Course info

Do you want to learn how to read music? In this fun, interactive course, you'll learn how to read the rhythm and beat on the musical page. You'll also master the vocabulary of musical terms and be able to sing and tap out simple to complex beats. Whether you’re brand new to music or in your first year of “outside” music lessons in voice or with an instrument, this course helps you to master reading music.  

Ready to begin?

Here's how to get the most out of How to Read Music, Part One: Mastering Rhythm (MUS-1) with Erin M. Brown:

• Before the first class meeting, read the course materials below.

• Have notebook ready for class notes each live session!

• Each LIVE class will be "opened" on the day of the class, and assignments are always due on the day (and time) of the next class.

• If you want to revisit the information from our live session, the recording will be up within 24 hours. You can watch the week’s recording again, starting and stopping the recording as needed.

• Complete the assignments, quizzes, and any extra work assigned for the week.

• Once the course is completed, there is a Certificate of Completion at the end of the course. Simply fill in the Certificate for your records.

Special Notes: This is Part One of a 2-part course. Both middle and high school students are welcome. Students are expected to register for Part Two in the spring, to get a full year of music credit and fully understand how to read music -- both rhythm and melody -- by the end of the year!
Total Classes: 10

Duration: 50 minutes
Prerequisite: None
Suggested Grade Level: 6th to 12th grade
Suggested Credit:  One full semester Music, with the completion of the optional readings and resources.

Instructor: Erin M. Brown, MA, MFA (aka author EB Conroy)
Instructor email: ebconroy@homeschoolconnections.com

Course Description: This is a practical how-to course for beginners -- where you can learn to read musical rhythms and gain a solid understanding of the foundations of music’s beats, volume, and more! Whether you’ve had absolutely no musical training at all -- or you’re just starting out taking lessons and want to gain more understanding and practice as it relates to reading music -- this course is for you! Sign up for Part 2, How to Read Music, Part 2: Melody and Harmony, to complete a full year of music.

Professor Brown, also known for her books, writing courses, and curriculum writing, holds a Bachelor of Music Degree in Education and was a professional musician and music instructor for over 25 years.

Course Outline:

Class 1: Rhythm; “The Beat” and Time Signatures; Bar Lines and Measures; Notes and Rests; Tempos; Single and Layered Rhythms
Class 2: Introducing “Duple”: Whole, Half, and Quarter Notes; Volume & How Music Marks Soft, Loud, and Everything Between; Crescendos and Decrescendos
Class 3: Introducing Whole, Half, and Quarter Note Rests; Introducing "the tie"; Introducing the dotted half note
Class 4: Reading Music with Whole, Half, and Quarter Notes; Rhythm Ensembles (Rhythm Ensembles will continue through the rest of the weeks of the course); Introducing Conducting (2/4, 3/4, and 4/4 Patterns)
Class 5: Introducing Eighth Notes and Rests; Introducing Common Time and Cut Time
Class 6: Reading Music with Eighth Notes and Rests; Introducing the dotted quarter note; Introducing the "Fermata"
Class 7: Introducing “Triple”: Reading 6/8, 9/8, and triplets
Class 8: Reading Music with Triple and Duple Combinations
Class 9: Introducing Sixteenth Notes
Class 10: Introducing 32nd notes and Accents; Reading Music (with all note values from the course)

Course Materials: All materials are provided FREE by the instructor, and additional resources will be provided for students and families. Please make sure your student has a working microphone!
Homework: Students can expect one to three hours of homework a week with activities on music vocabulary, reading rhythms, practicing for in-class rhythm activities, and completing quizzes that are automatically graded by the computer with immediate feedback