The Foundation
Theory lessons are a very important part of our students' musical education. If you wonder why you need to take music theory lessons when you only want to learn to sing or play an instrument, the answer is that music theory lessons will help you to read, understand, analyze, create, and communicate music on a deeper level.
What Is Music Theory?
Music theory examines the core aspects of music and its a system that allows musicians to communicate their creativity in music with others. Music theory will teach you how music works.
Why Take Music Theory Lessons
Music theory lessons will deepen your ability to understand the structure of music including notation, key signatures, time signatures, chord progressions, among other things. This usually leads to a better understanding of music, boosts creativity and expression, communication with other musicians, and the use of professional vocabulary. Music will make more sense to a musician by learning music theory.
Why Choose Our Music School
Our goal is to match you with one of our talented teachers who will inspire you to learn about the fundamentals in music theory, which in return will guarantee you success in your music education no matter which path in music you decide to take. Whether you want to learn to sing, play an instrument, become a composer, songwriter, music producer or become a music teacher; the options are limitless, but it all starts with learning music theory.
Our highly accredited teachers have received their music education from prestigious institutions such as The University of Toronto, Humber College, York University, Conservatory Berklee College of Music, Glenn Gould Professional School, and McGill University Faculty of Music. They gladly share their great wealth of knowledge and experience for the benefit of their students.
Our music school offers a cutting-edge curriculum developed in collaboration with the Royal Conservatory of Music which gives our students access to a nationally accredited program. Our music teachers will prepare you for the requirements of every level of your Royal Conservatory of Music examinations (RCM exams for all levels). To complete higher-level practical RCM Examinations, every music student needs to complete written theory exams in order to obtain the full certificate from grade 5 and up. Our teachers will help you achieve high scores on these exams. This will also help you be successful in being accepted at any music program at a college or a university of your choice.
We offer beginner and advanced theory classes for children and adults. Sometimes, especially for beginner students, music theory may seem like a complex subject. This is one of the reasons why having the right music teacher plays a vital role in getting your or your child’s music education on the right track. Learning music theory will not be difficult with the help of the right teacher. Our teaching methods are tailored to suit the needs and goals of every individual student.
What Are The Basics Of Music Theory?
Some of the building blocks in the core of music theory include harmony, melody, and rhythm. Learning about these basic elements of music theory will help you get a better understanding of music.
- Harmony - multiple notes or voices played/sung simultaneously to produce a new sound.
- Chords and chord progressions - when three or more notes are sounded together they represent a chord which is a harmonious building block of the song. The chords give songs the mood or the emotions. A musical sequence of chords is called a chord progression.
- Melody - created by instruments or vocals, is the principal part of the song that is harmonized, the leading singing line, or the infectious guitar riff you hear and enjoy.
- Rhythm - a recurring movement of notes and rests or a pattern of strong and weak notes created with vocals or instruments.
Other core concepts in music theory that allow a musician to read, write, sing or play music include:
- The musical alphabet - includes seven letters (notes): A, B, C, D, E, F, and G. When you play notes in this order the next note after a G would be an A again but this time in another set of notes that are in a higher pitch, also known as a higher octave.
- Sharps and Flats - even though there are seven letters in the musical alphabet, there are 12 notes in total. These notes are in between the original seven notes (letters). They are called either “flat” or “sharp” notes. Each has a letter (from A to G) and a symbol, ♭for “flat” and ♯ for “sharp”. A flat note is a half-step lower and a sharp note is a half-step higher than its natural corresponding note.
- Scales - a sequence of notes ordered by fundamental frequency or pitch. If the notes are ordered by increasing pitch it's called ascending scale, and if ordered by decreasing pitch it’s called decreasing scale. There are several types of scales, including diatonic, chromatic, major, minor, and others.
- Scale modes - there are seven scale modes: Ionian, Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Aeolian, and Locrian. Each mode has distinct melodic characteristics.
