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Free course

Introduction to music theory 2: pitch and notation

Free statement of participation on completion
Introduction to music theory 2: pitch and notation

In this free course, you will explore the concept of musical pitch by working with examples of folk, popular, and classical music from several world traditions. You will learn how pitch is represented using staff notation and other forms of illustration. You will also practise reading and writing pitch using staff notation, and learn to perform short musical extracts from notation.

This course is adapted from the Open University course A234 Understanding Music. It is the second in a planned sequence of courses that will each introduce different aspects of music theory.

Course learning outcomes

After studying this course, you should be able to:

  • understand how pitch and interval are conceptualised in several musical traditions
  • perceive differences of pitch and interval 
  • understand how pitch can be represented visually, including through staff notation
  • read and write pitches using staff notation
  • play and sing short musical examples transmitted through music notation.

First Published: 07/10/2024

Updated: 07/10/2024

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