Learn music theory free
Nine steps from reading your first note to hearing chord progressions. Each step pairs a short explanation with an exercise, so you learn it and hear it at the same time.
Read notes on the staff
Learn the lines and spaces in treble and bass clef, plus middle C and ledger lines.
Rhythm and time signatures
Note values, rests, dots and counting in 2/4, 3/4 and 4/4.
Intervals
Count letter names and semitones; learn major, minor and perfect intervals, and start hearing them.
Major scales and key signatures
The W–W–H–W–W–W–H pattern, the order of sharps and flats, and the circle of fifths.
Minor scales and solfège
Natural, harmonic and melodic minor; relative minors; singing degrees with do-re-mi.
Triads and seventh chords
Stack thirds to build major, minor, diminished and augmented triads, then the common sevenths.
Harmony: progressions and cadences
Roman numerals, tonic–pre-dominant–dominant function, and the cadences that end phrases.
Modes and colour
Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian and friends, and how to hear their colour notes.
Put it together
Read and hear real melodies, and test yourself across topics.
How to study so it sticks
Learn, then hear. Every concept above has an ear-training twin. After you understand what a minor 3rd is, spend five minutes recognising it. Theory without the sound tends to evaporate.
Short and daily. Research on spaced practice (the “spacing effect”, documented since Hermann Ebbinghaus in the 1880s) shows that short, repeated sessions beat cramming. Your practice days are tracked on your progress page.
Ask when stuck. If an explanation doesn’t click, put the question to the AI theory tutor in your own words.
Preparing for an exam?
Graded exams (ABRSM, Trinity, RCM and others) and AP Music Theory each publish a syllabus listing exactly which scales, intervals and chords you need at each level. Use it as a checklist against the steps above, and set the exercises to match: for example, restrict the interval trainer to the intervals your grade requires.
Questions
Can I learn music theory for free?
Yes. Everything on this path is free and runs in your browser with no account. Pair it with a textbook or teacher if you are preparing for a formal exam, so you cover the exact syllabus.
What order should I learn music theory in?
A practical order is: reading notes, rhythm and time signatures, intervals, major scales and key signatures, minor scales, triads, chord progressions and cadences, then modes and seventh chords. Ear training should run alongside all of it.
Do I need an instrument?
No, but it helps. This site includes an on-screen keyboard for every exercise. If you do play, try each concept on your instrument too.
How much time should I spend each day?
Fifteen to twenty minutes a day is plenty: about half on a new concept and half on ear training and reading drills. Short daily sessions beat long occasional ones.
Is music theory the same as ear training?
They are two sides of one skill. Theory names and explains what is happening in music; ear training lets you recognise it by sound. Exams usually test both, often as separate written and aural papers.