You play by ear and want to know why
Your hands know it and your head does not.
Courses
Start with three things you can do today
How to understand music theory using songs you know
Hear why the songs you love work.
Connect a small musical pattern to the terms that describe it, then listen or play to check the relationship. In common Western tonal theory, scales and chords provide one useful framework. They are not universal rules for every musical tradition or a guarantee of how a listener will feel.
Want new features first?
A starting goal
I want to understand music theory well enough to know why songs work. Explain keys, chords, scales and rhythm through music I already know rather than exercises.
Change any word so it fits your situation. The course is built from what you type and a few setup questions.
Start today
Three things you can do before the course exists.
Useful on their own. The course is for when you want the whole skill, not just the first move.
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Build one chord from a scale
Write the C major scale as C,D,E,F,G,A,B, then return to C. Taking its first, third and fifth notes gives C,E,G, a C major triad. This is a specific example of building a three-note chord, not a claim that all music uses this scale.
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Check the pattern with another starting point
Within that same scale, begin on D and take alternate scale notes: D,F,A. This makes a D minor triad. The letter-skipping pattern is similar, but the spacing of pitches differs. Open Music Theory explains roots, thirds, fifths and triad qualities.
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Listen without turning description into a rule
If you have a suitable instrument, compare the two chords, at a comfortable volume. Describe what you hear; do not assume every major chord sounds happy to everyone. A song's key requires musical context, not simply the note a listener notices most.
Sources: Open Music Theory: triads, roots, thirds and fifths. Practical examples are starting points, not promised results.
- Best for
- Art & music
- Prerequisites
- None. Bring the situation you have.
- Course length
- 7 to 30 lessons
- Pace
- Yours. One lesson at a time, as often as you like.
- Format
- Read it, or play the audio
- Access
- Available on the App Store and Google Play, with an optional early testing list
Before the course is built
Setup asks about your situation first.
Lesson 1 opens on the moment you describe, and the examples use your role. For this request, expect questions like these.
- Do you play an instrument or sing, or is this for listening?
- What music do you know best, so the examples can come from it?
- What do you most want to understand: chords, keys, rhythm, or how songs are built?
Right for now
If any of this sounds familiar, start here.
Theory books lose you on page two
Notation, terms, and no music.
You want to write or understand songs
Why this chord after that one, and what makes a chorus lift.
Course arc
Where the course goes, in order.
Cadence writes the lessons for you, so the exact path follows your answers. This is the ground a course built from this sentence covers.
01 / 06Notes and scales
Explore common Western pitch and scale conventions while recognizing other musical systems.
Keys and the feeling of home
Tonic, tension and resolution.
Building chords
Triads, sevenths, and what color each adds.
Progressions
Compare recurring chord relationships in the styles you want to understand.
Rhythm and meter
Beats, bars, groove, and why some rhythms make you move.
Song structure
Listen for sections and how their relationships shape a particular song.
What changes
What you will be able to do, and what you will stop believing.
You will be able to
Hear scales and keys
Major, minor and the feeling of home.
Understand chords
How they are built and why they pull toward each other.
Follow a progression
Identify a sequence of chords and compare its role in a specific piece.
Feel rhythm and structure
Beats, bars, and how a song is put together.
Ideas this course corrects
A few chord patterns explain all music
Patterns can help with a particular style, but musical systems and practices vary. State the scope.
Theory determines the right emotional response
Theory can describe relationships. Interpretation and listening experience are not fixed by one label.
Course questions
What to know before you start.
How to understand music theory using songs you know: what can I do today?
Build one chord from a scale. Write the C major scale as C,D,E,F,G,A,B, then return to C. Taking its first, third and fifth notes gives C,E,G, a C major triad. This is a specific example of building a three-note chord, not a claim that all music uses this scale. Check the pattern with another starting point. Within that same scale, begin on D and take alternate scale notes: D,F,A. This makes a D minor triad. The letter-skipping pattern is similar, but the spacing of pitches differs. Open Music Theory explains roots, thirds, fifths and triad qualities. Listen without turning description into a rule. If you have a suitable instrument, compare the two chords, at a comfortable volume. Describe what you hear; do not assume every major chord sounds happy to everyone. A song's key requires musical context, not simply the note a listener notices most.
Is this a fixed course?
No. Cadence builds the course when you type the sentence and answer a few setup questions, so the lessons follow your situation. This page describes what a course built from this request covers. You see the whole path before Lesson 1.
Who is this course for?
Connect a small musical pattern to the terms that describe it, then listen or play to check the relationship. In common Western tonal theory, scales and chords provide one useful framework. They are not universal rules for every musical tradition or a guarantee of how a listener will feel. It sits under Art & music in the Ideas & discovery part of the library.
Do I need any prior experience?
No. Setup asks what you already know and where you want to use it, and the course starts from there. Bring a real situation if you have one; the examples are built around it.
How long does it take?
Most courses run 7 to 30 lessons. The course length is sized to what you asked for. You set the pace: one lesson at a time, as often as you like. Lessons can be read or played as audio.
Does this course award a certificate or degree?
No. Cadence is for practical self-learning and does not award accredited degrees or professional certification.
Start today
Type it, answer a few questions, open Lesson 1.
A starting goal
I want to understand music theory well enough to know why songs work. Explain keys, chords, scales and rhythm through music I already know rather than exercises.
Want new features first?