Music Theory
Understand the language
Theory is not a set of dry rules to memorise. It is the key to making sense of what you hear and adding depth to what you create. In private, one-on-one lessons we move at your pace, guided by your questions.
What You Will Learn
- Notation and sight reading
- Harmony and chord analysis
- Ear training and solfege
- Rhythm and meter
- Form analysis and structure
The Journey
Theory starts with what you already hear
It would be easy to list what a music theory curriculum covers: notation, intervals, harmony, rhythm... But that list does not explain why any of it matters. The real point is catching the moment — when you hear a chord change on the radio and name it, when you sight-read a passage without hesitating, when a melody you are transcribing suddenly makes structural sense. That is when theory stops being abstract and starts being yours.
A song comes on the radio. You hear the chord change and think, “V–vi–IV–I.” Theory just stopped being a textbook and became your own language.
Reading and hearing
Sight reading and ear training are inseparable — two sides of the same muscle. Turning a page into sound trains your inner ear; turning a heard melody back into notation sharpens your reading reflex. These skills grow together: as your aural accuracy improves, your reading speeds up; as your reading becomes fluent, your ear sharpens. We work both sides in every lesson.
Harmony: why is that chord there?
Once you understand why chords follow each other, you stop just playing music and start speaking it. The pull of dominant to tonic in functional harmony feels almost like gravity — but once you feel that gravity, you can choose when to defy it, suspend it, or redirect it. From classical cadences to jazz substitutions, modal interchange to chromatic voice leading, this thread builds the harmonic confidence to make your own musical decisions.
Rhythm: from counting to feeling
Syncopation is not a technique, it is a way of feeling. When you can internalise simple and compound meters and hear polyrhythmic layers, you stop counting beats and start feeling pulse. An internalised sense of time makes you a more confident musician regardless of your instrument — and that confidence shows up immediately when you play with others.
Structure: the architecture of a piece
Seeing how a piece is built gives depth to your own compositions and performances. Sonata form, rondo, ABA, verse-chorus — these are not templates, they are the skeleton of musical thought. Analysis teaches you to read other people's decisions and make your own deliberately. Once you crack the tension points in a Beethoven sonata, you start hearing a pop song's bridge with entirely different ears.
Who We Are Waiting For
Maybe exactly you
You have been playing guitar or piano for years but keep circling the same patterns.
The day you understand why those chords go in that order, improvisation opens up. Theory gives your practice meaning and the confidence to leave the written page behind.
You build beats in your DAW, your ear makes beautiful things, but you cannot explain why some chord progressions hit harder than others.
Harmonic and arrangement knowledge moves your production decisions from instinct to intention. If you want to get past the loop library, theory is the road that takes you there.
You are preparing for a conservatory entrance exam in Istanbul, or you have an ABRSM or Trinity theory exam coming up.
We build a systematic, efficient prep plan. We identify your gaps and focus on ear training, dictation, and written theory with the exam squarely in sight.
You have always loved music but never had any formal training. Now you are thinking, “I want to actually understand what I am hearing.”
Starting from zero is not a disadvantage, it is a freedom. No bad habits to unlearn, no gaps to fill — a clean page, at your own pace.
Lesson Format
How it works
Private one-on-one instruction
- One-on-one — content and pace shaped entirely around you
- 45 or 60 minutes per session, your choice
- Online (Zoom / Google Meet) or in-person in Istanbul
- PDF notes and exercises shared after every lesson
- Audio session recordings available on request
Fixed weekly slot or flexible booking — your preference
Your learning path
- 01
Foundation
Note reading, basic intervals, major and minor scales, quarter-note rhythm. For those who have never started or want a clean slate.
- 02
Intermediate
Diatonic harmony, seventh chords, modal scales, compound meters, and aural dictation. For those who know the basics and want to go deeper.
- 03
Advanced
Chromatic harmony, secondary modulation, 20th-century techniques, form analysis, and composition exercises. For those integrating theory into their own musical thought.
If you want to understand music, not just play it — let’s start here.
The first step is a conversation. We talk about what you play, where you are coming from, where you want to go. No commitment, no quiz.