The music theory program at Bellevue College is designed to be flexible, stylistically diverse, and comprehensive in its entirety. Our six-quarter music theory program is offered in a hyflex-format, providing every possible instructional mode for students with complicated schedules. The hyflex-format lets the student choose between a combination of asynchronous lessons with optional sychronous meetings or the possibility of taking the theory sequence in a fully asynchronous mode. With \u201casynchronous lessons with optional synchronous meetings\u201d student can choose between an in-person class meeting with the instructor two days a week (Tuesday & Thursday) on the main campus or viewing the live session remotely via Zoom. All live class meetings are recorded and are made available to all students after the live meetings end (even students taking the sequence courses asynchronously). <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Bellevue College Music Theory Sequence content is designed to accommodate both students preparing for college transfer and non-transfer musicians looking acquire essential theoretical knowledge for all types of music making (composition, performance, and production.) Beyond your instructor\u2019s personal recorded lessons, the music theory sequence content is supported by an inclusive E-textbook, ear-training and aural skills software, and resources offered through the BC\u2019s Learning Management System (CANVAS). The stylistic scope of the our music theory instruction includes musical examples in classical, jazz, and various types of popular styles. As well as, non-western and non-tonal music acoustic and electronic music. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Following is a breakdown of each quarter\u2019s musical focus. All concepts are investigated through a combination of creative and analytical activities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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First of a six-course sequence in Music Theory for music majors and students who wish to acquire insight into the building blocks of tonal music.\u00a0 Students learn staff notation of pitch and rhythm, essential music terminology, rhythmic simple & compound meters, diatonic & other essential scales, major\/minor keys, intervals, triads\/seventh chords, chord voicing, and harmonic analysis.\u00a0 Ear training, rhythm reading, and sight singing is also included. Recommended: Basic knowledge of music notation and either vocal or instrumental performance.<\/p>
Second of a six-course sequence in Music Theory for music majors and students who wish to acquire insight into the building blocks of tonal music. Students learn two-part counterpoint, tonal cadences, harmonic function, melodic embellishing tones, melodic structures, four-part voice leading, melodic\/harmonic sequences, and harmonization. \u00a0 Ear training, rhythm reading, and sight singing are also included.<\/p>
Third of a six-course sequence in Music Theory for music majors and students who wish to acquire insight into the building blocks of tonal music. Students learn chromaticism including applied & borrowed chords, modulation, musical texture, arrangement strategies, blues form, popular song forms and simple classical musical structures. Ear training, rhythm reading and sight singing is also included.<\/p>
Fourth of a six-course sequence in Music Theory for music majors and students who wish to acquire insight into the building blocks of tonal & chromatic music. Students learn advanced chromaticism as found in jazz and classical musical styles (tritone-related substitutions, expanded modal borrowed chords, Neapolitan and augmented sixth chords), distant modulation, chromatic sequences, chords of extension, and symmetrical division of the octave.\u00a0 Ear training, rhythm reading, and sight singing is also included.<\/p>
Fifth in a six-quarter sequence in Music Theory for music majors and students who wish to acquire insight into the creation of polyphonic works & extended compositions. Students learn imitative Baroque counterpoint, motivic development, simple canonic techniques, complex and extended musical structures (Baroque invention, the fugue, continuous and thematic variations, operatic and art song, sonata, and rondo forms), Impressionism concepts and traits.\u00a0 Ear training, rhythm reading, and sight singing are also included.<\/p>
Sixth in a six-quarter sequence in Music Theory for music majors and students who wish to acquire insight into the creation of innovative 20th & 21st-century music. Students learn modalism, 20th-century rhythmic concepts, free & serialized atonality, indeterminacy, collage music, pluralism, minimalism, ambient music, Musique concr\u00e8te, timbral expansion of acoustic instruments & voices, and early electronic music.\u00a0 Ear training, rhythm reading, and sight singing are also included.<\/p>
Please view specific course descriptions and outcomes in our course catalog<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Contact Dr. Brian Cobb with any questions regarding the music theory sequence at brian.cobb@bellevuecollege.edu or by phone at 425-564-2403<\/p>\n\n\n\n What if I have prior music theory experience, do I need to start at the beginning of the sequence?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Any student who feels that their current music theory knowledge exceeds topics in MUSC 110 or First Year Theory in its entirety can test out by passing diagnostic exam or providing evidence of successful course completion at another school through an official school transcript. Please contact Dr. Brian Cobb, Music Theory Coordinator, with any diagnostic exam inquiries at: brian.cobb@bellevuecollege.edu<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Why should I take the core music theory sequence at Bellevue College?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Any student who loves music and wants to learn how it is put together or why music behaves the way it does needs to take the music theory sequence. In particular, any student with aspirations of moving on to a four-year music program though transfer or first-year entrance would benefit from taking music theory at Bellevue College.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One of the cornerstones of all accredited United States four-year music programs is the core music theory sequence, which all music students must take and pass. Depending on your situation, you would get a head start on learning this essential knowledge, in which you could earn transferable music theory credits or the necessary knowledge to earn high placement by attaining competitive scores on theory entrance exams. Furthermore, you save money and time and learn this essential knowledge within a smaller class size.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The music theory program at Bellevue College is designed to be flexible, stylistically diverse, and comprehensive in its entirety. Our six-quarter music theory program is offered in a hyflex-format, providing every possible instructional mode for students with complicated schedules. The hyflex-format lets the student choose between a combination of asynchronous lessons with optional sychronous meetings ...more about Core Music Theory<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"class_list":["post-53","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-05-04 08:00:10","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bellevuecollege.edu\/music\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/53","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bellevuecollege.edu\/music\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bellevuecollege.edu\/music\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bellevuecollege.edu\/music\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bellevuecollege.edu\/music\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=53"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.bellevuecollege.edu\/music\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/53\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15545,"href":"https:\/\/www.bellevuecollege.edu\/music\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/53\/revisions\/15545"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bellevuecollege.edu\/music\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=53"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\n\n\n\nFAQ \u2013 Frequently asked questions<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n