With the ton of free online courses available on the web right now, we’ve decided to put together a list of best Music Courses you can sign up for today.
1. Suitable for all
For enthusiasts, who want to know what’s behind the music rather than scales and rhythms
2. Beginners
For the newbies, who want to take their first steps into music theory, composition, and performance
3. Intermediates
For those learning an instrument, and simply want to hone their skills
4. Professionals
For those who’ve been there and done that, there still may be some stuff you don’t know
The Free Online Music Courses
Note that all the courses listed below may not be in session currently, but you can easily add them to your watchlist on the course pages to get notified when it is being offered again.
Suitable for all
![]() Exploring Beethoven’s Piano Sonatas This is your chance to immerse yourself in the depth and paradox of Beethoven’s music under the tutelage of an engaging and passionate painist. (Read reviews) |
![]() Listening to World Music From Pygmy Pop to Aboriginal Rock, this course from UPenn will teach you the meaning of music and its cultural impact in the farthest corners of this earth. |
![]() History of Rock, Part One The first part of this University of Rochester course will take you from the genesis of ‘rowdy rock’ to the psychedelia of the late 1960s.(Read reviews) |
![]() History of Rock, Part Two Picking up from it’s first part, this course shows you how rock splintered into a variety of styles and became commercially streamlined by the late 1990s. |
![]() Jazz Appreciation Take this course from UT Austin, to find out what makes America’s great original art form revered the world over for it’s innovation and creativity. |
![]() The Music of the Beatles This course from Rochester will tell you all there is to know about the four lads from Liverpool who grew up to become ‘more popular than Jesus’.(Read reviews) |
![]() From the Repertoire: Western Music History through Performance Taking you through the evolution of Western music through a series of works, the insights and performances of the Curtis School’s faculty make this course special. |
![]() Music’s Big Bang: The Genesis of Rock ‘n’ Roll This is your chance to uncover the recipe of the metling pot that is the journey of American Rock ‘n’ Roll from the turn of the 20th century to the late 60’s. |
![]() Introduction to the Music Business Learn the fundamental principles of the developing new music business, for now and into the future. From John Kellogg – educator, entertainment lawyer, performer, and television personality. |
For Beginners
For Intermediates
For Professionals
Other Free Stuff
If you are on the lookout for other resources however, here are some suggestions:
1. Music Theory for Musicians and Normal People: A series of visually appealing free pdfs on Music Theory which cover all the essentials. If you’re interested, you can even purchase them as T-shirts or posters!
2. Justin Guitar: This guy has been around for a while (2003) and is arguably the most popular guitar teacher on the internet today. If you are starting out with the guitar, you would do well to check out some of his videos which have collectively clocked up over 150 million views on Youtube.
3. Mutopia: A great site that offers scores of classical music. Resources include works by such composers as Bach, Beethoven, Chopin, Handel, Mozart, and many others. All sheet music on this site is in the public domain and free to download, print, perform, and distribute.
4. Music Theory and History Online: Created by the England-based Dolmetsch Foundation, this is another great site on music theory. A repository for the basics of notation, meter, rhythm, chord structures, and more.
5. Dave Conservatoire: The best way to describe this site would be a “Khan Academy” for Music Theory. Lessons are split into crisp short nuggets to help you find your own pace and track your progress by signing up as a user.
And if you have taken any of the courses we’ve mentioned above, do go ahead and give it a review on Springboard!