Music Theory Worksheets
This website is designed for the modern music classroom in which a typical student group will set out on a programme of study with a wide range of previous knowledge, experience and expectation with regard to knowing how music works The site features a huge variety of simple, well presented handouts and worksheets that will help all of your students (even those often "difficult to reach" Singers, Drummers and Guitar Players) to "get" music theory
Although many of the resources and worksheets feature standard notation the "big idea" that lies behind a lot of what we do is that students will be able to develop a thorough understanding of note names, scales, chords and keys without having to be at all familiar with notated music
Scroll down the page or use this link to get loads of Free Music Teaching Handouts and Worksheets
Five Steps To Teaching Music Theory
Step 1: Naming Notes Correctly
If our students cannot be encouraged to develop a secure knowledge of how notes are named then they will struggle with every other aspect of music theory
Step 2: Whole and Half-Step Intervals
When they know how whole-step and half-step intervals work they are ready to combine sequences of them into scales
A worrying number of classroom music teachers do not pay enough attention to or "gloss over" the subject of whole and half-step intervals which makes their job more difficult (and their students more confused) than needs to be the case
Step 3: Major and minor Scale Construction
When learners develop an understanding of how notes a whole-step or a half-step apart can be combined in pre-determined sequences to create any Major or minor scale they are really starting to get to grips with music theory
Step 4: Constructing Chords From Scales
How Major and minor scales can be used to construct or identify and Major or minor chord
Step 5: How Chords Work Within Keys
A knowledge of how chords function within keys will allow our students to analyse existing music and to write better songs themselves if thats what floats their boat
More than 400 Printable Music Theory Worksheets and Lesson Plans in a "one click" download for only $18.00
$18.00
No prior knowledge or experience of notated music required
"If our students can count from one to twelve and know the alphabet from A through to G then they already have the mental toolkit that they need to understand music theory!"
The resources that you can download (with a single click) from this site give a music teacher a simple and easy to understand and execute plan that will help them to make their students know a whole lot more about music theory than they do now
Why Use The Resources?
The short answer is because they really work!
If our students are engaged in a process of "really understanding music theory" rather than just looking to be able to jump through a few hoops set by music exam boards who sell a "drip fed" sequence of (often quite randomly set) grades then that has to be a good thing The irony is that when students have a "joined up" knowledge and understanding of theory then music exam results go through the roof anyway
The materials on this site can be downloaded to Phones and Smartboards tablets, PCs, Ipads and Macs The download costs less than a single paper based text book. You cant print any page of a book at the touch of a button You can print and distribute our materials to your students as many times as you like for the rest of your music teaching career!
There is no "club" to join and no annual subscription fee
The download is nothing more than a whole load of (over 400) PDF files that cover the "nuts and bolts" of the harmonic and melodic elements of music theory
It is no more and no less than the stuff that I wished I had access to when I started teaching
The resources are made up of three elements (lesson plans, a marking and student progress tracking system and the worksheets etc themselves) We are so confident of their effectiveness that we give the lesson plans and the Student Achievement, Progress and Tracking System away free!
Music Theory "Mini Exams"
The download includes twenty "single page music theory test papers" that are provided in both notated and non notated versions (take a closer look at the two sheets to the right of the graphic above?) meaning that you can use the same basic material with both your students who can read music and those who can't (yet)
There are ten basic tests (relating to the material found in the basic music theory course) and ten more advanced tests that use more advanced material such as seventh chord worksheets and pentatonic scales etc
You can find out more and get a free music theory test by following the links here
Using The Tests as a "diagnostic tool"
The tests are a great "diagnostic tool" as the later questions on the sheets are designed to be "harder to answer" allowing a teacher to see just at what stage a student "fell off the bus" with regard to their understanding of music theory
Free Music Theory Lesson Plans
1: A structured plan for teaching music theory
You can download that plan FREE right now!
If you take a look at the lesson plans you will see that the material and lessons are sequenced to take a student from the point that they know absolutely nothing about music theory to a place where they can correctly name notes, construct Major and minor scales and chords as well as understand how keys work
The materials on this site are designed to get them there with the absolute minimum of fuss and confusion
The resources (400+ PDF music theory worksheets) designed to help you to carry out that plan
We have literally hundereds of printable resources proven to help music teachers get their message across in a clear and concise way that minimises the potential for confusion.
