Harmony and Counterpoint I
Diatonic harmony and basic counterpoint form the core of this MIT OpenCourseWare subject, which focuses on the classical music of central Europe during the eighteenth century. Students work through simple two-part counterpoint and tones of figuration while combining four kinds of practice: composition, listening, analysis, and sight-singing and keyboard musicianship. Materials include the full syllabus, assignments, and course readings as published by MIT. The approach treats music theory as a craft learned by doing rather than by memorizing rules, so exercises move constantly between writing music and hearing it played. Anyone starting out in tonal harmony, from self-taught musicians to undergraduates, gets a structured first course covering the vocabulary and mechanics that later analysis of eighteenth-century style depends on. The course is free to audit through MIT OpenCourseWare, with no certificate offered.