Skip to content
UdemyMusicPaid courseIntermediate levelCertificate

Music Theory Comprehensive Complete: Part 4, 5, & 6 (Udemy.com)

Learn music theory through this music theory course app, music theory exercises, and music theory tutorials.

Created by: J. Anthony Allen

Last updated January 2026

icon
What you will learn

  • Composing music using modes and counterpoint
  • Create unique melodies by understanding the rules of counterpoint
  • Create more emotional music by taking advantage of the musical modes
  • Interval Exploration
  • Compound Intervals
  • Rules for Inversion
  • Augmented Intervals
  • Diminished Intervals
  • Enharmonic Equivalence
  • Labeling Dissonance
  • Counterpoint in Species
  • The Rules of Counterpoint
  • Compositing with Counterpoint
  • Types of Contrapuntal Motion
  • Creating music with Counterpoint
  • Tools of Counterpoint
  • Second Species Counterpoint
  • Metric Accents and Diminutions
  • Resolutions
  • Passing Tones
  • Consonant Skips and Leaps
  • Neighbor Tones
  • Writing Compelling Melodies
  • Third Species Counterpoint
  • The Cambiata
  • Double Neighbor Tones
  • Fourth Species Counterpoint
  • Rhythmic Displacement

How it compares

Against the other 270 rated Udemy courses in Music on CourseDuck:

  • Rating4.8 out of 5higher than 84% of them
  • Reviews3,968#12 of 271 by number of reviews
  • Length10.2 hourslonger than 87% of them
  • Last updatedJanuary 2026more recently than 76% of them

icon
Course Description

** UDEMY BESTSELLER **

This course is "5-Star Certified" by the International Association of Online Music Educators and Institutions (IAOMEI). This course has been independently reviewed by a panel of experts and has received a stellar 5-star rating.

100% Answer Rate!
Every single question posted to this class is answered within 24 hours by the instructor.

Welcome to the COMPLETE Music Theory Guide!

This is a class designed for the average person who is ready to take music theory (or music interest) and turn it into a usable skill. Whether you are an active musician or an aspiring musician, this class is perfect for you.

For years I've been teaching Music Theory in the college classroom. These classes I'm making for Udemy use the same syllabus I've used in my college classes for years, at a fraction of the cost. I believe anyone can learn Music Theory - and cost shouldn't be a barrier.

My approach to music theory is to minimize memorization. Most of these concepts you can learn by just understanding why chords behave in certain ways. Once you understand those concepts, you can find any scale, key, or chord that exists. Even invent your own. If you've tried to learn music theory before, or if you are just starting out - this series of courses is the perfect fit.

Dr. Allen is a professional musician, top-rated Udemy instructor, and university professor. In 2017 the Star Tribune featured him as a "Mover and a Shaker," and he is recognized by the Grammy Foundation for his music education classes. 

This class is a Comprehensive class - it will have many parts, going through my entire annual curriculum.

MUSIC THEORY COMPREHENSIVE COMBINED: PARTS, 4, 5, AND 6 is three courses in one: It includes my three top Music Theory Comprehensive courses: Part 4: Modes & Counterpoint, Part 5: Counterpoint Complete, and Part 6: SATB Composition.

In this class, we will cover:

  • My approach to Music Theory

  • Tools you will need to learn Music Theory quickly and efficiently

  • How Modes Work

  • The History of Modes

  • Identifying the Musical Modes

  • Incorporating modes into popular music

  • Analysis of popular and classical music, including the Simpsons TV Theme Song, and the Beetles.

