# 'Write Like Mozart: An Introduction to Classical Music Composition' - A free 6 week long online cour



## lucor (Jan 3, 2014)

Hey guys!

I just stumbled upon this free class on coursera.org and thought some of you might like it. 
It will officially start on January 6th and will last 6 weeks with the following content:


Week 1: Chords in Classical Music, Voicing Chords, Basic Harmony Progressions, Voice Leading, Introduction to Texture

Week 2: Basic Progressions with Inversions, Voice Leading 2, Keyboard Voicing, Creating Accompaniment, Textural Reduction

Week 3: Sequential Progressions, Non-chord Tones

Week 4: Diatonic chord substitution, Cadences, Parallel Period Form, Melodic Writing Techniques

Week 5: Chromatic Substitution, 2-voice counterpoint

Week 6: Progressions within Progressions, Alberti Bass, Rounded Binary Form

More informations are in the link.


I don't know how good or bad it will be, but I did a course that was offered by Berklee on their site a few months back and it was pretty good.
And hey, it's free! :mrgreen: 

https://www.coursera.org/course/classicalcomp

All the best!
Lucas


----------



## Phrosty (Jan 3, 2014)

Lucas

thanks for the heads-up! I actually signed up for this course a few months back and was surprised when I got the mail today (or was it yesterday?); I had totally forgotten about it.

I think it's an excellent idea to announce it here again.


----------



## TMRodrigues (Jan 3, 2014)

I also got that e-mail one of these days. Thinking of giving it a go too!


----------



## 1stClass2dRateComposer (Jan 3, 2014)

Thanks.


----------



## stevetwist (Jan 3, 2014)

Thanks for posting about this. The course sounds interesting. I've signed up, I just hope I have the free time to complete it 

Steve


----------



## Iostream (Jan 3, 2014)

I have signed up and gone through the first few lessons. It looks like it will be fairly interesting.


----------



## paulmatthew (Jan 3, 2014)

There is also a free course here for Introduction to Music Production which start January 27th for free. It's run by Loudon Stearns of Berklee College Of Music. Here's the link : https://www.coursera.org/course/musicproduction

This looks like a killer course for beginners.


----------



## ModalRealist (Jan 4, 2014)

This course (the Mozart) will be pretty basic for anyone with a music degree, but for people like me, who haven't pursued their formal music education into university, will likely benefit from it a lot. You will need to be cogent on the theory basics though (and that includes reading treble and bass clef fairly fluently). I've done the first week's lessons and they are of excellent quality: briskly explained (but not too brisk) with clear explanations and an eye to ensuring that you understand what's important. I am a (non-music) academic in real life, and the course has a very pleasant "properly academic" feel to it, while still focusing very much on orthopraxy (what to do and how) rather than abstract theory.

YMMV but I'd recommend it.


----------



## rgames (Jan 4, 2014)

I think it's probably a good basic course (based on the description) but I think the title will turn people away.

Nobody wants to "Write Like Mozart" any more. However, the basics of harmony, voice leading, etc. that Mozart used are timeless and worthy of study regardless of what you intend to write.

So, even if you don't want to "Write Like Mozart", it's probably a worthwhile endeavor.

rgames


----------



## wst3 (Jan 4, 2014)

what you mean no one wants to write like Mozart? Man I'd kill to be able to write as well as Mozart! Still a big leap to then write as well as Bach, but it would definitely be a step in the right direction.

Now I am skeptical that an on-line course can help me improve my composition skills to that level, but I am hoping the disciplined work load will help me help me improve...


----------



## mark812 (Jan 4, 2014)

rgames @ Sat Jan 04 said:


> Nobody wants to "Write Like Mozart" any more.



Well, I want. :D


----------



## paulmatthew (Jan 4, 2014)

I know I won't be writing like Mozart when I finish it , but it's the knowledge gained that will be helpful. I'm looking forward to this course and the introduction to music production course which has a nice section on synthesis at the end of it.


----------



## ModalRealist (Jan 4, 2014)

rgames @ Sat Jan 04 said:


> Nobody wants to "Write Like Mozart" any more.



As others have said, I'd love to write like Mozart! I listen to him in preference to 90% of modern film music. These days the only film music that blows me away tends to come out of Japan. Many of the composers there continue to write amazing concert works which are also soundtracks: a skill that seems to have more or less evaporated in the West, where it is assumed that the two are more or less incommensurable. Anyone who thinks that film and concert music as done in the West are incommensurable need to listen to Gottfried Huppertz's sublime score to Fritz Lang's _Die Nibelungen_ (1924).


----------



## SemiAnnulus (Jan 5, 2014)

Hey here is a courserian from China and already participated in 9 music courses from Coursera!

Honestly I look forward to this course at months before. It will be my pleasure to study this course with you guys 

There are several more MOOC(Massive Open Online Course) in this month, I would like to introduce them later.

Enjoy your online study


----------



## JSmit (Jan 5, 2014)

Nobody wants to "Write Like Mozart" any more.


As if you can learn to write like Mozart. Nobody can write music like Mozart...it is not about the theory, it is the rest, the inventiveness etc...


----------



## fiddleinparis (Jan 10, 2014)

I just signed up yesterday and watched the videos today. I'm a beginner at this so everything in the video was new to me. I found it very interesting. Although I find the choral music a bit boring but I hope it'll get better in the next weeks.

The quality of the instruction is excellent. I can't believe it's free.


----------



## Darthmorphling (Jan 10, 2014)

I started a collaborative learning project that is currently finishing up number 9. Would the people who are signed up for this class be interested in doing a project that goes along with this free course on classical composing? 

Instead of posting our solutions to each week's assignment we could create a short piece using that week's particular content focus. When I say short I mean like 8-16 measures. 

I know the first week is almost done, but it shouldn't be difficult to catch up and the deadline could be what ever we choose. 

Here is a link to the projects. 

http://www.vi-control.net/forum/viewtop ... =0&postord er=asc&highlight=


----------



## stevetwist (Jan 10, 2014)

Darthmorphling - If I had the time to go through the training right now, and complete weekly projects, I would definitely be interested in a collaborative learning project on this subject. So, thank you for the offer 

Unfortunately, I don't even have time to watch the videos at the moment (I signed up so I could download all the content each week, with the hope of completing it when I get the free time).

~o) 

Steve


----------

