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UMontrealX: Solfege at your fingertips 2

Music theory is often perceived as difficult to understand, and music theory as complex to learn. These courses aim to change this perspective by offering a dynamic method that links music theory to the sounds it represents from the very beginning. In addition to the many animated videos that will be presented, activities and exercises will allow you to develop the reflexes necessary to read musical texts.

Solfege at your fingertips 2
5 weeks
7–8 hours per week
Self-paced
Progress at your own speed
Free
Optional upgrade available

There is one session available:

After a course session ends, it will be archivedOpens in a new tab.
Starts Sep 6

About this course

Skip About this course

Welcome to the second course of the MOOC series: Solfege at your fingertips.

This series of free online courses focuses on music theory and its application through music theory.

High school music programs often focus on ensemble playing, leaving less room for music theory. Furthermore, with the many music software programs available, it is easier to create music without mastering and understanding the mechanics of tonal music. It is thus to deprive oneself of all the richness of the colors and the possibilities that this one can bring. Whether you want to study music or are an amateur musician, you can take your playing to the next level by fully mastering the language of music!

  • The first MOOC in the series focuses on writing pitch, note names and accidentals, as well as understanding intervals, the relationship between two notes.
  • This second MOOC deals with tonality, the major scale and the different minor scales.
  • In the third MOOC, we will see the construction of 3 tone chords, 4 tone chords and tonal harmony.
  • In the fourth MOOC (to come), we will discover the writing of rhythms, simple and compound measures as well as binary and ternary beats.

Solfeggio and dictation preparation: Throughout these courses, we will also offer you numerous solfeggio capsules where you will be able to work on your sight-reading with our students, as well as a series of capsules where you will be guided step by step to make musical dictations. These capsules were prepared by Sylvie Ouellette who has been teaching ear training for over 20 years at Cégep Marie-Victorin. Each capsule will be followed by exercises on the theme previously discussed. Thanks to this incredible tool, you will be able to put into practice all the theoretical notions you have learned and be ready for your college or university auditions.

We hope that this series will help you demystify music theory so that you can read a score with as much pleasure as you would have reading a good novel!

Welcome to this MOOC series: Solfege at your fingertips

Course created with support from

Université de MontréalCéGEP Marie-Victorin

At a glance

  • Institution: UMontrealX
  • Subject: Music
  • Level: Intermediate
  • Prerequisites:

    This series of courses is designed to adequately prepare students for admission to a pre-university or university music program, so that they can begin their studies with a solid foundation.

    This course is designed for music enthusiasts as well. Whether they play an instrument, sing or compose music, they will learn to read and write music while mastering the mechanisms that structure it.

  • Language: English
  • Video Transcript: English

What you'll learn

Skip What you'll learn
  • Music
  • Jazz and classical performance
  • Composition

Module 1 - the major scale

The tones and semitones, the names of the degrees, the pentacord and tetrachord, the weaves and the key in sharps and flats, the cycle of fifths and the enharmonic scales.

Module - Preparation for Dictation and Major Solfege

Degrees 123, degrees 1234, the lower pentacord, the 1st degree arpeggio, etc.

Module 2 - The minor

Numerical naming and the three minor modes, the relative minor, homonymous scales, enharmonic scales and the use of accidentals in minor.

Module - Dictation and minor solfege preparation

The lower pentacord, 1st degree arpeggio and tonal attractions, harmonic tetrachord, natural tetrachord, etc.

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