See All Of Our Resources
The downoad contains over 400 PDFs with lesson plans, worksheets, reference documents and a student progress tracking system among other things
If you have (quite a bit of) time to spare you could follow the link below for an overview of all of the music teaching resources on this site
Buy everything that you see on this website for a single "one off" payment of only $18.00
Way less than the price of a standard music theory text book (and you can't print any page of a standard text book at the touch of a button)
There is no club to join or no "annual subscription" to bother about
Its just the resources that you need to make your teaching better, easier and less stressful
$18.00
If you visit the pages dealing with the five elements of a basic music theory course (starting with the one that looks at developing the ability to name notes correctly every time) you will be able to download a range of free single page "explainers" that you can distribute to your students or (laminate and) stick on your music classroom wall so that there is a permenant resource covering the basics of music theory there for your students to use as they wish or require
This is of course regardless of any purchase that you may make (the "explainers" are also in the paid for download)
Measuring and Recording Progress
We need to know what our students have learned so we have a free downloadable document (part of which is shown in the image above) that you can use alongside the free lesson plans
3: The document provides a simple but very effective and accurate Free Music Theory Student Progress Tracking System that provides reliable evidence that your student has learned as well as a diagnostic tool that allows you to pinpoint at which stage they "fall off the bus" in their study and understanding of music theory. Having identified the stage at which they lose touch with the subject then you can set about enacting a plan using our worksheets that will allow them to catch up and progress
Using our music teaching resources in the modern music classroom
Its not all about pencil and paper. The files (presented as PDFs) can be printed from your phone or uploaded individually to smartboards or school technology systems etc making them a truly flexible, modern resource for the classroom music teacher
Follow the link below to find out more about using the materials alongside the technology available to you in the workplace
The "Nuts and Bolts" of Music Theory
Irrespective of wether your students want to take Heavy Metal to places its never been before or to gain a qualification from a prestige organisation such as the Royal College Of Music they will need to develop the same understanding of just how notes, scales, chords and keys work
Of the three things that you need to teach the "nuts and bolts" of music theory we give two of them away free!)
We give away the Music Theory Lesson Plans and the Student Tracking System and would strongly recommend that you download and take a look at them before deciding upon any purchase
Included in the resources are....
You could take a look at our materials themed around........
Popular Music Song Forms
These materials are designed to run alongside the music theory stuff looking at how pop songs are constructed
Teaching Popular music song forms and songwriting
Helping our guitar playing students to see the value of music theory
The modern music classroom is (thankfully) a more diverse place than used to be the case. Our students have a wide range of tastes capabilities and prior experience. Sometimes learners who come from a pop and rock background some of them can be a little "resistant" to the idea that music theory has any kind of impact on the music that they love.
This page looks at a "gateway" to music theory by letting them know about the theoretical base of how pop and rock songs are put together. They will be able to understand how the music that they love works and how to go about creating (and understanding) original music of their own
$18.00
"400+ Printable Music Theory Worksheets"
Some Free music theory worksheets to download to your Phone, PC or tablet to print and use in your music lessons today!
Printable PDF Music Theory Worksheet on Scale Spelling
Music Theory Worksheet dealing with Chord Construction
Print a PDF Music Theory Worksheet on Scales and Chords
Print a PDF Music Theory Worksheet on Major and minor and Triads
Printable PDF Music Theory Worksheet on Intervals
Music Theory Worksheet on Chords in Keys"
Printable PDF Music Theory Worksheet/Handout on Common Scales
Print a FREE Music Theory Student Progress Tracker
Free Music Theory Tracking System
for your students
The tracking system above is designed to provide simple and reliable data to music teachers (and their students) with regard to the learners functional understanding of the harmonic and melodic elements of music theory. The other materials on this site offer classroom music teachers a structured series of music worksheets designed to take students from a point where they have little or no functional understanding of how harmony and melody works to a place where they understand scales, chords, key signatures and harmonic systems
Download the 20 pages of free music lesson plans featured above to see how this material can be a "game changer" when imparting a "joined up" knowledge of music theory to the modern music student. Any meaningful understanding of music theory starts with the ability to name notes correctly
Music Worksheets: Note Naming
Click to Print FREE Note Identification Music Theory Worksheet
The ability to name notes
correctly and with complete authority is the absolute basic skill required in order to
develop a "joined up" knowledge of music theory yet it is a stage that can often be neglected in the modern
music classroom.
