Music Performance Courses

In a typical music performance class, it's not surprising to find recording engineers and other music industry professionals sitting alongside aspiring musicians. In fact, many Grammy-winning producers and recording engineers point out that their jobs require just as much familiarity with the art of creating music as with the latest recording technology. Because music production and music business jobs are so competitive, performance training can often provide an edge for job seekers.

Online Music Performance Courses

Music industry experts frequently advise young professionals to seek music performance training. Online music performance courses offer working adults the convenience and flexibility of Web-based instruction. With access to convenient music performance courses, hobbyists can build skills that can help land paying gigs, while aspiring music business professionals can give themselves a job-hunting advantage.

Berklee College of Music

Study performing with the top music school in the country

Master the skills, concepts and methodologies of performing music, and get college credit!
These performance courses are offered entirely online with Berklee's renowned faculty.

Master your instrument, and learn to express yourself more vividly through music. Equip yourself with the fundamental knowledge of your instrument inside and out, and then use this knowledge in new and unique ways.

Choose from individual courses, or three levels of certificate programs. We also have a complete list of all courses in music performance.

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Online Courses for Musicians and Performers

Music Theory 101

Get the musical foundation you need to take your skills to an even higher level. Learn to read, write, listen deeply . and put theory into practice every day! After more than 40 years at Berklee, Professor Emeritus Paul Schmeling has helped countless students build a solid base of musical knowledge.

Paul Schmeling (12 weeks) 3 Credits

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Berklee Keyboard Method

Learn the Berklee approach to keyboard / piano in this 12-week course. Master the basics of technique and chord voicings, plus gain an understanding of more advanced concepts such as interpretation of lead sheets and improvisation.

Paul Schmeling (12 weeks) 3 Credits

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Basic Ear Training 1

The course focuses on melody and bass notes and examines the harmonies, rhythms and pulses that drive and measures music. You'll learn to notate basic rhythms and comprehend the relationships between notes by using the solfage method.

Matt Marvuglio (6 weeks) 2 Credits

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Getting Inside Harmony

Both beginner and advanced courses. Through keyboard chord voicings and voice-leading exercises, you'll gain an understanding of the musical tools that go beyond the demands of a particular musical style, and develop a greater sense of control in your writing.

Michael Rendish (12 weeks) 3 Credits

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Basic Improvisation

Basic Improvisation is designed to develop your solos, and organize your thoughts and playing with the sounds around you through a step-by-step approach that applies to all styles and any instrument. You'll begin by looking at the 12-Bar Blues form and the pentatonic scale, and gain a greater feel for phrasing your riffs and playing 'in the pocket' by studying rhythmic, melodic, and harmonic repetition.

Matt Marvuglio and Ed Tomassi (6 weeks) 2 Credits

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Guitar Scales 101

Guitar Scales 101 will help you to organize the often-ambiguous guitar fretboard, and provide you with the knowledge to confidently navigate the instrument and develop your technique.

Larry Baione (6 weeks) 2 Credits

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Blues Guitar Workshop 1

No matter what style you chose to play - jazz, rock, classical - having a blues background provides guitarists with a foundation in form, control, feel and harmonies that can be used to advance your playing in any genre of music.

Michael Williams (6 weeks) 2 Credits

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Arranging 1

Arranging 1 will teach you how to write and create killer arrangements that really groove. This course directs you on rhythm section notation, adaptation of the melody and chords, intro's and endings, articulations and dynamics, and how to create an emotional contour throughout the arrangement.

Suzanne Dean (12 weeks) 3 Credits

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