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. MasterClass

The headline difference

MasterClass is excellent at what it is — a celebrity-led inspirational catalog. Watching Hans Zimmer narrate a Hollywood scoring session is genuinely valuable, the same way watching Roger Federer talk about footwork is valuable for a tennis amateur. What MasterClass does not do is put you on the court. Gradus is the practice system. Every lesson ends with a composition challenge written on a real staff with notation feedback, and there is a personal composition professor inside the page to critique your work.

Side by side

What you get

Gradus

MasterClass

Format

Daily practice system. Every lesson ends with a composition challenge. Master Sketchbook for full orchestral writing.

Celebrity-led video lessons (Hans Zimmer, Itzhak Perlman, Carlos Santana, Alicia Keys, others). Watch-and-learn style.

Depth

Multi-year curriculum across ten stages — single melodic line through fugue, Romantic harmony, twentieth-century technique, full orchestration.

Each course is roughly 3–5 hours of video. Designed as inspirational deep dives, not progressive curricula.

Instructor model

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

Pre-recorded video lectures. The instructor does not respond to your work. Office Hours feature is intermittent and broadcast-style.

Source materials

Primary sources: Fux, Albrechtsberger, Boulanger, Lasser, Marpurg, Bach-Schiorring chorales, Mozart-Attwood notebooks.

The instructor’s personal style and process. A film-scoring class teaches the instructor’s film-scoring approach, not the conservatory tradition.

Practice expectations

Composition challenge at the end of every lesson. Students write music from day one and ship pieces every week.

Optional workbook exercises for some classes. No required submissions. No feedback on your work.

Score study

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

Brief reference clips to specific scores. No bar-by-bar annotation library.

Pricing

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

$15–$20/month annual subscription for the full catalog (all classes — music, cooking, writing, etc.).

Best for

Students committed to the long discipline of writing music — daily practice, multi-year arc, traditional curriculum.

Inspiration, exposure to a famous artist’s working method, casual viewing, gift subscriptions.

Choose MasterClass if

You want exposure to a specific famous artist’s working method (Hans Zimmer film scoring, Itzhak Perlman violin, Alicia Keys songwriting).
You enjoy learning by watching long-form interview-style lessons and want a wide cross-discipline catalog.
You don’t need feedback on your own work and aren’t looking for a progressive curriculum.

Choose Gradus if

You want to write music — your own pieces, finished, week after week.
You want a personal composition professor who responds to your work.
You want a long curriculum grounded in primary sources, not a single artist’s personal style.
You want score study, ear training, and orchestration alongside the writing practice.

A generated score is not composition — any more than a calculator is mathematics.

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