- White keys on a piano allow you to play the “natural” notes A, B, C, D, E, F and G. Playing the white keys only starting at C will place you in the C major scale.
- Black keys on a piano allow you to play the “flat” and “sharp” notes in a scale. Playing a combination of white and black keys will allow you to play in all available key signatures.
- Intervals - represent the foundation of the melody and harmony, the distance from one note to the other. Let’s say the distance from C to E is an interval called a “third”.
- Key and key signature - define the pitches that will be used in a song or a composition with the key signature appearing at the beginning of the line of music to guide the musician which key needs to be altered to fit the key of the composition.
- Counterpoint - is the art of combining two or more melodies in a composition
Example of Counterpoint:
These are only a few things that are taught in our music theory lessons. Learning music theory is your stepping stone to becoming a great musician. It may seem overwhelming at first but with some perseverance and with help from your music teacher you will find learning music theory easier and very rewarding. Don’t delay your growth as a musician. Sign up for your music theory lessons at the Mississauga Fine Art Academy.
FAQ
Music theory helps students read, understand, analyze, and communicate music on a deeper level. The academy notes that learning theory boosts creativity, expression, and the ability to communicate with other musicians using professional vocabulary, making music "make more sense."
Yes. The academy’s curriculum aligns with the Royal Conservatory of Music. The teachers prepare students for all levels of RCM theory examinations. Completing written theory exams is mandatory to obtain the full RCM certificate for Grade 5 practical exams and up.
Absolutely. The school offers beginner theory classes for both children and adults. While theory can seem complex at first, the teachers tailor their methods to the individual student, breaking down concepts like the musical alphabet, sharps, flats, and scales to make them easy to understand.
Students learn the core building blocks of music, including harmony, melody, rhythm, chord progressions, intervals, and key signatures. Advanced students may also delve into complex subjects like counterpoint and the seven scale modes (Ionian, Dorian, etc.).
Yes. Understanding chords, progressions, and scales provides the toolkit needed for composition. Whether a student wants to become a songwriter, composer, or music producer, the academy emphasizes that it all starts with a strong foundation in music theory.
Yes. The Mississauga Fine Arts Academy provides private online music theory lessons. These sessions allow students to learn and prepare for written exams from the comfort of their own homes, available to students across the Peel Region and beyond.
The tuition rate for private music theory lessons is $39.50 per 30-minute session. Lessons are scheduled weekly and available seven days a week. There is a one-time registration fee of $25 for new students.
We provide one on one private music classes, including RCM theory classes, voice lessons, and harmony lessons, in person at our convenient Mississauga location and online voice and harmony lessons.
Our current rate is $39.50 per 30-minute private music lesson.
Lessons are scheduled once a week and available seven days a week. There is a one-time registration fee of $25.00.
No prior musical experience is required to start lessons.
Come, become a member of the Mississauga Fine Arts Academy music family! We will ignite your talent and help you discover and grow your ability to sing well and harmonize with ease.
Instruments We Teach & Tuition
Along with music theory lessons our music academy provides many other different types of private lessons. To accommodate your busy schedules and lesson preferences we provide private in class music lessons in Mississauga, Ontario (Peel Region) and also online music lessons, including:
- Piano lessons
- Classical Guitar lessons,
- Bass lessons, and Ukulele lessons
- Voice lessons and Harmony lessons
- Violin lessons and Cello lessons
- Drum lessons
- Saxophone lessons, Clarinet lessons, and Flute lessons
- Brass instrument lessons including Trumpet lessons
- Music Theory lessons and Music History lessons
Our current lesson rate is $39.50 per 30-minute private music lesson.
Lessons are scheduled once a week and available seven days a week. There is a one-time registration fee of $25.00.
Come and join our music family, you will not be disappointed. Here at the Mississauga Fine Arts Academy music is what drives us to succeed and we would love the opportunity to share our love for music with you.
