Learn
One music element (one building block) at a time, in plain language. — Each lesson averages 12 minutes.
Understand First. Create Freely
One concept explains how all music works:
Tension and release.
We create and listen to music to evoke feelings, moods, and emotions.
All the emotions you’ve experienced in music are the result of varying levels of tension.
The good news is you are already familiar with this concept. Try the demonstration and see.
Try the demonstration ↓Listen · Individual notes
A Turtle or a Hummingbird?
Listen to these two notes. Do you agree that they sound and feel different?
Exactly! They sound and feel different because each note is a vibration, and each vibration creates a different level of tension.
Which note would you choose to create the feeling of a turtle walking?
Combine · Two-note mixtures
Now, let’s mix two notes.
Listen to these mixtures. Do you agree that these mixtures sound and feel different?
They sound and feel different because each mixture creates a different level of tension.
Which mixture would you choose to relax to?
Explore · Groups of mixtures
Now, here’s where it gets really interesting.
Music has 13 possible two-note mixtures. We can use one, all 13, or select a group. These groups are called Scales.
Listen to these two scales. Do they sound and feel different?
When you hear the pleasing sound of wind chimes, which scale do you think you’re hearing?
You’ve heard it for yourself
You’ve discovered the key to understanding music
If you answered those questions with ease, you already understand the foundation of this course.
Why? Because tension and release is the underlying concept that connects everything in music.
Scales, chords, melody, harmony, and rhythm aren’t separate, disconnected subjects. They all exist for the same reason: to create and vary tension.
Understand this one concept first, and everything else you learn has a purpose, a connection, and a reason to make sense.
Educators & students
Endorsements
Music educators and students continue to endorse Before You Learn because, before note names, before sheet music, before confusion, it starts with an organized overview of how all music works and is created.
“This is more than a game changer—it’s a paradigm shift.”
Lucinda HurleyAdvocate for Better Education · Nassau BOCES Retiree
“An innovative, accessible approach that explains music through tension and release—the Tao of music learning.”
Dr. Balbinder Singh BhogalHofstra University
“I witnessed firsthand the enthusiasm this course inspires. I immediately emailed my colleagues.”
Sheneka GrahamProgram Director, YMCA
Who’s this course for?
There’s more than one reason to begin.
Before You Learn isn’t just for people starting from scratch. It’s for anyone who has ever wanted to understand and create music.
The Dreamer
Someone who has always wanted to learn music but never found the time, the right teacher, or the right approach.
The Returning Student
Someone who has studied music but never understood how everything fits together. Before You Learn gives them a new framework without starting over.
The Family
A meaningful gift for a spouse, child, or grandchild who wants to explore music.
A Healthier Way to Use Screen Time
Turns screen time into active learning, experimentation, creativity, and music-making, rather than passive scrolling.
The Music Lover
Someone who wants to understand music more deeply, appreciate what they hear, and discover why it makes them feel the way it does.
How you’ll learn
A proven step-by-step learning path
You’ll create music every step of the way, using each new concept as a building block, while understanding everything you’re doing.
Experiment
With each building block. — Growth is built from experimentation, not repetition.
Create
Music with each new building block. — Simple, but yours.
Apply
Everything you learned to understand the next lesson.
Rinse and Repeat
What you’ll learn
Nine modules. One concept.
A foundation to grow on.
Each lesson builds on the last. The course begins with tension and release, then reveals how the architecture of music emerges from connected layers of musical building blocks.
- 01
Understand
The unifying concept of tension and release.
- 02
Principles of Sound
Explore notes as vibrations and how sound is experienced.
- 03
Intervals
Discover what happens when two notes are combined.
- 04
The 13 Intervals
Explore the possible two-note relationships and their different tension levels.
- 05
Scales
Learn how selecting intervals creates different scales.
- 06
Melody
Understand how a sequence of notes and intervals creates musical movement.
- 07
Rhythm
Explore how timing and patterns shape musical feeling.
- 08
Harmony
Discover how notes combine with a melody to change its sound and feeling.
- 09
The Circle of Fifths
Understand the relationships behind music’s 12-note system.
What ties it together?
Music is made from layers of building blocks. Each can contribute to tension and release, and you can begin creating with just one or two before building from there.
Where this leads
A Foundation Without Limits
Understand how music works. Become the musician you choose to be.
After nine modules, you’ll understand how music’s building blocks work together and how to combine them to express your own ideas.
Whether you choose to play, improvise, compose, or explore any instrument, style, or genre, you’ll have a foundation you can build on for a lifetime.
Understand first. Create freely. Build from there.Courses & pricing
Choose the option that fits your needs and budget.
Both options include the 9-module Foundation Course plus 3 Companion Courses: The History of Music Genres, The History of Note Names, and The History of Sheet Music.
You’ll learn how and why music works while playing, experimenting, and creating music every step of the way.
Watch · Guided Course
Foundation Course Guided Videos
$220 or 5 Ă— $44
In this option, I will guide you through all the course material and practice sessions using 18 instructional videos.
Includes
- 9 Step-by-Step Video Lessons
- 9 Guided Video Practice Sessions
- 9 Lesson Review and Study Guides
- 18 Quizzes and Assessments to Ensure Your Growth and Progress
Also included
- 3 Companion Courses: history of note names, sheet music, and genres
- Bonuses and Gifts
- Course Completion Certificate
- Learning Community
This option offers the best value! For roughly the price of a couple of private lessons, you will feel as though you have your own personal teacher. The bonuses and gifts will encourage you to complete the tasks, while the course library will help you stay organized and track your progress.
Read · Prefer to learn independently?
Foundation Course PDF Download
$144 or 5 Ă— $28.80
In this option, you will read all the course material and go through the practice sessions on your own.
Includes
- PDF downloads
- 4 Bonus Video Practice Sessions
- 9 Quizzes and Assessments to ensure growth and progress
Also included
- 3 Companion Courses: history of note names, sheet music, and genres
- Bonuses and Gifts
- Course Completion Certificate
- Learning Community
While this is the most affordable option, it provides everything you need to succeed. The bonuses and gifts will encourage you to complete the tasks, while the course library will help you stay organized and track your progress.
About the creator
Eric Fine
Eric created Before You Learn after struggling with music theory himself. Drawing on his background in education, he developed an approach that begins with the big picture and invites you to create as you learn.
For first-time learners and players looking to connect what they already know.
