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The Method
Simple on the surface. Centuries deep.
Every lesson follows the same gentle rhythm — hear it, name it, write it.
A few minutes a dayOne short lesson, then they write. No hour-long videos.
Writing from lesson oneReal notes on a real staff, from the very first day.
You don't have to teach itMaestro — their personal tutor — does. No music background needed.
One method, three stagesYoung (6–9), Junior (10–13), and Gradus Composers (14+).
Every Lesson
Hear it. Name it. Write it.
Children learn music the way they learned to talk — sound first, names after. Every Gradus lesson keeps that order, in four small steps.
Listen
It starts in the ear
They hear the day's idea before they ever see it — a pull, a rest, a color.
Learn
One short lesson
A single idea, plainly told, with the music right there to play.
Write
A piece of their own
Every lesson ends in composing — a few bars, in their own hand.
Hear back
Maestro responds
Their tutor reads what they wrote and answers — warm, specific, theirs.
Your Child's Tutor
Maestro is on every page.
A patient composition tutor in every lesson, every studio, every score. He does the teaching — so it never depends on you.
He knows exactly which lesson your child is on — answers are never generic.
He reads every piece they write and responds with warm, specific feedback.
He speaks plainly, in words a child can act on — no jargon, no lectures.
Why does my last note sound unfinished?
"That note wants to come home. Try ending on C — hear how it settles?"
— Maestro, mid-lessonWhy It Works
A real curriculum, built on a few quiet convictions.
Sound before symbols
The ear knows before the mind names. Every idea is heard and felt before the label arrives — so when it does arrive, it sticks.
History is the curriculum
Theory is taught era by era, as it was actually discovered — Bach to Debussy. Your child learns why the rules exist, not just what they are.
Writing, not watching
No videos to sit through, no game to tap. Real skill — and real love — grows from making something of their own, every single lesson.
Beauty has principles
Taste isn't guesswork — balance, contrast, tension and release are real, learnable principles that every great composer relied on. Gradus names them so your child can reach for them deliberately.
Discipline as formation
The old exercises — counterpoint, figured bass, the voice-leading rules — aren't arbitrary gatekeeping. They train something in the ear and hand that can't be learned any other way. Every constraint is a gift.
The method behind the composers you already know — rebuilt for your child.
Look Inside
Every room is open.
Click any page to see exactly what your child will use — live previews of the real thing, no account needed.
The Method3 pages
The Tracks2 pages
Composition Studios3 pages
Score Study & Composers2 pages
Practice & Reference3 pages
Common Questions
What parents ask.
What is the Gradus method?
Gradus is a complete homeschool composition curriculum delivered online. Children write their own music from the very first lesson, building the craft through four simple daily practices — ear training, music notation, music theory, and composing. It is built on the method behind the composers you already know — species counterpoint, figured bass, harmony, fugue, and orchestration — taught in ten progressive stages from a single melodic line through full orchestral writing.
Do I need to know music to teach it?
No. Neither you nor your child needs any background. Reading music is taught inside the curriculum itself, and Maestro — your child's personal tutor — does the teaching. Children who already read music simply move through the early lessons more quickly.
How is Gradus different from a music theory course?
Gradus teaches composition by composing, not by analyzing. Every lesson ends with a composition challenge — your child writes real music on a real staff, with live notation feedback and a personal tutor to guide it. Not videos, not a quiz: the same kind of exercises Fux gave his students and Bach used to teach his own children.
How much time does it take each day?
A few focused minutes a day. Children typically work through one lesson per week with a short daily practice — hear something, learn something, write something. Families move at their own pace; there is no schedule to keep up with.
How long does the full curriculum take?
Gradus is a multi-year curriculum — twelve stages, from a single melodic line through full orchestration and twentieth-century technique to an original capstone composition. It grows with your child: Young Composers (ages 6 to 9), Junior Composers (ages 10 to 13), and Gradus Composers (ages 14 and up) all follow the same method, matured to the child.
What is included with a Gradus subscription?
Everything — there are no tiers. Every lesson across all twelve stages, every composition studio (Beginner Sketchbook, Counterpoint Workshop, Master Sketchbook, Critique by Maestro), every practice tool (ear training, sight reading, figured bass, chorale harmonization, Boulanger's exercises), 458 score studies with over 14,500 commentary entries, the complete reference library, and Maestro — your child's personal composition tutor.
How much does Gradus cost?
$199 for the first year, then $299 per year after — one price for the whole curriculum, with no tiers or add-ons. Gradus is ESA-eligible, and subscriptions can be canceled anytime.
Who is Maestro?
Maestro is your child's personal composition tutor — available in every lesson, every composition studio, and every score study to answer questions, give gentle feedback on what your child writes, and guide them forward. Because the tutor does the teaching, a parent does not need to know music.
Is there a certificate of completion?
Yes. Gradus awards a Certificate of Composition upon completion of all twelve stages, culminating in the capstone orchestral movement — a clean line for your homeschool records.
Does Gradus replace piano lessons?
No — it adds to them. Their teacher keeps them playing; Gradus adds the composing, and with it a deeper love of the music they play. Many families pair a weekly piano lesson with a few minutes of Gradus a day.
Can I cancel anytime?
Yes. Subscriptions are managed through Stripe and can be canceled at any time. After cancellation you keep access through the end of your current billing period.
Follow the Journey
Stay Close to the Method
New lessons, score studies, and curriculum updates — a short note now and then, as the method grows.
Music in their own hand, from the very first lesson.
Gradus — School of Music Composition · Maestro's Journal · About