As many of you know, I rarely use theory books with my students, but we are constantly discussing theory concepts as they relate to the scales and music they are playing. It is so fun to do a chord analysis of a piece with a student and watch the proverbial light bulb come on as they discover that the passage that looked so intimidating is really just a progression of I-IV-V chords with which they are already well acquainted!
In this video clip introducing his new app Music Theory Pro, developer Dr. Joel Clifft makes the poignant observation that you wouldn’t ask a student to memorize a speech in a foreign language, having no idea what it means. Likewise, he calls music theory “the grammar of music” and encourages the use of fun games to teach and reinforce important concepts.
I haven’t downloaded the app yet, but it is next on my list. I’m excited to check it out and give it a try with my students!
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