As educators we can lose count of the number of times in any working week when we hear our students tell us that
a note of C Sharp is actually "D Flat" or when asked to construct (for example) an A Major scale (containing
only "natural" and "sharp" notes) proceed to identify the first four notes as being "A, B, D Flat and D"?
Our learners can become confused by the fact that some pitches seem to have only one name while others can be
assigned one of two letter names according to circumstance and our challenge is to help them to develop a sound
theoretical base from which to operate. If they do not develop this base then they come to believe that (and
here's another often another phrase we hear repeatedly)"music theory is too complicated"
Music Theory Worksheets: Major and Minor Scales
Printable PDF Music Theory Worksheet on Scale Spelling
Actually this is a handout rather than a worksheet looking at the whole and half step intervals that combine to create Major and minor scales
It is recommended that students are introduced to scale spelling handouts and theory worksheets after they have been made familiar with note naming and the principles underpinning whole and half step intervals
Music Theory Worksheet: Using Scales to Construct Chords
Below you can see (and download) a free music theory worksheet that builds on a student's ability to construct scales. They are firstly invited to notate a specified scale before being required to "extract" the root, third and fifth notes of the scale in order to produce the relevant Major or minor chord. This worksheet uses notation but there are also worksheets in the download that involve learners in the same process but which require them to provide only letter names (and accidentals)
Printable PDF Music Theory Worksheet on Scales and Chords
Click the text above to download a free printable music theory worksheet which requires students to construct a Major Scale before selecting the root, third and fifth of that scale to create relevant Major Chords
Printable PDF Music Theory Worksheet on Intervals
This printable music theory worksheet requires students to identify, define and notate a selection of intervals
This worksheet uses a variety of intervals and is intended for students at an intermediate stage with relation to the study of music theory. In the early stages it is best to ensure that our learners are familiar with intervals of a whole and half step (which is all that they need to understand in order to construct basic major and minor scales and chords). Our download features a whole range of worksheets dealing with these basic intervals
Music Theory Worksheet on Chords
A printable music theory worksheet that involves learners with the construction and recognition of major and minor chords
Music Theory Worksheets Theory Test
One of our twenty single page "Quick and Dirty Music Theory Tests" designed so as to let you (and your students) identify areas of strength and weakness
There are ten "basic" tests which require students to be familiar with only simple triads as well as Major and Minor Scales and also ten more (such as this one) which feature 7th chords and are aimed at intermediate/advanced students
FREE 20 Page set of Music Theory Lesson Plans
Free Music Theory Tracking System
for your
students
The materials on this site offer classroom music teachers a structured series of music worksheets designed to take students from a point where they have little or no functional understanding of how harmony and melody works to a place where they understand scales, chords, key signatures and harmonic systems
Teaching Kids to Play Guitar
Despite changes in fashion it is probably fair to say that the guitar is perhaps the most "popular" of all musical instruments with the students that we teach and a part of our download features twenty giant guitar chord grids featuring the chords that any beginner should learn first.If guitar is your thing you can see some more great resources at our sister site teachwombat for Teaching Kids to Play Guitar
DOWNLOAD and Print All 400+ PDF Music Theory Worksheets for only $18.00 NOW!
A lifetime of re-usable music teaching resources for
(less than the price of a single paper based
music text book)
$18.00
Music Theory Worksheets In Action
The material below sets out a plan designed to help our students to understand the harmonic and melodic essentials of music theory
The infographic below sets out a clear, simple, step by step process through which a student can be taken from a place where they have no real functioning understanding of music theory to a situation in which they just seem to "get it"
Teaching Music Theory without relying upon pre-existing understanding of notation
If our students can count up to twelve and can recite the alphabet from A to G then they have already developed the toolkit to understand the melodic and harmonic content of all Western Music
If this is the case then how come they seem to find it so difficult?
Well maybe we're teaching it wrong?
Think about it.......
They love music (hopefully)?
They can count to twelve?
They know the alphabet as far as the letter G? What could possibly go wrong?
Well........... how about asking them to answer questions in a language that they cannot (yet)speak (notated music)?
