What is the Gradus method?

Gradus is a complete conservatory-style composition curriculum delivered as an online practice system. It is built on the same tradition codified by Johann Joseph Fux in 1725 — species counterpoint, figured bass, harmony, fugue, orchestration, and ear training — taught in ten progressive stages from a single melodic line through full orchestral writing.

How is Gradus different from a music theory course?

Gradus teaches composition by composing, not by analyzing. Every lesson ends with a composition challenge — real writing on a real staff, with live notation feedback. The same exercises Fux gave his students, the same cantus firmi Mozart studied, the same chorale harmonization drills Bach used to teach his sons.

Do I need to read music to start?

No. The first lesson assumes no prior knowledge — not even the ability to read notation. You learn to read music as part of the curriculum. Students who already read music move through the early lessons quickly.

How long does the full curriculum take?

The Gradus curriculum is structured as a multi-year program of study, equivalent to a conservatory composition major. Students typically work through one step per week with daily practice, completing ten stages of study from a single melodic line through full orchestration and twentieth-century technique.

What is included with a Gradus subscription?

Full access to every lesson across all ten 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 (orchestra, history, voice-leading patterns, fugue reference, instrument combinations, dictionary), and Maestro — your personal composition professor.

How much does Gradus cost?

$19.99 per month or $179.88 per year ($14.99 per month equivalent, saving 25%). Subscriptions can be canceled anytime through Stripe.

Maestro is your personal composition professor — available in every lesson, every composition studio, and every score study to answer questions, give structured feedback on your compositions, and run prediction exercises against the repertoire.

Is there a certificate of completion?

Yes. Gradus offers a Certificate of Composition awarded upon completion of the full ten-stage curriculum and the capstone orchestral movement.

Is Gradus suitable for children?

Yes. The Young Composers Track (ages 4 to 8) provides a dedicated curriculum with colorful note characters, real staff notation, three playable composition tools (Rhythm Playground, Melody Builder, Echo Counterpoint), and a Read-to-Me mode for pre-readers. The standard track begins at age 9 and continues through adult.

Is Gradus suitable for music teachers?

Yes. Gradus includes a Teacher Dashboard with class management, student progress tracking, Maestro critique on student compositions, and the ability to assign specific curriculum stages or orchestration exercises to individual students or whole classes.

Does Gradus replace a music theory textbook?

It supersedes the textbook approach. Theory at Gradus is taught the way it was discovered — era by era, problem by problem, through the composers who shaped each tradition. Students do not study chords in the abstract; they study Bach’s chorales, Mozart’s sonatas, Wagner’s chromatic harmony, and Debussy’s parallelism in the actual repertoire.

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.

Gradus vs. Coursera Music Theory

The headline difference

Coursera’s music-theory and composition courses — the Berklee specialization, the University of Edinburgh’s introductory series, Yale’s open course on listening — are built around recorded lectures and short assignments. They are excellent surveys. Gradus is built around the opposite premise: theory follows sound, and sound is something you write. The first thing a Gradus student does is compose. The last thing is also compose. Everything in between is scaffolding for that practice — including ear training, score study, and a personal composition professor.

Side by side

What you get

Gradus

Coursera (typical)

Format

Daily practice system. Every lesson ends with a composition challenge written on a real staff with notation feedback.

Pre-recorded video lectures, multiple-choice quizzes, peer-graded essays. Compositions are not central to most courses.

Depth

Ten stages, multi-year. Single-line melody through Romantic harmony, fugue, twentieth-century technique, and full orchestration.

Most courses are 4–10 weeks. Berklee’s Music Theory (Coursera) is a four-course specialization covering basics through tonal harmony.

Instructor model

Maestro — a personal composition professor available in every lesson and every studio for context-aware feedback. Critique by Maestro returns a 32-dimension scorecard on student compositions.

Lectures by university faculty. Live instructor contact is rare. Discussion forums and peer review serve as the feedback layer.

Source materials

Primary sources: Fux’s Gradus ad Parnassum, the Mozart-Attwood notebooks, Marpurg’s Treatise on Fugue, Boulanger’s harmony method, the Bach-Schiorring chorales.

Modern textbook adaptations. Music theory courses typically follow Kostka-Payne or Aldwell-Schachter ordering.

Score study

458 annotated works (50 orchestral masterworks plus 408 Bach chorales) with over 14,500 commentary entries, navigable bar by bar.

Listening assignments and short analyses. No annotated-score library.

Composition output

Students write music from the first lesson. Master Sketchbook supports MIDI input, MusicXML import, audio export.

Berklee specialization includes a capstone composition. Most theory courses do not require finished compositions.

Pricing

$19.99/month or $179.88/year (saves 25%). All content unlocked.

Specializations $49–$59/month. Audit single courses free; pay for graded work and certificates.

Credentialing

Certificate of Composition awarded on completion of the ten-stage curriculum and capstone orchestral movement.

Per-course or specialization certificates from the partner university (Berklee, Yale, Edinburgh).

Choose Coursera if

You want a short, structured introduction to music-theory fundamentals from a named institution.
You value a per-course completion certificate that names a partner university.
You prefer learning from recorded lectures and self-paced quizzes.
You are exploring the field and not yet ready to commit to a multi-year practice.

Choose Gradus if

You want to write music — actual compositions, not analytical labels.
You want to walk the same path Mozart, Beethoven, and Brahms did, with the same primary sources.
You want feedback on your compositions from a personal composition professor available in every lesson.
You want score study with bar-by-bar commentary on real orchestral repertoire.
You are committed to a multi-year practice and want every piece of the conservatory tradition in one place.

Built on proven tradition. Built for the way mastery actually works.

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