20 Best Music Theory MOOC / Non-credit Programs Online
We compared 20 Music Theory courses currently listed on Udemy, edX and Coursera, priced from $19.99 to $179.99. 6 come from a named university or institution, including Berklee College of Music, Stanford University and Curtis Institute of Music. They are ordered by our CourseAsk score, which is built from how thoroughly each course describes what it teaches, whether it comes from a named institution, and how it compares on price — not from star ratings, which our course data does not include.
- Courses compared
- 20
- Price range
- $19.99 – $179.99
- Providers
- Udemy, edX, Coursera
- Last updated
- 30 Aug 2026
How these 20 courses were chosen
Every course below is a real, currently listed course from Udemy, edX, Coursera, matched to "Music Theory" by our catalog and ordered by our CourseAsk score. Courses whose own title names the topic rank above those only tagged with it.
The grade on each entry scores how much the provider publishes about the course before you pay — the length and detail of the description, whether it lists learning outcomes and objectives — and whether a named university or institution stands behind it. A is fully documented and institution-backed; E is little more than a title and a price. Courses with almost nothing published are left ungraded rather than marked down, because an unknown course and a poor one are not the same thing.
There are no star ratings on this page — the course feeds we license do not include them, and we would rather leave a column out than fill it with a number we cannot stand behind. What we do have is price: these range from $19.99 to $179.99, as listed by the provider when we last updated the page.
-
1
Music Theory Classroom: Fundamentals of Rhythm 2
Music Theory Classroom is a four-course, one- to two-year music theory curriculum designed for high-school and homeschool students. It covers the material studied by music majors in the first one to two years of college,...
$34.99listed price -
2
Microsoft Excel Music Theory-Advanced Chords Reworked
This course continues your unique Excel-driven journey through music theory—where business professionals sharpen real spreadsheet skills while helping redesign a clearer, more logical system of harmony. Starting from Mod...
$139.99listed price -
3
Music Theory Classroom: Fundamentals of Melody and Harmony 1
Music Theory Classroom is a four-course, one- to two-year music theory curriculum designed for high-school and homeschool students. It covers the material studied by music majors in the first one to two years of college,...
$34.99listed price -
4
Music Theory ABRSM Grade 4 Complete
Updated in 2024!Grade 4 music theory (ABRSM) is a lower-intermediate level exam offered by the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music. At this level you will study more complex keys and time signat...
$179.99listed price -
5
Grade 1 , 2 , 3 and 4 Music Theory In Tamil
Good Day , Whether you're an aspiring musician, a dedicated music enthusiast, or simply curious about the inner workings of melodies, harmonies, and rhythms, this course is your gateway to unlocking the mysteries of musi...
$49.99listed price -
6
Music Theory Extended Bass Volume 2 Building Intervals
* Music Theory and focus on how the student creates on the staff and on the fingerboard all intervals*Every lesson have I homework and there is a demo of how to do it in the right way*Learning and recognizing t...
$24.99listed price -
7
Music Theory ABRSM Grade 7 Complete
This course covers knowledge and skills required to answer everything in the ABRSM Grade 7 Music Theory exam.Every topic in the syllabus is explained in a concise and easy-to-follow way. Each exam question is explained i...
$179.99listed price -
8
Music Theory - Chord Progressions & Harmony for Composition
This course offers a practical approach to music theory, diving into the foundations of chord progressions and harmony essential for composition. You'll engage in a series of lessons and exercises designed to ensure you...
$159.99listed price -
9
Music Theory Made Easy (Lessons 14-27)
Music Theory Made Easy covers essential concepts in music theory through short, 5-minute lessons, enriched with practical exercises and downloadable resources. You'll explore topics like intervals, key signatures, triads...
$39.99listed price -
10
Mastering Music Theory: From Basics to Advanced Concepts
This course offers a practical and enjoyable way to master music theory, regardless of your current skill level. You'll start with the basics—notes, scales, and rhythms—and then progress to more advanced concepts like ch...
