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Alexian’s Learning Grove

MUSIC THEORY 1 · FOR COMPLETE BEGINNERS

So Note It Be

Learn to Read Music • The Magickal Way

Discover what the notes, rhythms, and symbols on a page of music mean. Join Alexian for a Pagan-friendly journey through music reading, one manageable step at a time.

No previous music-reading experience required.
Learn at your own pace, with lifetime course access.

Enrollment coming soon · $246 USD

Preview a Lesson
So Note It Be: writing music beside a piano, framed by leaves and flowers

Love music. Wish the page made more sense?

Perhaps you can find one note—but have to count the lines again for the next. Maybe sharps, flats, and all those symbols still feel like a secret musical spellbook.

You can begin with the basics. We’ll give those marks meaning, practice them in different ways, and build a foundation you can carry into the music you want to make.

Bring your curiosity into the Grove

  • Start from the beginning, or refresh lessons you learned long ago.
  • Build a foundation for future singing, piano, songwriting, or chant studies.
  • Enjoy a Pagan-friendly setting with memorable characters and practical instruction.

This is a foundation in reading music. Playing an instrument and developing your singing voice are further paths you can explore.

Turn the first Leaf with Alexian

Sample the actual opening lesson: the musical alphabet, staff lines and spaces, and barlines. See how your first steps are taught.

 

From Leaf 1A: The Musical Alphabet and Staff Lines & Spaces.

Inside the course, you’ll follow the lesson with printable practice, check your answers, and reinforce what you’ve learned through a game and quiz.

What you’ll be able to understand

The Fruit of this course is a practical music-reading foundation—knowledge you can keep strengthening through use.

Recognize the notes

Identify notes on treble and bass staves, including ledger lines, and connect them with their places on a keyboard.

Understand musical time

Recognize note and rest values, count beats, and interpret the basic time signatures covered in the course.

Make sense of the symbols

Understand accidentals, half and whole steps, major key signatures, and common musical terms and markings.

Watch. Practice. Play. Check your growth.

Each part has a purpose. You’ll have several ways to work with an idea before moving on.

1 · Learn with Alexian

Follow the video explanations and written examples. Pause and return whenever an idea needs another look.

2 · Put pencil to paper

Use the printable practice sheets and provided answers to work things out, spot mistakes, and try again.

3 · Reinforce and progress

Use the games to build recognition, then check your understanding in the Twig quiz. Pass to unlock the next module.

Accuracy comes before speed. Game time targets are practice goals. Your certificate is earned by passing the Final Exam and completing the course requirements.

Your path through the course

In the Learning Grove, a Twig is a module and a Leaf is a lesson. Explore the 12 Twigs below, from the musical staff to your final assessment.

  1. Twig 1 — The Musical Staff: Lines, Spaces & Barlines

    1. Start Here — Welcome to So Note It Be
    2. 1A — The Musical Alphabet and Staff Lines & Spaces
    3. 1A Answers — Lines & Spaces Worksheet
    4. 1B — GAME-01 — Lines & Spaces Speed Challenge
    5. Quiz 1 — Planting the First Roots

  2. Twig 2 — The Treble Clef

    1. 2A — Piano Keyboard Orientation & the Treble Clef Sign
    2. 2B — Treble Clef Lines: Elves Gather Blue Dew Flowers
    3. 2B Answers — Treble Clef Lines Worksheet
    4. 2C — Treble Clef Spaces: F-A-C-E
    5. 2C Answers — Treble Clef Spaces Worksheet
    6. 2D — Treble Clef Spelling: Combined Lines & Spaces
    7. 2D Answers — Treble Clef Spelling Worksheet
    8. 2E — Treble Clef Word Reading with Mixed Note Shapes
    9. 2E Answers — Treble Clef Word Reading Worksheet
    10. 2F — Treble Clef Note Reading Fluency Game
    11. Quiz 2 — Treble Clef: New Growth & Spiral Roots