Don't get me wrong, Notation is very important (indeed we have loads of worksheets that require students to work with it) but my point is that it should be introduced to our learners at the appropriate point in a programme of study? When they have already developed a framework that allows them to understand the basic theories that underpin harmony and melody (notes, scales and chords)?
The idea behind this site is simple. We offer a "one click download" featuring over 300 Printable PDF music theory worksheets and handouts (presented as individual PDF's) dealing with the "nuts and bolts" of music theory that you can print and/or photocopy over and over again?
Some of our materials in more detail...........
The Absolute Basics
Correctly Naming Notes
Before we start to teach our music theory students about harmony and melody etc it is vital that they first develop an understanding of the "names" assigned to musical notes.
The first printable music theory worksheets that we reccomend that you use are designed to simply make learners familiar with the idea that notes have names?
Below you can see a detail taken from one of our early note naming worksheets (learners write the "correct" name in the circles?) which has been designed to help students to realise that every white note has a single ("natural")name while each black note can be assigned one of two ("accidental") names.
It is vital that this stage of teaching music theory is not "glossed over" as any confusion that a student feels with regard to assigning the correct letter name to any given note will effect their entire relationship with music theory
You can print a free note naming worksheet to help with your music theory teaching below
Print FREE Note Naming Music Worksheet
Next Stage: Whole and Half Step Intervals
Having mastered the ability to assign the appropriate name (or names) to any given musical note the objective becomes to enable our students to be able to combine sequences of those notes into major (or minor for that matter?) scales.
In order to do this effectively they need to develop a knowledge of "intervals" (perhaps most effectively explained as being the "gap" between two notes?)
At this stage it is not important that all intrervals are covered in one go. All we need to do in order to have our music students progress to the next stage is to have them become familiar with intervals of a half and a whole step?
There are other worksheets (such as the ones shown below) that can be introduced at a later date and which cover intervals and also require learners to provide written notation for the notes identified but in the early stages of study it is enough to ask our students to identify and then name the appropriate pitches?
When learners understand these two intervals it is possible to embark upon the study of scale construction.
Music Theory Worksheets
Major Scale Construction
In this series of music theory worksheets learners are encouraged to study the intervals (there are eight on each sheet) and to identify the notes on the keyboard. From there they can go on to work out the number of half steps that separate the notes and to provide information relating to the name of the interval. The "W's" and "H's" that you can see between the circles in the detail below relate to the sequence of whole and half step intervals to be found in a major scale.
There are also a series of complementary theory worksheets using the same scales that feature a musical staff with a treble clef so that (more advanced?) students can work with standard notation if desired
Scale construction is perhaps the single most important "building block" when it comes to developing an understanding of music theory?
Our very first set of scale construction music theory worksheets which use only letter names and the relevant #'s and b's are provided with the intention that learners can be introduced to musical notation after they have some experience of constructing scales. The worksheets shown above are designed to be used at the point where musical notation is introduced?
A series of sheets featuring the major scale formula, musical staff and a keyboard diagram so that learners can gain experience in the construction of scales with reference to theoretical and visual aids. The scale formulae is presented above a keyboard diagram to help with the construction of Major scales. If you look closely at the picture above you will see that there are also a set of boxes printed above the staff in which students are required to supply the letter name of the note (along with any relevant #'s or b's) Other music theory worksheets in the download feature cover the same ground but with the "cheats" (keyboard diagrams and scale formulae) omitted so that students are obliged to come to rely on their developing knowledge of music theory rather than become "over reliant" on visual aids. By using a mixture of worksheets (some with keyboard diagrams/scale formulae and some without) it is possible to appropriately challenge students with differing levels of ability/prior knowledge within the same session?
Printable Music Theory Worksheets
Constructing Triads and Diatonic Puzzles
A set of music theory worksheets that look at the subject of identifying individual chords and then combining the chord types (major, minor and diminished) to give all seven triads that can be constructed from a single scale and which can therefore be found within a single key
A Free Printable Music Worksheet which requires students to invstigate the combinations of correctly named notes that make up major and minor triads. From there, they are challenged to go on to identify the chords in question. This music worksheet (like all of the resources on this site) can be used in the traditional way during classroom sessions can also be compiled with more music worksheets to make up "revision booklets" etc. You can also use these hadouts and worksheets in order to "stretch and challenge" more capable students of music theory while you spend some time working with less able members of the classroom group in order to help them to grasp concepts that they find difficult?