  • Interval Exploration

  • Compound Intervals

  • Rules for Inversion

  • Augmented Intervals

  • Diminished Intervals

  • Enharmonic Equivalence

  • Labeling Dissonance

  • Counterpoint in Species 

  • The Rules of Counterpoint

  • Compositing with Counterpoint

  • Types of Contrapuntal Motion

  • Creating music with Counterpoint

  • Tools of Counterpoint

  • Second Species Counterpoint

  • Metric Accents and Diminutions 

  • Resolutions

  • Passing Tones

  • Consonant Skips and Leaps

  • Neighbor Tones

  • Writing Compelling Melodies

  • Third Species Counterpoint

  • The Cambiata

  • Double Neighbor Tones

  • Fourth Species Counterpoint

  • Rhythmic Displacement

  • Suspensions

  • 4-3, 7-6, and 9-8 Suspension Types

  • Consonant Suspensions

  • Chains of Suspensions

  • Fifth Species Counterpoint

  • Free Counterpoint

  • My approach to Music Theory

  • Tools of Counterpoint

  • Types of Motion in Counterpoint

  • 18th Century Counterpoint

  • Chordal Dissonance

  • Cadences in Bass/Melody Accompaniment

  • Cadences in 4-Voice Accompaniment

  • Non-Chord Tones in 4-Voice Accompaniment

  • Suspensions in 4-Voice Accompaniment

  • Example Analysis Projects

  • Writing 4-Voice (SATB) Lines

  • SATB Notation

  • SATB Ranges

  • Voice Crossings

  • Doubling

  • T-D-T Phrasing

  • Establishing Tonic Areas

  • Establishing Dominant Areas

  • Resolving Leading Tones (in 4-Voice Accompaniment)

  • Harmonic Rhythm

  • Texture (in Song)

  • Worksheets and Music for Practice

  • ...and much, much more!

And of course, once you sign up for this class, you automatically get huge discounts on all the upcoming parts of this class.

You will not have another opportunity to learn Music Theory in a more comprehensive way than this. 

All the tools you need to successfully learn Music Theory is included in this course and the entire course is based on real-life experiences - not just academic theory.

Please click the "Take This Course" button so you can launch your music career today.


Test Prep: 

This course is perfect for prep for the Praxis II Test (ETS Praxis Music), The ABRSM Music Theory Exam (up to Grade 8), AP Music Theory Exam, College Placement Exams (Music Theory), and other common secondary and post-secondary placement exams.


** I guarantee that this course is the most thorough music theory course available ANYWHERE on the market - or your money back (30-day money-back guarantee) **

Closed captions have been added to all lessons in this course.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Praise for Courses by Jason Allen:

⇢  "It seems like every little detail is being covered in an extremely simple fashion. The learning process becomes relaxed and allows complex concepts to get absorbed easily. My only regret is not taking this course earlier." - M. Shah

⇢  "Great for everyone without any knowledge so far. I bought all three parts... It's the best investment in leveling up my skills so far.." - Z. Palce

⇢  "Excellent explanations! No more or less than what is needed." - A. Tóth

⇢  "VERY COOL. I've waited for years to see a good video course, now I don't have to wait anymore. Thank You!" - Jeffrey Koury

⇢  "I am learning LOTS! And I really like having the worksheets!" - A. Deichsel

⇢  "The basics explained very clearly - loads of really useful tips!" - J. Pook

⇢  "Jason is really quick and great with questions, always a great resource for an online class!" M. Smith

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Students who register for this course will receive ongoing exclusive content and discounts to all future classes in the series. 

icon
Udemy Discount

The discount is applied through our link. Open the course from here and Udemy's current promotional price is applied at checkout on most courses, no code to type.

Some courses are excluded from Udemy's promotions. If the price does not drop, clear your browser cookies and use the button again.

icon
Instructor Details

J. Anthony Allen

Dr. Allen is a 2026 Apple Distinguished Educator.

Dr. J. Anthony Allen is a distinguished composer, producer, educator, and innovator whose multifaceted career spans various musical disciplines. Born in Michigan and based in Minneapolis, Dr. Allen has composed orchestral works, produced acclaimed dance music, and, through his entrepreneurship projects, he has educated over a million students worldwide in music theory and electronic music production.


Dr. Allen's musical influence is global, with compositions performed across Europe, North America, and Asia. His versatility is evident in works ranging from Minnesota Orchestra performances to Netflix soundtracks. Beyond creation, Dr. Allen is committed to revolutionizing music education for the 21st century. In 2011, he founded Slam Academy, an electronic music school aimed at increasing accessibility to music production education. His innovative approach to academia was highlighted in 2024 when he received tenure and resigned from his university position on the same day.


