Functional Harmony and Composition for Playing By Ear

Do you want to move beyond relying on chord charts and start truly understanding how music works? Functional Harmony is the core system that explains why chords sound good together and how they create musical tension and resolution. This course provides a comprehensive, text-based foundation in functional harmony, composition techniques, and practical ear training. By mastering these concepts, you will gain the ability to analyze complex musical structures, improvise confidently, and unlock the skill of playing music solely by listening. What you'll learn: * Understand the fundamental concepts of tonal centers, scales, and the construction of natural harmonic fields. * Analyze the primary and secondary functions of chords (Tonic, Subdominant, Dominant) and their role in creating musical flow. * Apply composition techniques, including motive development, phrasing, and structural analysis, to create original pieces. * Practice structured ear training exercises to quickly identify chord progressions, intervals, and rhythmic patterns upon hearing them. * Identify basic chord substitutions and borrowed chords that add color and complexity to standard progressions. The course begins with defining key terminology and building the basic structure of the harmonic field before moving into practical analysis and composition exercises. Each module integrates theoretical explanations with written practice drills designed to solidify your understanding and aural recognition. This course is designed for absolute beginners in music theory or musicians who want to formalize their understanding of harmony. No prior musical education or ability to read standard notation is required. Start your journey toward musical independence today.