Fundamentals of Music Theory

Very challenging for complete beginners. The taught material is minimal for the complexity of the subject matter, and the quizzes/assignments often go beyond what has been adequately taught, so you're forced to resort to Google and Wikipedia. Quizzes with a time estimate of between 20 and 30 minutes have taken me hours and hours, and were impossible without additional research. Unfortunately, for some reason, the version of the course I sat (Nov. 16) had absolutely no tutor engagement - no tutor has been seen on the forums. It's the pre-recorded videos and associated text summaries, and that's it - no tutor feedback about anything. At first, I liked that it was more intellectually rigorous than some music theory courses, but in the end, I felt it had been too ambitious, trying to cover too much too quickly, and definitely not for the fainthearted. Weaknesses compounded by technical issues - no way to save quiz progress, and if you're nearly finished when your browser hangs, you lose the lot.

The teachers do not teach well. One example is the section using Ami to build triads from. A girl and a guy are teaching. The girl says they will use " A relative natural minor of C major ". However, at the third degree the guy says they will use the harmonic minor scale for the third degree. Is that not the correct scale at the third degree using the relative natural minor scale of C major ? He did say different minor scales could be used but where is the explanation for this substitution ? I maybe have not gotten far enough to find the reason for it but if you could stay on one thing at a time would make more sense to a beginner.
Another example is the guy who teaches note duration. He tells a lot about the subject but there are very few examples he demonstrates. I think he clapped his hands twice throughout that entire section. He also mentions 64ths are not used that much and did not elaborate on them at all, but the quiz has them...?
I am learning but finding the details of their teaching elsewhere because of the communication gap.

Indeed, i have learn the fundamentals of music theory. It are really the fundamentals which i think everybody has to know. I consulted a texbook free, online as a PDF named :music theory for people in the 20tties century, and the course itself decribes de music theory of the first 450 pages of this PDF which contains more then 1000 pages !
I have learn guitar playing on my own and i did not known any notes, simply by trying to play chords, with the purpose to entertain my boyscouts with singing popular songs which i would give them for the joy of singing.
It's a though course because the knowledge you have to learn goes fast in exponentially way. Don't dscourage yourself : this course can not be done in 5 weeks ! It took me more than 6 months, bexause my theory was below sea level.
I was charmed by the voice of Niki and her very good interpretations of the basis of music theory and also at the the professor in the last week who understood very well the pedagogical skills to explain others why you can learn something about music theory. I hope you can now understand that's a course not doable in 5 weeks. Try to repeat, repeat and play a free app keyboard and try to find other elements for learning this course : ask all the questions you have using Youtube.
Take care of yourself!

I'm pretty much a beginner in music and I learned an awful lot from this course. I found it very difficult though and spent a lot more time on it each week than is suggested. The weekly exams made you think very hard about what you had been taught, but I found them a good challenge and felt I had achieved something at the end of them. You definitely need to read the additional materials (when the links work, otherwise get on Google) and I'd recommend you have a print out of the circle of fifths and have a layout of the notes on a piano handy.

Up to the end of the regular weeks I'd say it's a really worthwhile course if you want to understand basic music theory. Don't attempt it though if you're not going to take detailed notes and put in more time than suggested each week.

The final exam though. Wow! It's so much harder than any of the weekly ones. I attempted the first part of the exam twice and didn't score above 50% despite passing the weekly ones without too much trouble (had one re-try).

I may go back to it in future as I feel I have some unfinished business here, but probably won't.