An explanation of key signature calculation for advanced music students. Discusses the use of sharps and flats in music composition, with illustrated examples. (You may need to download Flash player to view this site.)

This site gives a brief definition of an odd meter. Use the arrows at the bottom to navigate. Provides illustrations and a printable chart.

Examples of simple and compound meters, as well as explanations of the terms duple, triple, and quadruple. Plenty of illustrations accompany this terrific resource. By MusicTheory.net.

A terrific resource for beginners! Gives examples of dots and ties, and explains how they are used. Simple illustrations and explanations make this animated site easy to follow. By MusicTheory.net.

Provides an explanation of half steps, whole steps, flats, and sharps. Illustrated examples accompany these definitions.

This interactive resource provides hands-on lessons in basic music theory and ear training.

[Free Registration/Login Required] This flipchart is an introductory lesson on the five types of notes - whole, half, quarter, eighth, and sixteenth. It gives a visual representation of the note values compared with other note values and...

Like an actor's script, a sheet of music instructs a musician on what to play (the pitch) and when to play it (the rhythm). Sheet music may look complicated, but once you've gotten the hang of a few simple elements like notes, bars and...

In this epic overview, Michael Tilson Thomas traces the development of classical music through the development of written notation, the record, and the re-mix. [20:13]

In this lesson, students will use music as an impetus for stating and supporting opinions. They will compose an opinion poster based on a narrative about a train using percussion instruments. This will involve group work which can lead...

A fabulous resource for beginners! Gives examples and explanations of measures and time signatures. Simple illustrations and explanations make this animated site easy to follow.

Basic music theory course includes clefs, treble and bass staffs, note duration and rests, a quiz section and answers, a download to Bay and a link to Music Notation 2. Good source for beginner theory students

This site provides music theory information on such topics as rhythm, intervals, scales, chords, etc. Also, there is a fine section which describes the basic concepts of form and structure.

An online beginning music theory and ear training site. This site is for students to use at home to reinforce what they learn in class.

This introductory tutorial teaches students basic musical notation for compressed rests and sharps and flats. Further lessons are linked to this page.

This instructional activity will help learners determine whether the notes on a staff appear on a line or on a space. Students also will recognize how many lines and spaces are on a staff.

An essay and lesson plan on traditional American shape-note choral singing.

This is a fantastic site that teaches basic music reading, especially as related to the guitar. Although the site is a promotional software site, the trial version is excellent by itself.

Learn about the meanings and uses of pitch and accidentals. Including sharp, flat, natural and double sharps and flats, this lesson explains why they are necessary.

In standard notation, rhythm is indicated on a musical bar line. But there are other ways to visualize rhythm that can be more intuitive. John Varney describes the 'wheel method' of tracing rhythm and uses it to take us on a musical...