All piano students should know these basic music theory concepts:
Staff Awareness
- bass clef
- treble clef
Note Names and Placement
- on the keyboard
- on the staff
Basic Music Vocab
- measure
- bar lines, double bar lines
- repeat symbols
- slurs
- fermatas, etc.
Basic Music Notes
- quarter
- eighth
- whole
- half
Dotted Notes and Triplets
- timing
Rests
- quarter
- eighth
- whole
- half
Time Signatures
- 4/4
- 3/4
- 2/4
Tempos
- Largo
- Adagio
- Andante
- Moderato
- Allegro
- Presto
- Ritardando
Dynamics
- piano
- forte
- piannisimo
- fortissimo
Dynamic Markings
- crescendo
- decrescendo/diminuendo
Accidentals
- sharps
- flats
- natural
Major Scale Pattern
- WWHWWWH
Minor Scale Pattern
- WHWWHWW
Circle of Fifths
- Identify major keys: C, G, D, A, E, B, F#
- Identify minor keys: C, F, Bb, Eb, Ab, Db, Gb
- Sharp order memorization
- Flat order memorization
Key Signatures
- Identify by sight
Intervals
- Identify by sight
- Recognize by ear
Scale Degrees
- tonic
- subdominant
- dominant
Chords
- I, Root, Tonic
- V7 chords
- I, IV, V chord progressions
- I, V chord inversions
I am not going to pretend that this list covers all the music theory concepts. Of course it doesn’t. This list is a live document and I may add or take things off of it. But this has just been helpful for me in making sure I have at least taught my students these fundamentals of music theory.
Wanting to improve your piano? I would highly recommend you taking a look at the Top 6 Online Piano Lessons and What Each Does Best to find a program that would work well for YOU and what YOU need!
This is what I call my Music Theory Masters page. When they can pass off all that is on this list, they are music theory masters!
I love teaching theory through games and activities as I believe it helps to solidify the concepts as they apply the concepts. Check out my Really Fun Piano Games and Activities.
Tel loves her life as a piano player, a piano teacher, and a mom. Amid piano blogging, piano teaching, and piano playing, she loves a chance to fit in a good exercise class, volunteer at her kids’ school and at her church, and go on long dates with her husband. Full bio at About Tel.
This is excellent!! I have taught classical piano over 35 years and this has nailed it! Now retired but teaching my granddaughter virtually.
Thank you. Your list is a helpful prompt to the music memory of many decades.
The sharp and flat order memorization requirement caught my eye because it’s the one item on this list that students tend to breeze through verbally and then fail to apply at the keyboard. Reciting F C G D A E B is not the same as knowing why that order exists, and I’ve watched kids pass off the memorization step without ever connecting it to the key signatures they’re actually reading. Curious whether the Music Theory Masters pass-off makes them demonstrate the application or just the recital of the sequence.