  3. Twig 3 — The Bass Clef

    1. 3A — Bass Clef Sign & Lines: Goblin’s Belt Doesn’t Fit Anymore
    2. 3A Answers — Bass Clef Lines Worksheet
    3. 3B — Bass Clef Spaces: Arcane Cat Eats Gooseberries
    4. 3B Answers — Bass Clef Spaces Worksheet
    5. 3C — Bass Note Writing: Combined Lines & Spaces
    6. 3C Answers — Bass Note Writing Worksheet
    7. 3D — Bass Clef Word Reading with Mixed Note Shapes
    8. 3D Answers — Bass Clef Word Reading Worksheet
    9. 3E — Bass Clef Note Reading Fluency Game
    10. Quiz 3 — Bass Clef: New Growth & Spiral Roots

  4. Twig 4 — Sharps, Flats & Natural Signs

    1. 4A — Sharps, Flats & Naturals
    2. 4A Answers — Sharps, Flats & Naturals Worksheet
    3. 4B — Sharps, Flats & Naturals Reading Practice
    4. 4B Answers — Accidentals Reading Practice Worksheet
    5. 4C — Accidentals, Tonal Center & the Key of C
    6. 4C Answers — C Major & Musical Home Worksheet
    7. 4D — Sharps, Flats & Naturals Fluency Game
    8. Quiz 4 — Accidentals & Tonal Center: New Growth & Spiral Roots

  5. Twig 5 — The Grand Staff

    1. 5A — Treble Is Up, Bass Is Down & the Grand Staff
    2. 5B — Reading Both Clefs Together on the Grand Staff
    3. 5B Answers — Reading Both Clefs Worksheet
    4. 5C — Grand Staff Reading Drills
    5. 5C Answers — Grand Staff Reading Drills
    6. 5D — Sharps, Flats & Naturals on the Grand Staff
    7. 5D Answers — Grand Staff Accidentals Worksheet
    8. 5E — Grand Staff Fluency Game
    9. Quiz 5 — The Grand Staff: New Growth & Spiral Roots

  6. Twig 6 — Note Stems & Time Values

    1. 6A — Stem Direction Rules
    2. 6A Answers — Stem Direction Worksheet
    3. 6B — Note Time Values
    4. 6B Answers — Note Time Values Worksheet
    5. 6C — Reading Note Time Values
    6. 6C Answers — Reading Note Time Values Worksheet
    7. 6D — Rest Time Values
    8. 6D Answers — Rest Time Values Worksheet
    9. 6E — Correlating Notes & Rests
    10. 6E Answers — Notes & Rests Worksheet
    11. 6F — Note & Rest Correlation Game
    12. Quiz 6 — Note Values, Rests & Musical Time: New Growth & Spiral Roots

  7. Twig 7 — Counting Beats, Time Signatures & Adding Barlines

    1. 7A — Time Signatures & the Dotted Half Note
    2. 7B — Counting Beats & Adding Barlines
    3. 7B Answers — Counting Beats & Adding Barlines Worksheet
    4. 7C — Rhythm: Listen, Remember, Rebuild
    5. Quiz 7 — Time Signatures, Beats & Rhythm: New Growth & Spiral Roots

  8. Twig 8 — Inner Ledger Lines

    1. 8A — Treble-Clef Inner Ledger Lines
    2. 8A Answers — Treble-Clef Inner Ledger Lines Worksheet
    3. 8B — Bass-Clef Inner Ledger Lines
    4. 8B Answers — Bass-Clef Inner Ledger Lines Worksheet
    5. 8C — Grand-Staff Inner Ledger-Line Word Reading
    6. 8C Answers — Grand-Staff Inner Ledger-Line Words
    7. 8D — Inner Ledger-Line Fluency Game
    8. Quiz 8 — Inner Ledger Lines: New Growth & Spiral Roots

