Xenoceratops

Clavichord, but same difference.

What are your experiences with self-teaching music theory? You don't have to be a 100% autodidact to answer this question; you probably have had times when you read a book or watched a video to learn some specific idea or technique. Ideally, I'd like to compile some guides for readers who don't have a teacher.

Personally, I prefer close reading of books and articles, but I know that's hardly a universal approach.

Many graduate music programs require new students to take a diagnostic exam in music theory. Many institutions offer practice exams on their websites. Since these exams represent the expectation of knowledge and abilities acquired by the end of an undergraduate course in music theory, they can be useful as study guides or for gauging one's own level of attainment. More links will be added to this list in the future.

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1. https://www.wmich.edu/musicgradexamprep/

2. https://umshare.miami.edu/web/wda/frost/graduatestudies/MTC%20Common%20Practice%20Sample.pdf

3. https://umshare.miami.edu/web/wda/frost/graduatestudies/Sample%20Aural%20Portion.pdf

4. https://peabody.jhu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/GADMA-Sample.pdf

5. https://www.bgsu.edu/content/dam/BGSU/musical-arts/documents/student-resources/GraduateStudentFiles/theorysamplequestions.pdf

6. https://files.webservices.illinois.edu/5030/entrance_exam_musicology_study_guide_for_jan_2016.pdf

7. https://www.umass.edu/music/sites/default/files/assets/music/practice_diagnostic_theory_exam_general_version_2_2016.pdf

8. https://wwwp.oakland.edu/Assets/upload/docs/MTD/Graduate-Study/Grad-Music-History-&-Theory-Study-Guide-2015.pdf

9. http://www.csueastbay.edu/music/files/docs/exams/graduate-exam.pdf

10. https://music.ku.edu/graduate-music-theory-diagnostic-exam-practice-examples

11. https://www.uh.edu/~tkoozin/theory/diagnostic-exams.html

12. https://www.umass.edu/music/diagnostic-exams-graduate-study

13. https://vpa.uncg.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/practice-exam-10-12-21.pdf

14. https://uca.edu/music/files/2021/04/Graduate-Diagnostic-Theory-History-Study-Guide.pdf

A thesis lecture on partimento and schema in guitar music, including Rule of the Octave.

Slides: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/ad1humm0p24knp2/AACfVw3hQInIOmDxWbgpJIZza?dl=0

A movement from Poglietti's "Toccatina sopra la Ribellione di Hungheria" and a fugue by Kerll. The description of the video mentions:

Those familiar with Johann Kaspar Kerll are likely wondering why a work of his is in the latter half of the piece?

The album this recording originated from was put together as an attempt to show off a bunch of baroque pieces with wide texture variety, most of which were chamber works aside from this one solo harpsichord recording. These two works were put together as complimentary/creative efforts to form a full varied piece, Poglietti being the first half and Kerll the second half. It is also worth noting that Alessandro Poglietti and Johann Kaspar Kerll were very close acquaintances and friends.

A YouTube video about Adam Neely's selective presentation on classical musicians' rhythm, bullying of Adam Ragusea and subsequent failure to retract his fallacious claims, and potential plagiarism of Sideways.

Crazy player piano piece. If you haven't heard it, now you have.

Here is a short list of links for learning music theory and other related skills.

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Online textbooks and learning resources

• musictheory.net, lessons and exercises for theory and ear training.
• Music Theory for the 21st-Century Classroom, an open-access textbook by Robert Hutchinson.
• Music Theory for Musicians and Normal People, convenient one-page summaries written by Toby Rush, covering freshman and sophomore theory.
• Open Music Theory, an open-access online textbook
• teoria.com, lessons and exercises for theory and ear training.
• Hex Music Theory, YouTube videos, analyses, and supplemental materials for a wide variety of theoretical applications. From popular music to classical, guitar stuff, schema theory, Taneyev-style counterpoint, and more.
• Dave Conservatoire, a Khan Academy style website.

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Books

• Christensen, Lars. The Cambridge History of Western Music Theory

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Notation software

• Musescore

• flat.io

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Other programs

• Audio Timeliner, analysis graphing software by Brent Yorgason.

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Online Tools

• Juicio Brennan's Lyric Hyphenator - Automatically hyphenates lyrics. Saves time when copy-pasting into notation programs.

• PC Set-Class Calculator - By David Walters at Mount Alison University.

• TrainedEar PC Set-Class Calculator - Another set calculator. Has links to more such tools.

• ToneSavvy - Exercises for many normal music theory things, but notable for its first species counterpoint trainer.

• Artusi: Counterpoint - A demo of the Artusi software, but it has some exercises in counterpoint up to fourth species with decent error detection.

• WesterParse - Westergaardian Species Counterpoint Online - Software based on the counterpoint rules of Peter Westergaard. Not as straightforward as the other counterpoint tools on this list, but certainly more flexible and robust.

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YouTube channels

• Alan Belkin - classical composition and orchestration

• Bill Carmody - Music Theory chapter reviews of "Music in Theory and Practice" by Benward and Saker.

• David Newman - ear training and musicianship

• Dr. B / Christopher Brellochs - undergraduate theory and ear training

• Early Music Sources - counterpoint, Renaissance and Baroque music

• En blanc et noir - Partimento, classical improvisation

• GUIM - Schenkerian analysis of video game music (VGM)

• Jacob Gran - species counterpoint, Schenkerian analysis

• Jay Beard Music - atonal, set theory, Scriabin

• Jens Larsen - jazz guitar

• Kent Hewitt - jazz piano

• Metal Music Theory - self-explanatory

• Music Matters - ABRSM and undergaduate music theory, as well as various other topics

• NAETE - various pop and classical music topics

• Orchestration Online - orchestration

• The Prog School - progressive rock and metal composition

• Ryan Leach - composition, film and video game music (VGM), classical form

• Samuel Andreyev - 20th century composition and analysis

• Seth Monahan - undergraduate theory

• Signals Music Studio - pop and rock music, production

• Sideways - various topics, film music

• Things I Learned from Barry Harris - jazz guitar

• Walk That Bass - jazz piano

• 8-bit Music Theory - video game music (VGM)

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Welcome to our community! I was a moderator and contributor at /r/musictheory on Reddit, and I'm hoping to build a robust place to discuss music theory here. Forums are always difficult to start, but I'm hoping that as more people find Lemmy, they'll discover this community and bring their knowledge, questions, and relevant things to share. If you have any suggestions for this place in the meantime, don't be shy.

Cheers,

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