I'm already behind on this course. I may just peak in  get fully immersed next time it is offered

I have taken Coursera courses in the past - including one from Gary Burton (world-class vibes/marimba player).  They are FABULOUS.
 
I completely appreciate that these course sites are out there, and encourage folks to look for something they might enjoy learning about - you can't beat free, BUT you do need to put in some time and effort into the courses, or you will quickly get behind.
 
Bob Bone
 

This is a really fun thread! I love how a discussion of music theory degrades, er rather mutates into a discussion about programming!  
 
dubdisciple - Great lyrics but they are the old rendition. The new version was recorded up one semi-tone - in C#! 
 

dubdisciple
The Write in C song

When I find my code in tons of trouble,
Friends and colleagues come to me,
Speaking words of wisdom:
"Write in C."

As the deadline fast approaches,
And bugs are all that I can see,
Somewhere, someone whispers:
"Write in C."

Write in C, Write in C,
Write in C, oh, Write in C.
BASIC's dead and buried,
Write in C.
...

Date posted: 28th March 2000

dubdisciple
I'm already behind on this course. I may just peak in  get fully immersed next time it is offered

Hey Dub, this class is actually structured very oddly... it has no assignments, only quizzes and a final exam... and all things are due on the same date - August 24th!! Someone familiar with the staff already could come in late and finish it pretty easily.
 
Caveat to this - each week has about 30 minutes of pre-done videos, but they are adding additional ones for further explanation based on the forums. I also made a suggestion to shift interval explanation into week 1 and explicitly tell students that quizzes are not "due" on a given week, since the following weeks clarify information (although they did drop a couple pieces of info in Week 2 and said "this will be explained further in Week 4"). Based on this syllabus being in its infancy, waiting may make for a better structured course.
 
My concern with this course from an instructional standpoint if for the true novices in the class... some have no musical background at all, so the "brief mentions" of significant topics have been why I have been posting in the forums there. Week 1 trundled many novices since they present the stave (symmetrical) yet never correlate that to the chromatic scale (asymmetrical), then quizzed students on the stave and where the m2's are (yikes!!). The comedy is in these MOOC's, folks in the forums will contradict before expounding info... if you want a chuckle, read my "The black keys matter!" in there.

I may have to take my last comment back... this course is trundling people left, right, and sideways now. So much material is being introduced at a superficial level without adequate explanation, but then tested in detail. It is definitely worth downloading the videos/notes from; but based on level of knowledge going in, it can be significantly difficult (this is not a beginner course by any means IMO).

robert_e_bone
Noel, if I can answer either of those 2 questions, could I win as a prize either: A Sonar coffee mug, or the ability to use an 1/8th note as the meter base in Step Sequencer?
 
I would put in the time and effort to figure those out, if I could win one of the above prizes.  :)
(and I am sorry if this opens a can of worms)
 
Bob Bone

 
Wait - there's a Sonar coffee mug ???? I missed that....

Maybe I will try it then AFTER I brush up on my basics.

Hmmm, I am not sure whether to be discouraged or angry about this class now. The upside is that this is the first run, and the instructors are taking a very active role in it (and responding to criticisms, which are many).
 
The downside is that a lot of content is done in a very cursory fashion, and then quizzes go "two steps beyond" the material presented. Not really an issue, as they are untimed and open book.
 
Then comes the final... this is actually the reason I signed up for this course!! It is harmonic analysis of a piece of Mozart's work (and rather lengthy). Unfortunately... the lectures never covered a methodology of doing such analysis, and an "example" of what is expected was never provided. Luckily, the final is not even needed for the "certificate" most seem to focus on, but I am sort of depressed that the part I wanted to learn/master was never covered!
 
In coming runs of this course, it should improve... but (ironically) what I wanted to learn is actually in this link I found searching for "how to do" the final (and voice leading was not included in the class!).
 
Anyway... FYI for those that were following this thread... I may post one more when the fallout from this final has concluded. 5 PhD's in music, and their ability to "communicate" practical examples is limited (yikes, but common).

I have taken a few courses through Coursera, and the quality of the course varies among the courses.
 
There was a pretty good Jazz improvisation class taught by none other than the legendary Gary Burton, which I thought was pretty good.
 
Another one on mixing was OK, but pretty basic.
 
Still - free is a good thing, and I think they will learn to make things better, since the point is to attract paying students to the various colleges.
 
Bob Bone

sharke
Years ago I took an old book home from the library called "Basic harmony & basic harmonical mode of thinking" by a German jazz guitarist called Werner Pohlert. I really wish I'd spent more time with it because in it he presents a very unique but simple and enlightening way of thinking about any chord progressions and soloing over any changes.

 
I have a copy of this book-  I was originally put off by the egregiously bad English translation from the German, but I'm going to have another look through it now.  Thanks for reminding me about it!
 
John