Software/app to learn music theory
One of the challenges to learn theory for me as an adult learner, is that I do not have enough opportunities to put it in practice. I work a full time job and have small kids, so I sneak in maybe 45 minutes to an hour of practice a night after everyone has gone to bed. I really want to learn theory and have done courses on Udemy but without using the knowledge regularly I just lose it after a little bit of time.
Growing up I learned typing through Mavis Beacon, and the repeated drills that get harder and harder over time really worked. I wonder if there is something similar to make learning music theory fun, and possible for non-professional musicians.
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Hi Dave,
I know what you're talking about with trying to sneak in some practice after a day's work and putting kids to bed! An app that I've found and really like isn't specifically a theory app, however, it is related and I think a bit more helpful when it comes to learning a skill that be applied to piano and improve your learning curve with new pieces, sight-reading, phrasing, etc. It's called "Politonus" and was created by mDecks music (that company makes other theory software/apps as well that you may want to check out, but I can't vouch for those). On the Apple app store, there are 3 separate apps, each $5.99. They train your ear to recognize individual intervals, combinations, chords, scales, etc. in a game-like format. I was always horrible at ear-training but this app really made a difference in how I hear notes, patterns, chords, etc. It has a built in "coach" which measures your progress and throws different exercises your way based on how you perform. I hope that gives you something to look into!
Cheers,
Tim
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Timothy Thanks Tim, Politonus looks pretty interesting and I'll definitely give it a try! Even learning to hear chord progression would help me a lot. My teacher would explain how a Beethoven piece would go from Dom 7th to Dom 7th to Dom 7th, and while conceptually I understand it after he explains, it's not very apparent to me when I'm by myself. Appreciate it!
Something like this, in a game format, is exactly what I'm looking for. I'll start here.
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Rui Thank you. I already know about Tenuto and used it a few years back when I was first starting. It's pretty good to drill specific things into memory. I'm using it now with my child for example to learn how to read notes and key signatures.
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Not an app but a video resource: https://www.mymusictheory.com Although the author is British, she references both US and UK terminology (e.g. quarter notes vs. crochets). Helped me ace my theory exams.
