Dr. Guy Shkolnik Music Theory Course

If you are a self-taught musician or someone who has learned from various sources but still struggles to understand how the elements of music work together - this course is for you.

Buy $97.00

“Unlike any other online course I've seen. Pinpointed to master fundamental skills.”

— Soubir Moitra, songwriter/producer

This course gives you a clear, hands-on understanding of music theory—structured, practical, and designed for real-world use.

If you're a self-taught or semi-self-taught musician, you've likely picked up theory from lessons, books, or online videos. But if those concepts still feel disconnected—or if you've forgotten much of what you once learned—this course will bring it all together.

Maybe you've struggled with modes, felt uncertain about minor scales, or never quite understood why the circle of fifths matters. Maybe you've played for years but still feel like something is missing—relying on intuition without fully understanding why things work, or unsure how to take your playing to the next level. And when it comes to jazz chords, how exactly should you voice them? When do you use extensions like 9ths and 13ths? What types of progressions and styles do they fit into?

This course connects the dots and fills in the gaps. You won’t just learn theory—you’ll apply it through real music, guided exercises, and practical examples. Quizzes throughout the course ensure you're making real progress, reinforcing what you’ve learned.

I designed this course with one goal: to free you from the frustration of not knowing. Not with abstract theory, but with knowledge you can use—so you can play, hear, and understand music with confidence.

I can’t promise this course will make you famous. But I can promise it will remove the frustration of not knowing, so you can make music with clarity and purpose.

If you've ever felt like you were just “getting by” in music without fully understanding how it all works—this course changes that. For good.

Unlike any other online course I have seen

Soubir Moitra, songwriter/producer

Dr. Guy has a very precise, application-based approach that feels very natural, which is why I started following him on Instagram — a paget that’s a goldmine of information in itself. This course offers easier and more concise access to specific tools and information, pin-pointed to master skills that are fundamental to a strong musical foundation. I recommend it to anyone who truly wants a solid grasp of complex musical concepts. It opens up a lot of avenues, and the best part is that it gets updated — unlike any other online course I’ve seen. So the course develops with you, which I think is fantastic foundation. I recommend everyone with a desire to truly have the freedom to play what they imagine and to have a strong grasp over complex musical concepts to thoroughly go through this course. It opens up a lot of avenues and the best part is it gets updated, unlike any other online course I have seen. So the course develops with you which I think is fantastic.

Milad Mohsenian

Jazz Pianist, Educator

I recently had the pleasure of taking an online music theory course with Dr. Guy Shkolnik, and I can confidently say it was one of the best learning experiences I’ve had in a while. Guy is not only a talented musician but also an excellent teacher who knows how to explain complex concepts in a way that's easy to understand.