$19.99listed price -
11
Introduction To Music Theory
Offered by Berklee College of Music
Learn key concepts and approaches needed to understand, create, and perform contemporary music.
$59.00listed price -
12
Defining the String Quartet II: Beethoven
Offered by Stanford University
This course aims to enhance your understanding and appreciation of Ludwig van Beethoven’s music by exploring a genre at the very core of his development as a composer: the string quartet. Evenly distributed among the per...
$50.00listed price -
13
Defining the String Quartet: Haydn
Offered by Stanford University
The string quartet can be defined in several ways. At the most basic level the musical term refers to the medium of four string instruments: two violins, viola, and violoncello. It can also be used to describe the collec...
$50.00listed price -
14
Music Education for Teachers
Offered by Berklee College of Music
In the Music Education for Teachers specialization, you will explore ways of integrating popular music into your teaching. You'll begin by learning from two highly experienced teachers, Krystal Banfield, the Vice Preside...
$49.00listed price -
15
Exploring Beethoven's Piano Sonatas Part 4
Offered by Curtis Institute of Music
Please join us for Part 4 of Exploring Beethoven's Piano Sonatas course, taught by Curtis faculty member and extraordinary concert artist, Jonathan Biss. This course is new and contains separate sets of lectures and sona...
$49.00listed price -
16
Songwriting: Writing the Music
Offered by Berklee College of Music
If your notebook is full of unused lyrics and you’re struggling to find inspiration for the music, this course is for you. Whether you are an experienced songwriter looking for new ideas or a beginning songwriter learnin...
$49.00listed price -
17
Exploring Piano Literature: The Piano Sonata
Offered by University of Michigan
In this 3-course specialization, learners will analyze important passages and components of the piano sonata repertoire, while gaining a solid knowledge of the sonata’s inner workings and a better sense of historical dev...
$49.00listed price -
18
The New World of Arnold Schönberg's Piano Music
Offered by Stanford University
This course will introduce you to the solo piano works of Arnold Schönberg (including the Three Piano Pieces (Opus 11), Six Little Piano Pieces (Opus 19), Five Piano Pieces (Opus 23), Suite for Piano (Opus 25), and Piano...
Price on site -
19
Fundamentals of Audio and Music Engineering: Part 1 Musical Sound & Electronics
Offered by University of Rochester
In this course students learn the basic concepts of acoustics and electronics and how they can applied to understand musical sound and make music with electronic instruments. Topics include: sound waves, musical sound, b...
$49.00listed price -
20
Music, Art, Society, and Self
Offered by The University of Wisconsin-Madison
This course will provide a chance for you to explore yourself and your experiences with music and art. It is based on your own point of view and the environment around you. You'll learn about yourself and how music and a...
$83.00listed price
Best Music Theory MOOC / Non-credit Programs Online compared
Prices shown are the provider's listed price when we last updated this page. Confirm on their site before enrolling.
What the prices here tell you
The 19 priced courses on this page run from $19.99 to $179.99, with the middle of the range around $49.00 — a spread of $160.00. That is a wide gap for one subject. A higher price on this page usually reflects who is behind the course rather than how much material it contains, so it is worth opening two or three at different price points and comparing their syllabus before deciding.
Who is behind these courses
These courses come from Udemy, edX and Coursera. The platforms differ in how they sell: some charge once per course, others expect a subscription, and the listed price is not always what you pay at checkout after a promotion. 6 of these are produced by a named university or institution, including Berklee College of Music, Stanford University and Curtis Institute of Music — which usually means a fixed syllabus and a recognised certificate, rather than an individual instructor’s own course.
Before you enrol
Open the provider’s own page and check three things this comparison cannot tell you: when the course was last updated, what the syllabus actually covers in its later sections, and what recent learners say. Prices shown here are the provider’s listed price when we last rebuilt this page on 30 August 2026 — they change often, and a promotion can move them substantially. We earn a commission if you enrol through our links, which costs you nothing and never affects the order courses appear in.