Theory Fundamentals will lead you to a basic understanding of scales, harmony, bass lines, rhythmic language, and music notation. Geared towards students with no prior literacy in music, in this course you will explore music fundamentals and their use in contemporary popular music.
    OCOMP-110
    Music Theory and Composition 1
    Level 1

    Level 1

    Credit: $1,545
    Non-credit: $1,290
    Gain a solid understanding of music fundamentals by taking a detailed look at the major and minor keys, and the tools to comprehend scales and chords.
    OCOMP-111
    Music Theory and Composition 2
    Level 2

    Level 2

    Credit: $1,545
    Non-credit: $1,290
    Further your own musical language by expanding your knowledge of major and minor key harmony and melody, in addition to scales, chords, and drum grooves.
    OCOMP-210
    Music Theory and Composition 3
    Level 2

    Level 2

    Credit: $1,545
    Non-credit: $1,290
    Continue developing the foundation for your musical knowledge as you explore and express yourself through composition for film, TV, and video games.
    OCOMP-211
    Music Theory and Composition 4
    Level 2

    Level 2

    Credit: $1,545
    Non-credit: $1,290
    Building on the foundation of the previous three levels, learn compositional techniques first pioneered by twentieth century European and American composers.
    OVOIC-100
    Music Theory and Sight-Singing for Vocalists
    Level 1

    Level 1

    Credit: $1,545
    Non-credit: $1,290
    This course is a basic to Intermediate level class introducing the elements of music theory and sight-reading for vocalists who would like to develop a strong fundamental knowledge of music theory and improve sight-singing skills.
    OMUTH-105
    Music Therapy Techniques for Wellness
    Level 1

    Level 1

    Credit: $1,545
    Non-credit: $1,290
    Enrich your mind, body, and spirit by learning about the psychological, neurological, and immunological changes that can happen when you engage with music.
    OPIAN-245
    Piano Chords 101
    Level 2

    Level 2

    Credit: $1,545
    Non-credit: $1,290
    Learn how to construct, recognize, and musically use essential chords at the keyboard.
    OHARM-412
    Reharmonization Techniques
    Level 4

    Level 4

    Credit: $1,545
    Non-credit: $1,290
    Take your musical vocabulary and skill set to a whole new level for writing, arranging, and performing music of any genre by learning reharmonization.
    OLART-170
    Rock History
    Level 1

    Level 1

    Credit: $1,545
    Non-credit: $1,290
    Discover the history of rock ā€˜nā€™ roll from the people who lived it, and learn about the prime innovators and the historical context in which the genre and its subgenres have alternately flourished and struggled.
    OCTHR-103
    Script Analysis for Theater

    This is a Boston Conservatory course offered through Berklee Online.

    Level 1

    Level 1

    Credit: $1,545
    Non-credit: $1,290
    Script Analysis for Theater offers insight into the role of form and structure in theater. Examining genres, aesthetics, and movements across time and around the globe, students will finish the course better prepared to deliver their own work to the stage.
    OLSOC-150
    The Language of Film and TV
    Level 1

    Level 1

    Credit: $1,545
    Non-credit: $1,290
    Gain a thorough understanding of film and TV, and learn to communicate effectively with directors, producers, and others involved in the production process.
    OCMUS-105
    Time and Rhythm 1

    This is a Boston Conservatory course offered through Berklee Online.

    Level 1

    Level 1

    Credit: $1,545
    Non-credit: $1,290
    This course is designed to enhance your relationship with time by strengthening your sense of internal pulse, aurally analyzing rhythmic structures in music, and by examining the foundations of rhythmic notation.