What's in this course

1. Welcome!
2. How this course works
1. 1. The Semitone
2. 2. The Whole Tone
3. Quizzes: Semitones and Whole Tones
4. 3. The Major Scale
5. Quizzes: Major Scale
6. 4. Sharps and Flats
7. Quizzes: Sharp and Flats
8. 5. Tonic, Dominant, Subdominant and the Leading Tone
9. Quizzes: Tonic, Dominant, Subdominant and leading tone
10. 6. Stable Notes and Active Notes
11. Quizzes: Stable Notes and Active Notes
12. 7. Major and Minor Thirds
13. Quizzes: Major and Minor Thirds
14. 8. Triads
15. Quizzes: Triads
16. 9. Triads of the Major scale
17. Quizzes: Scale Degrees Triads
18. Section 1: What you should practice
19. Assignment: Learning the Major scales
1. 10. Chord Progressions: I - IV - V - I
2. 11. The G7 Chord - V7
3. Quizzes: The G7 chord - V7
4. 12. Voice-Leading Guideline 1: Common Tones
5. Quizzes: Common Tones
6. 13. Voice-Leading Guideline 2: Contrary Motion
7. 14. Voice-Leading Guideline 3: Doubling
8. Quiz: Voice Leading Guidelines
9. 👉 Practice progression
10. Keyboard Progressions PDF
1. 15. Minor Scale: Parallel and Relative.
2. Quizzes: Parallel and Relative Minor Scale
3. 16. Natural minor practice progression
4. 17. The Harmonic Minor Scale
5. 18. The Melodic Minor Scale
6. Quizzes: Melodic Minor Scale
7. 19. How Minor Harmony Really Works in Songs
8. Minor scale quizzes
9. Practice progression: Natural vs. Harmonic Minor
10. Keyboard Progressions PDF
1. 20. First Inversion Chords
2. Quizzes: 1st Inversion Chords
3. 21. Second Inversion Chords
4. Quizzes: 1st and 2nd Inversion Chords
5. Keyboard Progressions PDF
6. 👉 Practice progression: Chord inversions.
1. 22. The Circle of Fifths
2. Quizzes: The Circle of 5ths
3. 23. Closely Related Keys
4. Quizzes: Closely Related Keys
5. 👉 The thing that makes everything easier
1. 24. Types of 7th Chords
2. Quizzes: Types of 7th Chords
3. 25. 7th Chords in a Progression
4. Quizzes: 7th Chords in a Progression
5. 👉 Practice Progression: 7th chords:
1. 26. Intervals
2. Quizzes: Intervals
3. 27. Consonant Intervals
4. 28. Dissonant Intervals
5. Quizzes: Dissonant Intervals
6. More quizzes
7. Sections 1-7: Test your knowledge (20 quiz questions)
8. Keyboard Progressions PDF
1. Passing chords
2. 👉 Practice Progression: Passing Chords
3. Passing chords Quiz
1. 29. Chord Extensions: Introduction
2. 30. The 6 Chord – Giving the Tonic a Jazz Sound
3. Quizzes: I6
4. 31. Adding the 6 to the Tonic in Minor.
5. Quizzes: Adding the 6 to the I in Minor
6. 32. The 6/9 Chord – A More Colorful Tonic
7. 33. The Sus4 Chord – Delaying the Resolution
8. Quizzes: sus4
9. 34. The Sus2 Chord – A Modern Take on a Classical Move
10. 35. The Maj7#11 Chord – Lydian Colors
11. Quizzes - Extensions on the tonic chord
12. Keyboard Progressions PDF
1. 36. V13 and V7b13
2. Quizzes: 13 and b13
3. 37. How to Use the 13 Chord in II–V–I Progressions
4. 38. Sus Chords: 7sus4 and 9sus4
5. 39. The V9 Chord
6. 40. The V7b9 chord
7. 41. the 7#9 Chord
8. Blue In Green: Tutorial
1. 42. The Tritone Substitution
2. 43. Tritone Substitution in II - V - I
3. Quizzes: Tritone Substitution
1. 44. Diminished Scale on the V
2. Quizzes: Diminished Scale on the V
3. 45. Diminished Scale on the I
1. 46. The Altered Scale
2. Keyboard Progressions PDF
1. 47. Pivot Modulation
2. 48. Direct Modulation
3. 49. Diminished Chord Modulation
4. 50. Sequence Modulation
5. Keyboard Progressions PDF
1. 51. The Seven Modes of the Major Scale
2. 52. The Seven Modes Played From C
3. 👉 About the Individual Mode Lessons
4. 53. The Dorian Mode
5. 54. The Phrygian Mode
6. 55. The Lydian Mode
7. 56. The Mixolydian Mode
8. 57. The Locrian Mode
9. Keyboard Progressions PDF
1. 58. Modal Mixture - Major and Minor
2. Modal Mixture 1 - Practice Progressions
3. 59. Mixing Modes With One-Note difference
4. Keyboard Progressions PDF
1. Keyboard Exercise 1
2. Keyboard Exercise 2

About this course

$97.00
116 lessons
6.5 hours of video content

Dr. Guy Shkolnik

Dr. Guy Shkolnik is a composer, music educator, and one of the most influential voices in online music theory education. Holding a Ph.D. in music theory from the University of Tel Aviv, he has built a global audience of over 310,000 followers across social media, where his clear and practical approach to harmony, counterpoint, and ear training has helped countless musicians refine their skills.

With a deep background in both classical and jazz traditions, Dr. Shkolnik has taught at Rimon Jazz College, affiliated with Berklee College of Music, and has worked with students ranging from aspiring musicians to professionals. His expertise spans across traditional voice leading, jazz improvisation, and advanced harmonic concepts, bridging the gap between theory and real-world musical application.

Through his engaging online content and structured courses, Dr. Shkolnik has guided thousands of students toward a deeper understanding of music, transforming the way they hear and create. Whether through detailed breakdowns of iconic compositions, hands-on exercises, or advanced harmonic insights, he continues to make high-level music education more accessible to musicians worldwide.

Bastian Monterde Pedra

Professional Guitarist

Guy is a very professional teacher and an excellent musician. I recommend him for all kinds of classes, from beginner to expert.

Manar Abbas

Jazz Singer

As someone who has always learned random tidbits about chords but never had a clear understanding of what makes a chord what it is, this course was transformative! Guy teaches at a super comfortable and approachable pace and does a good job of covering the basics and building from there. Before the course, I had spent so much time searching and finding complicated answers for things he explained so simply. You’ll leave the course understanding enough to learn to play your favorite songs or to compose your own.