Print PDF Music Theory Worksheets
Printable Music Theory Tests
Alongside the music worksheets there are Twenty music theory tests with ten questions/puzzles on each sheet. The first ten look at Major Scales, Minor scales and basic triads whlst the remainder introduce 7th chords and (major and minor) pentatonic scales into the mix.
These test papers can be used for homework or in classroom sessions. They are also ideal for diagnostic or assessment purposes to determine the strengths and weaknesses of particular students.
In addition they also provide an excellent music theory resource for use with substitute teachers when you can't be in the classroom?
A set of music worksheets designed to help your students to understand how to understand, work out, and identify key signatures.
Music Theory Worksheets
Seventh Chord Music Worksheets and Puzzles
Moving on from triads to 7th chords with an extensive set of resources designed to encourage understanding of the construction of each of the four main types of 7th chord (maj7, m7, m7(b5) and dominant7).
From here the resources go on to look at the the (diatonic) 7th chords found within particular keys. This information is the basis of developing an understanding of jazz forms and sequences and provides an ideal springboard into the exploration of improvisational forms.
Print Music Theory Worksheets, Handouts and Wallcharts
Alongside the printable music theory worksheets you also get to download Thirteen letter sized music education handouts explaining the construction of major, minor, pentatonic and blues scales as well triads and 7th chords etc
These music theory resources can be distributed to students and/or printed and displayed as a source of quick reference for your students on your music classroom wall?
There is no "site license" and no subscription fees on a "per student" basis (or whatever?). Life is complicated enough. It's jsimply a case of buy our stuff if you think it could make your life easier and your teaching better? After that you just use it in your music lessons for the rest of your life (at a cost of less than six cents per music worksheet we reckon thats a pretty good price)?
The material on this site is designed to help you to get students from a point where they have little or no understanding of "how music works" to a position where they are able to understand the the principles behind all of the scales, chords and harmonic systems that they are likely to encounter whilst studying music.
If the material presented here were to take the form of a book it would perhaps be three times as expensive and half as useful (after all you can't print the pages of a book as often as you like at the touch of a button)?
Printable Music Theory Worksheets
I'm still busy putting the descriptions and graphics together for this page but hopefully there is enough material above to give you a flavour of the resources?
In addition to the above materials there are a host of similarly styled resources and worksheets covering minor scales and pentatonic scales (major and minor) as well as a whole load of stuff designed to ingrease student's understanding of blues scales etc?
It is not the intention that every student should complete every worksheet. This material is intended to introduce principles and then test and reinforce understanding of those principles. The music theory worksheets and handouts provide a simple, flexible and powerful resource to music educators and help with the development of a functionable and workable understanding of the principles of music theory.
The worksheets are not specific to a particular style of music or exam syllabus (as the reality is that Bach used the same twelve notes as Charlie Parker?)
Once they have been downloaded you can print these invaluable music education resources and worksheets straight from the hard drive of your computer or drop the files onto a memory stick or phone and take them into your school or college for photocopying etc. Whatever suits the way you work? Any way you choose you can be sure that for the rest of your teaching career you will always have access to first class printable music worksheets.
Enjoy!
DOWNLOAD 400+ Printable Music Theory Worksheets NOW!
A lifetime of re-usable resources for only $18.00
How to access your simple "one click" download
$18.00
Buy your printable PDF Music Theory Worksheets in complete safety via any major credit card (through paypal) or directly through your paypal account if you have one. If you choose to use a credit card, rest assured that we never see your credit card details as paypal do all of that for us.
When Paypal receive your payment you will be immediately invited to click a
"RETURN TO MERCHANT"button.
You will be taken to a page from where you can download the music theory worksheets that you have paid for NOW!
In the (rare) event that something should go wrong with the order/download process just email me at robh@teachwombat.com
I will check the order and send you the links that will get you to your stuff.
Cheers! Rob!
Download a 20+ Page PDF of
Free Music Theory Lesson Plans
to accompany our Printable Music Worksheets? Click the image below to go to our Music Lesson Plans page from where you can download a twenty plus page PDF of free music lesson plans
