Music Theory: Free Digital Tools that Work
Originally posted to WordPress 4/29/2016
There are many excellent free resources out there to support student mastery of the music literacy skills that you are currently teaching in your classes. These tools can be used in and out of class for assessments, but they also provide opportunities for students to effectively practice and review on their own time.
Practice logs are useful for proof of completion, but I prefer asking students to submit a screenshot via e-mail or in Google Classroom (the digital platform that I use in my classes) that shows their time stamp and/or quiz score. This is more difficult to fake, and puts the work on them. They could also print out these screenshots if necessary, but I prefer the digital option because it cuts down on paperwork and also gets rid of the dreaded “I had printer problems” excuse.
You will definitely want to explore the tools yourself before asking students to jump online. It is best to have a clear objective in your so they know exactly what you expect of them in terms of the task, the deliverable, and the delivery method. For example, “Using teoria.com, drill intervals played harmonically based on a changing starting pitch. Complete 20 examples and send me a screenshot that includes your score and time. This is due to my e-mail by Friday at 3:00 p.m.” This is clear and will yield better results than, “Practice intervals online this week.”
Ready to explore? Here are my three favorite sites (for now).
Free
Apps for android and Apple devices are available for a $2.99.
Logically constructed lessons on basic theory topics.
Examples are generated for students as they click through each lesson.
“Play” tool that allows students needing accommodations to have the lessons read aloud.
Exercises with variable complexity that can be adjusted by the student.
Options for timed drills.
Free
Tutorials including some basic form and harmonic functions.
Dictation practice on rhythms, intervals, scales, melodies and two voice examples.
“Show me” button presents the correct answer.
Students have the ability to replay examples as many times as they wish.
Options for timed drills.
Free
Includes lessons
Ear training for interval recognition only
Question function allows students to ask questions and get answers from other users. (It goes without saying that these answers should be evaluated for their validity, but the idea that students could be engaging in discussion about music theory outside of class is pretty cool.)
Unique tools: guitar chord identifier, scale generator, and key identifier
Basic recording information
Another common problem that use of these sites can address is how to effectively provide differentiated instruction. Remember that true differentiation includes extension opportunities as well. Think about reaching your students who are new to theory as well as those who learned the basics as young piano students or in band or orchestra. Many of these tools allow students to work at a variety of levels, making it easy for them to get extra help or have their mastery challenged in a major way.
A junior choir student loudly exclaimed, “This just makes so much sense!” as we were working through the basics of the staff on musictheory.net. I had it projected for everyone to see and when I asked exactly what it was that clicked for her, the answer was this: seeing the examples appear on the screen for each component. I had already done the same thing in writing on my white board, the tactic and the examples were not new. Perhaps it was just that the digital tool was more engaging for her. What was intended to be a quick review for all ended up making the connection for a student who just thought she “didn’t get music theory.” You never know what tool might be the key to unlocking something for a student.
Update: A student in my AP Music Theory class just introduced me to a free notation website: https://flat.io/en which allows you to create and play compositions. This worked well with our final composition project, and I would recommend it if you don’t have access to Finale.