Practical Music Theory

For two semesters, I have taught college students songwriting and performance as an adjunct professor at Nashville’s Lipscomb University. While doing this, I’ve boiled music theory down to the parts you actually need to know in most writing, performing, and recording situations. After some career recording artist friends confessed they too wish they could take a class like that, I decided to create this LIVE virtual class.

Practical Music Theory I, II, and III

a class to teach you what you do–not what you don’t–need to know about music theory.

WHAT YOU LEARN

*The Nashville Number System is a system used by both live & session players to economically communicate song chords and structures with minimal fuss. It’s kind of amazing.

WHAT YOU AVOID

In PMT, the “P” stands for “practical.” You can look forward to AVOIDING all of the following IMPRACTICAL traditional music education rabbit holes:

WHAT YOU GET

This class includes all of the following events, activities, and resources:

• Four (4) Live Classes

  • Don will teach the class together virtually (on Zoom).

  • Class will be once per week for 90 minutes.

  • Classes will be no more than 12 students.

  • Each class will include a lectures on one of the four topics each week with Q&A as needed.

  • All classes will be RECORDED in case you need to miss one, or if you want to refer back to them as you wish.

• Four (4) Quizzes

  • Each class will have a quiz for students to check their comprehension.

  • The quizzes will be graded. However, these grades have no real-world consequences. For some, the quiz will offer a needed competition; for others, a needed affirmation. Still others may prefer to “stick it to the man” and refuse to take the quizzes.* All of these needs are fine, and will be accomodated.

    *If you would like a sternly worded email to complete the rebellious student experience, Don will happily provide you one.

• One (1) Final exam

  • At the end of the class test your newly acquired knowledge.

  • Or blow it off, and really stick it to the man.

• Digital Materials.

  • You will receive several digital documents that will be handy as ongoing reference or to review this content later.

  • Recordings of all the classes for future reference.

• Discussion Board.

  • Join fellow students on a discussion board where you can ask questions between classes, and/or share what you’re learning with other students. Don will participate in some of the discussion too.

1. Don’s initial title for the class was Practical Theory: Songwriters’ Discovery, which was abandoned because of its acronym: PTSD.

2. Singer-songwriter in the band, Waterdeep; composer/lyricist of multiple musicals; professor of Songwriting at Lipscomb University; just to name a few of his staggering qualifications to teach you how to spell a scale or chord.

3. Far be it from us to restrict non-songwriters from taking the class. It’s just that the material is organized around the kind of musical theory that is beneficial in the writing room, onstage, or in the studio. So, other musicians would benefit as well, and while the intellectually curious might not benefit practically, they could spell chords as a party trick, “You come here often? I do. Did you know B major, is spelled B – D# - F#?”

4. In light of our plan not to cover tunings for Gamelan ensembles, if you are a Gamelan ensemble participant, let us know, and we’ll put you on our list for a forthcoming course, PMTGEP I. Okay, fine. I'm joking. There is no forthcoming Gamelan class, but–joking aside-you ever seen a Gamelan ensemble? They’re hypnotic and astonishing.

5. IMPORTANT NOTE: Don Chaffer is a music nerd, who watches Youtube videos about all of the rabbit holes mentioned here, including interviews with William Goldman, writer of The Princess Bride. Don is not throwing shade on anyone’s healthy interest in anything. Learning is fun; science is real; curiousity didn’t really kill the cat; etc.