Free Music Curriculum

8 Notes  (3rd to 12th)

The main focus of the website is sheet music, but they also offer a wide range of resources for musicians, including tuners, chord charts, and lessons. Sheet music and other resources are available for over 35 musical instruments and voice. While a paid subscription is offered, 90% of the website’s materials are accessible for free.

Beginner Guitar HQ  (8th to 12th)

This website offers numerous guides and tutorials for learning to play the guitar. Many of these tutorials include audio recordings and videos.

Chrome Music Lab  (Pre-K to 12th)

This virtual music lab allows students to create music and learn how music works. They can see what sound looks like, learn how melody works, create rhythms, turn drawings into music, and more. This is a supplemental resource rather than a music curriculum.

Classics for Kids  (K to 6th)

The podcasts on this website teach about classical composers. The website also offers lesson plans, printable activity sheets, an interactive dictionary of musical terms, games, and more.

Easy Peasy All-in-One Homeschool  (1st to 8th)  C

Courses are taught using a variety of online sources. Courses offered are Music: Ancient, Music: Early American, Music: Modern, and Music: Geography & Cultures. While these courses correspond with the history and art courses offered by Easy Peasy, they may also be taken on their own.

Easy Peasy All-in-One High School  (9th to 12th)  C

This semester-long Music Appreciation course is taught using mostly videos.

edX  (10th to 12th)

EdX, a nonprofit created by Harvard and MIT, offers numerous courses covering music theory, music appreciation, and other music topics. The length and format vary from course to course, and availability changes periodically. The courses are free to audit, or certificates of completion are also available for a fee.

Fiddlerman  (4th to 12th)

Fiddlerman provides video-based violin lessons for both beginner and advanced players. The website also offers a large collection of downloadable sheet music.

Georgia Virtual Learning  (6th to 12th)

Two art courses are available: AP Art History and Visual Arts Comprehensive I. The lesson modules are made up of online text, videos, and interactive activities.  Links to additional related resources are provided with each module. Assessments are not included.

Hoffman Academy  (K to 12th)

Hoffman Academy offers free video-based piano lessons. While all of the videos are free to watch, other features like practice sessions, accompanying printable materials, and learning games require a paid premium membership.

FutureLearn  (9th to 12th)

FutureLearn offers several online music classes. Length and format vary from course to course. Availability of courses periodically changes.  Most of the courses are free to join, be there is an option to upgrade to access additional benefits, like the ability to qualify for a certificate.

Justin Guitar  (1st to 12th)

Justin Guitar offers an extensive collection of guitar lessons for beginning through advanced players. The website also offers a few beginner ukulele lessons.

Kid Zone Guitar  (4th to 12th)

This website offers video-based guitar lessons and downloadable sheet music. The lessons cover all basic guitar techniques.

Kline Creative  (2nd to 12th)

Kline Creative offers video-based piano lessons for beginners. Each lesson includes downloadable sheet music.

Learn Drums Now  (6th to 12th)

This 4-week course provides an introduction to drum playing that helps beginners get started. The course includes text-based lessons and practice activities.

Learn to Sing  (K to 12th)

Singing lessons are presented through the use of step-by-step guides and video tutorials.

Let’s Play Music  (K to 6th)

The First Piano Lessons are short exercises disguised as games that combine strengthening and coordination with note recognition and memory. The website provides a guide that explains how to teach the lessons.

Maestro Classics  (K to 8th)

These music curriculum guides and lesson plans provide parents with unit studies in all academic subjects. They combine music with math, language arts, science, history,  geography, art, and more.

Mr. Henry’s Music World  (1st to 12th)

Mr. Henry’s video tutorials teach beginners how to play the piano.

Music Theory  (6th to 12th)

These online lessons and interactive exercises teach rhythm, meter, intervals, chords, and much more.

Piano Lessons 4 Children  (2nd to 12th)

These video-based piano lessons are designed for beginner and elementary level. Most lessons use well-known children’s songs. The website also has lessons about famous composers which can be used as a music appreciation curriculum.

Piano Nanny  (4th to 12th)

Piano Nanny offers piano lessons at starter, intermediate, and advanced levels. The lessons are text-based with some audio recordings. Multiple choice quizzes are included.

Squeaky’s Recorder Playhouse  (K to 12th)

This website provides recorder lessons. The tutorials are text-based. A songbook for practice is also provided. The student may record their performance to have it graded via Finale Performance Assessment Program, a free program available for download on the website.

Teoría Music Theory  (6th to 12th)

Teoría provides tutorials and exercises which teach reading music, intervals, chords, scales, harmonic functions, music forms, ear training, and more.

Theta Music Trainer  (5th to 12th)

The introduction to Ear Training course teaches volume & mixing, instrumentation, comparing pitches, solfege, and finding the key of a song. This introduction course is entirely free, as are lesson activities for all courses. Practice and game activities beyond level 3 of the other courses require a premium membership.

Under the Home  (K to 5th)

Under the Home’s courses teach music appreciation using text based lessons with audio recordings of the music being studied.

Virtual Music Instruments  (Pre-K to 12th)

The virtual music instruments provided on this website allow students to try playing instruments they don’t have access to physically. This is a supplemental resource rather than a music curriculum.

Violinspiration  (4th to 12th)

Violinspiration offers video based violin lessons, a lessons guide, sheet music, worksheets, and more.

YAPA Kids  (1st to 8th)

YAPA Kids provides free online courses taught by live teachers. The courses available may change, and some have a waitlist.

Zebra Keys  (7th to 12th)

Zebra Keys provides over 50 free piano lessons at various levels of difficulty. Each lesson is accompanied by flash animations that allow learners to view and hear songs as well as play along with the animations on their piano or keyboard.