Integrated Musicianship: Theory is a free, open-source online textbook for college-level music theory courses. Its 22 chapters range from pitches and clefs to post-tonal analysis, organized into topics and parts with overviews, examples, and lessons. The teaching approach encourages students to explore examples and form explanations with instructor guidance. Students can alter interactive web notation and hear feedback; abcjs renders ABC notation and provides MIDI playback. The textbook is available on the web, and the site says full abcjs functionality works best in up-to-date Chrome or Firefox. Its source code is hosted on GitHub for sharing, adaptation, and modification, and the pages display a CC BY-NC-SA license. Integrated Musicianship: Aural Skills is a companion resource for a parallel ear-training course. Course assignments, homework questions, tutoring schedules, and other class activities use a Discord server accessed through an invite link in the university Blackboard Learn site; the maker says it is not a public forum. Questions about the textbook or curriculum can be sent to Sean Butterfield by email.
Who it is for
This textbook suits college-level music theory courses, especially classes using instructor-guided exploration of musical examples. Students using its course activities need access to the university Blackboard Learn invite for the Discord server.
What is good
- Free, open-source textbook
- Covers 22 chapters of music theory
- Interactive notation includes MIDI playback
- Source can be shared and modified
- Companion text supports ear training
What to know first
- Full abcjs functionality works best in up-to-date Chrome or Firefox
- Course Discord is not a public forum
Verdict
Integrated Musicianship: Theory pairs a structured course text with editable notation and MIDI playback. Its online format is complemented by an instructor-guided approach and a companion ear-training text.
Get started with Integrated Musicianship: Theory
- Open https://intmus.github.io/inttheory/ in a web browser.
- Use an up-to-date Chrome or Firefox browser for full abcjs functionality.
- Explore the chapters, topics, examples, and lessons.
- For assignments and course activities, use the Discord invite link in the university Blackboard Learn site.
Questions about Integrated Musicianship: Theory
Is Integrated Musicianship: Theory free?
Yes. It is offered as a free plan, and there is no free trial.
What platforms does it support?
It is available on the web. Full abcjs functionality works best in up-to-date Chrome or Firefox.
Is the textbook open source?
Yes. Its source code is hosted on GitHub so it can be shared, adapted, and modified. The textbook pages display a CC BY-NC-SA license.
What does the textbook cover?
Its 22 chapters cover topics from pitches and clefs through post-tonal analysis.
Does it include interactive music examples?
Yes. Students can alter web-based notation and hear feedback; the site uses abcjs for ABC notation and MIDI playback.
How do students access assignments and course support?
Assignments, homework questions, tutoring schedules, and other class activities use Discord. Students access the server through an invite link in their university Blackboard Learn site.
Compared on music theory software
- Free plan
- Yes
- Interactive exercises
- Yes
- Notation tools
- advanced
- Harmony tools
- Yes
- Rhythm practice
- Yes
- MIDI support
- Yes
- Supported platforms
- Web
