Hear music
in color.
Hear the shape of music. See its patterns in color. Learn theory by playing, listening, and discovering what makes a song work.
Lesson path I
The Major Foundations
Notes, scales, and your first chords.
Unit 1 · notes
Chromatic Notes
All twelve notes, one loop.
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1.1
All the letters
A through G. Each letter is a frequency.
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1.2
Sharps & flats
Two names, one key. And Big Cats Eat Fish.
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1.3
Higher or lower
Two notes. Which way did the pitch move?
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1.4
Octaves
Double the frequency, same letter.
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1.5
The chromatic scale
Twelve equal steps, one semitone each.
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Unit 2 · scales
Major Scale
Seven from twelve: W–W–H–W–W–W–H.
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2.1
Whole & half steps
Two step sizes build every scale.
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2.2
The major scale formula
W–W–H–W–W–W–H. Do re mi, spelled out.
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2.3
Every note has a number
Scale degrees 1–7. And do is home.
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2.4
Distances have names
Seconds, thirds, fifths. The gaps between notes.
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2.5
Intervals going down
A 5th down from C lands on F. Same size, different note.
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2.6
The circle of fifths
Twelve hops of a fifth loop through every key.
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2.7
Melodies in the scale
Steps, skips, and three tunes you know.
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Unit 3 · chords
Building Chords
Root, third, fifth, played together.
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Unit 4 · chords
Chords of the Key
Seven chords live in every key.
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4.1
A chord on every step
Build a triad on each degree of the scale.
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4.2
Chords from the scale
Root, skip, skip on any degree. Only scale notes.
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4.3
Why the 7th chord is diminished
The scale's shape sets each chord's quality.
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4.4
Every key's seven chords
One table: twelve keys, seven chords each.
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Unit 5 · progressions
Simple Diatonic Chord Progressions
Three chords, and the loops they make.
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5.1
Every chord has a role
Home, away, strongest pull. Three chords carry most songs.
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5.2
Home and away
Two-chord loops. Leave, then return.
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5.3
The longer way home
I–IV–V–I. Away through IV, pull through V, land on I.
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5.4
Follow the song
Hear a loop of I, IV, and V, tap the path it took.
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Unit 6 · progressions
The vi, ii, and iii Chords
Three minor chords, each standing in for I, IV, or V.
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6.1
The other four chords
vi, ii, iii, and vii°. Each shares two notes with I, IV, or V.
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6.2
vi stands in for I
V lands on vi instead of I: the minor home.
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6.3
The pop loop
I–V–vi–IV. And its famous rotation.
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6.4
The doo-wop loop
I–vi–IV–V. The pop loop's chords, reordered.
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6.5
ii stands in for IV
Two away chords. They share two notes, so either sets up V.
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6.6
ii sets up V
ii–V–I. Three roots, each a fifth down.
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6.7
ii without V
Next to V, ii pulls. Next to vi or IV, it sits away.
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6.8
iii stands in for I
E G B shares two notes with I and two with V.
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6.9
iii before IV
I–iii–IV. E rises to F, B rises to C.
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6.10
Follow the song, with vi, ii, and iii
Hear a loop from this unit, tap the path it took.
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Unit 7 · progressions
Chord Movements
Three ways a root can move, and how each one sounds.
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7.1
Three ways a root can move
Down a fifth, down a third, up a second.
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7.2
Down a fifth
iii–vi–ii–V–I. Every root falls a fifth.
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7.3
Down a third
I–vi–IV–ii. Each pair of chords shares two notes.
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7.4
Up a second
I–ii–iii–IV–V. Neighbors share no notes, so every step is a full change.
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7.5
Follow the movement
Hear a chain, name its movement, tap its chords.
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The road continues
Beyond the lessons
Reference shelfThe lessons teach; this shelf answers. Every scale, chord, and rhythm value in one place, and all of it plays.open →ToolsThe small machines musicians keep within reach: looper, sketchpad, metronome, tuner, transposer. Nothing here grades you.open →Practice roomsEvery room trains one skill. Name what you hear, or turn it around and play, tap, and sing the answers.open →