  9. Twig 9 — Outer Ledger Lines

    1. 9A — Treble-Clef Outer Ledger Lines
    2. 9A Answers — Treble-Clef Outer Ledger Lines Worksheet
    3. 9B — Bass-Clef Outer Ledger Lines
    4. 9B Answers — Bass-Clef Outer Ledger Lines Worksheet
    5. 9C — Grand-Staff Outer Ledger-Line Word Reading
    6. 9C Answers — Grand-Staff Outer Ledger-Line Words
    7. 9D — Outer Ledger-Line Fluency Game
    8. Quiz 9 — Outer Ledger Lines: New Growth & Spiral Roots

  10. Twig 10 — Half Steps, Whole Steps & Enharmonics

    1. 10A — Half Steps & Whole Steps with Natural Notes
    2. 10A Answers — Natural Half Steps and Whole Steps Worksheet
    3. 10B — Half Steps & Whole Steps with Accidentals
    4. 10B Answers — Half Steps and Whole Steps with Accidentals Worksheet
    5. 10C — Enharmonics
    6. 10C Answers — Enharmonic Note Writing Worksheet
    7. 10D — Half Steps, Whole Steps & Enharmonics Game
    8. Quiz 10 — Half Steps, Whole Steps & Enharmonics: New Growth & Spiral Roots

  11. Twig 11 — Keys & Key Signatures

    1. 11A — Keys, Major Scale Formula & Key Signatures
    2. 11A3 Answers — Major Scale Writing Worksheet
    3. 11B — Key Signature Practice Game
    4. 11C — Additional Symbols, Terms & Dynamics
    5. 11C Answers — Symbols, Terms & Dynamics Worksheet
    6. 11D — Focused Symbols & Terms Game
    7. Quiz 11E — Keys, Key Signatures & Musical Symbols: New Growth & Spiral Roots
    8. 11F — FINAL GAME — Cumulative Course Fluency Challenge

  12. Twig 12 — FINAL EXAM: Gathering the Fruit

    1. 12A — Preparing for the Final Exam
    2. FINAL EXAM — Gathering the Fruit
Alexian playing piano and singing

Merry meet! I’m Alexian.

I’m a professional recording artist, music educator, Berklee College of Music graduate, and High Priest in the Alexandrian tradition of Wicca.

Music and magick are both part of my life. Here in the Learning Grove, I bring that perspective to clear, practical music instruction—with room for curiosity, practice, and a little playfulness.

You don’t need to arrive knowing the notes or understanding all those symbols. That’s what we’re here to learn!

Let’s turn the first Leaf together.

On Alexian’s teaching

“Alexian is a great teacher, sharing his own knowledge and experience with his students.”

Jan Shapiro
Former Vocal Department Chair, Berklee College of Music

Plant your musical Roots

One course purchase. A foundation you can return to as your skills grow.

So Note It Be

$246 USD

One-time course purchase · Enrollment coming soon

  • Lifetime access to the course
  • Step-by-step videos and written lessons
  • Printable practice sheets and answers
  • Interactive practice games and Twig quizzes
  • Final Exam and completion certificate
  • Grove Path guides for your next steps

Your community access

Paw Pal Circle: free-forever access.

So Note It Be Circle: 60 days included from your course enrollment. This access ends automatically after 60 days.

If you want to stay in this course’s Circle, you can choose a separate membership at $19.92/month.

No automatic subscription or charge when the included 60 days end. Your lifetime course access and Paw Pal access continue either way.

Try So Note It Be for 72 hours.

Turn the first Leaf, try a practice sheet, and play a game. If the course isn’t a good fit, email me within 72 hours of purchase for a full refund. A refund ends your access to the course and its included Circle. Your free Paw Pal membership is yours to keep.

A few questions before you begin

Your musical journey can begin with one Leaf.

Bring your curiosity. Explore a real lesson and imagine what understanding written music could make possible for you.

So Note It Be · Enrollment coming soon

Preview a Lesson