As a composer, Dr. Allen is known for his unique synthesis of diverse musical influences, often blending acoustic music with electronic dance music elements. With a Ph.D. in Music Composition, multiple master's degrees, and numerous awards, Dr. Allen's academic and professional achievements are substantial.

icon
More courses by J. Anthony Allen

$124.99

$149.99

$11.99

$12.99

$13.99

$109.99

icon
More Music courses

$16.99

$109.99

$15.99

$16.99

$19.99

$69.99

icon
Reviews

4.8

3,968 ratings on Udemy

Select a bar to show only those reviews.Select the bar again to show every rating.

By Kiefer Hilderbrandt on 2/2/2026

This course has helped me greatly understand my passion of music! I bought these courses years ago in high school and they inspired me to actually compose something for my school's spring concert. Though at the time I was still only on the absolute first course, it still gave me the tools I needed to write a full scale composition which is something that I had been wanting to do for a long time. I'm just now running through these courses for the first time after graduating high school and music is starting to look like an actual pursuable career. I'm hoping to learn all of the advanced curriculum before starting because composing things on my own is a passion of mine whether it's orchestral or jazz. My music teachers in high school always spoke about how I should know things like counterpoint, tritones, and modes if I were to go into post secondary music learning. I'm happy this course is actually certified to teach me these things so I can pursue an even higher level of learning with it. Overall, I'm above happy with these courses thus far and can't wait to learn more!

By Bill Armstrong on 10/10/2025

Good content. Well presented. A few mistakes, at least one that was not handled well. In one session on counterpoint, a bass clef staff was mislabeled as treble clef. This went on for minutes, during which time a LOT of confusion (including apparent mis-identification of notes) ensued Finally nearer the end, the instructor discovered and acknowledged the mistake, apologized but kind of blew it off. Proper handling would have been to re-record the confusing part so that it was understandable while being watched.

By Benjamin Ulfenborg on 3/5/2024

This series on music theory is simply amazing. The content of the lessons are well delimited and in logical order, making it easy to follow. Plenty of examples and practical exercises are given to reinforce the theory, and makes the learning experience much more fun. The instructor is very knowledgeable and helpful, and is quick to answer questions posted in the course.

By Haktan on 6/25/2021

Wow, I had no idea how helpful this comprehensive series of courses could be... I am a producer and a kind of producer who thinks learning the theory is essential to composing... I always thought learning music theory is difficult and maybe it would be but the way Jason teaches is quite engaging and probably because he is a teacher in college he actually knows how to teach. I feel so lucky to find this course. I even think of applying to a local music college because I feel like at the end of this course I will feel confident to be there... Also he has a lot of other good courses which I bought. Thank you so much for everything. I am so excited to progress and move forward...

By Anna Dronova on 11/22/2020

Exceptional course!!

By Nikhil Vaidhyanathan on 11/15/2020

BRILLIANT STUFF!

By JP Sheehan on 11/8/2020

Wonderfully informative with an outstanding instructor. Lectures were engaging and illuminating. This course fleshed out concepts with which I had a basic familiarity and exposed me to brand new areas of music theory.

By Jordan Rhodes on 11/8/2020

Easy to follow along. These three (4,5&6) where slightly more challenging than the last three, But I think a better word would be 'engaging'.

By Norma Corsini on 10/21/2020

Jason Allen is a very good teacher!??

By Ron Bulger on 10/19/2020

Very informative and he has a good method of communicating the info needed to progress thru the courses. This is my second set of courses of his. i have one more set then maybe the last set.

By Richard Webb on 10/19/2020

I knew the what about a lot of the topics but am learning a lot about they why

By Stephan Placeres on 10/18/2020

Such an outstanding course. Very extensive. I don't believe other courses lay it out like Jason. Was very satisfied with Parts 1, 2, & 3. I'm only 25% into this course and I must say, after completing this course, I will continue with Jason's courses all the way till the end.

Showing 12 of 315 reviews

icon
Quality Score

No CourseDuck member has rated this course yet. Taken it? Give each part a thumbs up or down.

Content Quality
/
Video Quality
/
Qualified Instructor
/
Course Pace
/
Course Depth & Coverage
/

Overall Score : 96 / 100