Listening to Music

  • Free
  • No certificate
  • 22 hours
Provider
Yale
Cost
Free
Certificate
No certificate
Duration
22 hours
Format
Self-paced
Language
English
Subjects
Art, Courses for Seniors
Source
Yale Online
Last verified
14 Sep 2026

Listening to Music is Craig Wright's introductory Yale course for musical novices, published by Yale Online as a YouTube playlist of about 22 hours of lectures. The course builds aural skills step by step so that a listener with no training can hear how Western music is constructed and can follow works in a wide range of styles, from Gregorian chant through Bach and Mozart to the blues. Yale Online lists the delivery as YouTube, the duration as 22 hours, the fee as none and the credential as open access, which it defines as freely available for self-directed learning with no credential awarded.

There is no registration, no assessment and no certificate. The course was originally recorded for Open Yale Courses, whose page for it is no longer available, and the lectures now live on the Yale Courses YouTube channel with English subtitles.

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What you’ll learn

  • Hear how Western music is put together from rhythm, melody and harmony
  • Recognise the main styles from Gregorian chant to Bach, Mozart and the blues
  • Develop the aural skills needed to follow a piece as it unfolds

Who it’s for

Complete beginners who want to understand what they are hearing in classical and popular music; no ability to read music is assumed.

Source: Yale Online (opens in a new tab) · Verified · Report a change

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