Theory and Harmony

Professor Emeritus Paul Schmeling and Professor Michael Rendish, founding chair of Berklee's Harmony Department, will provide you with the foundational knowledge necessary to read, write, and understand music's inner workings.

The Specialist Theory and Harmony certificate will help you create a solid base of musical knowledge and deepen your understanding of rhythm, scales, chord progressions, and harmony. You'll learn how to use scales, intervals, and chords; write a melody; and hear and modify chord progressions. You'll also gain a firm understanding of the inner workings of harmony in a broad range of contemporary styles, as well as study more advanced harmonic principles including melodic and harmonic tension, chord substitution, and chromatically altered chords. By mastering these concepts, you'll advance the creativity in your playing and writing and learn to hear the elements of music like never before!